[Upbeat Theme Music]
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[ships horn blaring]
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[Music] JB: This
is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me in
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Mainz, Germany, the site of
some of the most significant
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developments in all
of Christian history.
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It was this city that gave rise
to the Protestant Reformation
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and to the development
of Christian thought.
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In fact, anyone who
reads the Bible today
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must be greatly indebted
to events which occurred
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in this very place
several hundred years ago.
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Less than 30
miles from Frankfurt,
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where the Main River
joins the Rhine River,
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is the city of Mainz.
People have been living here
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for two thousand
years, and today more than
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200,000 people call Mainz home.
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And it was here, almost
600 years ago, that something
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was invented that has
radically affected your world.
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[Music]
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It's considered to be
the most important invention
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of the last 1,000 years --
some say the most important
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invention of all time. So
what was it, do you think?
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The wheel? Now,
that was not invented
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here in Mainz. Electricity?
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No. The compass?
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That wasn't invented here,
and neither was the Internet.
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For more than 1,400 years after
Jesus walked the earth, the
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Holy Scriptures were
copied out entirely by hand.
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Dedicated monks and scribes,
often living in isolated
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monasteries, copied the
Bible out letter by letter,
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page by page.
They used quill pens
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dipped in ink,
often as many as a hundred
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quills a day, because
those things wore out rapidly.
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And they wrote on parchment,
often made from animal skins.
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Six centuries ago,
people weren't reading
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newspapers or even books.
In fact most people didn't
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know how to read. If
you wanted to read a Bible,
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you couldn't.
Finding one was next to
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impossible. Bibles
were few and far between.
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They were locked up in
monasteries or cathedrals.
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The Dark Ages were
dark because knowledge--
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and most importantly,
the knowledge of the Bible
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was kept from everyday people.
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David wrote in the Psalms,
the entrance of God's word
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brings light.
Wherever people don't have
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access to the
Bible, there is darkness.
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Today we can get the
Bible virtually anywhere and
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anytime we want to. But
before the Bible could be
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mass produced, people simply
couldn't access the Word of God.
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Something was needed
that would bring the Bible
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out of the shadows. [Music]
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When I was child I had a
job delivering the morning
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newspaper; 313 mornings a
year I'd get on my bicycle,
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ride around the streets of our
little town and along the banks
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of two rivers. [Music]
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The first newspaper ever printed
is said to be 'Relation aller
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Furnemmen und
gedenckw, rdigen Historien,'
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printed here in
Germany, in Strasbourg, in 1605.
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In the Americas,
the first newspaper
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appeared in 1690:
'Publick Occurrences Both
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Forreign and
Domestick.' It didn't last long,
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because after that
first printing it was
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suppressed by the government.
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The first daily
newspaper in the United States
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appeared in 1783.
Today, more and more people are
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reading fewer and fewer actual
newspapers, preferring instead
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to get their information
from devices like this.
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However, today's flow of
information and news simply
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wouldn't be possible
without Johannes Gutenberg's
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gift to the world:
the printing press.
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Book publishing is a
multi-billion-dollar-a-year
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industry. UNESCO
says about 2.2 million
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new titles are
produced worldwide annually.
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We're awash in information.
It's almost impossible to
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imagine life without books.
One hundred million Bibles
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are produced each
year, with 25 million a year
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sold in the United States alone.
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Not only is the Bible the
best-selling book of all time,
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it's the bestseller
of the year every year.
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One survey revealed that
84% of Americans own a Bible,
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while one-third say that
they read it almost every day.
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It's said that the
average American home contains
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four copies of the Bible.
The American Bible Society did a
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survey that showed 88%
of Americans own a Bible,
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while almost a quarter said
that they read it regularly--
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that's four or
more times in a week.
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There was a time when the Bible
was incredibly hard to come by,
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largely because the church kept
it from the people, and because
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it simply hadn't
been widely circulated.
00:06:03.66\00:06:07.86
But that was going to change,
and people would have a chance
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to read the
Bible for themselves.
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I'll be right back.
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[ethereal music]
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The Bible records that
in ancient times there were
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prophets who brought
messages from God to his people.
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It also tells us there
were those who claimed to be
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prophets, but they weren't.
So how were God's people
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to tell the
difference between the true and
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the false? How would you tell
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the difference? In
every situation the Bible
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is to be our safeguard.
That's why it's so important
00:06:44.87\00:06:47.64
to understand what it says.
Today, let me send you a free
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booklet. It's called
00:06:50.41\00:06:51.94
"Prophets and Prophecy."
It'll walk you through the
00:06:51.94\00:06:54.48
differences between
the false and the genuine.
00:06:54.48\00:06:57.15
Simply call
800-253-3000 and ask for
00:06:57.15\00:07:01.05
"Prophets and
Prophecy." If the line's busy,
00:07:01.05\00:07:04.45
please do keep on
trying. Or you can write to:
00:07:04.45\00:07:07.52
It Is Written, P O
Box 6, Chattanooga,
00:07:07.52\00:07:09.72
Tennessee, 37401. We'll
mail a free copy to your
00:07:09.72\00:07:13.66
address in North America.
Again, our toll-free number is
00:07:13.66\00:07:17.40
800-253-3000, and our web
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:07:17.40\00:07:23.97
It Is Written is a ministry
dedicated to sharing the
00:07:25.74\00:07:28.18
Gospel around the world.
God is using It Is Written
00:07:28.18\00:07:31.48
to impact the world. Our
television program is only
00:07:31.48\00:07:34.85
one aspect of how we
accomplish that goal.
00:07:34.85\00:07:37.62
To discover more
about It Is Written,
00:07:37.62\00:07:39.52
visit our
website, ItIsWritten.com.
00:07:39.52\00:07:42.59
Browse the dozens of pages
that describe what we do and
00:07:42.59\00:07:45.36
how we're doing it.
You'll find an archive of past
00:07:45.36\00:07:47.73
television programs in script
form and as streaming video and
00:07:47.73\00:07:51.13
audio files, along with
many other helpful inspirational
00:07:51.13\00:07:54.44
resources. Let's
get to know each other
00:07:54.44\00:07:56.94
better. Visit our website,
00:07:56.94\00:07:58.57
ItIsWritten.com,
today. And follow us online
00:07:58.57\00:08:02.28
at Facebook and Twitter.
00:08:02.28\00:08:04.85
[pipe organ music]
This is It Is Written.
00:08:06.75\00:08:18.66
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me today on
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the banks of the Rhine
River, in Mainz, Germany.
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Today, in the western world at
least, the Bible is everywhere.
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But that was
not always the case.
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Long ago, the Scriptures
were copied out by hand.
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The laborious, painstaking task
of copying out all 66 books of
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the Bible could
take months and months.
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But all of that changed when
one man revolutionized printing.
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He was born right
here in Mainz, Germany
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in around 1398. He
trained as a goldsmith,
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and when he became a partner
in a print shop in Strasbourg,
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he realized how slow and
labor intensive printing was.
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At that time, entire pages
were printed from single incised
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blocks of wood.
Realizing that there had to be a
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better way, Johannes Gutenberg
developed an idea that would
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revolutionize the world.
His creation, movable type, led
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to the development of
the first printing press.
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And things would
never be the same again.
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In fact, the printing press not
only brought the Bible to the
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people, but it enabled
the Protestant Reformation to
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take place; it sparked the
Enlightenment and it's credited
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with making
possible modern democracy.
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[organ music cont.]
While moveable type had
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been used before
in China and in Korea,
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Gutenberg's idea was
to use moveable type in a
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printing press.
Entire pages of type could be
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arranged by using
individual letters.
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They could be formed into
words, the words into lines,
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the lines into
paragraphs, and so on.
00:10:02.43\00:10:06.40
One great advantage was that
those individual letters could
00:10:06.40\00:10:08.87
be used again, and again, and
again--unlike wooden block cuts,
00:10:08.87\00:10:13.44
which were only
good for a single use.
00:10:13.44\00:10:17.01
That same year, 1454,
Gutenberg exhibited several
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pages of his Gutenberg Bible
at a trade fair in Frankfurt.
00:10:21.98\00:10:26.59
Among those at the trade
fair was a future pope, Pius II,
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who said he was
impressed by the new Bible.
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He said he could read it
without using his glasses.
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One hundred and eighty Gutenberg
Bibles were sold; 48 of those
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original Bibles
survive today. [Music]
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[Sounds of children]
Suddenly the world began to
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change as the Bible became
accessible and common people
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could find out for
themselves what the Bible said.
00:10:57.22\00:11:00.36
Until now, it was the priests
and the religious leaders who
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interpreted for the people what
was written in the Word of God.
00:11:03.63\00:11:08.13
But now, because of Gutenberg's
invention, those who wanted to,
00:11:08.13\00:11:11.70
those who could afford to,
could read and interpret for
00:11:11.70\00:11:16.30
themselves what the Bible said.
Gutenberg himself was motivated
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to put the Bible in
the hands of the people.
00:11:21.31\00:11:24.71
He said, "God suffers in
the multitude of souls whom
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His word cannot reach.
Religious truth is imprisoned in
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a small number of manuscript
books which confine instead of
00:11:32.62\00:11:36.16
spread the public treasure.
Let us break the seal which
00:11:36.16\00:11:40.23
seals up holy things and give
wings to Truth, in order that
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she may win every soul
that comes into the world by her
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word, no longer written at great
expense by hands easily palsied,
00:11:48.47\00:11:53.84
but multiplied like the
wind by an untiring machine."
00:11:53.84\00:12:00.32
[Music] The
Gutenberg Museum in Mainz
00:12:00.32\00:12:11.19
was founded in the year
1900, five hundred years after
00:12:11.19\00:12:14.50
Gutenberg was born. And
even though there are many
00:12:14.50\00:12:17.43
magnificent museums
all throughout Germany,
00:12:17.43\00:12:19.93
there are few museums
that attract as many visitors
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in a year as this
one: the Gutenberg Museum.
00:12:22.94\00:12:27.21
Now, there are other places in
the world where you can view a
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.21
Gutenberg Bible, but
here you can see two.
00:12:30.21\00:12:33.25
And here you get to see
Gutenberg Bibles in the very
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town in which they were created.
Today, the Gutenberg Bible
00:12:36.75\00:12:41.19
is over 560 years old.
00:12:41.19\00:12:47.20
[Music]
00:12:47.66\00:12:52.17
Gutenberg didn't invent
the idea of printing itself.
00:13:01.58\00:13:05.15
It's believed that wood block
printing originated in China
00:13:05.15\00:13:08.22
around 200 A.D. Wooden
blocks would be carved.
00:13:08.22\00:13:12.75
Ink would be applied to the
raised area of the wooden block.
00:13:12.75\00:13:16.52
The wood block, or wood
cut, would then be pressed
00:13:16.52\00:13:19.79
into paper. It
worked in much the same way
00:13:19.79\00:13:22.10
as a rubber stamp. You
press that on an ink pad,
00:13:22.10\00:13:24.80
and then on the paper.
It worked, but it was really
00:13:24.80\00:13:28.07
inefficient. [Music]
00:13:28.07\00:13:31.47
But this new
printing process was tricky.
00:13:31.47\00:13:34.31
Typesetters would have to
learn to read backwards and
00:13:34.31\00:13:37.01
in reverse,
because in order for a
00:13:37.01\00:13:39.58
printed page to be printed,
and for the lines of type
00:13:39.58\00:13:41.85
to be read correctly, the
block or page of metal type
00:13:41.85\00:13:45.95
would have to be
set like a mirror image.
00:13:45.95\00:13:50.33
When not in use, the type, or
the metal or lead letters were
00:13:50.33\00:13:55.16
stored in a type case.
Keep in mind that all the
00:13:55.16\00:13:58.93
letters are reversed.
So a lowercase "p" would
00:13:58.93\00:14:02.40
actually look
like a "q" backwards.
00:14:02.40\00:14:05.07
Which is where the
phrase "Mind your p's and q's"
00:14:05.07\00:14:08.08
comes from. It
was a comment made to
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.75
typesetters who were putting
letters back into the type case,
00:14:10.75\00:14:13.68
to be careful to
not mix up the letters.
00:14:13.68\00:14:16.52
Now, there were two
different type cases:
00:14:16.52\00:14:19.69
one for capital letters,
which was referred to as the
00:14:19.69\00:14:23.26
upper case, and
another case for small
00:14:23.26\00:14:26.59
letters, which were
stored in the lower case.
00:14:26.59\00:14:30.00
And that's where we get the
terms uppercase and lowercase.
00:14:30.00\00:14:34.74
Once the first copies
of the Bible were printed,
00:14:34.74\00:14:37.97
the technology of printing with
moveable type spread quickly.
00:14:37.97\00:14:42.28
By the turn of the
century (the year 1500),
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.95
a thousand printing presses
throughout Western Europe
00:14:44.95\00:14:48.18
had produced eight million
books and 30,000 different
00:14:48.18\00:14:52.49
titles. Germany
and Italy were the
00:14:52.49\00:14:55.36
two main printing centers.
And this was at a time of global
00:14:55.36\00:14:59.76
expansion and exploration.
Columbus sailed in 1492,
00:14:59.76\00:15:06.03
Vasco Da Gama in 1498,
and ideas set sail with them.
00:15:06.03\00:15:13.14
The first print shop in
North America was established
00:15:13.14\00:15:15.34
in Mexico City in 1544.
Jesuit missionaries set up
00:15:15.34\00:15:20.35
printing in Asia in 1556.
Printing with movable type
00:15:20.35\00:15:26.45
really did change the world.
Now, that's not to say that
00:15:26.45\00:15:30.53
after Gutenberg printed
the Bible, everyday people
00:15:30.53\00:15:33.70
were buying them.
That's not what was happening.
00:15:33.70\00:15:36.83
They were still expensive, even
though they cost only a quarter
00:15:36.83\00:15:39.37
of what a
hand-copied Bible cost.
00:15:39.37\00:15:41.50
And they were printed in Latin,
and everyday people certainly
00:15:41.50\00:15:44.94
couldn't read Latin.
But not long after Gutenberg
00:15:44.94\00:15:48.51
invented the printing
press, millions of books were
00:15:48.51\00:15:52.15
in circulation. By the
time we got to the early
00:15:52.15\00:15:55.05
1800s, steam-powered presses had
replaced hand-powered presses
00:15:55.05\00:16:00.26
like the one Gutenberg
used. Printing became even more
00:16:00.26\00:16:03.22
effective and
even more efficient.
00:16:03.22\00:16:06.13
No wonder
Gutenberg was described as
00:16:06.13\00:16:08.00
"the man of the millennium."
And the practice of using
00:16:08.00\00:16:12.03
movable metal letters continued
well into the 20th century.
00:16:12.03\00:16:16.47
I'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:16:16.47\00:16:19.37
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:16:19.77\00:16:22.84
presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw and designed especially
00:16:22.84\00:16:25.88
for busy people like
you. Look for "Every Word" on
00:16:25.88\00:16:29.52
selected networks, or watch it
online every day on our website:
00:16:29.52\00:16:32.82
itiswritten.com.
00:16:32.82\00:16:34.99
[Music]
00:16:37.13\00:16:41.76
JB: When someone tells
you to do something that seems
00:16:42.66\00:16:44.57
unlikely, what's your reaction?
Now, if it's your child telling
00:16:44.57\00:16:48.00
you that you should
smear peanut butter all over
00:16:48.00\00:16:50.11
the mashed potatoes,
you may not go there.
00:16:50.11\00:16:52.47
But when the doctor tells
you you need a life-saving
00:16:52.47\00:16:55.11
medication, for example,
you listen to the expert.
00:16:55.11\00:16:58.31
Jesus' disciples had
been fishing all night without
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.95
catching anything.
When Jesus tells them to
00:17:00.95\00:17:02.78
throw out their nets again,
Peter says in Luke 5, verse 5,
00:17:02.78\00:17:05.99
"Master, we have toiled
all night and caught nothing.
00:17:05.99\00:17:08.96
Nevertheless, at your
word, I will let down the net."
00:17:08.96\00:17:12.53
Now, did you catch that?
"Nevertheless, at your word"
00:17:12.53\00:17:15.36
I do it. God has
given us the Bible.
00:17:15.36\00:17:18.23
And when we follow His word--
and doing that is what you call
00:17:18.23\00:17:21.47
faith-- it
always works out best.
00:17:21.47\00:17:24.37
They caught so many
fish their net broke.
00:17:24.37\00:17:26.27
God's waiting to bless you
too, and the blessings come when
00:17:26.27\00:17:29.68
you lean on His
Word. I'm John Bradshaw for
00:17:29.68\00:17:32.15
It Is Written. Let's
live today by every word.
00:17:32.15\00:17:36.02
[Music] Planning
for your financial
00:17:37.42\00:17:41.96
future is a vital aspect
of Christian stewardship.
00:17:41.96\00:17:45.26
For this reason, It Is Written
is pleased to offer free planned
00:17:45.26\00:17:48.43
giving and estate services.
For information on how we can
00:17:48.43\00:17:51.93
help you, please
call (800) 992-2219.
00:17:51.93\00:17:56.71
To receive additional material
on the advantages of life income
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.91
plans such as a charitable gift
annuity, which can provide you
00:17:59.91\00:18:03.61
with tax benefits and income for
life, call today, or visit our
00:18:03.61\00:18:08.02
special website,
www.HisLegacy.com.
00:18:08.02\00:18:13.72
You could also
write to: It Is Written,
00:18:13.72\00:18:15.82
Planned Giving
and Trust Services,
00:18:15.82\00:18:18.26
P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401.
00:18:18.26\00:18:23.60
Our toll-free number, again,
is (800) 992-2219, and our web
00:18:23.60\00:18:28.20
address is
HisLegacy.com. [Music]
00:18:28.20\00:18:37.15
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:18:39.61\00:18:42.58
I'm in Mainz, Germany, where
Johannes Gutenberg invented
00:18:42.58\00:18:46.59
the printing press. An
interesting historical aside:
00:18:46.59\00:18:50.69
Mainz was very involved in
another event that helped propel
00:18:50.69\00:18:54.83
the Protestant Reformation.
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.63
One of the things that spurred
Martin Luther to nail his 95
00:18:59.07\00:19:02.10
theses to the door of the
Castle Church in Wittenberg
00:19:02.10\00:19:04.97
was the practice of
selling indulgences.
00:19:04.97\00:19:09.14
A man named Johannes Tetzel
was traveling throughout Germany
00:19:09.14\00:19:12.21
claiming that he had the right
and the authority to sell the
00:19:12.21\00:19:17.19
forgiveness of sins--even
sins not yet committed.
00:19:17.19\00:19:21.29
Now, it was said that the
money raised from the selling of
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indulgences was going to go to
fund the building of St. Peter's
00:19:23.73\00:19:27.03
Basilica in the Vatican City.
But, a significant amount of
00:19:27.03\00:19:31.00
that money was going to be
kept by the man who commissioned
00:19:31.00\00:19:34.30
Tetzel and sent
him out into the field.
00:19:34.30\00:19:37.07
That man was
Albert of Brandenburg.
00:19:37.07\00:19:40.98
He was the archbishop of Mainz.
Tetzel was sent from here,
00:19:40.98\00:19:47.12
from the cathedral
directly behind me.
00:19:47.12\00:19:50.59
It could be said that it was
Tetzel who, to a great degree,
00:19:50.59\00:19:54.26
brought the Protestant
Reformation into existence.
00:19:54.26\00:19:58.59
It can certainly be said that
the work of another man from
00:19:58.59\00:20:01.86
Mainz did
exactly the same. [Music]
00:20:01.86\00:20:08.00
Johannes Gutenberg's
invention of the printing press
00:20:08.00\00:20:10.31
in 1454 has repeatedly been
called the most significant,
00:20:10.31\00:20:14.91
most important invention of
the previous one thousand years.
00:20:14.91\00:20:19.18
It isn't an exaggeration to say
it altered the course of human
00:20:19.18\00:20:23.42
history. But back in the 1400s,
00:20:23.42\00:20:26.79
translating the Bible could
be a very dangerous business.
00:20:26.79\00:20:30.86
The Reformers wanted to see
the Bible placed in the hands of
00:20:30.86\00:20:33.70
as many people as
possible, so that everybody who
00:20:33.70\00:20:36.36
wanted to, could read
and understand the Bible for
00:20:36.36\00:20:38.90
themselves. But
people like William Tyndale,
00:20:38.90\00:20:42.60
the Englishman who translated
the New Testament into English,
00:20:42.60\00:20:45.51
and many others, were burned at
the stake by a church desperate
00:20:45.51\00:20:50.48
to retain its power
over the minds of people.
00:20:50.48\00:20:54.42
[Music] When
Gutenberg's invention
00:20:54.42\00:20:57.12
arrived, the Bible became more
accessible to people than ever
00:20:57.12\00:21:00.99
before. The
printing of Bibles led
00:21:00.99\00:21:04.09
directly to the Protestant
Reformation, as people could
00:21:04.09\00:21:07.13
read for themselves what the
Bible says, and see how God's
00:21:07.13\00:21:10.77
word exposed the errors of the
teachings of the ruling church.
00:21:10.77\00:21:14.97
Gutenberg's method of
printing was the first example
00:21:14.97\00:21:18.57
of mass media. In
1999 Time Magazine named
00:21:18.57\00:21:24.01
Gutenberg the "Man
of the Millennium."
00:21:24.01\00:21:29.38
[Music]
Gutenberg found a new way
00:21:29.38\00:21:33.89
to put ink on paper. But
the Bible is much more than
00:21:33.89\00:21:37.99
ink on paper. The
Bible is the word of God;
00:21:37.99\00:21:41.86
it's living and it's dynamic.
One of the Bible writers,
00:21:41.86\00:21:46.07
the Apostle Paul,
had this to say about the
00:21:46.07\00:21:49.44
power of the Bible.
Listen carefully to these words:
00:21:49.44\00:21:53.94
"For the word of God is
living and powerful, and sharper
00:21:53.94\00:21:57.51
than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division
00:21:57.51\00:22:01.58
of soul and spirit,
and of joints and marrow,
00:22:01.58\00:22:04.69
and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents
00:22:04.69\00:22:07.29
of the heart." Hebrews
4:12 David said the Bible lights
00:22:07.29\00:22:12.56
our way in Psalm 119, verse 105.
00:22:12.56\00:22:17.33
"Your word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path."
00:22:17.33\00:22:21.90
John wrote in John
17:17 that the Bible is the
00:22:21.90\00:22:26.21
source of truth. Jesus said,
00:22:26.21\00:22:29.14
"Sanctify them by Your
truth. Your word is truth."
00:22:29.14\00:22:35.05
And the more you read the Bible,
the better acquainted you'll
00:22:35.05\00:22:38.12
become with who God is.
The Bible transforms lives.
00:22:38.12\00:22:42.96
David wrote in Psalm 119,
verse 11, "Your word I have
00:22:42.96\00:22:47.66
hidden in my heart, that I
might not sin against you."
00:22:47.66\00:22:52.90
The Bible contains
blessings from the heart of God.
00:22:52.90\00:22:55.97
In the Bible there are hundreds
of promises made by God that
00:22:55.97\00:22:58.74
underscore the fact that
God loves us and only desires
00:22:58.74\00:23:02.64
the very best for us.
Philippians 4:19 says that God
00:23:02.64\00:23:06.61
will supply all your needs.
In Hebrews 13:5 God says He will
00:23:06.61\00:23:12.39
never leave you or forsake you.
Jeremiah 31:3 promises us God
00:23:12.39\00:23:18.36
loves us with an
everlasting love.
00:23:18.36\00:23:22.13
And two chapters
earlier, in Jeremiah 29:13,
00:23:22.13\00:23:25.57
God promises us that we'll
find Him when we search for Him
00:23:25.57\00:23:29.84
with all our heart.
Now, let me ask you a
00:23:29.84\00:23:33.61
personal question. Do
you truly value the Bible?
00:23:33.61\00:23:38.08
Is the Bible your daily guide,
your daily companion, or is it
00:23:38.08\00:23:42.52
simply
gathering dust on a shelf?
00:23:42.52\00:23:44.69
There's no question that God
was responsible for bringing the
00:23:44.69\00:23:47.86
Bible to the world at
exactly the right time.
00:23:47.86\00:23:51.16
God led in the
printing of the Bible.
00:23:51.16\00:23:54.13
And He did so so that you
and I could read the Bible.
00:23:54.13\00:23:58.53
What a great loss, to have a
Bible and not be internalizing
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.40
the saving principles
found written in the Bible.
00:24:02.40\00:24:06.47
For centuries the
Bible was obscured.
00:24:06.47\00:24:09.38
But now the Bible is
freely available almost all over
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.35
the world.
Unfortunately, the polls show
00:24:13.35\00:24:16.42
that while most people do own
a Bible, few people are really
00:24:16.42\00:24:20.72
reading it and discovering
for themselves what it says.
00:24:20.72\00:24:25.13
So I want to encourage
you to pick up the Bible.
00:24:25.13\00:24:27.50
Read the Bible.
Become familiar with
00:24:27.50\00:24:29.30
its promises. Hear
the voice of God, and
00:24:29.30\00:24:32.40
experience more of
God's presence in your life.
00:24:32.40\00:24:36.10
[Music]
00:24:36.10\00:24:44.35
The Bible records that
in ancient times there were
00:24:46.98\00:24:49.72
prophets who brought
messages from God to his people.
00:24:49.72\00:24:53.62
It also tells us there
were those who claimed to be
00:24:53.62\00:24:55.86
prophets, but they weren't.
So how were God's people to tell
00:24:55.86\00:24:59.53
the difference between
the true and the false?
00:24:59.53\00:25:02.76
How would you
tell the difference?
00:25:02.76\00:25:05.17
In every situation the
Bible is to be our safeguard.
00:25:05.17\00:25:08.07
That's why it's so important
to understand what it says.
00:25:08.07\00:25:10.47
Today, let me send
you a free booklet.
00:25:10.47\00:25:12.54
It's called
"Prophets and Prophecy."
00:25:12.54\00:25:14.81
It'll walk you through
the differences between the
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.85
false and the genuine.
Simply call 800-253-3000
00:25:16.85\00:25:21.65
and ask for
"Prophets and Prophecy."
00:25:21.65\00:25:24.85
If the line's busy,
please do keep on trying.
00:25:24.85\00:25:27.62
Or you can write
to: It Is Written,
00:25:27.62\00:25:29.56
P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401.
00:25:29.56\00:25:33.63
We'll mail a free copy to
your address in North America.
00:25:33.63\00:25:37.00
It Is Written is a faith-based
ministry, and your support makes
00:25:37.00\00:25:41.04
it possible for us to share
God's Good News with the world.
00:25:41.04\00:25:44.74
Your tax-deductible gift can
be sent to the address on your
00:25:44.74\00:25:47.44
screen, or through our
website at ItIsWritten.com.
00:25:47.44\00:25:51.41
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:25:51.41\00:25:54.15
Again, our toll-free number
is 800-253-3000, and our web
00:25:54.15\00:25:59.22
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:25:59.22\00:26:04.99
Let's pray together.
Our Father in Heaven,
00:26:05.73\00:26:08.53
we thank you
today for your word.
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.87
And we thank you for
Jesus, the Word made flesh.
00:26:10.87\00:26:16.07
Lord, we are grateful
that, long ago, you saw that
00:26:16.07\00:26:19.64
it was time for your
Word to be published,
00:26:19.64\00:26:23.38
to be printed, to be distributed
so that everyone could have
00:26:23.38\00:26:27.75
access to you, to the story
of the Gospel, to your Word,
00:26:27.75\00:26:32.02
in the Bible. We thank
you that you moved upon
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.89
the heart of a man, that at just
the right time your Word broke
00:26:34.89\00:26:38.19
forth, enabling the Protestant
Reformation to come into
00:26:38.19\00:26:42.30
existence, enabling people
all over the world to know Jesus
00:26:42.30\00:26:46.57
closely and personally.
But Lord, I want to pray for us
00:26:46.57\00:26:51.87
who now have your Word.
Don't let us neglect it.
00:26:51.87\00:26:55.81
Give us grace to read
it, to hide it in our hearts.
00:26:55.81\00:27:00.15
Friend, do you need to commit
today again to hiding God's Word
00:27:00.15\00:27:04.59
in your heart, to reading
His Word, to studying the Bible,
00:27:04.59\00:27:08.49
even to opening your heart up
to Jesus, that He might live His
00:27:08.49\00:27:13.36
life in you with
power? Lord, do your will.
00:27:13.36\00:27:17.27
And again, let your
Word be powerful and central
00:27:17.27\00:27:22.44
in our lives. Give us
grace to live according
00:27:22.44\00:27:25.47
to your principles.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:25.47\00:27:30.25
[Music]
00:27:30.25\00:27:48.46
Thanks for joining me today.
I'll look forward to seeing
00:27:55.97\00:27:58.07
you again next time.
Until then, remember,
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.61
"It is written,
Man shall not live by
00:28:00.61\00:28:03.11
bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth
00:28:03.11\00:28:07.58
of God.'" [Music]
00:28:07.58\00:28:19.69