Students use books, paper, and Internet resources to do homework and school projects. Carpenters need fasteners, a tape measure, wood, and a bunch of tools that they usually carry around in a tool box. Lawyers, copywriters, doctors, teachers, and scientists use computers to access information, do research and publish their conclusions. In fact, every profession requires certain instruments and materials, and every religion has reference books, objects and rituals to support their traditions, organize actual practice of the religion and claim authority.
Fishermen use a tackle box for their hooks and other small fishing equipment, so this is the first of a series of articles about the tools and practices that Christians are supposed to use.
Let's start with the Book: the Bible.
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| 1929 King James Bible Photo courtesy of King James Bible Online |
Scribes copied the original documents by hand, and that practice continued through the centuries. When the printing press was invented, it was used to make copies of Bibles in common languages so that everyone could read it (provided they knew how to read).
In the beginning, it was written on scrolls - long rolls of parchment attached to two sticks. It was really hard to find individual paragraphs. The concept of chapters and verses was consolidated in the 1200s.
"Biblical notation" is the system of abbreviations and numbers that lets us find particular sentences (verses) quickly. For example: John 17:3 means to look up verse 3 in chapter 17 of the Gospel of John.
The Bible's purpose is to give people the possibility to find out who God is. In fact, the first commandment that Christians are given is to love God, so it is really important to know about him. Jesus said that knowing God is actually eternal life.
Some other "tools" that Christians use are: prayer, church, and faith. We'll be looking at those in the future.
