The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional men who are dedicated to distributing free copies of the Bible around the world. Here is a look at their history, beliefs, and practices:
History of the Gideons International
The Gideons International was founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin by three businessmen – John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and William J. Knights. Nicholson and Hill were traveling salesmen and Knights was a secretary for the YMCA. The men were concerned about the spiritual well-being of the traveling businessmen they encountered and believed Bibles should be made available in hotel rooms across America. On July 1, 1899, the first Gideon Bible was placed in the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana.
The Gideons began officially distributing Bibles in 1908. The name “Gideons” comes from the Biblical story in Judges chapters 6-8 about Gideon, an Israelite warrior who led the Israelites to defeat the Midianites. This story was an inspiration to the founders. By 1910, the Gideons were distributing one million Bibles a year and had expanded to Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the Philippines. Today, they distribute Bibles in over 100 languages to 200 countries around the world.
Beliefs and Practices of the Gideons International
The Gideons International is an interdenominational association of evangelical Christian men. Members come from over 20 different Protestant denominations and must adhere to basic evangelical Christian doctrines. The Statement of Faith for the Gideons affirms belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, the Trinity, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, substitutionary atonement through Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus as the only way to salvation, and the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.
The main goal of the Gideons is distributing complete copies of the Bible or New Testaments around the world. Over 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments have been distributed by the Gideons since 1908. Probably their most visible ministry is placing Bibles in hotel rooms. It is estimated that there are over 2 million Gideon Bibles currently in hotel rooms worldwide. The Gideons also distribute Scriptures to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools, and members of the military. Bibles are distributed directly through Gideons or through auxiliary groups.
The Gideons are funded by donations from church congregations and individuals. Membership is limited only to men over the age of 21 who belong to a Protestant/evangelical church. Wives participate through the Gideon International Auxiliary. Being a Gideon is considered voluntary public service. Members are required to live according to the principles of scripture and exhibit integrity in their personal and professional life.
Beliefs About the Bible
As an evangelical Protestant association, the Gideons view the Bible as the divinely inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. They believe the Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and therefore completely without error and trustworthy in all matters it affirms. The Bible is seen as the complete written revelation of God and the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice.
The Gideons uphold historic orthodox Christian beliefs about the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon. This includes thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Apocryphal books may be referenced, but are not considered scripture. Bible translations utilized should faithfully translate the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts.
The Gideons believe the Bible is the living Word of God, eternally relevant and applicable to all people in all cultures across all time (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4). Their goal is to make the Bible widely accessible because they believe it has the power to spiritually transform lives when people encounter the truth it contains by the Spirit’s work.
Core Biblical Beliefs
Some key biblical beliefs the Gideons affirm include:
- There is one true eternal God existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
- Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God who was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25), lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), performed miracles (Acts 2:22), died to pay for sin (1 Corinthians 15:3), rose bodily from the grave (John 20:1-9), ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11) and will return again (Acts 1:10-11).
- Salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-9)
- The Holy Spirit indwells believers when they put their faith in Christ (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
- The church is the global body of believers in Christ who are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
- There will be a future resurrection and final judgment where all will receive eternal life or condemnation (John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-15)
This overview covers the key points about what the Gideons International believes as an association based on their affirmation of evangelical Protestant theology and the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.
Beliefs About Salvation
The Gideons uphold salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as taught in the Bible. Some key beliefs include:
- All people are sinners (Romans 3:23) under the condemnation of God (John 3:18) and unable to save themselves.
- Forgiveness of sins and eternal life cannot be earned through good works or moral effort but are received by grace as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- A person is justified and reconciled to God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1).
- Salvation comes only through believing in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior (John 3:16; Acts 16:31).
- Good works result from and evidence genuine faith but do not earn salvation (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14-26).
- Believers who have died or those still living when Christ returns will receive resurrected glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The Gideons proclaim the message of salvation by grace through faith found in the pages of Scripture. They uphold mainstream Protestant beliefs about justification, redemption, regeneration and future glorification solely through trusting in Christ.
Beliefs About the Afterlife
Based on biblical teaching, the Gideons affirm several key beliefs about the afterlife:
- At death, a person’s soul/spirit separates from their physical body and goes to be immediately present with the Lord in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
- For believers in Jesus, death means going to heaven and being in God’s presence (Philippians 1:21-23; Revelation 21:3-4).
- Unbelievers after death go to a place of punishment called hell (Luke 16:19-31).
- Jesus Christ will return bodily to earth at the end of the age (Titus 2:13).
- The dead will be resurrected – believers to eternal life and unbelievers to eternal condemnation (Acts 24:15).
- Believers will spend eternity in the new heavens/new earth in resurrected glorified bodies (Revelation 21:1-5).
- Unbelievers will spend eternity in hell under divine punishment (Revelation 20:11-15).
The Gideons affirm the mainstream evangelical Protestant understanding of what happens after death. They uphold the reality of heaven for believers and hell for unbelievers as revealed in Scripture.
Practices and Activities
The main activity of the Gideons is distributing free copies of the Bible. Their Scriptural practices include:
- Placing Bibles in hotel and motel rooms – over 1.9 million per year distributed in 95 countries.
- Distributing New Testaments and Bibles to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and military personnel – over 1 million annually.
- Giving Scriptures to students in public schools when allowed by school policies – over 70 million distributed since 1946.
- Handing out Bibles at universities – over 1.7 million Scriptures on 300 campuses per year.
- Distributing special edition Scriptures to members of the military – over 1 million annually.
- Providing Scriptures during disaster relief efforts.
- Distributing Bibles to Haiti – over 1 million Creole Bibles since 1986.
In all their distribution efforts, the Gideons aim to provide people free access to read God’s Word and allow the Bible to speak for itself as the Holy Spirit works in hearts.
Organizational Structure
The Gideons International has a well-defined organizational structure. Here are some key aspects:
- International Headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee oversees operations worldwide.
- Organized regionally into over 300 local camps and 10,000 camp chapters across 200 countries.
- Membership is all male, with women serving through auxiliary groups.
- Funded by donations from churches, groups, corporations and individuals.
- Oversight includes an International President and Executive Committee.
- Programs carried out through standing Cabinet Committees.
- Regular reporting tracks distribution of Scriptures and use of funds.
- Strong emphasis on prayer – all local camps and chapters meet for prayer.
This organizational structure allows the Gideons to efficiently coordinate distribution of over 100 million Bibles annually around the world while maintaining financial accountability and staying focused on prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about the Gideons:
- Do Gideons only provide King James Version Bibles? No, Gideons distribute many translations from the full Bible to New Testaments.
- Are all Gideons ministers or pastors? No, Gideons come from all types of professions and denominations.
- How can I support the Gideons? You can donate or request to have Gideons speak at your church or group.
- How can I become a Gideon? You must be nominated and meet the qualifications of being a Christian businessman over 21.
- Where did they get the name Gideon? From the Old Testament story of the warrior Gideon called by God in Judges 6.
- Why only place Bibles in hotel rooms? This is just one distribution method. They also give out Scriptures in many other locations.
The Gideons are dedicated to advancing God’s Word. Their faithful support has enabled billions of Bibles to be distributed worldwide.
Conclusion
In summary, the Gideons International is an association of Christian businessmen who are dedicated to making the Bible available worldwide. Their beliefs align with evangelical Protestant theology and they uphold the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God. Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is at the heart of their message. They distribute free Bibles and New Testaments in over 100 languages across 200 countries. The Gideons continue working to fulfill their vision of seeing Scriptures distributed and lives transformed through engaging with God’s Word.