The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - What is the Most Quoted Bible Verse in History?

Episode Date: May 7, 2021

Have you ever realized how much of the Bible we say during mass? Today, Jeff talks about the most quoted verses in the Bible, including the most quoted verse in the entire world. Snippet from the Show “Of all the verses in the Bible, God has brought one to the mass that we say over and over.” Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail]. Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

You're listening to the Jeff Kaven Show, episode 218. What is the most quoted Bible verse in history? Hey, I'm Jeff Kavans. How do you simplify your life? How do you study the Bible? All the way from motorcycle trips to raising kids, we're going to talk about the faith and life in general. It's the Jeff Kaven show.

Thank you for joining me again. Again. Ah, we're going to have a good time today because we're going to be looking at the most quoted Bible verse in history. And maybe you've quoted it. No doubt you've heard it. But which one is it? That's what we're going to talk about here today. Hey, I've got a lot of comments from people asking about the pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Father Mike Schmidt and myself. That's right. This year in June, it was canceled for the second year in a row because of COVID. but three strikes. No, we're not going to get that, are we? Because we're doing it next year, next June of 2022. We're going to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Father Mike Schmitz and myself along with some tremendous singers, Ali Alia, Taylor Tripodi, the Swoffords, it's going to be good. So go to my website, jeffcavens.com, get all the information. Make sure you get your place on that pilgrimage. It's June of 2022. Okay, so we're talking about the most quoted Bible verse in history. And I asked last week if you knew what that was. And I've asked people,

what do you think is the most quoted Bible verse in history? In other words, which one do people hear the most? And typically these are the verses that at least people suggested. These are the verses that are memorized the most. Okay. So what I'm going to do on this show is I'm going to go down a list of some of the suggestions that I have heard and some of the suggestions that you provided, and we're going to take a look at which one is the most quoted Bible verse in history. So pause just for a moment. If you haven't thought about this, just think for a second. What do you think it is? What have you heard from people? What's been quoted to you? What comes to mind? I mean, something should come to mind, right? We're Christians. We are disciples of the Lord. We study the

Bible, the Great Adventure Bible, hopefully. That's a good one to study. But which verse stands out as the number one verse? Well, you know, I have a life verse, which is Galatians 220, that I have been crucified with Christ, and it's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered himself up for me. That might not be the most quoted verse in the history of the world, but that's one of the most quoted for me, because that was a life verse for me. And that means that at one point, and I remember very well where it was, I was driving from Florida back up to Iowa. I think I was 21 years old at the time, a couple years ago. And that verse, I was reading that verse in Galatians,

and I'm telling you what, it just leapt off the page, and it grabbed me. And I was like, whoa whoa and i kid you not i spent the rest of that trip memorizing that verse i memorized it within probably half an hour or so i had it completely memorized but then i kept on memorizing it on that trip and it has become my life verse and so for me that's a a well-worn verse but more importantly than that i hope it's a well-lived verse because there are a lot of well-worn verses out there But that doesn't necessarily mean that they are well-lived verses. So what did you come up with? Think about it.

We'll go through this list, shall we? Let me go through with you some of the finalists. And then we'll end with the number one Bible verse quoted in history. And I don't think it's going to be one that you thought of. That's just my guess. Okay, so we have number 10. We have Galatians 522, which says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.

It's a good verse, isn't it? There aren't any bad verses, to be honest with you. They're all written by God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and so they're all good. But this is a verse, Galatians 522 that has been quoted for years and years. People quote this all the time. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. And we can learn much from that. In fact, all of these top nine are verses that we can learn an awful lot from.

And any one of them could have become your life verse because they're just so to the point and practical and they really speak to the needs in our life today. And if the number one verse that I'm going to get to isn't the one that you're going to commit to memory, maybe one of these other nine would be like Galatians 520. So after Galatians 520, one of the most popular verse, verses quoted in history is Proverbs 3.6. Proverbs 3.6 says, in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. That's a good one. That's the top tenor right there. I'm telling you, Proverbs 3,6, in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Not a bad one to memorize. Particularly in the times that we're living in today, we need to have our paths made straight, don't we? And we do that by doing what, acknowledging him in all of our ways. I'll call that a good COVID verse for people who are struggling right now. Last week, we were talking about different issues that parishes need to really address and talk about. And boy, this is at the center of that, isn't it? We need to acknowledge God in all of our ways. So we've got Galatians 522. We've got Proverbs 3, 6, number 8, John 14, 6. John 146 says, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.

That's a good one. You might pick that one. That really spells it out, doesn't it? That's the truth, folks. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. Do you believe it? Is it a good suggestion?

Is it an option? No. it's one of the top ten verses. And it's truth. Number seven, Jeremiah 29-11. Jeremiah 29-11 says, for I know the, oh, I like this one. You know what? This is a good one. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. That should be a well-quoted verse, right? We were talking last week about the two things that people really are looking for, and they're looking for a bright future and someone to trust.

And here Jeremiah 29-11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. That's that future thing. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Not a bad deal. Okay, number six is Philippians 413. And by the way, all of these are going to be in the show notes. I forgot to tell you that.

All you got to do to get the show notes is text my name. Jeff Kaven's one word and text it to 33777. And I'll get these to you. They'll be in your inbox just like that. So Philippians 413. This is so good. I can do all things through him who gives me strength. I can do all things through him who gives me strength. That's a good one. Philippians 413. Here's another one for you. This is number five Genesis 1-1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now, while that sounds like a simple verse, and you say, really, is that one of the most quoted verses?

Well, it is according to the research I did. I went online. I just looked and looked, and I started putting together this list. And that very first statement of the Bible, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, that's a great way to begin, isn't it? I mean, it's like, okay, the rest are the details. But we started with, in the beginning,

God created the heavens and the earth. And let me make this suggestion to you. whatever problem you're going through, whatever difficulties you're facing right now, whatever it is, just pause and say, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and then work out the details. That's a good one. Number four, Proverbs 3, 5, trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. That's something you can grab a hold of today. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Let me, and ask you right now in your life, are you leaning to your own understanding or are you trusting in the Lord? Your finance, your marriage, your children, your emotions, your health, are you trusting in the Lord? Or are you leaning on your own understanding? Number three, Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. That's a very popular verse. And then after that, I'm going to give you the most quoted verse

was actually two left and I'm going to give you those two including the number one right after this you're listening to the Jeff Kaven show what if you could see that the infinite god is present in your life what if it was as simple as stopping

opening your heart and allowing yourself to be found I'm Danielle Bean an author speaker and host of the girlfriend's podcast in my new book Whisper finding God in the everyday. I share wisdom from the saints, real-life experiences, and prayer practices that help you to see, know, and grow closer to God in your everyday life, no matter how busy you are. If you've ever been inspired by stories of great saints but wondered where that leaves the rest of us,

this book is for you. In it, we explore how we meet God in joy, pain, other people, prayer, and in the awesome gift of the sacraments. Join me on this journey of letting go, being still, and allowing God to meet us right here, right now, right where we are. Order your copy of Whisper, Finding God in the Every Day, at ascensionpress.com. I left you hanging there for a minute, didn't I? You're thinking, I know what it is, Jeff. You say you've got two of them left. I know what it is.

Let me tell you the runner up. The runner up for the most quoted Bible verse in history is John 3.3. I got you there. I knew it. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Oh, you know the verse, don't you? Don't we call that whoever trusts in him will live everlasting life, right? That particular verse, John 316, that is called the home plate verse. Because in watching baseball, someone is always there with a sign, John 316. And John 316, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son. That is almost the most quoted verse in the world.

Drum roll, please, for number one. The number one most quoted Bible verse in history is Luke 2219. And you know what it says? Luke 2219. And Jesus took the bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them. saying, there it is. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. I kind of fooled you there, didn't I? But you know what? I'm right. It's the number one

quoted Bible verse in history. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. When do we hear that? We hear it every single mass. The priest says, this every single day around the world. And we're talking about every mass, every church, every county, every state, every country all over the world, every day, 365 days a year. Isn't that incredible? The priest uses that that scripture and quotes that scripture coming from the Lord. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And it is referred to by the deacons and Eucharistic ministers who all say it hundreds of times in every single mass, the body of Christ. So by inference, we have it, but just plain quoting it, it is

mega thousands of times every single day throughout history, Luke 2219. is quoted. The priest says it every day. And it was at the last supper, right? When Jesus took the bread and wine, he declared them to be what? A symbol? No, not a symbol. He declared them to be his body and blood. And he shared this with his disciples and he instructed them to do this in memory of me. And so the most quoted verse in history is firmly resting in the liturgy of the Catholic church. Isn't that amazing? And it really is the heart of our faith. No wonder it's the most quoted verse in history. It is the very heart. It's the source and summit of our faith, the Eucharist. So when we think of a memorial, do this in memory of me, we normally think of

kind of like remembering an event or remembering a person in terms of thinking back to what they said or what they did. We might have pictures, holy cards, homilies, books, and we call to mind what? The former things. But does the Mass merely call to mind the former things? Does the mass merely call to mind the Last Supper? No, not at all. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is a memorial and the mass does more than call to mind the pastical mystery, the passion, the death, and resurrection of Christ. We enter it. We are there. It's happening by the power of a sacrament. And if the Mass were only a memorial in the way that we normally think of remembering some sort of tremendous play or something like that from the past. Well, then we would do, what would we do? Well, we'd get up and we would

act it out and we would talk about how it's a great idea. Maybe Oberammergau, right? We're going to put on the passion play. That's a way of remembering this Last Supper. But instead, what does the church do? The church has passed down a ritualized liturgical celebration that has been organically developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit all throughout these centuries. To understand what the church means when she refers to the Holy Mass as a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ, we have to understand the scriptural understanding of this word. And the catechism really gives us the insight here in paragraph 1363. I'll put that in the show notes for you too.

It says, in the sense of sacred scripture, the memorial is not mirror. the recollection of past events, but the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for men. Listen to this. In the liturgical celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt. Every time Passover is celebrated, the exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them. So you see, in the Jewish community today, how do they remember the Passover? Maybe you've been to a Pesach, dinner. How do they do it? They enter into the story. They're telling the story as if they were there. And so how do we memorialize the sacrifice of

the Lord at the cross? We're there through the sacrament of the Eucharist, the Holy Mass. We are there. So the catechism explains that when the church celebrates the Eucharist, and this is in paragraph the next paragraph, 1364, I'll stick it in free. When the church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover and it is made present. The sacrifice of Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present. And then it goes on in the next paragraph. The catechism speaks of the Eucharist as the sacrificial memorial of Christ and explains that the mass is a sacrifice because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover.

Now, that's powerful, my friends. That is powerful. In a nutshell, we believe that in the mass, when the priest says the words of institution, this is my body, when the priest quotes Luke 2219, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. We believe that the greatest miracle on this side of heaven and in heaven takes place, and that is that bread becomes the body of Christ and wine becomes the blood of Christ. We call that in theological terms transubstantiation. Say it with me once just in the car there. Transubstantiation. Walking with me,

say it, transubstantiation. Now that's different than denominations who teach something else, consubstantiation. And that is that God is somehow with the bread, with the wine. That's not what the church teaches, and that's not what the church has taught from the beginning. They taught that the bread and the wine become totally the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

That's Catholic teaching. That's biblical teaching. And yet, over 70% of Catholics don't believe that today. Over 70% of Catholics don't believe in the most quoted verse in history. We got some teaching to do, don't we? Share with your friends this, will you? Just send it on to people and say, you know what? This is what we believe.

We really do. It is the memorial of the crucifixion and the death, burial, and resurrection. of Jesus. Jesus said, this is my body and my blood. Do this in remembrance of me, affirming the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Now, knowing that, and we've discovered now what is the number one quoted Bible verse in history, and I gave you 10 other ones who are all really, really good, but this is the number one. I would encourage you to first allow yourself to be united to the offering of his sacrifice. be united to his offering as you enter into the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

You want to unite yourself to him. You died with him. You rose with him. You bring your sufferings to the cross. They are transformed into powerful, transformative power. Your suffering can change. Next, believe the Eucharist is what Jesus says it is. It's the real presence of Christ.

It is his holy body and holy blood, soul and divinity. And third, focus on the covenant that God has made with you when you hear those words. God is not just making an agreement. God is not making a suggestion. He doesn't have a self-help plan. It's not all about you. But it is a covenant that God is making with you and it is cut in the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ, of Nazareth. Number four, make your own offering in union with Jesus.

so that you may take it to the father. That's right. When the priest has the host, which is hostia means victim, the host is raised on the patent. Your sufferings should be there. Your struggles should be there. You should offer yourself in union with Christ. And as Bishop Bruskowitz once said, this is the great exchange. The great exchange centers around Luke 2219. That is, you're giving him your suffering and he's doing something with it. And number five, live the rest of your life knowing that Jesus is in you to do his work, to transform you, to empower you by the Holy Spirit, which you received in abundance, a confirmation. You see, the most quoted verse in history is, I would say, the most beneficial verse in history. That is that God has made a covenant with you.

he has come inside of you the bride the bride has been receiving now the bridegroom who comes into us and shares his very life with us this goes beyond motivational speakers who are giving you good ideas this goes beyond a great adventure type of movie you know the iliad and the odyssey where we're inspired in great ways this goes beyond all of that this is beyond a guru helping you become you. This is God coming inside of you and giving you his divinity. Man. I bet you didn't think that was the number one quoted Bible verse in history. But you know what we can do going forward from today? We can really grab a hold of that number one verse, Luke 2219. I'll read it again. And he took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, this is my body.

which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. We can embrace that, but I do encourage you to take the list I have in the show notes of the other 10, often quoted verses, and start memorizing them. Make them yours. Pass them on to your children and quote them. Learn to memorize them. If you say, I can't memorize anything, then don't memorize. Just remember. I think that word memorize kind of trips us up, doesn't it? But you really get to know these verses. But number one, Luke 2219. And finally, I would say this. If you want to share the faith with your Protestant friends, if you want to share the faith with those family members who are not in communion with the church, I might suggest having a discussion about the most quoted Bible verse in the Bible. What do you think?

if you ask them what's the most quoted verse in the Bible, I'll guarantee it two donuts to nothing. It's going to be John 316. That's what they're going to say. But we know what is the most quoted verse. It deals with the holy sacrifice of the mass, the very source and summit of our faith. Well, this has been good talking to you today,

and it's encouraging and inspiring to me. I mean, just not because of what that I said it, but because of these verses are so rich, and then realizing the one that's quoted thousands upon thousands upon thousands of time every day, day in and day out, never take a break, that is very inspiring to me. And so this Sunday, or if you go to Mass every day, this Sunday or when the next time you participate in the Mass, when you hear Luke 2219 quoted, just be reminded, this is happening thousands upon thousands of times around the world right now, that of all, the verses in the Bible. God has brought one verse together here that we say over and over and over. Now, I know there's some other scriptures in the Mass that are referred to, but this is the heart of our faith. Hey, my friend, this week I want you to know I'm praying for you, and I know

that I spoke last week about some of the real difficulties that we're facing, and the fact that I'd love to share those with you in your parish. You can go to my website, jeffcavens.com, for both opportunities, to interface with your parish, but also the big epic pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June of 2022 with Father Mike Schmidt, myself and others. You can find all of that there, but I do hope you have a holy week. Remember, as you continue forward this week, that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, all right, and that God does have a plan of sheer goodness, and that God has shown you that you can trust him, and God has invited you.

to be a disciple, meaning you're chosen to become like him, and you can because you'll be with him. And if you're with him, all things are possible. That's my word of encouragement to you this week. It's about as practical as I can get. And the reason is it's because that's about as deep as I can get. And that's important too. So my friend, let me pray for you.

And I'm going to lift up all of the needs in your life right now and all of the difficulties. that you're facing and the joys that you're celebrating let's lift it all up to the lord right now in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit lord we lift up to you all that is going on in the lives of my friend and i pray lord that you will will surround them with your peace your love they are not alone lord we give you our suffering and ask you to transform it and use it in any way that you see fit we know that you are with us you will not forsake us. Lord, you are worthy of all praise and honor. We take a moment just to praise you today. You're the creator of the universe. All wisdom is with you. You are altogether lovely. You are all together

different and other. You are the great I am and we worship you today. We worship you today on the way to work, on the way home from work during our downtime. We worship you and give you glory. We put everything else to the side and say, you are Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I love you, my friend. Pray for me. I'll continue to pray for you this week and look forward to being with you next week. God bless. Thank you.