The Gutenberg Bible

Most of my speaking engagements are done for the year (perhaps just another one or two left, and a few TV, podcast, and online interviews scheduled). I leisurely look over interesting materials as I prepare new lessons, training programs, and keynote materials for the next year. This pandemic has sped up the world and the change in momentum has accelerated in many ways. I need to update myself with developments and share them with those who participate in my webinars for next year.

Interestingly, what came as a nice break from all these business and economic news is material on the Gutenberg Bible and this is what I came across:

“The last sale of a complete Gutenberg Bible took place in 1978 when a copy went for a cool $2.2 million. A lone volume later sold for $5.4 million in 1987, and experts now estimate a complete copy could fetch upwards of $35 million at auction.”1 And then I remembered a book I read that talked about the Gutenberg that not too many people know about. In his book, Steve Farrar authored many years ago: “God Built,” he told this story.

“Johannes Gutenberg was the man who invented the printing press. The first book that came off Gutenberg’s press was The Bible. But although Gutenberg made sure that the Bible was the first book ever printed, he personally never got the message of The Bible. That one invention dramatically changed the world. When we think of this invention, we think of Gutenberg. But in his day, when people hear about the printing press, they did not give Gutenberg credit – they had never heard of Gutenberg. All of the credit in Gutenberg’s time for his invention didn’t go to him. It went to Johann Fust.

When Gutenberg came up with the idea and plan for the printing press, he didn’t have the money to produce it. So, he went to Fust and borrowed the money. It was an enormously expensive project to put the first printing press together. Later, Gutenberg went back to Fust and borrowed more money. As Gutenberg was just about to finish perfecting his invention and ready to put out the first mass copies of The Bible, Fust took him to court, and the judge ruled in favor of Fust. Gutenberg lost his press, his idea, his years of work, and even his tools. He was just days away from success, and he lost everything. When The Bible was printed, people marveled at the clarity of the letters and the artwork’s beauty, and they all were talking about Fust and his marvelous invention. Fust didn’t even know how to put a sheet of paper into the press. Yet, he was the one who was praised as the inventor of the machine that was revolutionizing the world.

Gutenberg watched as everything was taken from him, including the credit for his invention, and never received a penny for his work. He died in poverty – a broken and a bitter man. To his dying day, he could never forgive Fust for his betrayal. The poison of bitterness sapped every ounce of Gutenberg’s energy and will to work.

So why do we refer today to the first printed Bible as the Gutenberg Bible? Years after Gutenberg died, Fust’s conscience kept hounding him. He couldn’t live with himself. He was being praised and given acclaim for what belonged to another man. Finally, Fust came clean and gave the proper credit for the printing press to Gutenberg. But Gutenberg was in his grave, and it was bitterness that had put him there. Gutenberg’s dream was to print the Bible, but he never understood its message on forgiveness and that revenge is God’s business, not men.”

We have had similar experiences, although not on such a big scale.

We do great work; the boss grabs the credit.

We start a business; the partners take it away from us.

We trust people; then they betray our trust.

Things like these continue to happen, but the question is: “Are we going to let bitterness sap our energy and prevent us from doing greater things?” I hope not. Let us not allow bitterness to bury us and blind us from other opportunities God provides in the new year.

I have a suggestion. This is a healthy thing to do as we enter the new year. Get to know the message of The Bible, yet more importantly, get to know the author in a personal way. I am so thankful Gutenberg has made The Bible available for me. I love the book, and I realize that it is the only book I have wherein the author is with me every day of my life.

(Connect with Francis Kong at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. Or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch,’ the classical music station.)

1 https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-gutenberg-bible