When the Bible was first being written, Aboriginal people had lived in Australia for thousands of years. Long before the Angle-Saxons invaded Britian, Australia was theirs. The first European sighting of Australia by the Dutch in 1602 and the claiming of Australia for Britian in 1770 by James Cook were very recent events indeed. British preparations for Australia as a remote penal colony ignored spiritual needs. There were to be no clergy and just one Bible. Some English Christians put pressure on the government and finally King George111 appointed Richard Johnson to be chaplain to the settlement. Societies for promoting Christian knowledge gave Johnson over 2,000 Bibles. The corruption and brutality of the earliest years of white Australia are legendary. The lash and the gallows provided almost daily entertainment. A Christian presence was never totally lacking, however. There were Christians among the convicts, the marines and the military and increasingly, among the free settlers. Those who owned a Bible counted it among their most treasured possessions. The translation of the Bible into Aboriginal languages was slow and spasmodic. Most Europeans believed that the Aboriginal people were a dying race. In the 1870's and 1880's, the colonies enjoyed a new prosperity based not just on gold but also on the more enduring wealth of wheat, wool and base metals. The Bible Society grew too and Bibles were placed by the beds of every hospital, prison cell and in every hotel room in Australia. This work is now undertaken by the Gideons. Throughout the past two hundred years the Bible has been wherever Australians have been. It has influenced the lives of millions of people. Sadly today, a lot of homes are without the Bible and those that do have one have it hidden away somewhere. I believe this book to be truly amazing, its true to history facts, it was written over many centuries. The time span between the Old and New Testaments is approximately 400 years, and the Old testament predicts the future that we now know has happened. Both the Old and New also predict the future which is still to come. After studying the Bible I know it could not have been written by one person, its true historical, it describes the Jewish culture, it contains so many wise sayings and it reveals God. It has to be the inspired word of God, where else would it have come from. We are all going to die, don't die without reading this book, it has the power to change lives, it has the power to save, it reveals God. Read it and see for yourself. The Bible can be bought at any newsagent and comes in many translations. I'd recommend "The Living Bible" for young people and those who aren't familiar with God's word. I like the "New International Version" but I'd stay clear of the "King James" version, as this is written in 'Old English 'and is harder to comprehend. More information and where to buy are provided with the links below: The Bible Society in Australia Scripture Union |
bravenet.com |