Without a doubt, the Bible is the best-selling publication of all time. Estimates tell us between 5 and 7 billion copies have been sold since printing made the Word of God available. Billions; that's amazing. However, the more interesting statistic than how many Bibles have been sold is, how many Bibles have been or are being actively read on a regular basis? Some studies say somewhere between 5%-7% of Christians have read through the Bible, which of course does not include non-Christians who happen to own a Bible, or Bibles in in hotel rooms, schools, courtrooms, government or corporate offices, and Bibles which have been given as gifts and then placed on a shelf or in a box somewhere. That's far less amazing. What's fascinating, is that the Bible is likely the most loved or hated book in the world. Why would that be? Perhaps because we live in a broken and sin-filled world, and some people (a small percentage) want to know the truth, but most people (a large percentage) don't. (For further thoughts on that ratio, see Volume 8: The Many and the Few in this series). Publishers and those who seek to encourage people to read it have translated the Bible into thousands of languages and dialects. In English alone, there are over 450 known versions of the bible. One would be tempted to think with that kind of spectrum of availability, lots and lots of people would be readers and students of Scripture. It's a great effort, for sure. Human will, or free will, has had quite an impact of whether or not people read (or even own) a Bible. Human's don't really like to be told what to do. They don't like being corrected. They don't like being told they are wrong, or that they've made a terrible mistake. It's not their fault really - they came that way from the factory. We are all born with a sinful nature; a rebellious nature, and with that nature comes the belief: I'll decide for myself what is right and wrong; I don't need anyone (or God) telling me otherwise. This of course originates directly from the beginning of humanity in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Even disobeyed God, and took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (translation: I'll decide what's good and evil by myself; I don't need God's help). Perhaps if there was a better explanation of the entire Bible; a simplified overview for example, more people would read it. That's what The Bible from 30,000 Feet hopes to accomplish.
