The Bible is truly unique by virtue of its continuing existence in spite of the relentless efforts of its enemies to bring about its destruction. There has never been a book so cherished and so despised as the Bible.
In its early days, the church was persecuted by Judaism. But this persecution was eventually overshadowed by that which came during the reigns of such Roman emperors as Nero (64-69), Domitian (81-96), and Diocletian (284-305). Christians were sewn to animal skins and torn to pieces by wild dogs; burned on crosses as street lights; required to worship Caesar under penalty of death; and forbidden to meet for worship, own church buildings, or own a copy of the Scriptures. Yet, in spite of all this, Christianity flourished.
Surprisingly, some efforts to destroy the Bible came from religious people. In 1199, Pope Innocent III had the French Bibles burned at Metz and forbade the people from having more. In 1234, Pope Gregory IX ordered the people to bring in their Bibles so that they might be burned. Wycliff was condemned for heresy following the Synod of Oxford in 1383 because he had translated the Bible. In 1553, a number of bishops advised Pope Julius III to permit the least possible reading of the Bible in order to strengthen the papacy. All such efforts failed because, as Jesus promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Mt. 24:35).
Others have tried to destroy the Bible by discrediting its authenticity. The famous French skeptic, Voltaire, who lived between 1694 and 1778, said, “In less than a hundred years the Bible will be discarded and Christianity swept from the earth.” Yet, only fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his house and used his printing press to produce stacks of Bible.
God watches over His word to protect and preserve it. Appreciate it for what it is: God’s message to us. In the final analysis, the only way the Bible’s influence can be diminished is for us to close our hearts to its precepts by leaving its pages unread.