Has a book ever changed your life? For Theophilus of Antioch, his answer to that question is a resounding yes. 

We don’t know many details about Theophilus’ life, but what we do know proves to us the incredible impact that reading a book can have on your life. Theophilus was a pagan for much of his life, but that all changed when he discovered the Bible—specifically the Old Testament. After diving into the wisdom of the Bible, he converted to Catholicism and became an early bishop.

The books we read walk and talk with us…but the Bible isn’t just a book. It is a collection of books—seventy-three in all: forty-six in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. Hence the name Biblia in Greek, which means “the books” or “library.” Have you taken the time to read through this incredible collection of wisdom?

If you were born in 1900, your life expectancy was forty-seven years. Today the average American lives for seventy-seven years. This is my question for you: How are you going to tell God that you didn’t have time to read His book?

The Bible is not just another book or collection of books. If it were, it wouldn’t have so radically transformed Theophilus’ life—and the lives of millions across the world.

Words have value according to who writes them or speaks them. If a liar tells you something, you don’t give his words any attention. But if an honest and honorable man tells you something, even if what he says challenges your deepest personal beliefs you will consider his words carefully, because you respect him as a man of integrity.

The Word of God deserves to be approached with reverence and awe. It is all too easy to think that we know a certain story, and to tune out as a result. But to do so would be a mistake. The Word of God is constantly new and fresh, even for those who have spent a lifetime exploring it. The reason is because our lives are constantly changing, we are constantly changing, and our relationships with God and others are constantly changing. If you have not yet had a life-changing experience with the Bible, you have an amazing opportunity before you at this time. Will you let this opportunity pass you by? 



Feast Day: October 13

Symbols: A Book and Scrolls