BIBLE

BIBLE

The Bible is God’s message for his people. It is made up of 66 books containing stories, prophecy, and guidelines for godly living. From the time of Moses until the Apostle Paul, God inspired people to write down his words so his message could be given to everyone. The Bible is a tool for understanding God’s will for our lives, if we will listen to what it has to say.

The Bible is a special revelation from God. It explains what God is like, how he expects us to act, and the consequences of our either accepting or rejecting his message. The Bible contains hundreds of answers to the big questions in life: Who created the universe? What is the meaning of existence? How can I be sure to spend eternity in heaven?

The Bible is one of the most translated, most read books in the entire world. To people who do not know Jesus Christ, the Bible proclaims the message of his loving and redeeming work. It has touched millions of hearts with its promises of renewal for those who may not have any hope. For Christians, the Bible serves as an excellent guidebook on who God is, what Christ has done for us, and how we should live in order to reflect his wonderful work in us.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament is made up of 39 books primarily written in Hebrew. It chronicles the story of God’s work on earth before Jesus was born. Over the course of a thousand years, about 30 writers, including Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, and David, contributed writings to the Old Testament. It can be split into three main sections: History, Poetry, and Prophecy.

THE HISTORY BOOKS

The history section begins with Moses’ five books, called the Pentateuch. These books contain the story of God’s creation of the universe, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the great Flood, and the Israelites’ exodus out of slavery in Egypt. The Pentateuch also contains God’s first laws for his people. These laws were given to Moses in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and instructed the Israelites to honor God in everything they did.

After the Israelites had moved into the land God had promised them, they became a very powerful nation. Starting with the selection of Saul as the first king of Israel, the history books tell the story of King David, his son Solomon, and the other kings that followed. Some kings, like King Asa, followed God’s laws and were blessed by God. Other kings, like King Ahab, set up idols and disobeyed God’s laws. Because of their disobedience, God said he would end Israel’s reign as a great nation, and it was eventually conquered and enslaved by the empires of Assyria and Babylon.

THE POETRY BOOKS

In the middle of the Old Testament, there are five books of poetry written primarily by King David and King Solomon. These books include songs praising God (Psalms), books about wisdom (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), and a wonderful love poem between a bride and groom (Song of Songs). These books serve as wonderful meditations on God’s love for us, his power over all of creation, and his desire for us to respect and fear him.

THE PROPHECY BOOKS

After the five poetry books come the prophecy books, written by about sixteen different authors. There are the major prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, who wrote longer books, and there are minor prophets, such as Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, whose books are shorter. These books deal with God’s disappointment in Israel for not keeping his commands, remind the people of God’s unconditional love for them, and foreshadow the coming Messiah who would redeem Israel forever.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament was written in Greek, and its twenty seven books were most likely written in the span of about fifty years. The New Testament is primarily concerned with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the early Christian church, but it also gives wonderful guidance concerning godly living. The New Testament can also be split into three main sections: history, the epistles, and prophecy.

THE GOSPELS

The first four books of the New Testament are the gospels, which tell the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. They also record the words Jesus spoke to his disciples about following him and continuing his work after his eventual return to heaven. Following the gospels, the beginnings of the early church and the work of Jesus’ disciples in performing miracles and preaching the gospel are recorded in the book of Acts.

THE EPISTLES

Following Acts are the epistles, or letters the Apostle Paul and others wrote to encourage the first Christians in their walk with Jesus Christ. The epistles provide wonderful insights into God’s desires for our everyday activities.

THE PROPHECY BOOK

The last book of the New Testament is Revelation, which is a prophetic book detailing Christ’s future return to earth.

THE TRUTH AND AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE

Many people claim that all truth is relative and that there is no such thing as a completely authoritative God. For these people, Christianity is a matter of opinion or preference, for there is no one set of beliefs that are absolutely true.

But God has given us the glorious universe as a reminder of his authority. We also are given an inner longing for a relationship with him. Even though God gives these signs to us, some still refuse to listen to him and act according to his will. This is where the Bible comes in. The Bible is God’s “special revelation.” In simple words that everyone can understand, the Bible reminds us of our sinful nature and of our daily responsibility to God and his commands. From reading the Bible, we know God is all-powerful, and that he has unlimited authority over all people. When we reject what the Bible has to say to us, we are in essence rejecting God himself and then foolishly denying the authority he has over all of Creation.

When we read the Bible, we see that people rebelling against God is nothing new. The Israelites wandered through the wilderness because they did not believe God would protect them. King Ahab erected idols to false gods. Jonah refused to go to Nineveh despite God’s command. Ignoring God’s promises of blessing for us, we consistently disobey him and follow our own desires and wishes. The Bible is a wonderful reminder of God’s eternal authority over all people.

Many of the same people who deny the authority of God also say that the Bible is not absolutely true because humans-prone to human error-wrote it down. While it is true that the biblical authors were not perfect people, the Bible is clear in stating that it is a work inspired by God and is therefore perfect.

The Apostle Paul writes that all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), and Peter explains that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). This includes both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Because God loves us, he would never intentionally lead us astray by giving us a Bible that was not absolutely true. His Word exists as an authoritative guide so we may know the truth.

GOD'S COVENANT

Another word for “testament” is “covenant“ or “promise.” The Bible is a book about God’s covenant with his people-first with the Israelites and eventually with all people. The Bible helps us understand what God expects from us in order to maintain this covenant and foster a wonderful relationship with him.

The Old Testament talks about many covenants, but one of the most important ones is God’s covenant with the Israelites that he initiated with the Ten Commandments. After giving his first laws to the people of Israel, God said, “Take care to follow the commands, decrees, and laws I give you today. If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers” (Deuteronomy 7:11-12). When Israel followed these guidelines and worshiped God alone, their kingdom thrived. They moved into the Promised Land of Canaan and became a very powerful nation. When Israel broke the covenant by being disobedient to God, he sent enemies to attack and enslave them. The Old Testament describes how God gave Israel numerous opportunities to keep their covenant with him and how they were unwilling to do so. Because they were constantly sinful and rebellious, the Israelites had no hope of earning God’s favor.

Even when the Israelites were going through a very tough time, God never forgot them, and he assured them they would eventually be redeemed. God sent prophets to tell of the “new covenant” which would come in the form of a Messiah.

Jesus Christ was the primary instrument of this new covenant. By coming to earth and dying on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for all people, Jesus did away with the need for man to constantly sacrifice animals or grains to God. God’s new covenant required people to simply believe in Jesus Christ. The New Testament provides the details on God’s new covenant available to all people, not just the Israelites.

God’s covenant cannot be changed. We can accept or reject what the Bible tells us, but we cannot change it. God has promised that if anyone joins his covenant, they will ultimately prosper, and he will care for them. But for those that do not accept this covenant, God promises harsh judgment.

The Bible, then, is the story of God’s covenant with people-how it was first established with the Israelites and was later extended to all people through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. When we read and follow what it has to say, we are participating in the very same covenant as the people in the Bible. The Word of God truly is eternal.