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Well, hopefully we as humans have courtesy and help those in need, just like the scripture says. There are Bibles for under $5 a pop retail, as of August 2023, that might as well be given away by churches or bookstores to the poor.
And for churches. Yes, we do have inexpensive paperbound copies available and we have a library where someone can check something out. You don't want to get into the cost of the altar copies. When people yell that Bibles were chained to the altar, like this:
Wow, that altar Bible has a price > a midrange PC or iPhone 14 (glad I am planning on getting a midrange Samsung A55 phone next year). Good thing the altar copies are attached to the altar.
The thing is that cheap Bibles to just hand out are relatively new. Even early Gutenberg printings, while cheaper than hand copied ones, were still out of the price range of your average peasant. As an Orthodox chanter, my role in the service is to do all the readings, other than the Gospel, so that people can hear and understand them.
Yep, it is similar to Moore's law for computers. The price of a billion transistors decreases by half every 18-24 months. Bible printing has gotten cheaper nowadays, as economies scale.
When I Google wealthy Pastors one of the many links that I was given was this
lp.billygraham.org
Jesus warned us about how dangerous idols are... If an item becomes an idol.. It's best to throw it away... Just like in the bibleYeah, lots of megachurch pastors with millions of dollars, never reaching the poor. Thankfully, not all pastors are like that.
Agreed. It seems like the very pastors which preach about Jesus are the ones who are ignoring Mark 10:17, as they buy their $500K Rolls Royces, $1M private helicopters, $10M jets and $50M mansions either blatantly in front of their congregation, or secretly behind the church's back.
Heck, you don't even need Bibles. Just call 555-GEN-ESIS!
I don't see how giving a Bible could worsen any situation and it certainly could help any situation. Bibles are often ignored for years, then, often when a calamity strikes, are looked upon with curiosity, and later, when understood, with wonder and amazement. So if someone's reaction is initially negative, take heart. It may change later. And very often does.
Helicopters are often over a million and few jets are as cheap as 10 million. Inflation! It hits us all, even the idolmakers.
Not sure if it is half but I know that they some percent get saved. I got saved by reading the Bible from the beginning to the end. Of course, God was drawing me to His crucified Son for over 5 years leading up to that.
I've heard many testimonies of people reading a Gideons Bible in a motel and being saved as a result. My wife and I give Bibles to people who show some interest in the gospel. It would have been a waste on me before I was saved, but who knows where people are at except God?
You just nailed it. We have no idea how close people are to letting God in. Or what circumstances in their life might occur to let that happen. The Gideons had a great concept.
I don't know about now, but Goodwill stores did not use to charge for Bibles
Gideons reps, would come to our church and read testimony letters of people saying they "stole" the Gideon Bible from their hotel room, or hospital, and they ended up saved. (spoiler alert: you can't steal a Gideon Bible from the hotel)
The Pocket Testament League has pocket -sized Gospel's of John that can be handled out. I still have about a half dozen of them myself. I keep them at work, in my car, jacket in case I have conversations with a unbeliever, I can give them one.
