An Interesting Fact about the Bible

When it comes to the Bible today, we have the luxury of saying something like this: ‘Ok everybody, open your Bible to John 3:16.’ And everybody can find their way to that text. But did you know it wasn’t always this way? Can you imagine how we got along without these markers? We cite Psalm 23 and we know how to find it even if we have to use the table of contents. But it hasn’t always been so.

When John or Paul wrote their letters, when David wrote down scripture, when the prophets’ words were recorded, they wrote down those words without markers, without chapters, without numbering. Those markers were added centuries later. They are not inspired by God as the very words of Scripture are. They are not without error like the rest of scripture is without error in the original autographs.

To make a long story short, biblical scholars were making divisions of one sort or another in the centuries following the books’ original composition, but it was not until the early 1200’s that we got our current chapter set up, thanks to Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton.

As for the verses, Jewish scribes had already done work on the Old Testament around the year 900, and their work was wedded to Langton’s. But the church had to wait another 300 years for the New Testament’s breakdown, performed by a French-born printer, Robert Estienne.

Estienne was a protestant refugee in Geneva who constructed a Greek New Testament, but found his divisions A, B, C, D to be unwieldly. So, he inserted verse numbers and the product was an overnight success.

Can you imagine reading the Bible without chapter and verse numbering? When Jesus referred to Exodus 3:6 in Mark 12:26, he simply located it in ‘the passage about the burning bush.’ Neither the “12:26” nor the “3:6” were yet in place. Wow!

Though the Bible’s original writings were free from error, the same inerrancy did not extend to Langton and Estienne, as useful as their work has proven to be. Some of their chapter divisions and verse numberings have been criticized by scholars, but I’m glad we have it. It makes it easier to read and memorize.

Blessings,Pastor Mark "the Bru" Brunott
P.S. Have you ever felt the pressure to conform? Have you ever been asked to participate in something contrary to your convictions? Have you ever been tempted to compromise? If so, you will want to hear the message from the book of Daniel this week. Join me and bring an unchurched friend with you this Sunday at 9:15 or 11:00.