In 1982, Reader's Digest published a condensed version of the world's most widely-read book—the Bible. The project, led by John E. Walsh, took seven editors three years to complete. In a 2015 obituary for Walsh, The New York Times reported,

In all its incarnations, the Bible may well have been the world's best-selling book, but not necessarily the best read. The original Revised Standard Version was 1,400 pages; the [Reader's Digest version], about 800. In the beginning, there were 850,000 words. Three years later, John E. Walsh and his team of editors had condensed the Bible by 40 percent, to 510,000.

The abridged version … did not skimp on any of the Ten Commandments and considered favorites like the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's Prayer to be sacrosanct. But in the end, it boiled down the Old Testament by 50 percent and the New Testament by 25 percent. None of Jesus' words were changed, but about 10 percent were deleted.

In 1982 Mr. Walsh asserted, "Our Bible is still the Word of God, but it's easier to get into and stay with and appreciate."

Possible Preaching Angles: Positively, this story shows that the Bible may appear inaccessible and daunting, but there are ways to wade into it without being overwhelmed. Negatively, this story shows that we may also be living with a "condensed version" of God's Word. In particular, we've most likely deleted the portions we find offensive or inconvenient. Unfortunately, a selective Bible leads to selective obedience.