WORDS AND MUSIC

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

February 23^rd is the anniversary of two significant events in Christian history---the printing of the first Bible by Johannes Gutenberg on his newly-invented movable type press in 1455, and the birthday of George Frederick Handel, composer of one of the most beautiful pieces of praise music, the oratorio Messiah (1685). The majestic Hallelujah Chorus is part of Handel’s Messiah.

Gutenberg’s press was one of the greatest inventions of all time because it revolutionized printing, reading and literacy. Today only twenty-two complete Gutenberg Bibles remain; one Gutenberg Bible is housed in the New York Public Library. Interestingly, this first Bible to be printed on a press has now become part of our modern culture. In the closing scenes of the 2004 science fiction movie The Day After Tomorrow, one of the char-acters (ironically, an cynical atheist) is seen carrying the Gutenberg Bible out of the New York Library to preserve it from the devastating environmental crisis.

From the Garden of Eden to the present day, God has always desired to communicate with His human creation. Despite what some glitzy television preachers may say, God no longer speaks audibly through His prophets and apostles (Hebrews 11:1). After Reve-lation 22:21, our Creator now speaks exclusively through His written Word. Theologically, this divine communication is conveyed through three direct methods: revelation, inspi-ration and illumination.

Simply stated, revelation is defined as a message from God to man (man hears what God wants written). Inspiration is the process from man to paper (man writes what God wants written). Illumination is from paper to the human heart (man receives the spiritual truth which God has written through man). So when you’re reading the Bible this week, thank God and Mr Gutenberg. And if you have never heard Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, check it out. You’ll be blessed. Think about it.