Introduction to the Bible
Here we are, ready to race for seventy-two weeks through the entirety of the Bible.But what is the Bible? Where did it come from? Who wrote it? And why is it important to us today?
The word Bible has Greek origins. The ancient Greeks got their papyrus, the material they used for book making, from the port of Byblos, in what we now know as Lebanon. From Byblos comes the word biblia, the Greek word for “books.”
Of course, the Bible has not always been in book form. The earliest stories in the Bible were passed down through the generations by word of mouth. Everyone would gather together and listen to the elders recount the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah. The first alphabet appeared around the time of Abraham, about 2000 B.C.; but it was probably Moses who collected the stories and had them written down, around 1400 B.C. At that time, the Scripture would have been handwritten on scrolls, which they were still using in Jesus’ day.
The Bible is a collection of several small books and letters. It is divided into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament begins with the creation of the world and then follows the story through the great flood; the call of Abraham; the forming of the holy nation of Israel; and its settling of, exile from, and return to the Promised Land. It contains writings from David and Solomon, as well as many prophets who wrote about the coming of the Messiah. The newest segments of the Old Testament were written about four hundred years before Jesus was born. The New Testament opens with the four Gospels, which are simply biographies (recollections of the birth, life, death, and resurrection) of Jesus Christ, written by eyewitnesses. It also contains letters written by the apostles to particular individuals and churches.
None of the original Old Testament scrolls exists today. In 1947, however, several pottery jars containing scrolls were found in eleven caves along the northern shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls date back to the time of Jesus and are the oldest copies of Scripture known to exist. We do know that the original scrolls did not contain chapter and verse numbers. They were added later to make it easier to study and reference the text, since there are almost a million words in the Bible. The Bible is the bestselling book of all time. At least nine out of ten Americans own one, yet fewer than half actually read it.
Christians believe that the Bible is the true Word of God. We believe that God is unchanging. God was, is, and forever will be perfect. Therefore, the Word of God does not become outdated or irrelevant. The Bible is about the human condition, our tendency to sin, God’s willingness to forgive, and the promise of eternal life in paradise. Societies and writing styles have changed. Most of us are not sheep farmers and have never seen a mustard seed. Yet the Bible still speaks to us, as we live in the world of high-speed Internet and on-demand movies. It is the story of God’s unconditional love for us, which does not expire.
Learn More:
> Introduction to the Old Testament
> Introduction to the Law
> Introduction to Genesis
