We have recently decided to have physical Bibles for congregants at our services at Redeemer Downtown. This is a change from having the Scripture printed in the bulletin (as we have had it at the 10 a.m. service) or just displaying it on the screen during the reading (at the 5 p.m. service).

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Having physical Bibles may seem anachronistic or unnecessary, particularly when we can easily access Bible apps on our phones, so why have we made this change? Here are six reasons:

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1. We continue to seek to be a gospel-centred church 

In Romans, God tells us that the gospel is ‘The power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes’ (Romans 1:16). Salvation in Romans is an extensive and holistic concept spanning not only coming to faith but growing in Christlikeness and ultimately being glorified in the New Creation. In chapters 12-13, Paul also shows how the gospel changes every aspect of life, including (in chapters 14 and 15) racial/ethnic tensions between Jews and Gentiles. In short, the gospel changes everything. This means the gospel needs to inform, shape, and energise every dimension of our life together at Redeemer Downtown. Redeemer has, since its founding, sought to be a gospel-centred church. Ultimately, this is the reason we want to have Bibles on Sunday. 

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This is not at all to imply that churches without Bibles on Sunday (like Redeemer up to the present day) are not gospel-centred. It is only to make the positive point that the foundational reason we are making this change is to keep striving to be gospel-centred. 

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What advantage, then, is there in having physical Bibles in the hands of congregants on Sunday? 

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2. ‘Artefacts’ matter more than we may think 

An artefact is a physical, human-designed item that embodies cultural norms. We tend to think of ‘worldviews’ as expressed in values and ideas, but we are not just homo-sapiens; we are homo-fabers. To be human is to think about and make new possibilities by producing artefacts (whether in technology or art). The philosopher Heidegger argued that the things we make help ‘frame’ the world around us. Think of how someone views and interacts with a beautiful sunset and how that changes with the presence of certain artefacts. With no artefact available, we may just sit and appreciate it. With the artefacts of a pen and notebook available, we may see the sunset as something to be written about or sketched. With the artefact of a camera phone, we may see the sunset as a context for a selfie to be posted and liked on social media. Artefacts are powerful because they change what we do and how we view and interact with the world. Similarly, having physical Bibles available, instead of having the passage printed on the screen or a phone, changes how we interact with God’s word in various but important ways.

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3. Physical Bibles get us more engaged with God’s word on Sunday

The obvious point is that having a physical Bible rather than just the passage printed out or on the screen increases the engagement and familiarity of the church family with God’s word. At the 10 a.m. service, when we preach with the passage in the bulletin, we can refer people to look at the specific passage printed out but not to cross-reference to another passage in Scripture (which so often happens) and not to the surrounding verses which often provide important context to understand the passage. Similarly, at the 5 p.m. service, the passage is only on the screen for the Scripture reading, meaning that many congregants don’t look at the passage themselves through the sermon, even if the preacher refers to it. This means less engagement directly with the text on the part of the congregation, less noticing things for themselves that the preacher may point out, and less familiarity and engagement with the Bible in general as a result. 

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The reason this is so important is that Scripture urges us to ‘Let the word of God dwell in us richly’ (Colossians 3:16), to ‘Meditate on his law day and night’ (Psalm 1:2), and to ‘Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful’ (Joshua 1:8). It is not that we can’t do this without physical Bibles, but rather that we are likely to do it better with physical Bibles. The more engaged we are with Scripture (reading it, noting dynamics in the text, reading the context, seeing cross-references, etc.), the more likely we are to fulfil these commands. For example, time and again, surveys have shown that children who read physical books (as opposed to reading on a Kindle/device) are more engaged with what they are reading.¹ How much more important is this with God’s word? 

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4. Physical Bibles get us more engaged with God’s word from Monday to Sunday

Research shows that the number one determinant of an engaged, vibrant walk with the Lord is regular engagement with God’s word.² 

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'Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture. If churches could do only one thing to help people at all levels of spiritual maturity grow in their relationship with Christ, their choice is clear. They would inspire, encourage, and equip their people to read the Bible - specifically, to reflect on Scripture for meaning in their lives.’ 

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Increasing engagement with God’s word when we gather by having physical Bibles will mean congregants are more likely to feel motivated and equipped to pick up a Bible at home and read it for themselves. Even simple things like the fact that we don’t like doing something we are unfamiliar with or not good at mean that if people feel confused about how to find a passage in the Bible or find it strange or intimidating to open it up, they are less likely to pick it up at home. Again, many people at home may read the Bible on their phones/devices instead of reading a physical Bible, which is fine. Still, the point is that having physical Bibles in the church increases our engagement with Scripture, which leads to an increased likelihood of engaging with the Bible at home (whatever format we read the Bible in that context), which, in turn, leads to increased growth in church members’ relationship with Christ. 

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5. Physical Bibles remove distractions and help us to listen better

In Scripture, Jesus urges us to listen carefully to what he is saying. As congregants, we tend to focus on praying for the preacher to be faithful and compelling, which is good and important, but Jesus focuses more on how we listen. ‘Listen then to what the parable of the sower means’ (Matthew 13:18), ‘Listen and understand.’ (Matthew 15:10), ‘Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.’ (Mark 4:3), ‘Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me everyone, and understand this.”’ (Mark 7:14). How hard it is to listen well when distracted! How often have you opened up your Bible app in the church to look at the passage, only for a notification to pop up, which you then click on and navigate away from the Bible app, and before you know where you are, you have lost track of the sermon and are checking Instagram or your messages? Our devices are deliberately and expertly designed to drag us away from what is happening in the room and pull us into our phones. All the stats show they are very good at doing this, even to the point of addiction. Of course, you may be the exception to that rule. Or perhaps you just think you are, and in fact, you are more distracted in church than you would like to admit. Either way, shouldn’t we as a church do everything we can to help you ‘listen’ and not be distracted by encouraging you to read Scripture from a physical Bible rather than a device tailored to capture your attention?!  

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6. Physical Bibles are more accessible for guests to our Sunday services

‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.’ (Hebrews 4:12) ‍

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Because of this, our longing is for guests who come to church to experience the joy and power of God’s word for themselves. Whilst it may initially be foreign to them to pick up a Bible and open it up, if everyone is doing it, and the preacher or reader gently encourages them to do so, making it accessible by not only giving the chapter and verse but the page number, we are making the Bible more accessible to them. I know at least two people who have come to faith in Christ by just reading Scripture for themselves. One after attending a church meeting, found the Bible intriguing; he went home and took a Bible that he happened to have on his bookshelf but had never read before, started reading Genesis, and came to faith a few weeks later somewhere in Isaiah! I can think of countless times in my previous church where I sat with a guest after the service, answering their questions and sitting with them with a Bible open. Not only does this, in a very tangible way, show that the authority is not from the preacher but from God’s word, but it also breaks down the barrier that the Bible is some weird, unapproachable text and makes it more accessible to those who do not yet know Christ. ‍

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‍So, as we seek to be a gospel-centred church, where we engage richly with God’s word both on Sunday at church and in our personal walk with the Lord, and make the Bible more accessible for guests, we have moved to have physical Bibles because artefacts matter. So may the word of God dwell in us richly, and may it be sweeter to us than honey, than honey from the honeycomb (Colossians 3:16, Psalm 19:10).