Luxury Premium Bibles

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast, making Theology Central. Okay, stop what you're doing where now. If you're driving a car, you may not be able to stop. And I don't know if you're gonna have one of these in your car anyway, But whatever else you are doing it, I need you to stop, and I need you to go find your Bible right now. Go find your Bible wherever it is. Find your Bible right what the Bible you use the most, go find it right now. I mean it. I'm not I'm not moving forward until everyone go find find their Bible. If you're driving in your car and the Bible's in the back seat, just pull over the side of the road, reach back, grab your bible. Everyone needs their Bible, right I've got I've got I don't know, I don't know how many I have right here. I have at least two main ones right here. I've got one, two, three, four.

0:55 I've probably got about seven around me. But here's two I have in my hands right a left ten is one in my right hand is another. Grab your bibles all right now. Once you grab your bibles, look up that Bible online and write down how much it cost? How much does did your bible cost you? Now, if I'm looking at these bibles right here that I have in my hands, I think combined, you're talking maybe maybe fifty dollars combined. Possibly fifty dollars combined. And that's for two bibles. And these are very nice bibles, all right, I think combined maybe fifty. It may be even less than that. All right, look up how much? Look it up right now? How much does that bible that you use all the time? How much does it cost? What was the cost of it? Look it up right now.

1:51 I know some of you are resisting and you're like, no, I'm not going to do that. Do it, okay, look it up right, and I want you to write down the price. All right, you did all of that, because we're going to be talking about bibles, and we're gonna be talking about something that I think is somewhat problematic. I don't know, maybe I'm a little bit still struggling with how to process it. But before we do all of that, I will go ahead and say good afternoon everyone. It is Monday, April the twenty first, twenty twenty five. It is currently one forty two pm Central time, and I'm coming to you live from the Theology Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. So did you look them up? I'm giving you plenty of time. Did you look up your Bible or bibles? What's the total cost?

2:41 What is it? Twenty dollars, twenty five dollars, fifteen dollars, thirty dollars, fifty dollars. Some of you are saying zero dollars because I use a Bible app so I don't even use a physical Bible. Some of you may even go so that's what I use the most, So some of you it may be zero dollar dollar. Is there anyone out there? Is there anyone out there that your Bible cost seventy five dollars? One hundred dollars? What about one hundred and fifty dollars? Is it starting to sound? Are you starting to have a problem with that amount of money? Or you don't see an issue? Well, I'm going to ask you a question. Is it possible that in some circles, in some parts of Christianity, we have turned the holy scriptures, we have turned the Word of God into some type of holy status symbol. Is it possible that in some circles and some parts of Christianity, we've taken the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and we've turned it into some type of holy status symbol.

3:58 Because today I want to explore I don't know. I debated with myself and how to word this. Do I say today we explore a growing trend in Christian publishing. I don't know if it's a growing trend. So I don't know if I can say that. I can say this today we explore a trend in Christian publishing luxury Bibles. Now, I don't know if it's a growing trend, but there is definitely a place within the Christian publishing world where they produce luxury bibles. Have you ever owned a luxury Bible?

4:40 Have you ever wanted to own a luxury Bible? Now, how I've really kind of come across this trend is really on YouTube. I've stumbled upon these unboxing videos of these luxury bibles. Now, as soon as I see a video of oh, an unboxing of a bible, I'm always like, Okay, maybe this will be an interesting bible. There'll be something fascinating about this. Because I'm you know, I kind of have an idea about how much a Bible's going to cost. I was watching one of them and when they told me the cost of the Bible, I'm like, this is this a joke? Is this real? So? What do you think about this trend to produce luxury bibles? Because these are not just study tools, they're hand crafted works of art.

5:29 They're bound in the finest goat skin, gilded with metallic four edges, decorated with classical artwork, and priced at somewhere between one hundred and seventy nine dollars to two hundred and twenty nine dollars. Now, the brand that I'm going to mention here because this is the brand that kind of sparked this thinking and this discussion. It is known as Humble Lamb. Humble LAMB kind of interesting of a brand with the word humble in it is producing Bibles that will set you back over two hundred dollars. I mean that is is it humble to have a Bible walking around carrier? How humble is it? Hey? Wh who major bible? Humble Lamb? How much does it cost? Albon On No. Two hundred, two hundred and thirty, two hundred and fifty however much totally you can go up to on these things. I mean, I don't know. It just seems weird that that would be that Humble would be connected to a bible costing that much money. Now, if you want to look at these bibles while I'm talking, let me pull up the website here, because I want you to look at these bibles. I want you to see them for yourselves, all right, So if I can find it here, Okay, here we go, Humble, Lamb, Lamb, Humble lamb dot com, Humble lamb dot com. Now you do get free. Does have lifetime warranty and you have

7:03 thirty day returns. So humblelamb dot com and you can look at these bibles. You can look at them. They are beautiful. They look amazing, right, And I think that's what caught my attention is when I saw the little like the picture for the video on YouTube, I'm like, WHOA, that bible looks beautiful, that looks amazing. Let me let me watch this video. I may want to get one. And then I was like, uh, on the other hand, maybe I'm never going to get one because I can't afford it. So then I was like, I don't know, I don't know how to process this, but it's called Humble lamb This is a company producing what some would call the most beautifully constructed Bibles in the world. That's how most would describe it there. And they are stunning.

7:52 They are. I mean, I'm not even trying to deny that they're they're beautiful. They appear from what you look at and the reviews I've watched that the craftsmanship is undeniable. But with every stitch, with every shimmering edge, with every single elegant box they arrive in, we have to ask a question, has the form begun to overshadow the function? Has the form begun to overshadow the function? I think that's a good question. The form is amazing, I mean, you look at those Bibles. They're they're beautiful, They're amazing.

8:38 They look like they're maybe the best crafted Bibles out there. But is the form overshadowing the function? What is the function of a Bible? What is the function of the Word of God? Is the form overshadowing it? Maybe we could ask something, what does it say about our theology? What does it say about our values? When we wrap the Word of God? Right, we wrap the word of the Savior who hung on a cross. Oh, maybe we should say that this way, when we wrap the word of a homeless messiah in the leather of luxury goods.

9:21 I mean, didn't Jesus say he had no place to lay his head? So what happens when we wrap the word of a homeless messiah and luxury leather? What what does it say? When we wrap the word of God and luxury leather? What does it say? Now? I'm asking, I want this to be very clear. I'm not making any dogmatic assertion right now. I'm struggling with this right because I saw these Bibles, and I'm just going to be honest. My very first thought was these things are beautiful. I want one of those, right? But why did I want one because it looked beautiful, because it looked amazing.

10:02 Was it simply because of the esthetic or was it because of the function, because I can obtain the Word of God? I mean, right here, one of the ones I use all the time. It's a hard bound. This is the Thomas Nelson New King James version with the exclusive easy to read comfort print. And I love the comfort print. It is amazing. I love it. And this thing was what fifteen dollars twenty dollars I think it was. I think it was less than twenty dollars. I love this thing. I love this thing fifteen to twenty dollars. I use it all the time, all the time I have a chance. I pull this out constantly. I have it right here on the desk. Now, I have another one here that costs a little bit, costs a little bit more. And this is the Foundation Study Bible. It's beautiful and it's nice. It's the same comfort print. This one costs a little bit more. And these are the two that I have on my desk all the time.

10:58 I use these constantly, but these two. When I go to church, I put both of these in my book bag and I have both of them. Sometimes I'll be using the hard bound New King James Thomas Nelson. Sometimes I'll be using the Foundation a Study Bible. It just depends which everyone And a lot of times they'll both be sitting on the pulpit and I'll go from one to the other, one to the other. I'll pick them both up, use both of them. So I use them all the time. So as far as function, these things work amazing. Do they look as beautiful and are they well crafted as a bible that costs two hundred and twenty nine dollars. Well, obviously not, but the function works right, So what does it mean? What does it say to me that I wanted a Bible that looked amazing and beautiful?

11:48 Because did I want the word of God, the word of my homeless Messiah, my homeless Savior from a human perspective? Do I want his words wrapped in this luxury leather versus a fifteen to twenty dollars bible. So I'm going to try to take a hard, honest look, not at the sincerity of the buyers or the skill of the binders, but I'm going to try to look at the culture, the theology, and assumptions that make this kind of product not only possible, but it seems somewhat popular. I mean, look, it's got to be popular enough for a country a company to sustain itself, not a country a company to sustain itself. They've got to be selling enough Bibles to be able to make money. I mean, they're not giving them away, right, I mean, obviously they're not, so they've got to be making money, so they have to be at least popular enough to sustain the business model correct, or they'd be dropping massive discounts. They'd be dropping you know, hey, it was two hundred and twenty nine dollars today you can get it for fifty nine to ninety nine. Okay.

12:54 I haven't seen anything like that on their website. I haven't seen any flash sells or anything like that. That so so, but I want to make a close I'm not going after the sincerity of those who buy these. You may have some of these, some of you may have these luxury bibles. I'm not going after your sincerity. I'm just going after, okay, the culture, the theology, the assumptions. I'm just trying to ask some hard questions now before we start looking at the product itself. And I gave you the website so you can go there again. The website is humblelamb dot com. I wanted to say Lion for some reason. Humble lamb dot com. You look at them, look at them for yourself, right, don't take my word for it. And you can find lots of unboxing videos of theirs on the internet. It looks like they do a very good job of seeing those people on the on YouTube who review Bibles and they send them I guess, so you know, a bible to review to get the word out there. So that's very smart marketing, very smart use of you know, the Internet. But you can look at them, right. So I am not going after the sincerity.

14:07 I'm not even going after those who make it. I'm just trying to look at this subject and try to ask some very hard questions here and to try to challenge the culture of the theology and the assumptions. But before we do say, I do have to say this. I got to be honest here, right, because it's always difficult when we go after how how much something costs? Right, because if we if for some people two hundred and twenty nine dollars Bible, that's like ordering door Dash financially, it's no big deal for them, right, It's no big deal. I mean really, it's not. We're two hundred and twenty nine dollars Bible. For me, that's I can't even wrap my mind around that. That's insane. I'm like, what do I do a payment plan? And in fact, I believe on the website they even have a payment plan set up.

15:00 I said that you could purchase this Bible using a payment plan. I'm like, I got to I need a payment plan to buy a Bible. I mean, that just seems weird to me. But on the other hand, so but if I had the money, well, then I'd be like, well, I'm not gonna get that fifteen twenty dollars Bible. I'm gonna get the two hundred and twenty nine dollars one. So am I Am I conflicted? Not because of the principle or the theology. Am I conflicted? Just because I can't afford it? Right? I gotta look at myself here, right, It's easy for me to go, well, look it's two hundred and twenty nine dollars. That's ridiculous. But for some people two twenty nine is no big deal. They wouldn't even hurt them. For others, it'd be like, well, I have to do the payment plan. So if I didn't have to make the payment plan, and I could just drop two twenty nine right now, order it, have this thing sit here and I do my own unboxing and like this is the most amazing Bible ever. Well, would I feel the same way. I don't know if I'd feel the same way. So is this really me? Pointing this out simply because I don't have the money that see, I don't know what my motives are other than I'm just struggling with. So let's do a product overview. Let's do some facts first. The company Humble Lamb. They're tagline making Bibles more accessible and beautiful. Out of the accessible part, I'm a little confused by. But I think because they do some kind of giveaway. I guess for people in India.

16:29 I don't know, but I put it this way, your Bible's not accessible to me. You're you know, you're buy It would require all of a sudden, my listeners to start giving me, I don't know, you know, fifty dollars a week, so that I could just buy one of these bibles. Right. But here's the product line and some prices. The NASB History Bible one hundred and seventy nine dollars pre order if you order it today, but it's going to be two twenty I guess. Ultimately, So I guess the NASB History Bible. Maybe it hasn't been released yet, but it looks like that there's a pre order. You can get it for one seventy nine, but it will be two twenty nine. Retail. Now some of the features here.

17:13 It has blue letter text, it has these beautiful Gustaf Dore I think is the one who did the illustrations. I think that's how you say his name. Gustaf Dore did the illustrations. There's two hundred and twenty of them. There's a single column layout. It's goat skin, leather, edged line binding, art, gilded edges. Sounds a beautiful Go look at it. Go look at it. That's the NASB History Bible. One's seventy nine for pre order, two twenty nine retail. Then they have the kjav Lion Bible, two hundred and twenty nine dollars, verse by verse layout, defined archaic words, double column, goat skin, leather, art, gilt edges. I don't think they have the Gustav Dore illustrations in the KJV Bible, So you may want the NASB History Bible, so you get the Gustav Dore illustrations and the NLT Sunrise and New King James, New NKJV Shepherd. They also are two hundred and twenty nine dollars. They come from goat skin.

18:21 They have the Dore illustrations and high and visual presentation. They also have the Humble Shield a premium leather buy a Bible bag. They go to the website here. I think the Humble Shield hang on if I can find it. The Humble Shield is a Bible bag two one hundred and twenty dollars two hundred and twenty dollars. So if you want the bag to carry your two hundred and twenty nine, two hundred and twenty nine dollars bible in, that's gonna so just the Bible and the bag will be it's well over four hundred dollars. You're like two hundred and fifty or four hundred and fifty dollars to get a Hey, what did you spend four hundred and fifty dollars on today? I got a Bible and a Bible bag, a Bible book bag. Wait, four hundred and fifty dollars for a Bible and a Bible book bag.

19:15 That could have you know, that could have done a lot of other things. But again that's easy to criticize. So I don't know. I look at it now. I'm just gonna again, I'm gonna be honest with you. I look at these Bibles, and I look at that book bag and I'm like, whoa, those things are beautiful. Those things are awesome, man, I'd love to be. I mean, the book bag I carry around, I don't know, it was like ten dollars at Walmart. I don't know. My book bag's about ten dollars at Walmart. Okay, that's not as much as I could pull off a two hundred and twenty dollars a two hundred and twenty dollars Bible book bag. Man, I'd be I'd be. Is it a state at a symbol? Look at me? I've arrived right now.

20:06 As so, I asked Ai about these, and Ai said, these are not designed to be casual tools. These are heirlooms. These are display pieces, worship accessories made to evoke reverence. Now there, I was a little like, h are these really supposed to evoke reverence? It looks like they are supposed to evoke Look at my Bible compared to yours. Ai goes on to say, maybe even admiration. I mean, look, put it this way, if you saw anybody with their book bag and with this Bible, any of their Bibles, you would immediately notice you would be walking by going WHOA, that's a beautiful Bible. That's a beautiful Bible. But see, the attention would be drawn to the craftsmanship. It would be it would be drawn to, oh, wow, is that goat skin? Like? What kind of what is that made out of? Oh? That book bag is beautiful like. It would be drawn to the esthetic. It would be drawn to the materials. It would be drawn to the design.

21:08 You would not be being drawn to the word. And I think that that is somewhat accurate. So I'm going to try to walk through this looking at it from a biblical perspective, a thiological perspective, and a logical perspective. I kind of just threw together a bunch of different thoughts and notes. They may not be the most organized, but this is really I'm going to try to look at it from a biblical perspective, a thiological perspective, and a logical perspective. All right, and hopefully you know this will be beneficial. So look at it from a biblical perspective. If we look at say Luke chapter nine, Now, I'm gonna actually a lot of times I just read the scriptures. But because we're talking about bibles that cost you know, two hundred and twenty nine dollars. I'm going to open up my little cheap bible here, Luke nine. Luke, chapter nine, verse fifty eight. I believe Luke, chapter nine, verse fifty eight.

22:01 You can open up your expensive bible or cheap bible if you would like. Jesus says this Luke, chapter nine, verse fifty eight. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, birds of the air have nest, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. So when we speak of Jesus, when we speak of our Savior, when we speak of God Incarnate, we're talking to someone who does not even have a place to lay his head. He lives a life of can we say simplicity? He lives a life of humility. He lives a life not of luxury. But then do we take that and apply it only to bibles, or do we take that and apply to every area of life. See, I could sit here right now. I want to make it very clear.

22:54 I could sit here right now and criticize these Bibles. But if you were up here in the studio right now, you would look. You'd be like, what is that over there to your right? That's a Yamaha amplifier that's a very cool looking streaming device you have connected to your Yamaha amplifier. Oh and that's a very nice pair of headphones you have there connected to all of that equipment. Oh and then you have an iPad over there that's dedicated to your music. HM. Right, So if I'm gonna take Luke nine point fifty eight, well, Jesus had nowhere to lay his head, so we shouldn't buy luxury bibles now.

23:39 At the same time, though, the luxury bibles are the things that has the words of the one who had nowhere to lay his head. So that seems somewhat God. I struggle here. How about Matthew Chapter twenty one, Matthew, Chapter twenty one. That's chapter twenty one. We read these we read these words, verse twelve. Matthew twenty one, Verse twelve. Then Jesus went into the Temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and seats of those who sold doves. And he said to them, it has written, my house should be called a house of prayer, but you've made it a dan of thieves.

24:23 Now we have historical context. There's something specifically going on. Many cases, this is the way they were, Hey, you have to offer a sacrifice, and you can buy the sacrifice here. And maybe this sacrifice that they were selling was more. Maybe they were turning the whole sacrificial system into a way to merchandise, sell, to sell product, to sell merchandise, to sell things. Now does that apply here, that the word of God is turned into a product. Well, whether you're paying two twenty nine or whether you're paying twenty, the word of God, for the most part now is a product which we buy and sell without even giving it much thought. So the idea that the word of Christ meant to be scattered to the ends of the earth is now wrapped in materials once reserved for royalty should cause us to stop and reflect. I think that that's fair, right. It's the words of Christ. They're supposed to be everywhere, and we've wrapped them now. And you know something that looks like you know, if you see someone with that Bible, you're like, WHOA, they must have a lot of money, But is that wrong for them to have it? We could look up other scriptures, but just note I looked up those two scriptures. I looked up those Luke nine eight in Matthew twenty one twelve through thirteen. I looked them up and a cheap bible and it worked perfectly. So as far as function, I don't need it wrapped in a nice, beautiful leather because it was able to function perfectly correct. So I was

25:54 trying to make a point. I'm not going to do that for the rest of these scriptures because I have a lot more here to look at, but have like Matthew six nineteen through twenty one, do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth. Again, I could apply that to the Bible. But what about right here to my right, my headphones, my streaming device, and my Yamaha amp. Am I storing up for myself treasures on Earth? Well? Yes I am. And if I go down the steps, through the kitchen, through the living room to the hallway, take a right walk to the room. Down there, there's my not very nice sixty five inch television. See, So who am I to talk about? Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth? So do not buy a luxury Bible, say, But at the same time, it just feels weird that the Bible costs more. I think that Bible costs more than my streaming device did are pretty close. That Bible costs way more than I could almost I'd have to look at what they're going with. Because I use the AT fifty X headphones. I think I could get two pair of those headphones for almost the price of the Bible.

27:13 It would be relatively close, maybe a little bit more. I could get two two set of headphones. I know I could easily get one set of headphones for cheaper than that you could purchase that Bible. I don't know how about Luke twelve fifteen, Watch out, be on guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Well, is it greedy to want a Bible that costs two twenty nine? Or is it greedy for me to want those headphones and want my stereo equipment? Is it greedy for me to want my subscriptions to the music streaming services that I use? Is it greedy that I want a sixty five inch television versus a fifty five inch television? Is it greedy that I want all the subscriptions I have to different streaming services?

28:02 But see, I don't know. Luke nine point fifty eight, which we've already referred to, is, of course, the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. So Jesus, it seemed, promoted a life of simplicity and warned about the seduction of wealth. There doesn't seem to be any scriptural example of Jesus or the apostles encouraging the production or possession of ornate religious artifacts, let alone lavishly bound scriptures. In fact, early Christians had to share handwritten copies, often on scraps of parchment. Now that's true, but do we go back to that. Hey, we can only make handmade copies by hand using pencil on parchment. That's it. Nobody wants to go to that. So where's the line? Because right here, this hard bound cast, I mean, it's much better than handwritten copy on parchment. It's awesome. It looks amazing that the Thomas Nelson comfort print that they are typeface is amazing. So is that? Am I living in luxury? There?

29:20 I don't know. Scripture speaks of like Romans ten to seven, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. So if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Well, then we want the words to be available to anyone and everyone. But again, just because one company offers them in a leather bound you know, goat skin, whatever the skin they're utilizing that costs two and twenty nine dollars, is not stopping other people from getting it in a cheaper format. So is it really an issue there. Deuteronomy six says these commandments are to be on your hearts, impress them on your children. The Bible emphasizes the distribution of the word, not it's law luxury presentation. The emphasis is on clarity and accessibility, teaching, writing on door posts, speaking of it daily, not in wrapping it in goat skin and gilded edges. So that is true that that is a criticism that could be offered.

30:15 But see, my struggle is but it's still available in all the other cheaper ways. It's not like the company, this company is stopping the production of all the cheaper Bibles. It's just say we want to offer a luxury version of the Bible. Are there any thilological issues? Well, two Timothy three says all scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable, So the value is in the content, not the container. The philological danger comes when we begin to associate truth with esthetic quality. Scripture is powerful, whether it's in a worn out paperback or on a cracked phone screen. What matters is not what's on the cod but what's inside and whether we believe and seek to try to live our lives according to it. Does packaging the Bible and goat skin with two two hundred or two hundred and twenty Gustav Dore illustrations at a cost of two hundred and twenty nine dollars does this enhance its the logical power? Or does it risk turning the Bible into a luxury object of aesthetic appreciation rather than a convicting and transforming word. Does it turn It may be subtle, like if I wanted what that Bible, it would I'm telling you, if I wanted that Bible and I do, and I saw it, and I would be like, well, I'd love to have one of these. But immediately I had to ask myself, I don't want it because it's

31:46 a Bible. I don't even want it because it's the Word of God. I want it because it looks amazing. It looks awesome, It would be great. I like the touch of physical books. It would be amazing to touch it and to open it and to use it and preach and teaching and on the podcast. Oh, it would be amazing. But from a functional standpoint, that has nothing to do with anything, because I just need the words that are inside, and I can have them right here in this hardback for like fifteen twenty dollars. So, but it would be subtle, right, I could tell myself it's the word of God. It's the word of God. I love the Word of God. I love the way it's made.

32:29 It's the same thing why I love the physical, the physical Liturgy of the Hours, the four volume set and the Liturgy of the Hours, which is about one hundred dollars, but it's four volumes. Those things are beautifully made. I love the feel. I love to touch them. I like the opening of the pages. But sometimes I'm more drawn to the esthetic and the feel than i am the actual words contained inside. So the same thing can happen. So we've got you know, the sufficiency of scripture has nothing to do with how it's wrapped up? Is this a subtle attack on that without us even really knowing that?

33:15 How about the issue of stewardship. Jesus taught in Luke sixteen that we are stewards of God's money. The average premium Bible from Humble Lamb costs more than forty paperback bibles combined. In other words, I could buy forty paperback bibles forty for the price that I could buy one premium Bible from Humble Lamb. I could buy forty paperback Bibles for the price of it cost me to buy one Bible from Humble Lamb. First, Corinthians force as it's required of stewards that they be found faithful. Luke sixteen says you cannot serve both God and money. But again, we're talking about a Bible. I spend money on so many other things. So a Christian is called to be a steward of their resources. Spending one hundred and seventy nine dollars to two hundred and twenty nine dollars on a Bible while many are without food, clothing, or even single Bible in their language must be weighed carefully. What could that money do in missions aid or Bible translation efforts?

34:21 But guess what whatever I spend money on, whether it's stereo equipment, television streaming services, door dash. I could be saying, well, that money could have been used for missions, It could be used for Bible translation efforts, it could be used to help people who don't even have a Bible. So it's a double leedged sword. So this forces me to ask, what if that two hundred and twenty nine dollars bible, that that cost went towards missions or Bible translations, or feeding the poor, our discipleship and struggling churches. Now those are good questions, but you can ask that question anytime you spend money on anything else. So I don't think that really gets us any anywhere. Now, as I keep throwing out this kind of an objection, I'm kind of playing Devil's advocate to this entire thing. I think some may say, and I would say, not just others. Well, I mean I spend hundreds, maybe even thousands on TVs, sound systems, phone close, So what's wrong with spending two hundred dollars on a Bible? Not that I think that's an accurate question, but I do believe there is somewhat of a distinction. My TV is not a sacred object, My stereo equipment is not a sacred object. My headphones are not a sacred object. No one believes that my TV, my stereo equipment, and my headphones are divine. They may my stereo system may sound divine, but it's not divine.

35:50 No one says it's inspired. No one will say it's authoritative. No one's going to say it's holy. No one's going to be saying it's used to proclaim salvation or declare the words of eternal life. But the Bible is treated as God's direct word to humanity. It's used in worship, for discipleship, and in evangelism. It is we treat the word of God as if it's sacred, not just spiritually, but even symbolically, that this is the this is the word of God. We hold it up that serves even as a symbol of these are the sacred words of God.

36:32 So maybe spending one thousand dollars on a TV maybe a matter of preference or entertainment. Spending two twenty nine on a Bible, then we're crossing over into philological territory. And is that fair to say? Maybe the issue isn't just what it costs, but what the object is and what we communicate about the nature of God's word when we cover it in luxury? What are we saying about God's word? The issue isn't how much it costs. It's like, what does it become? Is it still the word of God? Or is it just a status symbol? Is it the word of God? Or is it what are we saying about God's word when we cover it in luxury, that it's a status symbol? I don't know. I think the possible concern could be this, and I think this concern.

37:26 It may not be allowed concern, It may not even be considered heretical, but and it may not even be considered obviously corrupt. I think the issue here is there's a problem that's quiet, attractive and maybe deceptively spiritual, because the value begins to shift from the scriptures to the materials surrounding them. We don't mean to do it, but slowly, maybe even we can't even perceive it, our eyes begin to rest not on the truth inside the text, but on the calf's skin grain, the gold edging, the Gustav Dore artwork, and the status of owning such a fine addition.

38:19 Maybe instead of being moved by Christ crucified, we are moved by how beautiful the Bible feels in our hands. And maybe, just maybe it's a little bit of the golden calf problem repackaged. Israel created a golden calf to worship yahweh luxury. Bible's risk becoming a representation that replaces the revelation. The object made to point us to God becomes the thing we admire. We admire the object, not the God of the word. We now admire the object which the word is contained. So, in a roundabout way, our reverence is quietly redirected from truth to the texture, to how it feels. So when the value of the Bible becomes the lamb's skin and not the lamb who was slain, maybe we've already missed the entire point. When we say the Bible is priceless, but we clutch the addition with better stitching, deeper grained leather, we're saying something we don't even realize. We begin to measure holiness by aesthetics.

39:35 We begin to talk about how amazing it is, and we're not talking about the actual words of God. Same thing can happen with church building. Some people they go to it. They may not want to admit it. Some churches, they would feel awkward or embarrassed by going to that church. It's broken down in the middle of nowhere, but they'll go and they will never say otherwise. But you can tell that they're proud of the building they go to. They don't feel awkward or embarrassed. They want people to know they go to this church because it's a nice building. And that's why they used to say in church growth books, if you want to build, if you want your church to grow, build it and they will come. Give them a nice, beautiful building. They will show up. The preaching may not be any different than it was. Just give them the building. Because people like esthetics. They like atmosphere, They like visuals. They like the way something touch, how something feels, how something looks, They like the atmosphere, the vibe.

40:37 So and that the same thing there as wait, I thought, we show up to church to hear the word of God preach, we can do that in a broken down building. Well, they'll find some reason why the preaching in that broken down building is not good. I know, because you're embarrassed to be there. You feel embarrassed, But you don't feel embarrassed being that nice, big building down the road, same thing can happen. So then we have to ask questions what is the function of a bible? A bible is primarily means of communication, not a museum piece. The logical purpose is to be read, internalized, studied, and shared. A twenty dollar or even a five dollar bible accomplishes the same function. If a two hundred and twenty nine dollars bible is purchased but cherished more as a possession or an heirloom, does it functionally become an idol? I don't have the answer for that. What does a two hundred and twenty nine dollars bible do that a five dollar bible cannot. It's got the same words, it's got the same Gospel, it's got the same chapters, it's got the same verses. The luxury Bible does nothing more except feel nicer, look nicer, and appeal to prestige. So the question becomes what exactly are we paying for? It's not truth, it's not revelation. Its appearance. So how does it appear when Christians carry luxury bound bibles into churches where others are struggling financially. You got someone sitting in in your church.

42:09 They are having a hard time even paying their bills. They're living paycheck to paycheck. And you sit down next to them with your two hundred and twenty nine dollars Bible and your two hundred and twenty dollars Bible book bag. You could probably just the money you spend in your Bible and book bag. But at the same time, should the person who has money then feel bad and they can't have anything because the other people in the church don't. Should they worry about what kind of car they pull up in? Well, I pull up in a nice car and that person over there is broken down piece of garbage car even looks embarrassing to park next to it. Okay, well, should you feel bad? No, because it's your money, You've earned it. See so, I don't know. I don't know how to approach this right now. What message does this send to outsiders? Is it about Christianity? Does it show that Christianity is about revering objects? Does it show that we you know, we like nice things and aesthetics because it makes us feel good. Is it saying something about us?

43:22 Is it a contradiction because many who own such bibles would affirm doctrines of humility, simplicity, dying to self, but the level of luxury would it not kind of contradict those values? But at the same time, they drive up in a nice car, they go to their nice home, So don't they already contract they wear nice clothes, so aren't they already possibly contradicting the very doctrines that we claim, and all of us are guilty of that right, we're supposed to be humble, life of simplicity, deny self, die to self, love God above all things, else, love your And what do we do well? We see constantly that we're not doing any of those things. Maybe the extravagant Bible highlights my tendency, maybe your tendency to mix reverence with materialism. Maybe it highlights that we substitute luxury for holiness.

44:19 Maybe it reveals our failure to prioritize the mission of the Word over the medium on which it's wrapped. The good news is that the Word of God, the Word became flesh, not leather bound. Christ came in poverty so we could receive grace freely, and that grace doesn't need goat skin, it only needs faith. So maybe we see this luxury Bible and we see, don't worry about how it impacts anybody else. Don't even worry about what it says to anybody else. Ask what it says about us? What it says about you and me? And again you may look at the website and you may not even cure, But what does it say about me? Me? And it may say on a lot of negative things. So therefore I'm going to use it as law. And you know what it it shows me I need the one I need, the Lamb of God who came in the flesh, the sinless, eternal son of God, who took upon human flesh and died for me. Because he lived a life of simplicity, He lived a life of humility where I don't. He lived a life in many cases I think you could say poverty, where I tend to live in excess. So maybe with some questions, I'll just leave you with these.

45:33 Have we and I'm putting me right there with you. Have we begun to associate the value of scripture with the fill er look of my Bible? Now? I think this is older people's problems. Younger people are more than happy just to look at the Bible on their phone, right, But for us older. Have we, throughout our Christian lives associated the value of scripture with the fill the look of my Bible? Do I admire my Bible more than I apply its content? So I probably have admired some of the bibles purchase more than it's and probably admired them more than I apply its contents. What I still treasure the Word as deeply if it were printed on plane recycled paper. I don't know, the look of it definitely draws me to it. Right And because I don't like Bibles necessarily Bible apps. I mean I have them, but I'm not a fan of using them. I like a physical Bible because I use the iPad for all the other things. So when I get ready to do Bible readings day, I like to set aside the electronic and then look at the physical. Have I confused reverence with luxury? Am I spending more to surround the Word with beauty than I am to share the Word with the lost? The Word of God ultimately doesn't need gold, trim, doesn't need lamb skin, It doesn't need branding or you know, some kind of special cut and print, and it doesn't need any of that. It just needs to be heard

47:04 and believed. Christ came to the poor, his word came free. Now we are told not to adorn ourselves with outward beauty, but with the inward humility of the spirit. So if our bibles become way a way to display status instead of submission, admiration, a set of application, then we have fallen into the trap Paul warned about having the form of godliness but denying its power. Now, we should love the scriptures for what they are, not how they look. We should read them obviously, we should want to obey them. We're never going to ultimately do that, and we should do that even if the cover is torn and the binding is weak, because the true power of God's word was never in the Lamb's skin. It was always supposed to be in the lamb of God takes away our sins.

48:07 That's easily said than done. Right, Because man, we're human beings. Right. This goes back to some of the things we talk about. We're human beings. We're visual, we have feelings, we have needs, we have desires, we like nice things. So what do you think luxury bibles, premium bibles? Are you for them or against them? Or you think these a good thing or a bad thing. And now, of course we have to just admit sometimes it's just based on how much money you have. A premium luxury bible is not a premium luxury item to someone that two hundred and twenty nine dollars is basically like a door dash order. It's a premium luxury bible for me because I would have to do a payment plan to get one, all right, So that's a see, that's a completely So sometimes we can't say, well, man, you you spent all of that money on a Bible, but it's nothing to them, so they shouldn't be criticized for that, right. It's just a hard thing for when when I saw the video, I just kept thinking, man, that Bible is beautiful. Wow, that thing's amazing. That thing's awesome. And then I'm like, well, wait, it's I'm not saying the Word of God is amazing.

49:24 I'm not saying the Word of God is awesome. I'm just looking at the way it's binded, and it's color, and it's and the illustrations. All that thing's beautiful. But I'm not in any way talking about the actual words of God. So then I had to slap myself going like, well, is this a problem for everyone or just me? So do you have a premium Bible? If you do, what do you feel about it, and what do you think about this entire issue. I know it's probably not what you were expecting to hear a discussion about today, but hey, that's what happens. I open up YouTube and there's someone unboxing a video a Bible that costs two hundred and twenty nine dollars. I'm like, well, that's what I'm talking about today. We've talked about it. Love to get your thoughts. Everyone, have a great day, and now you can go back to your Bible that costs whatever it costs, and you can draw your own conclusions. Thanks for listening. God bless