"What do I do with my old bible?"

 This question has been posed to me several times over the years. So, I decided to do a little research to see if there is a proper way to discard our old Bibles. If you are like me, you have several old, worn out ones sitting in a box somewhere.

What I have discovered is there is no official designation of how to handle the disposal of Bibles. Islam and Judaism provide very strict rules for disposing of copies of their text, but Christianity does not.

As Christ followers our long tradition has been to see the sacredness of the Bible to be in the meaning of the text, not the text itself. It is in the words that God has revealed himself to us, not the physical ink and paper. Many believers fear of violating the commandment concerning worshipping an idol, if too much emphasis is placed on the book itself. Christians worship the Word who became flesh, not the paper that the Bible was written upon. The way I look at it, the word of God will endure forever. Therefore, we cannot possibly destroy His Word by throwing away a Bible.

I recall in my theology studies that there are no original copies of the Scriptures in existence today. That’s right, zero. At some point, the autographs (originals) were discarded. So the way I see it, there is a precedent.

So what do we do with our old Bibles?
 I will echo the recommendation that I came across most often. Dispose of our Bibles the same way that the American Flag is discarded. Burn it. In the US Flag Code. TITLE 4,CHAPTER 1,Sec. 8(k). It states: 
"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

Maybe one can read some pages of Scripture about God’s Word and write a brief statement that can be read over it like a eulogy. I have pulled some verses from Psalm 119 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 and 4:1, to write my own tribute.

Your word, O Lord, is eternal;
It stands firm in the heavens.
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your word is lamp unto my feet and light for my path
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
Let no sin rule over me
Your statutes are my heritage forever;
They are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end
I have put my hope in your word
For all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that I may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give this Bible back to the Father from which it came. Amen.

So, maybe this will help you dispose of old Bibles that are falling apart, but just can't bring yourself to sim....

 
 

Here is the current plan for the blog at Renovating Life.


  1. To provide an ongoing place for you to read about spiritual formation and living life as a Christ follower.
  2. I would love for you to comment on the post, so don't hesitate to do so.
  3. I first began blogging on March 21, 2005.  Many of the post from the original site will be reproduced here in hope you will gain some benefit from them.  
  4. I will be inviting guest writers from across the country to deal with topics that they have expertise.