Organizing the Bible

Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo

(Chinese)

A year passes swiftly, and when the Mid-Autumn Festival moon becomes full, it signifies that this year is drawing to a close. Two years ago, during Mid-Autumn, I suddenly realized that the Bible I had kept by my side for decades was becoming increasingly difficult to read — the letters seemed to be shrinking. When I typed a verse into the computer and read it on the screen, it felt much clearer. That sparked a bold idea: “Why not convert the entire Bible (both the Chinese and English versions) into a digital file?” After four full months of effort, I actually completed this massive conversion project.

I recalled a conversation I once had at Harvard with a professor in Cambridge about the suppression of Buddhism. He pointed out that the Jewish people, despite the fall of Judah 2,534 years ago, were able to restore their nation in 1948 because they had one book — the Bible. His conclusion was profound: “One book can be mightier than all the stars in the sky.”

Fig 1: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Everyone has fragments of time each day—for instance, the two hours between 5:00 and 7:00 in the morning, or at least four hours between dinner and bedtime. If used wisely, these scattered moments can accomplish a great deal.

In 1966, when I was only 13, the responsibility of supporting the family was placed upon me. Fearless as a young calf before the tiger, I demonstrated an exceptional ability to tackle problems, allowing our family of nine to finally have enough to eat and wear. Business prospered to the point that, as my cousin Tokugawa once said, “When I took Auntie out, she said her biggest problem that day was figuring out how to spend the bag of money in her purse.” I worked 20 hours a day just to keep up with the flood of orders. People said, “To rise in status, you must study.” So, I improved production processes, trained apprentices, and squeezed out time to attend night school. Over the years, I earned qualifications for reserved officer, and later, when I went to New York, I even entered a higher institute of learning. Through the school and the church, I expanded my network — and that “bag of money” eventually turned its owner into a “Dowager Empress.”

On the day Taiwan and the U.S. severed diplomatic ties in 1979, I arrived in New York, only to realize that though I had done business with Americans for over a decade—and my products were even used in the Apollo program — my so-called “perfect” English was practically useless there. The limited time from night school had not been enough. Fortunately, a pastor offered to teach me English. After dinner, Reverend Press Higginbotham took out two Bibles and said, “You’ve come to this Christian kingdom. To truly understand what people think and say, you must read through the Bible once.” He suggested we read responsively, verse by verse. Before long, I had obtained all the necessary credentials, and every task I undertook in New York went smoothly.

Later, when satellite receivers and cable TV emerged as "cash crops," the “Reaganomics” achievement of the 1980s seemed, to me, like a continuation of the blessings that began from reading the Bible.

As years passed, I found the print in my old Bible increasingly hard to read. Reading it on a computer, with larger fonts and less strain on the eyes, became a great relief — especially as vision fades around seventy. Though many versions of the Bible are available, I noticed that they often differ from the one I was familiar with, and in some cases, even contained mistaken attributions. Pastor Press had used the then-new NIV (New International Version), while I preferred the Chinese Union Version (He He Ben). Reading them side by side deepened my understanding of the Scriptures. After months of exploration, I decided to digitize my well-worn bilingual NIV + Chinese Union Version Bible myself.

After four months of dedicated work, the task was complete. The Bible’s basic data are as follows:

** Old Testament – 39 books

** New Testament – 27 books

** Total – 66 books, 1,187 chapters, approximately 5.39 million words

** File size – about 19 MB

Fig 2: The Bible, containing roughly 5.39 million words

For comparison, my 379-page book “Onen the Way for the Next Generation,” published two years ago, contains about 197,000 words. That means one Bible is roughly equal in length to twenty such books — an enormous work. Yet, with perseverance and endurance, even through eye and back pain, I managed to complete the digitization in just four months.

Fig 3: “Open the Way for the Next Generation” (197,000 words)

The longest book in the Bible is Psalms, containing 150 chapters and about 306,000 words. It opens with this foundational passage:

Psalm 1:

1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of mockers.

1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.

1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever he does prospers.

1:4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

1:6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The notation “1:1” means Psalm 1, verse 1. This psalm begins with “three refusals (no),” teaching that a blessed person avoids walking with the wicked, standing with sinners, or sitting with scoffers. The progression of these three lines warns against following evil thoughts, actions, or associations — lest one lose moral direction and fall into ruin. The psalm teaches us to know what not to do as well as what to do, so that our steps remain steady and we may be truly blessed, walking in righteousness and away from destruction.

The Bible, being organized by chapters and verses, is ideal for couples to read responsively — where the husband reads the odd-numbered verses and the wife reads the even-numbered ones. This method enhances interaction and participation, strengthens spiritual connection and emotional communication, and ultimately promotes family unity, potentially leading to blessings and protection from harm.

Among the Psalms, the most frequently cited passage is Psalm 23 — especially at memorial services. Psalm 23, written by David, contains only six short yet profound verses:

Psalm 23 – A Psalm of David:

23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

23:3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Fig 4: Psalm 23 – A Psalm of David

For years, I could not fully understand verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” However, when I broke through layers of corruption barriers across island nations and arrived in Hanoi to attend the APEC CEO Summit 2006, I was invited by the corrupt head of cartel — whom I call “the King of Moab” — to a luncheon at the Melia Hotel. It was there that I finally grasped the meaning of this verse. Indeed, one must experience life before truly understanding Scripture.

In fact, The King of Moab had invited the entire island delegation, while I was an honored guest invited separately by the Australian government through the organizing committee, staying at the Sofitel Hotel where the conference lecturers lodged. When he learned that I had actually arrived at the National Convention Center (NCC) in Hanoi, he had no choice but to send me a personal invitation. When I reached the Melia Hotel, I saw the island delegation blocked at the entrance, unable to enter. Only I passed through the high-level security screening and entered the Lotus Hall on the second floor. There sat the King of Moab alone at a twenty-foot-wide round table, staring in astonishment as I approached. I sat down across from him; our eyes met, and the air in the Lotus Hall froze in silence. Then, from deep within my heart, I heard the words: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” That was the very scene the Scripture described — and it was real.

In the Old Testament, the phrase “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD” appears frequently — referring to those who “did evil.” Interestingly, the word evil is simply live spelled backward. In essence, to do evil means to make others "unable to live." The Bible reveals both righteousness and wickedness, allowing people to choose whether to “do right” or “do evil.” Divine justice is inescapable — there will always be consequences. The once all-powerful king of Moab chose to break faith and commit evil; though we were crushed to the ground, he (the king of Moab) ultimately lost his life.

The sixth book of the Old Testament, “Joshua,” records that after Moses’ death, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan, conquering and annihilating 31 kings — including the elderly, the weak, women, and children, and seized their land as his possession. His methods were extremely brutal. “Joshua” serves as a reminder that one must stand with God, never against Him.

In his later years, Joshua gave a farewell address to the leaders of Israel, warning them that if they disobeyed God’s commandments and turned to other gods, destruction would surely follow. For example, in Joshua 23:11–13, he said:

23:11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God.
23:12 But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,

23:13 then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.

This warning emphasized the importance of revering and faithfully serving God, and the grave consequences of abandoning Him to worship other gods. Later, when Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, destruction indeed came upon them. Yet, it was one book— "the Bible" —that sustained the spiritual fire of this nation for over two thousand years, until the miraculous restoration of Israel in 1948.

The Bible, New Testament, Matthew 16:26 says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

In the early days, when we secured the "E-Commerce Bill" at APEC, the “king of Moab” came forward, seeking to qualify as a supplier. We explained to him in detail the immense potential of this cross-century industry, emphasizing that it was a "Social Responsibility Investment" (SRI) — a mission to help the underprivileged. Later, however, he launched relentless attacks, doing what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. In the end, our "Rich Taiwan Plan" became wealth for the world, while he died abroad, forgotten by all.

One of the greatest qualities of the Bible is its clear division into chapters and verses. When my wife was severely ill and drifting between life and death, I prayed for her and read Scripture aloud beside her bed. Though she regained consciousness, she could no longer speak. Remembering Pastor Press Higginbotham’s “responsive reading method,” I began from the very beginning of Genesis:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

Then I urged her to read the next verse:

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

I read these verses again and again — she gave no reply. But after reading them a thousand times, she finally opened her mouth and began to read the Scripture with me. For the next forty days, we read through the entire Bible together responsively. By the time we finished, she had completely regained her ability to speak.

Fig 5: Contributing the Way of Rebuilding the Global Economy at APEC 2009

In 2009, President Barack Obama invited us to attend the APEC CEO Summit in Singapore, where I presented “The Way of Rebuilding the Global Economy,” I was accommodated on the 25th floor of the Fairmont Hotel, where the U.S. delegation stayed. To quickly capture everyone’s attention during the meeting, I began by presenting them with a Gospel Gold Card, engraved with The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) in both Chinese and English:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Fig 6: Gospel Gold Card presented to the U.S. Delegation

The chairman asked everyone to sit down and led the entire room in reciting the Lord’s Prayer. The meeting then proceeded smoothly. The “Way of Rebuilding the Global Economy” I proposed — through "IIA-TES," particularly its "cashless system" — was quickly understood and adopted as a vital tool for post–financial crisis recovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this system reached an annual transaction volume of "USD 36 trillion," helping 1.5 billion people earn income from home across the world.

Indeed, as Pastor Press once said, “The Bible enables you to understand Americans — and enables Americans to understand you.” It not only helped restore confidence to a disheartened America of the 1970s, laying the foundation for Reaganomics, but also opened a path into mainstream society, guiding nations out of the abyss of the financial crisis and toward rebuilding the global economy.

During the pandemic, as I watched old friends pass away one after another, I was reminded of Job 1:21:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.”

When our time comes, we take nothing with us. Over the past few years, I’ve cleared away nearly 20,000 books. I often think — one could easily earn a doctoral degree with just thirty credits, yet I devoted my life to others’ causes, inventing contactless sensing technology and its related products — creating from nothing the very tools everyone now depends on. My own path, however, ended up resembling that of the apostles. So now, I strive for simplicity, clearing whatever I can — yet the one thing I will keep until the end is my old Bible.

Sadly, no one can fight against time; failing eyesight is the clearest sign of that. So, summoning all remaining strength, I resolved to convert my well-worn Bible into a complete digital archive, including all its footnotes. The NIV edition’s annotations greatly enhance understanding of the text, though the print is so tiny I often needed a magnifying glass. But Heaven rewards perseverance—using bits of spare time, I eventually completed the entire digital conversion. Now I can store the digital Bible in my mobile phone and read it wherever I go. It is very convenient.

Peter Li-Chang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.

【Copyrights reserved by Li-Chang Kuo & K-Horn Science Inc.】

External Links:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6304796 (VAM)

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20030197061 (Shopping System)

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20030107468 (Entry Security Device)

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20040054595A1 (ETC)

https://ldinventions.blogspot.com/2022/01/127.html  (A Universal Cashless System)

https://khornhb.blogspot.com/2023/10/1011.html (K-Horn Science Inc.)

https://khornhb.blogspot.com/2023/11/1110.html (K-Horn & APEC)

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