If you were asked to choose
a favourite verse from the Bible - which would it be?
There must be literally hundreds, if not thousands of 'favourite' verses that would qualify - something from the Old Testament, perhaps Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my shepherd.' Or Psalm 139 'Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord' , or again from the prophet Micah ( 6: 8) 'He has showed you O man what is good: and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.'
Turning perhaps to the
New Testament one might choose a verse from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians
( 13:1) ' If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love……'
All of these and many more are candidates for a favourite verse - but for one
which encapsulates the essential message of the Bible, God's plan of salvation
for a fallen world and uniquely presents it in the words of Christ himself,
it would be hard to overlook what is surely everyone's favourite verse and certainly
one which is best known.
John 3: 16 ' For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'
The one-time Dean of the
Faculty of Divinity at Aberdeen University was once asked to declare what to
him was the significance of the Bible, and replied in these words.
' It is through the Bible that I know of God who has declared his salvation
in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and, with deepest thankfulness
I embrace that saving truth and stake my life upon it.'
Surely this verse from John's gospel is the very essence of that Bible message.
Comment by John Jamieson.