The Truth about the Bible-
God's Holy Word

What exactly is the Holy Bible and why is it so important to a Christian's life? Holy means set apart for use by God and Bible is Greek for book. So technically, the Bible is a Holy book...but it is that and sooo much more!

The Bible is not just mere words, they are inspired by God Himself. The Holy Spirit brings light to the words so we can understand them and make them meaningful to us.

The Bible is entirely true and it should be the foundation of everything we do as a Christian - it's our guidebook for living.

"I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved." - Matthew 5:18 NLT

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." - Psalms 119:105 NLT

What is the Bible for?
One well known truth about the Bible is that it's the best-selling book of all time, but unfortunately it is also the least read book. So essentially that means many people own it, but very few read or use it.

I once read an analogy that we treat our Bible as if it were a guest towel - no one is to touch it, it's just suppose to look pretty when company comes over (or in this case, when we go to church). Well, I have news for you, another truth about the Bible is it's not a guest towel. It's not for sitting on a shelf or just carrying to church. It's for:
- Reading and studying
- Understanding
- Using to change our hearts, habits and lives

There are three reasons you typically hear as to why people don't read the Bible:

- it's no different than any other great book
- it's written by people just like you and me
- it's difficult to understand

While most may not admit it, I think the latter is the most likely reason. It's definitely the reason I didn't read the Bible for so long - I just didn't understand it. Realizing it is important to my Christian walk (not to mention instructing others to read it), I endeavored to learn more about the Bible. Here's what I've learned...

Bible Basics and History
The Bible consists of 66 books in two sections called testaments. A testament is an agreement between God and His people - a covenant or contract. There are 39 books in the old (Genesis to Malachi) and 27 in the new (Matthew to Revelation). The Old Testament was written before Christ (BC) and tells of a coming Messiah. It was written mostly in Hebrew with some portions in Aramaic.

The New Testament was written after Christ's death (AD) and tells how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messiah told of in the Old Testament. It was written in Greek. Today, most people read a translation of the Bible from the original languages.

Councils were formed to decide which historical records (books) should be included or canonized. Canon means rule or standard recognized as inspired by God, and it is the collection of books believers accept as the Bible. The Bible is not organized in chronological order and there was 400 years of silence between the completed writings of the Old and the first writings of the New Testament.

The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is Old Testament revealed.

Inspired by God
I think people are often confused when they hear statements like, the Bible is God-breathed or inspired by God. While these statements are true, it is not as if the authors were sitting with God taking shorthand, as it is sometimes interpreted. The truth about the Bible is the authors didn't realize they were writing the Bible, they were simply recording history.

God inspired their lives in such a way that when they wrote from their hearts, God was in it. As such, another truth about the Bible emerges, it didn't originally include chapters and verses, it was just letters, sermons, songs and stories. During the Middle Ages, people begin to use different systems of marking off the text for public worship. The standard we use today was adopted in the 1500s.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." - 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

The Parts of the Bible

There is a wide array of Bibles to choose from, but most contain a few basic components. Most Bibles include a table of contents, a dictionary, a concordance and maps. Much like any other book, the table of contents lists each book of each testament in the Bible, in order of appearance along with the page number.

A dictionary is often found in the back of your Bible and it lists definitions for several key Bible terms. An abbreviated concordance is also sometimes found in the back of your Bible.

A concordance is like an index, it lists scripture references for a particular word so you can find verses where that word is used in the Bible.

While helpful, please note the dictionary and concordance found in the back of your Bible are not exhaustive.

For more information on exhaustive tools, check out the Bible Study Guide.

Also, most Bibles include maps which provide a pictorial representation of the locations mentioned in the Bible. This is helpful in understanding the distances people traveled or to relate the area to modern day locations.

In addition to the parts of the Bible, there are many different types of Bibles as well translations. For more information on Bible types and translations, check out How to Choose a Bible.

Bible Application
One undeniable truth about the Bible is it's a vital tool. However, it is only useful if you apply it to your life. Just like it is not wise to drive around at night without lights, it's not wise to travel through life without the light of God's Word.

In life, there are many things we treasure...our family, friends, possessions, money, etc. We make time for that which we treasure or value. Well God has placed a high value on His Word. In it you will find:

- the answer to any question
- the solution for every problem
- the power to overcome any trial

One last truth about the Bible...all you need to do is open it and read it to discover its vast treasures.

"Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold."- Psalms 119:127 NLT

"Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the LORD grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." - Proverbs 2:3-6 NLT

The Bible - Learn to read it, love it and live it!

This is just a brief overview of the Bible, for a more in-depth understanding, purchase a Bible Guide . I like the Ultimate Guide to the Bible by Carol Smith. Much of the information contained here is from that book. It's an excellent resource!

The Truth About Understanding the Bible.
Learn the key to understanding the Bible and maturing in the study of God's Word.

Discover how to choose a Bible that's just right for you.
Use this simple three step process to discover how to choose the best Bible for you.

A Practical Bible Study Guide.
Use this Bible study guide to learn practical methods and tools needed to help you study the Bible and increase your understanding of God's Word.