AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
The word Bible means "books" or "a collection of books." The Bible contains 66 individual books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. These books were written by approximately 40 different authors over a period of 1,500 years. The first five books (the Pentateuch) were written by Moses around 1400 BC. The other books of the Old Testament were written over the next 1,000 years. The Old Testament books were written primarily in the Hebrew language, while the New Testament books were written in Greek. Around 450 BC, the books of the Old Testament were compiled, arranged, and finalized. Around 250 BC, the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, a version known as the Septuagint, meaning "seventy," referring to the 70 scholars traditionally believed to have worked on the translation. The ordering of the books, similar to what we have today, was established during this time.
The Old Testament is generally divided into three main sections: Historical books (Genesis to Esther) Poetic books (Job to Song of Songs) Prophetic books (Isaiah to Malachi) The books of the New Testament were written between AD 40 and AD 90. The New Testament contains the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, which describe the life of Christ and the historical events surrounding the early beginnings of the Church after Him. Following these, the remaining books are mostly letters written by the apostles to churches and individuals. These writings reflect the teachings, struggles, guidance, and the growth of the faith tradition within the early Christian communities. The Book of Revelation contains descriptions of the events that are prophesied to occur in the end times.
The chapter divisions commonly used today were developed by Stephen Langton around AD 1227. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first to use this chapter format. These divisions help us locate Scripture passages more quickly and easily. The printing of the Bible began in 1455 with the Gutenberg Bible. Early manuscripts were written on papyrus (made from reeds) and parchments (made from animal skins).
We do not possess the original manuscripts of the Bible, but we have copies of copies. Today, there are more than 14,000 known Old Testament manuscripts and fragments, and around 25,000 New Testament manuscripts and fragments. The oldest existing complete Bible is a 4th-century parchment manuscript preserved in the Vatican Library, known as the Codex Vaticanus.
Currently, the complete Bible is available in 756 languages. The New Testament alone is available in an additional 1,726 languages. Translation work is underway in about 4,150 languages, but approximately 3,800 languages still lack any Scripture translation.
SUFFICIENCY OF THE BIBLE
Though God is incomprehensible, He has made Himself known in various ways. The heavens declare the glory of God. God has revealed Himself through His mighty acts and words of His messengers. The Bible has a special place in revealing God – His existence, His power, His wisdom and His attributes. The Bible is necessary for proper understanding of who God is, who we are, how He has acted in the past and what He expects from us. Bible reveals the attributes of God.
In Psalms 19:7–9, we read that the law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. In these verses, the Psalmist makes six statements, which paint a beautiful picture of the sufficiency of God’s Word. The Scripture provides us everything that are needed to know about the questions of life. Sufficiency of the Bible would mean that the Bible is all we need to equip us for a life of faith and service. It provides a clear demonstration of God’s intention, to restore the broken relationship between Himself and humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. This means that extra-Biblical writings are not necessary for understanding this good news, nor are any other writings required to equip us for a life of faith and service. The answers to the basic problems that humanity faces, such as identity, purpose and destiny, are found in the pages of Bible.
In 2 Tim 3:16,17 we are told that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Bible alone is sufficient for life, morality, conduct and doctrine. Bible is sufficient and there is no need for additional revelations, visions, words of prophecy or any specific insights. Rather than seeking revelations outside the Bible, we need to study and obey what we already have. The Bible is all that is necessary for a believer to understand the character of God, the nature of man and the doctrine of sin, about heaven and hell, and salvation through Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s Word is sufficient to restore even the most broken life. Bible brings understanding where there is ignorance, order where there is confusion, and light where there is spiritual and moral darkness. The Bible is God’s standard for judging the life and eternal destiny of every person. Bible draw unbelievers to Christ, enables us to grow in godliness, provides direction to our life. Bible transforms persons, nations and society. May God enable us to understand this fundamental truth of the sufficiency of the Bible and to stand firm in it.
SIGNIFICANCE OF BIBLE
The Bible has the power to change lives. Through Bible, people from all walk of life found meaning in life and enjoy a good relationship with God. Daily devotion to reading and studying the word of God gives hope for greater things than what the world gives. The Bible gives the answer to our purpose on earth. Every time we open our Bible and read its words, we come closer to God. From the pages of Bible we understand that God is in control, no matter what happens. We also come to know that God keeps His promises. As we go through the Bible, we observe the faithfulness of God. Bible shows us how God loves us in spite of our rebellion and short comings.
The Bible corrects our thinking about God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can know God through His Word. Bible helps us to understand our human nature clearly. Bible is like a mirror, when we see our life through it, the flaws and faults in us can be identified. It warns us when we commit mistakes.
Bible guides our life. It has an author who is always present when we are reading it. We would be able to experience God talking to us, restoring us our faith, teaching us sound values. Bible contains the past, present and the future. Bible reminds us that God has a greater plan when we lose hope. It gives us comfort and courage when we are sad. It reminds us of our responsibilities towards our family, society and poor people. It teaches us to pray for everyone. The Bible assures us His blessings and guidance. People reading the bible regularly finds help in controlling their emotions and loving others better. The Bible is essential for our spiritual growth. It helps us to be trained for the work of God.
In 1 Pet 2:2 we read that we need to have desire for the word of God like new born babies, carving for milk. Bible informs us about the ways and will of God, reforms our mind, transforms our life and finally conform us to the likeness of Jesus Christ. We need to have the desire and love towards the word of God.
From Heb 5:11-14, we learn that Bible is the food for our spiritual maturity. Regular study of Scripture helps us to move forward in our spiritual walk. More we understand the Bible and commit ourselves to obey what it says, more we would be maturing in spiritual life.
From 2 Tim 3:16, 17 we come to know that Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training. We will be shaped and sharpened by the word of God towards the works of God. Regular and proper use of Bible helps us to be taught in right things and helps in right living.
God uses Bible to teach us how we have to live. Our behavior depends on what we believe. Bible tells us whether we are on safe side or out of line. It tells us what sin is. It provides standards and conveys to us what God wants for our life. It opens up the doors of our life and helps us to clean out sin and learn things that align with the will of God.
The Bible has the power to change our life forever. Let us fill our heart and mind with it every day!
BIBLE REVEALS THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Those that have studied revelation have suggested that Scripture affirms a two part division to God’s revelation, namely general and special. General revelation refers to God making himself known in creation, providentially orchestrated history and conscience (i.e., in conjunction with the moral law). Thus, it is general in the sense that it is equally available to all men and women, everywhere, all the time, and is less specific information about God than one acquires in special revelation. Special revelation refers to God making him known through special acts (e.g., signs and miracles), appearances, Christ, and Scripture.
The Bible presents itself as revealed truth from God. The word, revelation would mean unveiling, like pulling back a curtain to show what is behind it. In Bible, God has revealed things that would otherwise not be known at all. He has unveiled that which is absolutely true – not speculated, not conjectured and not hypothesized. Bible is sixty six books collected in one volume. These documents were written over a period of more than sixteen hundred years by more than forty authors who came from wide variety of backgrounds. Yet Bible is single unit bound together by the theme of God and his relationships to mankind. Each book, section, paragraph and verse works together with others to reveal the truth of God.
The Bible communicates a true picture of God. This remarkable book reveals what He is like, what He has done and what He expects of us. It tells us why we are here and reveals His plan for us. Bible is unique as it contains the very signature of the Almighty. The Creator wants men and women to understand Him as He reveals Himself in the Holy Scriptures. It’s important that we carefully consider this truth and not read our own ideas or misconceptions into His Word.
READ THE BIBLE
Even though the Bible remains the most sold book in the world, it is also one of the most neglected ones. A research group in a developed Christian country found that only 10 percent of the Christians in their country read Bible every day. Some of the excuses from people who do not want to read or study Bible are
- The Bible doesn’t seem relevant to my life.
- The Bible seems confusing and hard to understand. I do not know how to make sense out of it
- I used to read the Bible and it made me feel good. But after a while, it did not seem to have the same impact, so finally I gave it up
- The Bible is hopelessly out of date. It may have some interesting stories, but it has little significance for life today.
- I rely on my pastor or minister to explain the Bible to me.
- I have doubts about the Bible’s reliability
- I have no time. I am too busy
- The Bible seems boring to me
- Bible is full of myths and half-truths. Why study something that lacks credibility?
- I do not have the habit of reading books
The great tragedy among Christians today is that many of us are under the word of God but not in it for ourselves.
- It is worth asking you the following questions to ourselves
- Do I regularly read and study the Bible on your own?
- How often do I read/study the Bible?
- Never/Once in a month/once in a week/few times a week/Daily
- When I read the Bible, how much time I spend on a average?
- Less than 5 minutes/15 minutes/30 minutes/45 minutes/one hour or more
God’s revelation is as alive as it was when it was first delivered. The invisible and incomprehensible God self- reveals through the word of God. God wants to interact with us and revealing himself to us. Bible reveals the attributes of God and His intentions and interactions with the mankind. Reading the Bible daily helps us to focus on spiritual things. When we read Gods inspired words, we are getting a small dose of his thoughts daily. It will help us as we make decisions throughout our day and it helps us form a closer bond with our Heavenly Father. The Bible has practical advice as well as principles to help us live happy lives as well as live in a way that pleases God. Maintenance of our faith, our spiritual survival, and salvation depend on proper Bible study and application of its truths.
INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
The great theologian B.B. Warfield said, “The Bible is the word of God in such a way that when the Bible speaks, God speaks.” That’s a good description of inspiration. The reason we call the Bible the word of God is because it is indeed the very words that God wanted communicated. Bible conveys the truths which God wanted His people to know and to communicate to the world.
Some have a problem with this concept because Bible was penned by human authors. If they were “inspired” it was only as great artists are “inspired” to produce great art. But that’s not what the Bible means by inspiration. Remember 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All scripture is inspired by God”. The word “inspired” means “God breathed”. It conveys the idea of God breathing out the scriptures. And since the word for breath can also be translated “spirit,” we can easily see the work of the Holy Spirit as He superintended the writing. It is also about the divine influence which enabled the human organs of revelation – prophets, Psalmists, wise men and apostles – to speak, as well as to write the words of God. Scripture is the word of God spoken through man’s lips or written with man’s pen.
So what part did the human authors play? God supernaturally used them to pen the words, without compromising the perfection, integrity or purity of the finished product. It is a case of dual authorship. As Charles Ryrie puts it, “God superintended the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded, without error His revelation to man in the words of original manuscripts”.
Peter used a brilliant word picture to describe this arrangement when he wrote that “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). The word moved is the same word used to describe a ship moving along under the power of a blowing wind. The biblical writers were guided in their writing to go where God wanted them to go and to produce what God wanted them to produce. Without question, their personalities, writing styles, perspectives and distinctive are reflected in their words. But their accounts are more than the words of men- they are the Word of God. Bible is a divine product and must be approached and estimated as such.
WHY WE NEED TO READ BIBLE?
The Bible is essential for our spiritual growth and spiritual maturity. It helps us to prepare us and to train us for the work of God and thereby accomplishing our purposes in earth. We need to read, meditate, study and memorize the word of God, at least for the following reasons
BIBLE HAS FOOD FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
1 Pet 2:2: We need to have desire for the word of God like new born babies carves for milk. Bible helps us to grow in our spiritual life. Bible informs, reforms, transforms and finally conforms us to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Bible is essential for our spiritual growth.
BIBLE HELPS IN OUR SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Heb 5:11-14: We are expected to grow towards Spiritual maturity. Bible is the divine mean for our spiritual maturity. Regular study of Scripture helps us to distinguish good from evil. It would help us to move forward in our spiritual walk. More we understand the Bible and commit ourselves to obey what it says, more we would be maturing in spiritual life.
BIBLE EQUIPS US FOR GOOD SERVICE
2 Tim 3:16, 17: Bible is useful for Teaching, Rebuking, Correction and Training and thereby we will be shaped and sharpened, preparing us for the works of God.
TEACHING: Bible will structure our thinking. If we are not thinking correctly, we would not be living correctly. Regular and proper use of Bible helps us to be taught in right things and helps in right living. Our behavior depends on what we believe.
REBUKE: Bible tells us whether we are on safe side or out of line. It tells us what sin is. It provides standards and conveys to us what God wants for our life.
CORRECTION: It opens up the doors of our life and helps us to clean out sin and learn things to conform to the will of God.
TRAINING: God uses Bible to teach us how we have to live. After correcting the negatives, it provides guidelines for us to follow in our life. After accepting Christ as savior and Lord, we become members of the body of Christ. When we identify our role in the body of Christ and make efforts to do our part, the training we receive from the Bible will help to do our work effectively and productively.
UNIQUENESS OF BIBLE
Bible is the book of light and life. It is the source of truth and love. In the pages of Bible, we read about the matchless love and grace of God. This book is being verified by external events such as archaeology, geography, customs, politics, culture, known world history and writings in other ancient texts. None of its contents have ever been found inaccurate. The Bible, when compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence. It is the best seller ever. 100 million copies are sold each year and about 50 copies are sold every minute. It is the most widely read, most debated and most quoted book in history. Because of the main person in this book, time has been split into two main divisions, BC and AD.
Bible is unique in its harmony among various diversities. Bible is written over 1500 years by over 40 authors from different walks of life like kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc. Bible speaks with amazing unity and harmony about hundreds of controversial subjects about which there are hundreds of opposing opinions.
The Bible contains unique teachings. Some unique teachings we can see in the pages of Bible are a loving God created our world, we need a Savior, Jesus is God and Savior, God calls us to relationship. This book contains a message to all people in every time period of history, relevant to their everyday lives. The Bible has liberated many from suppression and oppression by its clear teachings. Once read, it would be impossible for a person to remain neutral - they will either love it or hate it.
The Bible is unique in its circulation. The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book. When the printing press was invented in 1450, the first book ever printed was the Bible. Since then, the Bible has been printed more and read more than any other book in the history of mankind. There is absolutely no book that can be compared with the circulation of the Bible. The full Bible has been translated into 670 languages; the New Testament has been translated into 2191 languages and the Bible portions are available in 3312 other languages. There is no other book in history which can come near to Bible in terms of translation.
Bible is unique in its survival. The Bible has been the special object of never ending persecution. Not only has the Bible been the most intensely loved Book in the entire world, but it has also been the most bitterly hated. Since the days of Roman emperors, infidels have been refuting and overthrowing this book. Yet, the Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions and studied by millions. People have died torturous deaths simply to gain access to this book. People lost their lives for printing it. No other written document or collection of documents has even come close to surviving such trials or impacting our lives to such a degree. Many have tried to burn it, ban it and outlaw it but the Bible stands today like a solid rock.
The Bible is the only book that truly reveals the nature of living God. We are privileged to have the Bible in our hands in our language. To Him is all the glory. The B-i-b-l-e, yes that’s the book for us, Let us stand on the word of God, The B-i-b-l-e.
BIBLE TIME
Bible is written TO Original audience and FOR us. Find out what the passage meant to Original audience (Then, There, Them) before applying to us (Now, Here, Us). Bible means what it means but not always means what it says. Take one book at a time. Consider context and author intention in writing. ... Meditating WOG brings prosperity Ps 1:3; Joshua 1: 8. Bible informs, reforms, transforms our life.
BIBLE STUDY STEPS….. Observation….Interpretation….Application. Study books/aids would help you to understand Bible in the right way.
OBSERVATION: What does the passage say? Read it slowly and repeatedly, underlining key words and phrases. Look for literal form (Narrative/Instructive/Poetry), Time words (After, then, before, immediately) Contrasts & comparisons, Conjunctions (But, when and therefore), Related entities (e.g. Father, Son, Holy Spirit), Key verses, related other passages, Strange words/things.
INTERPRETATION: What does the passage mean? What is the author saying to his audience? Ask Questions (What, When, Where, Who, How, Why). Interpret in the light of immediate and whole Bible context. Consider cultural, historical backgrounds.
APPLICATION: What does the passage mean to me and how can it be applied to my life? Make a list of: a. attitudes to change b. sins to confess and forsake c. actions to take/avoid. d. examples to follow e. promises to claim. f. other personal applications.
