[From an editorial in the Ashington Collieries Magazine, England]

The Bible is open to all. It contains within its pages inspirations and encouragement for every possible circumstance in which mankind finds itself. But its treasures are not to be revealed by just a cursory perusal of its pages. The treasure must be dug out. The book must be studied, and then in proportion as its ideals are practiced by any individual it will solve every problem which may confront him.

[From the Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota]

Dr. Joseph Fort Newton retells a famous story of how England awoke one day and found that the Bible and all trace of its influence had been erased from the public mind and from all books written in English. Overnight, a great literature had become almost unintelligible, such an author as Shakespeare unreadable, and the whole tone and temper of the English-speaking race changed. Life had become hurried and vulgar, old restraints thrown off, valued blurred, and the people had become frivolous and bored with existence.

Dr. Newton feels that something like this has happened in America, where the Bible is not lost, but is no longer read or known as former generations knew it. ...

Dr. Newton feels that we cannot go on without the sense of God, of moral law, of the worth and meaning of life, without the spirit of the Bible; that nothing can take its place as guide, prophet, and friend. "For," he says, "there is a spirit in the Bible which, if it gets into men, makes them tall of soul, tender of heart, just, gentle, patient, strong, faithful in life, and fearless in death. We must recover the Bible!"

It is a recovery that is more easily spoken of than made. Certain religious sects make a daily study of the Bible, with Bible lessons as a regular part of their work and worship. Nearly all of them have readings from the Scriptures as a large part of their Sunday services. ... The Bible speaks for itself either as literature or as guide, prophet, and friend.

[William T. Ellis, in the Evening News, Buffalo, New York]

There is something awesome about the printed word. Nobody can ever tell how long it will live, where it will go, when it will turn up again, or what it will do. ...

Over in Japan, more than half a century ago, a shabby little copy of a Japanese translation of Matthew's Gospel fell into the hands of a plasterer named Otokichi. It was passed on, by himself, his children, by a schoolteacher named Tashiro, and finally reached a young Buddhist priest named Wasa Tsuneya. There it did its greatest work, for his continued reading of it converted him to Christianity. ...

Some truths lie dormant for a long time. Then new need imparts living to to them. Every educated person is familiar with the Sermon on the Mound. Its teachings have been praised and prized as philosophy and literature. Now, of a sudden, tragic conditions in the world cause them to leap forth as something new, something timely, something wonderful. Men are saying one to another that perhaps these are the very teachings for our time. ...

The Sermon on the Mount expects life to be lived on a spiritual scale, in its Godward aspects. The soul side of man is the only side it considers. There is nothing in it that would go into the modern "success" magazines. Instead of hustle it prescribes patience. It is passive in spirit; but only with the quietness of God-assureness. All its ends are man's spiritual worth. It looks upon people as potential citizens of the kingdom of heaven, where the standards of merit are all spiritual.

Nevertheless, twelve men with this idea turned their world upside down. And if the church today is going to show the power necessary for the present world emergency she will have to follow the track of the apostles back to the Mount of Beatitudes and to the cross that vitalized it. Despite the clamor from "leaders," it is not more money that the church the nor yet better organization; but only more of the purely spiritual conception of life which Jesus himself set forth in audacious and unprecedented speech.

[Dr. Bruce Brown, as quoted in the Times, Los Angeles, California]

There are some things that are as essential to a home as sunshine and water are to a flower. Among the first and most important is a fixed determination that the home must succeed. In all the history of civilized nations there never has been another time when so many mighty forces were operating to break the ties of the family circle. No home will survive the storm without an unfailing resolution that it must be preserved at any cost. ... It is certain that if all peace and encouragement are found outside, and nothing but cares and worry within, its supreme purpose has been lost. The most powerful factor in holding a home together and sustaining affection and peace is an honest religious faith and a sincere regard for the Bible.

[A Correspondent, in the Times, London, England]

The Bible, apart from its main value, may be regarded as the best practical treatise on frienship. The Old Testament provides noble pictures of friendship, one of which, that of David and Jonathan, has become proverbial by its beauty. ...

The friendships of the Bible, especially of the New Testament, are based on community of religious belief, not on identity. On occasion Barnabas could differ sharply enough from Paul, and Paul form Peter. Yet whatever accidents of association or shared tastes or personal liking drew two Christian together, the link between them was immensely strengthened by their common creed. Today it is still true that our friendships will gain immensely if we allow them, more then perhaps is our habit, to be directly influenced by our Christianity. The natural barriers of reserve ought to be broken down at times, so that we and our friends may share spiritual experiences and discuss the eternal verities.

[Editorial in the New York Times, New York]

From Our Heritage, the report in popular form of the British and Foreign Bible Society for 1933, it appears that nearly eleven million copies of the Bible in various tongues were issued and distributed last year. England took 855,000, Europe as a whole nearly 1,600,000, Asia 6,700,000. In China, divided and distraught as it is, 3,900,000 copies were sold. Translations into eleven new languages were made. This brings the list of the society's translations to 678. ...

While peace is spoken unto the heathen of Africa in nine more languages, how fares it with that inestimable treasure, the English Bible? The author of the report in despondent: "We possess a Bible in the sense that we have it in our homes and in our churches, but in the deepest sense do we 'possess our possessions'? The English Bible is today neglected by great masses of the people. They perceive no beauty in its literature, no guidance in its teachings, no power in its message."

What is the case in the United States? In spite of the immense extent of Bible teaching, are there not too many signs of a curious and discreditable ignorance of the Bible among many Americans, even the intelligent? Leaving out considerations of religion, the King James Version is a great monument of the language. Much of the noblest thought, poetry, imagination, wisdom, the world has known is there transmuted into the noblest English. Many Biblical phrases have made their way into the common speech and are used often mutilated, every day, unconsciously, without thought of their origin. How many younger readers of "Many Inventions" or "The Valley of Decision" recognize the source of those titles? Newspaper writers are sometimes surprised to find that familiar Biblical quotations or allusions are unknown to some readers. Why do our civilized heathen deny themselves enlightenment?

[From the Graham News, Los Angeles, California]

Referring to the highest known authority for all right conduct, an authority that has withstood the abuse of the ages and yet is just as applicable as the day it was written, one is always safe in turning for guidance, comfort, and education to the Bible. Due to the odd phraseology of the period, many verses are hazy to our limited sense of interpretation. But, oddly enough, some verses are surprisingly simple to understand; very hard to apply. Have you ever read the five chapters that comprise the book of James in the New Testament? Every known rule of right conduct, right thought, and right motive; a complete religion, is summed up in this very brief book. ...

An idle word, spoken in assumption, based on envy of another's accomplishments, popularity, ability, education, or any number of other virtues, can circulate considerable "deadly which is, of course, rather unpleasant to the one aimed at, but is beaten before it starts, because of a shaky foundation. ...

One is easily tempted to envy when he or she lacks the incentive necessary to put idle hands or an idle mind to work. With present-day library shelves lines with books, there is little excuse for illiteracy. We are all created free and with equal opportunity. It is just as much one's privilege to draw an abundance of good from life as another's.

[From the Christian Advocate, Cincinnati, Ohio]

The Bible is for many a frozen asset. It is still the "best seller," highly treasured, carefully preserved, heroically guarded and defended, but not adequately productive.

Yet what an asset the Bible is! Wrote Whittier:

True, modern criticism has shattered certain traditional ideas about the Bible's origin nature, and modern knowledge has caused certain conceptions within its pages to collapse, but these have not destroyed the livable values in the Book. It is a frozen asset because it is treasured but not tried, accepted but not applied.