A
reliable voice of authority. More than anything else, people everywhere
are looking for something they can depend on. The Word of God is the
only real authority we have. His Word shines light upon human nature.
More clearly, it shows us the way to God. It is in the Bible that we
find the answers to life's most important questions. The Bible is the
written record of God's intention. Its theme is salvation through His
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is made up of 66 books, written
by 40 authors, covering a period of more than 1,500 years. The Old
Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with a few short passages in
Aramaic. The entire Old Testament was translated into Greek about a 100
years before the death of Christ. The New Testament was written in
Greek. The English Bible is a translation from these original
languages. As one book, a compilation of many, the Bible is recognized
for its historical and literary significance even among those who do
not ascribe to its teachings. Others have taken this one book as a
guideline toward following differing paths. There are so many opinions
and interpretations of the Bible that it is difficult to know just how
we can sift through them all and find the truth.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of books, accepted by Christians as sacred and inspired
by God, providing the basis for beliefs about spiritual matters and providing guidelines for moral living.
Many verses throughout the Bible attest to its divine origin (Genesis 6:9-13,
Exodus 20:1-17, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Revelation 1:1-2, etc.) But the Bible was not simply dictated
word-for-word by God; it is also the work of its many different human authors. The different writing skills, writing
styles, personalities, world views, and cultural backgrounds of the human authors can be seen in their works. Many
of the New Testament books were originally written as letters rather than as Scripture. Some Bible writings include
the authors' own research and recollection of historical events (Luke 1:1-4) and their own opinions (1 Corinthians
7:12).