The estimated value of a complete copy of the original Gutenberg Bible is a staggering $30 million. Individual pages sell for as much as $20,000 to $100,000!
“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” —Proverbs 30:5, 6.
The Gutenberg Bible, first printed in 1454, was the first major book ever printed with moveable metal type in the Western world. Before this Bible was created, books had to be printed from wood blocks engraved with letters or copied out by hand. Sometimes this took many years to finish.
Johannes Gutenberg was the first European to print with moveable type. This ingenious man also invented the printing press, which he used to print the now-famous Bible. Gutenberg’s Bible contains 1,272 pages. Rubrics, or decorative headings, were hand painted on some of the copies of the Bible, and the quality of the multi-color printing was excellent. Some people consider the Gutenberg Bible one of the most beautiful books in the world.
Sadly, out of more than 150 original copies, only 49 copies of this Bible are known to exist and, of those, only 21 are complete. While most of the copies are in Europe, several are in North America and several more in other parts of the world.
As impressive, important, and valuable as the Gutenberg Bible is, the words contained inside it are the real treasure. These are “the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15. The ultimate purpose of the Bible is to help us find salvation.
There is a warning in our verse for this morning: “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (v. 6). Some people “tweak” the Scriptures to suit their own purpose. But we should be careful never to misquote, alter, or twist the meaning of Bible passages.
Our verse also tells us that “every word of God is pure.” This is similar to the psalm that reads, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). Because the Scriptures contain the purest truth in the universe—the very words of God—we can put our complete trust in what the Bible says.
My Lord, thank you for the precious message of salvation you have given me in your precious Word.
-doug batchelor
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