This is a Bible, King James Version, printed in 1613. And I held it in my hands! A priceless Document, beyond doubt. This photo was made in our motel room, in Connersville, Indiana, two or three years ago.

The Bible, God’s Holy Word! That’s about all I ever heard that Old Book called, growing up in rural South Carolina. Mom and Dad both revered the Scriptures, and taught us children to do so as well.

I’m thinking of a verse in Isaiah. God is speaking: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” And “trembling” is the Hebrew word “chared,” literally “fearful!” Yes, a lowly man who deeply respects God’s Word … will have God’s “Eye” upon Him, in a good sense. It’s Isaiah 66:2, friends.

And Psalm 12:6 teaches us: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Wow! “Pure” here means “clean!”

Psalm 119:89 adds: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Jesus believed and preached, John 10:35, “The scripture cannot be broken.” The verb “be broken” is “luo,” can never be “dissolved, unloosed, destroyed!”

And I do remember this, a warning repeated throughout all the Bible. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall ADD unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” This again is Jesus talking, folks, Revelation 22:18-19.

Men by the dozens have died that we might have God’s Word in our English tongue.

Yes, I counted it an honor to bring that old Bible home with me … just for that single night.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell