# If you could only have 1 book of the bible which would it be?



## Jon 316 (Apr 15, 2009)

For me it would have to be the book of Romans.


----------



## OPC'n (Apr 15, 2009)

Romans too! Glad we don't have to pick! However, the persecuted church does. They get one page of the Bible and have to pass it along to other people. We can help get Bibles into their hands though! Go here and put one into their hands!


----------



## BobVigneault (Apr 15, 2009)

Yup Romans of course with Psalms running a close second.


----------



## TaylorOtwell (Apr 15, 2009)

The Gospel According to John


----------



## JonathanHunt (Apr 15, 2009)

Given my existing awareness of the teaching of the NT, I would say Psalms. If I was not aware of NT teaching I would agree with Romans.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## satz (Apr 15, 2009)

Seems like an unfair choice to have to make...


----------



## Skyler (Apr 15, 2009)

I would second the Gospel of John. Not only does it have blatantly Reformed theology seeping out the cracks, it's a good choice for evangelism.


----------



## Theognome (Apr 15, 2009)

Matthew.

Theognome


----------



## larryjf (Apr 15, 2009)

I lean towards Psalms simply because all of Scripture is the Word of God, and with Psalms you get alot of Scripture. Plus, you can use it to sing praises to the Lord as well.


----------



## Jesus is my friend (Apr 15, 2009)

1a)Romans
1b)John

I couldnt pick just one,That's a tough question


----------



## Galatians220 (Apr 15, 2009)

Another vote for John, but with the request, I would write an impassioned plea for Romans, Psalms, Isaiah, Galatians, Philippians and John's epistles, among, oh, maybe 57 others. 

Margaret


----------



## satz (Apr 15, 2009)

If I had to choose maybe Colossians or Phillipians.


----------



## StormSaxon (Apr 15, 2009)

JonathanHunt said:


> Given my existing awareness of the teaching of the NT, I would say Psalms. If I was not aware of NT teaching I would agree with Romans.



Either I'm extremely tired and I misread that or is that backwards? 


I would have to say Psalms or Isaiah, hard choice.


----------



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Apr 15, 2009)

Psalms...


----------



## Jimmy the Greek (Apr 15, 2009)

This is not even fun to think about.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ServantofGod (Apr 15, 2009)

I would smuggle the whole Book in.


----------



## PresbyDane (Apr 15, 2009)

Romans


----------



## PuritanCovenanter (Apr 15, 2009)

Gospel of John for me.


----------



## Classical Presbyterian (Apr 15, 2009)

John, Romans or Ephesians


----------



## DMcFadden (Apr 15, 2009)

John, Romans, or Psalms (probably John)


----------



## Montanablue (Apr 15, 2009)

John. But Galatians is a close second.


----------



## Tripel (Apr 15, 2009)

Genesis, Psalms, or Isaiah. Probably Psalms.


----------



## Tim (Apr 15, 2009)

I'm thinking about Genesis.


----------



## caddy (Apr 15, 2009)

N.T: Romans
O.T: Ecclesiastes


----------



## Beth Ellen Nagle (Apr 15, 2009)

Psalms for meditating on and singing.


----------



## CharlieJ (Apr 15, 2009)

It would have to be one of the Gospels. Without the "good news" the rest of the Bible is opaque. I would hate to lose even one book, but I can't imagine being deprived of the story of Jesus. With just one Gospel (Matthew or Luke), I could stand amazed at His birth, watch His early life of quiet obedience, hear the Father proclaim pleasure at His baptism, learn from His words, be silenced by His miracles, be comforted by His compassion, be corrected by His rebukes, identify with His disciples of little faith, agonize and rejoice at His wounding and crucifixion, exult in His resurrection, and take courage at His Great Commission. 

Hmm... I think I'll go read now.


----------



## E Nomine (Apr 15, 2009)

Gospel of John was my first thought, but this is a terrible hypothetical to consider.


----------



## Skyler (Apr 15, 2009)

E Nomine said:


> Gospel of John was my first thought, but this is a terrible hypothetical to consider.



True.

Come to think of it, I changed my mind. I'd want my 1 book to be my NIV-KJV parallel Bible. After all, it's only one *book*, and it's of the Bible, isn't it?


----------



## Ivan (Apr 15, 2009)

Hezekiah?


----------



## Berean (Apr 15, 2009)

Romans


----------



## PastorSBC (Apr 15, 2009)

Psalms.


----------



## Zenas (Apr 15, 2009)

Hebrews


----------



## DMcFadden (Apr 15, 2009)

Ivan said:


> Hezekiah?



Oh my. [Sigh. Southern Baptist education strikes again]


----------



## Ivan (Apr 15, 2009)

DMcFadden said:


> Ivan said:
> 
> 
> > Hezekiah?
> ...





I love that one...although it is sad when one wants to be the trickster and announce that the text is from "Hezekiah" and some start looking in their Bibles. 

  ---> "Where is Hezekiah, Pastor!"


----------



## Skyler (Apr 15, 2009)

Isn't Hezekiah in the Apocrypha?


----------



## DonP (Apr 15, 2009)

That's easy. I would say revelation because I still haven't figured that one out yet.


----------



## Rich Koster (Apr 15, 2009)

Concordance Hey, if I had enough time I could systematically paste the whole Bible together again through it (if it is exhaustive)


----------



## Turtle (Apr 15, 2009)

If the persecution has become that bad, I want 1 Corr chapter 15.


----------



## charliejunfan (Apr 15, 2009)

Hebrews


----------



## Ivan (Apr 15, 2009)

Skyler said:


> Isn't Hezekiah in the Apocrypha?



No.


----------



## Calvinist Cowboy (Apr 15, 2009)

I once heard RC Sproul say that if he had to choose, he would choose Hebrews since he already knows Romans like the back of his hand.


----------



## matthew11v25 (Apr 15, 2009)

I just wasted too much time thinking about this. I guess if I eventually made up my mind it would be the NT book that best summarized the whole counsel of God...i.e. mini Bible.


----------



## Theogenes (Apr 15, 2009)

AArrgggghhh! What an agonizing question!! That's like asking me to choose which one of my sons would live and the rest die. I lean towards certain books as my possible answer, like Romans, John, Hebrews, Ephesians, Galatians, 1Peter, and I find myself wanting to list them all. I cannot carve up God's Word like this. I want ot say "ALL OR NONE", but then I still would appreciate one book over none....So, I'm with Josh...I'll let God providentially choose for me if ever such a trial comes my way....I'm going to go and lie down now....


----------



## Parsifal23 (Apr 15, 2009)

I would choose 1 Kings


----------



## Jon 316 (Apr 15, 2009)

Good stuff folks! I apologise to those of you have been caused to suffer over this question!

I'm curious about those of you who pick genesis. Why Genesis? 

I pick the N.T over the O.T because it reveals Christ specifically. I pick an epistle over a gospel because it explains the gospel events more clearly. I choose Romans over them all because it spells out the gospel in a crystal clear argument.


----------



## Ivan (Apr 15, 2009)

Jon 316 said:


> Good stuff folks! I apologise to those of you have been caused to suffer over this question!
> 
> I'm curious about those of you who pick genesis. Why Genesis?
> 
> I pick the N.T over the O.T because it reveals Christ specifically. I pick an epistle over a gospel because it explains the gospel events more clearly. I choose Romans over them all because it spells out the gospel in a crystal clear argument.



Good line of reasoning...I agree.


----------



## Skyler (Apr 15, 2009)

Hmm... good point. I might have to change my vote to Romans.


----------



## harvelljr (Apr 15, 2009)

I would choose Romans for it is the greatest systematic presentation of the Bible ever written. But closely following would have to be the Book of Saint John's Gospel.


----------



## Poimen (Apr 15, 2009)

"The Little Bible" (Martin Luther)


----------



## py3ak (Apr 15, 2009)

Jeremiah: if I were reduced to one book of Scripture I would have much cause to lament, and what better company than the prophet who wished that his head were waters and his eyes a fountain of tears?


----------



## Jon Peters (Apr 15, 2009)

The Gospel of John would be my choice but I think Hebrew is an intriguing choice. It's a very dense book.


----------



## Reformed Thomist (Apr 15, 2009)

Romans or Luke.


----------



## AThornquist (Apr 15, 2009)

Jude, since it's so small. At least then I wouldn't feel like such a butt-head for neglecting to know the amount of Scripture that I should.

...but really I'd choose Romans. I can't read a paragraph without verbally or at least mentally saying, "Wow. That is _amazing!_"


----------



## Edward (Apr 15, 2009)

Romans.


----------



## reformed trucker (Apr 15, 2009)

OT: Psalms
NT: Romans


----------



## DMcFadden (Apr 16, 2009)

I know why all of these Calvinists pick Romans.

Some argue that Calvin followed Melanchthon in organizing his Institutes after the Luther sidekick's Romans commentary: Book 1 - Knowledge of God; Book 2 - Knowledge of the Redeemer; Book 3 - Holy Spirit; Book 4 -all that practical stuff about the civil magistrate, etc.


----------

