Introduction to the Bible

The Bible, God’s Marvelous Book

By Michael W. Wilson

INTRODUCTION

Someone has called the Holy Bible “the divine library,” and this is a true statement. The English word Bible is derived from Koinē Greek: τὰ βιβλία, meaning “the books” (singular βιβλίον, biblion). The word βιβλίον itself had the literal meaning of “scroll” and came to be used as the ordinary word for “book.” Although we think of the Bible as one book, yet it is made up of sixty-six (66) separate books. These books, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation, are divided into two main sections. The first section is called the Old Testament and contains thirty-nine (39) books. The second section is the New Testament, and it has twenty-seven (27) books.

At the beginning of every Bible is an index, which lists the names of the books, and tells the page number on which each book begins.

WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?

From the human standpoint the Bible was written by not less than thirty–six (36) authors over a period of about sixteen hundred (1,600) years. But the important thing to remember is that these men wrote under the direct control of God. God guided them in writing the very words. This is what we mean by “verbal inspiration.” The term “plenary inspiration” refers to the fact that the Scriptures are inspired in their totality. The following Scriptures clearly teach that the Bible is inspired by God:

Ø  2 Peter 1:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 

Ø  2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Thus, the Bible is the Word of God. It is not enough to say that the Bible contains the Word of God. This might imply that parts of it are inspired, and parts are not. Every part of the Bible is inspired. All Scripture is “God-breathed.”

Another important point to remember is that the Bible is the only written revelation that God has given to men. The Book of Mormon is not the Word of God and neither is the Koran, despite the claims made by the followers of those religions. In fact, in the last chapter of the Bible, God warns men against adding to the Bible or taking away from it.

Ø  Revelation 22:18-19, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE BIBLE?

Although the Bible is made up of sixty-six books, yet it has one main subject. Christ is the grand theme of Scripture. The Old Testament contains many predictions, or prophecies, concerning Christ. The New Testament tells of His coming and shows how He fulfilled all the prophecies.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE CONTAIN?

The Bible is the record of the world from the beginning of time until the future when there will be a new Heaven and a new earth. Genesis tells of the creation of the world, the entrance of sin, the flood, and the beginning of the nation of Israel. From Exodus to Esther, we have the history of Israel up to about 400 years before the birth of Christ. The books from Job to the Song of Solomon contain wonderful poetry and wisdom. The rest of the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi, is prophetic—that is, these books contain messages from God to Israel concerning its present condition and its future destiny.

The New Testament opens with four Gospels, each of which presents the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts tells the story of the Christian movement in its infancy and the life of the great apostle Paul. From Romans to Jude, we find letters to churches and individuals, concerning the great truths of the Christian faith, and practical instruction concerning the Christian life. Revelation gives us a glimpse into the future—to events that will yet take place in Heaven, on earth, and in hell.

WHAT CAN THE BIBLE OFFER ME?

God’s Word is an incorruptible seed.

1.       It regenerates (gives life)—1 Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.”

2.      It must be received with humility—James 1:21, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.”

God’s Word is a mirror.

It reveals our own condition—James 1:22-25, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  ²³ Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” 

God’s Word is food for the soul.

1.       It is milk for children—1 Peter 2:2, “Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

2.      It is bread for the hungry—Deuteronomy 8:1-3, “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. ² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

3.      It is meat for the mature—Hebrews 5:11-14, “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

God’s Word is a wash basin.

1.       It purifies the Church—Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, ²⁷ and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

2.      It is a divine cleaning agent—John 17:15-17, “My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”

God’s Word is a weapon.

1.       It is alive and powerful—Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

2.      It is the sword of the Spirit—Ephesians 6:17, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

3.      It penetrates even the hardest of hearts—Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not My Word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” 

God’s Word is eternal.

It will continue beyond Heaven and earth—Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”

God’s Word is 100% effective.

It is guaranteed to bring about God’s plans and purposes—Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth  and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, ¹¹ so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

SO, WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT GOD’S WORD?

A.     Desire it and hunger for it—Psalm 19:7-11, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.  The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹ By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

B.     Hear it with open ears—Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”  Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

C.     Read the Bible attentively—1 Timothy 4:13, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”  Deuteronomy 17:18-20, “When he [Israel’s new king] takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites.  ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees ²⁰ and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.  Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.”

D.    Study the Scriptures carefully—2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth [i.e., the truthful Word].”  Acts 17:10-11, “As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

E.     Meditate on God's Word constantly—Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law, he meditates day and night.”

F.     Memorize the Scriptures faithfully—Psalm 119:9-11, “How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to Your Word. ¹⁰ I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. ¹¹ I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” 

CONCLUSION

The following is a fitting tribute to the Holy Bible. It was written by an anonymous author many years ago. It can be found in the preface of every Gideon Bible.

“This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It will reward the greatest labour and condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. It is the Book of books—God’s Book—the revelation of God to man.”