National Bible Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, for over 80 years, our country has recognized the week of Thanksgiving to be National Bible Week. This week was first established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 to create an annual event where Christians could celebrate the Bible.

The very first Psalm of David expresses the importance of the Bible: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law, he mediates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leave also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.

King David found that his greatest counsel was not found in human philosophy but rather in the words of God.

America is a Nation that from its beginning has respected the Bible. The evidence is all around us here in Washington, D.C. Numerous memorials that quote the Bible, the buildings that house our executive, judicial, and legislative branches have Bible verses etched in stone. More importantly, the values and principles that have made us a secure, free, and prosperous Nation come from the holy Word of God.

In this hour, we will hear from Members of Congress from various faith traditions and denominations speak about what the Bible means to them. We are here in keeping with that 80-year tradition to recognize National Bible Week.
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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Allen for sharing from his personal story.
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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from California comes forward, I am going to give my own story. My own story shows a life that was changed by the Bible.

When I went to college, I thought I knew what the Bible was all about. In reality, I never read any of it for myself. When I was urged to do so, I realized that it was different than what I had assumed.

I read the Gospel of John, and I realized I was separated from God and that the way for me to find Him was through Jesus, who said He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him.

When I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, my life changed dramatically. I can attest to the reality of the Bible.

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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, Representative Aderholt made passing reference to an early action of our Congress in authorizing publication of a Bible in the 1700s. I am going to amplify on that just a little bit here.

Many of the early American settlers who came to the New World wanted to live out their faith in God and His Word, according to the convictions of their own consciences. It is true that one of Congress' first acts in the infancy of our Nation was the authorization of an American-published Bible. The Revolutionary War with the British had cut off all shipments of Bibles from England. Our Founding Fathers understood how important it was for the American people to have access to Bibles.

Robert Aitken, a private citizen, brought this need to the attention of Congress. He said, in a letter, ``This work is an object worthy of the attention of the Congress of the United States of America, who will not negligent spiritual security, while they are virtuously contending for temporal blessings.''

In 1782, Congress reviewed, approved, and authorized the first known English language Bible to be printed in America, and the congressional resolution for that read:

``Resolved: That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an instance of progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied from the above report of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.''

Mr. Speaker, can you imagine doing that today, authorizing a Bible and recommending it to the people of the United States?

Our country has changed over the years and not always for the better, I am afraid.
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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. It is that time of year when we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Of course, His story is found in the Bible that we are talking about tonight. So it all ties together very well at this time of year especially.

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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I will mention something about archaeology. There are many archeological discoveries which have validated biblical accounts giving trustworthiness to the Bible that we are acknowledging now during the recent National Bible Week.

Archeology has, time and time again, shown that the Biblical personalities, locations, and events actually existed in time and space. Claims by critics that a Biblical statement was simply made up have been later debunked by archeological discoveries more times than we can say.

For instance, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late forties and fifties proved the credibility and authority of Scripture. The discovery of these scrolls shined light on the oldest records of the worldwide flood and the longstanding authority and accuracy of the Bible.

Jewish archaeologist Nelson Glueck has stated: It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted or contradicted a Biblical reference.

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Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his words.

It has been an honor and a pleasure to commemorate National Bible Week this evening. I am grateful to my colleagues who joined me to honor the Word of God.

Mr. Speaker, I simply restate my gratitude for the Words of Jesus about the Bible:

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.

So I am thankful for the Word of God that we have to live by. I thank God for the stability and foundation the Bible has given in my life, for the lives of those who have spoken here today, and for the life of our great Nation.

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