The Bible Test
Illustration★★★★An exchange tells of a Mohammedan trader in India, who once asked a European whether he could not secure a Bible for him. “What for?” he asked in surprise, “You would not be able to read it.” “True,” replied the Mohammedan. “What I want is a European Bible.” ; When the European asked, “What for?” he answered: “Well, when a ship brings a trader who is unknown to me who wishes to trade with me, I put the Bible in his way and watch him. If I see that he opens it and reads it, I know that I can trust him. But if he throws it aside with a sneer or even a curse, I will have nothing to do with him, because I know that I cannot trust him.”—Christ Life and Word of the Cross.
The point
A trader tests strangers' trustworthiness by watching whether they treat the Bible with respect or contempt, believing reverence for Scripture reveals character.