What did people do before Bibles were available?

*AQuietPlace* · #1 07-16-2009, 11:54 AM

I've been thinking about this lately. The Bible being easily attainable by every person with a checkbook is a fairly recent development. For much of history, your average person did not have access to the written word of God.

What did those people do? How did they know God's plan and desires? They had to depend upon their leadership to proclaim the word of God to them. What if the leadership was wrong? They had no way of finding out.

Now, we insist that teaching line up to the word of God. We read it for ourselves. If the teaching isn't in the Bible, we can see that. But what if we didn't HAVE a Bible??

What about the time period after The Trinity and baptism in the titles became the Christian norm? How could your average person know that this wasn't the biblical method?

Many, many people in the past could not even read. How were these people to know if they were being told correctly? What if they were NOT told correctly? Were they doomed to hell because they could not read?

Why did God allow such a long time period to exist when the common man had no access to the Bible?

Timmy · #2 07-16-2009, 12:00 PM

Simple. God would send an Apostolic Pentecostal preacher to anyone that had a genuine desire to find God, who would then teach them the way. Same as today.

*AQuietPlace* · #3 07-16-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timmy

Simple. God would send an Apostolic Pentecostal preacher to anyone that had a genuine desire to find God, who would then teach them the way. Same as today.

I knew you'd like this thread.

John Atkinson · #4 07-16-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timmy

Simple. God would send an Apostolic Pentecostal preacher to anyone that had a genuine desire to find God, who would then teach them the way. Same as today.

Yep, he did that. Christopher Columbus for example....

Timmy · #5 07-16-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Atkinson

Yep, he did that. Christopher Columbus for example....

Oh?

John Atkinson · #6 07-16-2009, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timmy

Oh?

Yep. He came here because of a praying indian, but unfortunately God forgot about the whole small pox thing.

I'm yanking your chain.

Timmy · #7 07-16-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Atkinson

Yep. He came here because of a praying indian, but unfortunately God forgot about the whole small pox thing.

I'm yanking your chain.

coadie · #8 07-16-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Yep. He came here because of a praying indian, but unfortunately God forgot about the whole small pox thing.

The Indians got horses they hadn't been praying for.

They also regret how they mishandled Illegal immigrants.

Timmy · #9 07-16-2009, 12:02 PM

Timmy · #10 07-16-2009, 12:12 PM

But seriously, I believe that is the actual answer from some of those in the "our way or the highway" camp. It's been posted here on AFF in the context of modern times, for people who don't have access to Bibles or churches etc. Stands to reason that it's the way they say it would work all through history, since Pentecost. I think.