In the Light - About the Bible

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What is the Bible?

The Bible has been the definitive book of faith for millions of people over many centuries. In it we find the answer to life's most difficult questions. Jesus said, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4). But what is the Bible anyway? and where did it come from?

The Bible is a collection of writings--66 books written over a period of about 1500 years. It is divided into two major parts--the Old Testament (also called the First Testament or Hebrew Testament) and the New Testament. It was originally written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Since then it has been translated into many of the world?s languages. Of the world's estimated 6,000 languages, the Bible has been translated into approximately 2,000.

If you open the Bible, you will quickly notice a lot of little numbers. Each book has been divided into chapters and verses. These were not part of the original texts, but have been added to help readers find a specific passage with more ease. Many of the divisions do not follow the natural breaks of the original text, so try to overlook them when understanding the meaning of a passage. For a more in-depth history of the advent of chapter and verse divisions, please visit this website.

The Old Testament has 39 books and recounts the history of the Israelite people, while the New Testament has 27 books and focuses on the life of Jesus Christ and His followers.

**Here's a trick to remember how many books are in each testament. Count the letters in OLD, then count the letters in TESTAMENT. OLD has 3 letters and TESTAMENT has 9, so the Old Testament has 39 books. Then count the letters in NEW, and count the letters in TESTAMENT again. "Wait a minute," you say, "it's the same thing!" Yes, but this time multiply them together. Voila! There are 27 books in the New Testament! Just keep in mind that the Old Testament prophets were very longwinded and you'll easily be able to keep them apart. **

If you have never read the Bible before, I have a hint for you: Don't try to read it from front to back like an ordinary book. If you do, you will despair of ever understanding its meaning before you get even halfway through. Instead, try skipping around a little. Many scholars recommend reading the book of Genesis first. It is the first book in the Bible and teaches about the origin of the earth, the beginning of faith, and gives many stories of the early men and women of faith. It also teaches about who God is and what His plan for the world is. When you finish Genesis, turn over to the New Testament, the book of John. John is one of the four gospels. It introduces Jesus as God's Son and gives a history of His life, death, and resurrection. These two books are the foundation for everything else that is written in the whole Bible. If you understand these two, the rest will come much easier. After reading John, turn over to the next book, Acts, and read about the history of the early church. Following Acts is a letter from the apostle Paul to the members of the early church. It is called the book of Romans and will give a solid foundation of how Jesus came to free the human race from sin and death.

In order to really understand and appreciate the teachings of the Bible, you must take it personally. As you read you should remember these very important steps:

Observation: What is this passage about? Pay close attention to the facts. Notice contrast, repetition, and progression.
Interpretation: What does it mean? Prayerfully meditate on the content. Seek to find its meaning. Remember that each passage was written by an author for a reason and within a cultural and historical context.
Application: How does it apply to my life? Are there promises to be claimed, commands to be obeyed, sins I should repent of? Put these things into action.

As you read, you may find that some passages seem to have multiple layers of meaning. Just as modern novelists can create complex stories with various levels of interaction between concrete and abstract, the Bible has been written with various levels of meaning. Sometimes live-changing principles can be imbedded in a seemingly simple narrative. That is one of the reasons the Bible can be read again and again. If you are having difficulty understanding the Bible on your own, seek out a Bible-believing church that can help you to learn how the Bible applies to your personal life on a daily basis.