What is the Bible?
With over six billion copies sold, the Bible is the best selling book in all of human history! Every year, over 100 million Bibles are sold or given away, far more than any other book. Although it’s been around for millennia, have you ever wondered, “What exactly is the Bible?” The Bible is:
- a collection of 66 books
- with over 750,000 words
- written over 1,600 years
- by 40 different authors
- on three continents (Europe, Asia & Africa)
- in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek)
- about God, man, sin and redemption
The Bible has two sections – the Old Testament and New Testament. The Old Testament begins with the creation of the universe, and records the history of Israel up to around 400 BC. It’s written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and is still considered sacred Scripture to orthodox Jews today.
The New Testament was written in Greek and includes:
- four independent accounts of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
- the accounts of his apostles after his resurrection
- letters written by his apostles to churches
- letters written by two brothers of Jesus, James and Jude (Yes, Jesus had brothers & sisters – see Matthew 13:53-58, John 7:1-5 and Acts 1:14)
- a prophecy of events occurring at the end of time
Both the Old Testament and New Testament are considered sacred Scripture to Christians today.
Is the Bible Historically Accurate?
Recorded in the Bible are detailed accounts of creation, a worldwide flood, the rise and fall of Israel, kingdoms, wars, and other significant historical events. Is it all true? All you have to do is look at archaeology. Hundreds of archaeological discoveries corroborate the historical events in the Bible. Many of the countries, islands, and cities mentioned in the Bible still exist today including,
- Babylon – Located 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
- Egypt – One of the oldest countries on earth. God formed the Jewish nation when he miraculously delivered them from Egypt. In fact, there is no other historical account of the founding of Israel other than… a miracle of God. When the Roman King Herod killed all the Jewish boys in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt.
- Israel – Mentioned over 2,500 times in the Bible, Israel refers to both a person (Jacob – the grandson of Abraham) and the Jewish nation. After 2,000 years of exile, Israel once again became a nation in 1948.
- Jerusalem – Also called “Zion,” Jerusalem is mentioned over 950 times in the Bible. It was established in 3,700 BC, and it’s one of the oldest cities on earth.
- Bethlehem – Mentioned over 50 times in the Bible, it’s the birthplace of King David and Christ.
- Damascus – Where the resurrected Jesus appeared to Saul. Saul was converted from a Christian-killer to a Christ-follower and eventually became the Apostle Paul.
- Rome, Italy – Paul was held prisoner in Rome for two years and wrote a letter to the church in Rome, the book of Romans.
- Corinth, Greece – Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, the books of first and second Corinthians.
- Alexandria, Egypt – Home of Apollos, “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures,” and mentioned four times in the book of Acts.
- Cyprus – Mentioned eight times in the book of Acts, it’s the hometown of Barnabas, “the Encourager.”
- Malta – The island where Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome.
- Patmos – The Apostle John was exiled to the small Greek island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. On his high school, senior trip, my son visited Patmos, and he told me, “It’s still there!”
Why does the Bible include maps in the back of the book? Because the Bible is filled with geographical facts. You can visit all 12 of these historical locations (and many more) today. The lakes and rivers mentioned in the Bible (Euphrates, Tigris, Nile, Jordan, See of Galilee, etc.) still exist today. In addition, many of the people in the Bible have been confirmed by archaeology. It reads like a history book written by meticulous, detail-oriented historians. Here’s the clincher – no archaeological discovery has ever discredited ANYTHING written in the Bible. Yes, the Bible is true, and you can trust it even more than Google Maps or Wikipedia!
Christianity is the most fact-based religion in the world, built on historical evidence, supported by archaeology and the geography as recorded… in the Bible.
Who Wrote the Bible?
Humanly speaking, the writers were men – prophets, priests, kings, poets, fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor and a tent maker. Although written by 40 men, God actually claims to be the author of the Bible.
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. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
So how does God “breath out” his words through men to create the Bible? It’s simple. Because God is all-powerful, he moved men by his Holy Spirit to record his words exactly as God intended. God is not limited by man’s imperfection.
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. Proverbs 21:30
God is holy, sinless and perfect, and so he makes zero mistakes. He uses imperfect men, to record his perfect word without a single mistake. He uses “crooked sticks to draw straight lines.”
The Bible is filled with prophecy, detailed accounts of future events centuries before they occurred. Approximately 25% of the Bible is prophecy. Because God is omniscient, he has perfect knowledge of the future, so he can prophesy the future with 100% accuracy.
I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” Isaiah 42:8-9
Anybody can write a so-called prophesy and claim it’s the “Word of God,” but the Bible proves it is God’s Word through the fulfillment of prophecy. I can claim to be a prophet, predict a future event with vivid detail, put it in writing and declare my words are the words of God, but if my words don’t come true exactly as predicted, they are just empty, meaningless, words of man. The proof is in the fulfillment of prophecy.
There is no other book on planet earth that predicted the coming of a Messiah like the Bible does. It unfolded just like the Bible said. The Old Testament prophecies written hundreds of years before Christ predicted the coming of the Messiah, and were all fulfilled in explicit detail in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:20-21
In the Bible, God predicts the future, and it happens. No man can do that. So you can trust the Bible, as the perfect, inerrant Word of God!
The Bible as Literature
What do the following figures of speech have in common?
- Apple of my eye
- A leopard cannot change its spots
- Fly in the ointment
- Handwriting on the wall
- My brother’s keeper
- Scapegoat
- Skin of my teeth
- Thorn in the flesh
- Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword
- Wolves in sheep’s clothing
As you may have guessed, they all originate in the Bible.
In addition to being the Word of God, the Bible is a fascinating work of literature. Its 66 books include a variety of genres – law, history, poetry, prophecy and letters. To say the Bible is good literature doesn’t imply it’s fictional. On the contrary – the Biblical writers documented history while using rich imagery and descriptive language with the following literary techniques:
- Metaphors – But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
- Similes – Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11
- Hyperbole – If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:29
- Personification – “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7
- Sarcasm – You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:19
- Parables – Jesus told many stories, called parables like the Parable of the Prodigal Son (hint – God is the father, and all of us are the son)
- Parallelism, Allegory, Alliteration, Paradox, Foreshadowing, and more.
Much of the Bible is interpreted literally (The 10 Commandments), while a lot of it is interpreted figuratively (Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life). God is a highly-skilled author, and he uses all literary techniques to get our attention. He communicates his message to us with style!
What is the Primary Message of the Bible?
In summary, the Bible is all about:
- God
- man
- sin
- how to reconcile to God and obey him
We’ve all rebelled against God, so you might identify with those in the Bible who also rebelled against him. God loves us in spite of our rebellion, so you might also see God’s true character, and his desire to reconcile with you as you read his Word.
Have You Read the Bible?
In the USA, we enjoy the freedom of religion, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Other nations are not so fortunate. Banned or highly restricted in 50 countries, Christians are routinely imprisoned simply for owning a Bible. Some people think the Bible is a fairy tale, but people don’t go to jail for reading Cinderella! The Bible is a threat to nations who oppose God, because it presents a greater authority to obey, a God who is sovereign over all nations.
Don’t take your freedom for granted. Discover the Bible, and read it for yourself. If you think God is mean, harsh, and irritable, you need read the Bible. If you think you’re a good person and you can earn God’s acceptance by being good, you need to read the Bible. If you think you’ll get to heaven as long as you’re sincere no matter what you believe, then you need to read the Bible. If you’re afraid to die, then you REALLY need to read the Bible. If you’re wondering if God really cares about your life, if he really loves you, you have got to read the Bible!
The Bible is the most influential book ever written. God wants to speak to you, to reveal himself to you, and he wants a personal relationship with you. So don’t put it off. Discover his plan for you, and read the Bible today.