During World War I, a young Australian soldier named Philip J. Davies carried a small New Testament in his breast pocket. While laying telephone cables, two large shells struck, injuring him and killing other soldiers. At the hospital, he found shrapnel buried in the thin pages of his New Testament — only stopped by the book’s stiff back cover, saving his life. This Soldier’s Bible, given to Australian soldiers by Bible Society Australia (BSA), is now part of the BSA historical Bible collection. It was recently showcased at the launch of the newest military-specific Bible by Bible Society Australia in Canberra in March 2025. The event introduced the NIV Anglicised Tri-Service Bible, specifically designed to support today’s soldiers, sailors and aviators with God’s word.
The launch of this latest Australian Defence Force (ADF) Bible marked another milestone in the partnership between Bible Society Australia and the ADF. Bible Society has a long-standing history of supporting Australian troops with Scriptures — from the Boer War, the World Wars, and though to subsequent conflicts — ensuring that service members have access to God’s word in times of uncertainty and hardship.
Today, BSA supports the ADF through its Scripture Grants program, which aims to equip ADF chaplains with Bibles, New Testaments, devotionals and gospel resources, ensuring that chaplains have what they need to minister to ADF service members.
One Army Chaplain explains that while service members share common human needs — such as forgiveness, hope, meaning, and purpose — the military environment amplifies these needs. “The ADF puts a unique pressure on people that exacerbates those needs,” he says. “We move families around every two years … away from extended family; they [can] become isolated. We put our soldiers in arduous circumstances … situations that are dangerous and risky.”
These intense experiences force service members to grapple with life’s biggest questions — questions about morality, life after death, and the purpose of their existence. Unlike civilians, who may encounter these existential thoughts only a few times in their lives, soldiers must confront them regularly in training and operations.
For many service members, having a Bible in their hands during difficult moments can be life-changing. “In those extreme moments, we start asking those big questions about meaning, purpose, life, and death,” says the Army Chaplain. “To have an actual physical Bible on hand where they can go, ‘Oh, I’ve been told that this book has some answers …’ is incredibly valuable.”
Another Navy Chaplain recalls a young recruit who, on the day he started training, received a personal text message with really bad news that devastated him. A few days later, he picked up the Navy waterproof New Testament and started reading Matthew’s Gospel. “He came across Jesus’ teaching on worry,” shares the chaplain. “He said he had been filled with so much worry, not just about [his personal situation] but everything that was happening, but that Jesus’ words cut through and reminded him that he was really loved and valued. ‘Do not worry about your life’ wasn’t just a platitude but a real recognition that he could rely on God no matter what and keep everything else in perspective.”
The Bible also speaks to experienced soldiers, who struggle with the moral weight of combat. “Being able to open up the book of Romans and talk about authority and what it means to have a moral authority to conduct yourself as a soldier is crucial,” explains the Army Chaplain. “I pulled out the [In the Forces and a Christian… is it possible?] tract and went through that with a soldier. The Bible gives people permission to follow God and affirms the range of human experiences within that.”
While any copy of the Bible is powerful, the ADFdesigned Bibles are particularly impactful because they connect with service members’ identity and culture.
“I could give any copy of the Bible anywhere to a soldier and that would have a good effect,” the Army Chaplain acknowledges. “But you can see around here [at the ADF Bible launch event], it wears an identity as part of that. I had to earn the right to have that rising sun [badge], and at the front of the [ADF] Bible is the rising sun.
“There’s something very special about giving a soldier the ADF Bible and saying, ‘This is the Army’s new Bible; this is for you as a soldier.’”
This thoughtful design means that more service members are likely to accept the Bible as it embraces and includes them, their service, their camo colours and their badge.
For BSA donors, supporting the ADF Scripture Grants program means they are directly participating in military ministry. As BSA funds all these Bibles in their entirety, without BSA donors, the amount of Bibles given out each year would be severely limited, impacting chaplains’ effectiveness, and their contribution to service members’ spiritual wellbeing. “You may not be here wearing a uniform, but you are empowering and enabling us to do what we do,” says the Army Chaplain.
The Navy Chaplain echoes this, thanking donors for their generosity and faithfulness. “It is making a difference,” he says simply. He also highlights that the Bibles provided through BSA aren’t just left on shelves. “People who receive ADF Bibles and New Testaments aren’t forced to. They choose to. They are interested.”
If you would like to support this ministry of Scripture Grants and Bible Publishing for the ADF, visit biblesociety.org.au/sow.
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