The more unique something is, the greater its value.
Hearing about an eBay seller who sold a rare Nintendo game for $13,000, a man named Dave was inspired to search his own basement for video gaming gold. According to online news source Plugged In “Not only did he find a copy of the same game that fetched over $13,000 on eBay . . . it was in perfect condition, right down to the original shrinkwrapping.” Dave’s game fetched $41,300!
Inspired by this find, I went to my basement to see what I could find. Apparently, the only thing lurking in the dark recesses of my basement are wolf spiders—which nobody will buy from me.
unique experiences
But more people are searching for more than treasures in their basements—they want something that will make their lives special. Unfortunately, their quest often ends in disappointment.
For example, in the United States, Black Friday is still a thing. It happens once a year on the day after Thanksgiving. People line up at stores in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to get a “special deal.” That “special deal” can mean being trampled, elbowed, and even hospitalized. They all end up buying basically the same stuff everybody else does, and their feelings of satisfaction dissipate over the next 12 months, so that they are ready to try again the next Black Friday.
Blockbuster movies offer a unique experience, but when the buzz wears off, people are off to the next “unique” experience. Society seems to push everyone to the latest “unique” experience, but all it manages to do is make us more conformed to a media-saturated, short-attention-spanned consumer culture that is looking for the latest high. We need something truly unique to get us off this out-of-control carnival ride, in which the only uniqueness is the variety of ways it makes people sick.
However, there is one thing on this planet that is unique, that people have died for, and that is readily available in most parts of the world.
a unique book
The Bible may seem outdated and irrelevant to some people, but when considered in the light of history, its uniqueness becomes apparent.
For example, the Bible is the most accurately preserved ancient text, bar none. Scholars have about 650 manuscripts of Homer’s Iliad, which are copies of the original. These copies were made by scribes sometime between AD 100 and 300—more than one thousand years after Homer wrote his Iliad sometime between 800 and 1100 BC. On the other hand, we have more than five thousand manuscripts of the New Testament in Greek alone, some of which can be dated to a couple of decades after the events occurred, leaving little room for “legendary” content.
Scholars rate these manuscripts as 99.5 percent free of error. And those errors that do occur are easily fixed, such as a scribe mistaking a word such as affect for effect.
Sacred books such as the Quran and The Book of Mormon were authored by one person (Muhammad and Joseph Smith). The Bible, on the other hand, was written over a period of 1,500 years by 40 authors on three continents. These authors were from all walks of life, including kings, shepherds, and fishermen.
And while modern scholars who rigorously study the texts find richer meanings and come to different conclusions, the biblical authors appealed to one another, signifying an incredible unity and an unchanging core message despite the complexity of the composition.
For example, when Peter addressed a large group of people at the temple, he said that “all the prophets from Samuel on” had foretold the coming of Jesus (Acts 3:24, BSB*).
In another place, Jesus pointed out that the whole of Scripture pointed to Him (John 5:39). In many places, the biblical writers referred to one another with agreement, which indicates that when apparent contradictions occur in Scripture, the issue has to do with the interpreter and not the Book.
We can also consider the sheer social impact the Bible has had. It’s available in more than 2,500 languages, and it has been quoted by kings, presidents, and prime ministers. In the United States, it is customary for a new president, at their inauguration, to place their hand on a Bible when they take the oath of office. The Bible’s influence is wider and broader than any other publication ever produced.
unique messages
The list of facts could go on and on in support of the accuracy and historicity of Scripture, but facts seldom inspire people to believe. We all know that junk food is not good for our health, but only when we have a heart attack do we feel motivated to swap out deep-fried treats for whole foods.
We need more than dry facts. We need inspiration and experience, and this is where the Bible shines, because if the Bible stands alone in its preservation, publication, and influence on culture, then its message must be uniquely powerful.
The message of the Bible—which is as unique as its composition—promises an experience of change. The common theme is transformation through a relationship with Jesus. We encounter Jesus in the Bible as we read how He interacted with people and learn what He taught and what He did. And while the message is common to all who read it (and countless millions have), the results for believers are far from ordinary.
In Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love, he gives several examples of people whom the Bible has inspired to live in very unique ways. There’s Rich Mullins, for example, a popular Christian songwriter whose albums sold in the millions. However, Rich never really knew how successful he was, because he gave away all his profits to his church, save for a modest salary. Rich spent the last part of his life teaching music to Navajo children on a reservation.
While most would relish the success and the extravagance his money could afford, Rich had a unique approach and lived humbly in a local community, while his music affected the entire world.
the Bible brings us to God
The Bible calls us into a community called “church,” which in the original language means “called-out ones.” We are called out of the ordinary, the disappointing, and the endless cycles of seeking the latest hollow promise, called into a community of changed individuals supporting one another as they live in unique ways to bring change to the lives of others.
The Bible is a book inspired by the God of the universe. One biblical writer asks, “Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).
And we have God’s book, uniquely composed with a unique message, promising a unique transformation and membership in a called-out community, whose mission is to call others out of this world to their own unique experiences with a unique God. We are meant for more than a common life of consumption. We are called to be re-created, and the Bible is our guide to the God who will do it.
Seth Pierce is a pastor and author who lives in Oregon.
* Scripture quotations marked BSB are from the Berean Study Bible.
