Several years ago now, a popular magazine posted a list of 21 books they claim are no longer necessary to read. Their reasoning? These books have, in their opinion, lost relevance and no longer hold meaning for our culture. Among that list was the Bible.

 

Now, it seems likely the magazine included the Bible to provoke a reaction and boost readership. Given that many print publications face declining readership, it’s probable this list was crafted to drive interest and attract subscribers. However, it’s far more likely that this magazine itself may fade from cultural relevance long before the Bible does—but I’ll return to that thought later.

 

Eric Metaxas, the brilliant biographer, offered a powerful response to the article. He asked, “Why do we have a seven-day week? And why is this the year 2018? And why is the average Westerner literate at all?” His answer is simple: “the Bible.”

 

Metaxas points out that without the Bible, we lose the ability to understand much of Western culture. He points out works of art like the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, and the Last Supper. He also says we can’t understand Dante, Milton or Bach. We won’t be able to understand the allusions in Shakespeare, nor what gave rise to the abolition of slavery. Martin Luther King’s “Letters from the Birmingham Jail” are unintelligible.

 

Of course, Metaxas has only scratched the surface. The development of both modern English and German languages was based on the Bible. The very nature of our society as one based on a common understanding of right and wrong finds its foundation in the Bible. The modern scientific enterprise found its root system in the Bible. And furthermore, the Bible still leads the world in terms of volumes of sales. In spite of the fact that many would argue that the Bible is in most homes but is unread, I would argue that most homes have numerous volumes of books that remain unread.

 

But while all of that is true, I have another observation. It comes in the form of a memory. Some years ago, I was teaching a group of young men in Romania who had just graduated from a theological seminary and were preparing for their first pastoral ministry. We talked about reliance on Scripture and the duties of the local church pastor.

 

While I was there, I observed that our meeting place was a large and beautiful building surrounded by magnificent grounds. I was then told that this had been the training facility for communist leaders in Romania. The communists had consistently been teaching that this was the last generation of Christians. History had closed its doors on this ancient faith, and Marxism was the future.

And there we were! Marxism had died in Romania, and in the very place where it was once heralded as the place where Christian pastors gathered to plan for the evangelization of their country. I was moved by that experience.

 

Which brings me back to that magazine list. It’s not the first time that critics have hailed the end of the Christian faith and the Bible. If Christ delays His coming, it won’t be the last. It’s just that we have forgotten most of the movements that announced the end of the faith. No matter how trends and lists change, the Bible endures, speaking to each generation, grounding us in faith, and pointing us to truth.