"People whose lives are centered around Christ don't just study the Bible to be smarter. They see that every single page of His Word is stained with the crimson blood of Jesus Himself. Suddenly the Bible isn't just a text to be studied but a source of life for a withering branch." (Erick Sanders from his book, Buck Naked Faith)

John MacArthur on a tour of England was shown an old Bible. The Bible was well worn with pages that were stained from tearful reading. MacArthur noticed one other thing about this Bible. It was soaked in blood. The saint that owned this Bible had been martyred. Probably through beheading. As an insult the Bible had been dipped in their blood. This and otber Bibles like this became valued as Martyrs Bibles. These Bibles were probably one of Tyndales forbidden New Testaments.

In a sense our Bible has been dipped in blood. The blood of Jesus Himself. Indeed Jesus said in John 6 if one would eat His flesh and drink His blood would live forever (6:54). He said He is the true living bread which cane down out of heaven (6:51). That whoever eats His bread will live forever.

Further down in John 6 Jesus says His words from the Spirit are spirit and life (6:63). His words are eternal life (6:68). In Mat. 4 Jesus says man shall live on those words which procede from the mouth if God ( Mat.4:4). Jesus, being God, speaks those words of eternal life.

Is our Bible a source of life for a withering branch or a theological text book to argue theology? Perhaps those martyrs in times past and present can give us the answer.

Bearmaster