Introducing The Bible

How can a book be both the most banned, burned, and hated ever produced. Yet also be the most cherished, beloved, and year over year worldwide best seller? It is a book that has been outlawed by rulers and governments throughout history, yet millions of it's readers have loved and dedicated themselves to it-even to the point of death. 

People say that this book was written by man. They also say it was written by God. Now if that is true, then this is the most important piece of literature a man can possess and read. But if it isn't true...then it wouldn't matter whatsoever. So why has it received so much attention? Why is it important? And is it true? 

The Bible is a paradox. The Book is actually a compilation of 66 books. Yet it is one book. The Bible was penned by over 40 different authors throughout time. Yet the text speaks in one voice throughout, delivering one integrated message from Genesis to Revelation. 

“I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”–Sir Isaac Newton 

It was written in three languages; Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. All three major world religions find their roots in the Bible; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The story was written across a time period of over 1500 years by a multitude of different people from different cultures, across three different continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa). It was written by the young and the old, by men and women, kings and philosophers, rich men and poor men, farmers and fishmen, shepherds and scribes, faithful priests and sinful adulterers, by murderers, traitors, liars, military leaders, poets, and more. It's writings speak to major human themes and gives us guidelines to live by, speaking of good and evil, God and the devil, Heaven and Hell. The writings themselves take many different forms consisting of hundreds of literary types from legalistic to historic, anecdotal, biographical, metaphorical, philosophical, and allegorical, to riddles, rhymes, similes, satire, tragedy, comedy, and song, to personification, irony, hyperbole, euphemism, and epic poem, to heroic narrative, parallelism, apocalyptic literature, and so much more. With it's authors having major geographic and ethnic diversity, spanning hundreds of different periods in time, all of these writings and 66 sub-books were written by real people in complete agreement with each other without one contradiction or inerrant detail. All details in these scriptures build upon themselves hyperlinking across the pages, chapters, and books of the Bible, subsequently hyperlinking across our reality, our history and even into our future. These details culminate in the delivery of one integrated message from God to all mankind. 

 “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book.” Abraham Lincoln 

The Bible continues to be an international best seller, selling between 20-100 million copies annually, with total sales eclipsing 5 billion, not including supplemental Bible materials (Guinness book of world records 2021). The NYT removed the bible from their best sellers list otherwise it would take 1st place every single time. The Christian faith founded in the Bible has turned the world upside down. Starting with their foundation in Christ, twelve faithful men rapidly spread their beliefs throughout the ancient world coming to dominate the roman empire, continuing throughout all of Europe, eventually to the founding of America and to all aspects of western civilization. The love of this book led to the development of the Gutenberg Press in 1455AD allowing for it's mass production, thus stimulating literacy throughout the world and ushering in the renaissance period. This book set the standard for marriage and family, our names come from it, our calendar is set by it, the very counting of time is established by it, the development of hospitals, charity, education, art, music, the foundation of our legal system, of justice, human rights, for freedom, work-ethic, discipline, sacrifice, values, morality, on and on, all coming from this ancient text. There is no other book like it. 

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” -George Washington 

The Bible is a supernatural book in that it records history before it happens, in vivid detail. When you write history before it happens, that's called prophecy. The Bible is filled with hundreds of prophecies, many of which have already been fulfilled, many more that are being fulfilled as we speak, and others that will be fulfilled in the future. The book is split up into two main sections, the Old Testament, containing the first 39 books, and the New Testament, containing the following 27. The Old Testament and the New Testament not only indicate a transition in the Biblical narrative, but they also mark the transition in the very timeline of humanity. The Old Testament points to a man who will come bearing the title of Messiah, meaning anointed or chosen one. The New Testament points to a man who did come and was called Messiah, or in Greek, Christos, known to us as Jesus Christ. The advent of the Messiah marked a transition in our calendars. The time of the OT known as BC (Before Christ). The time of the New Testament is called AD (Anno Domini, meaning, in the year of our Lord). The entire known world tracks time according to the Bible, according to the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. 

Psalm 22 illustrates an Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah in great detail. Notice verses 16-18 below:

For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing. 

Psalm 22 was estimated to have been written between the years 1000-970BC by King David. These verses are describing a man who is surrounded by evil people who are murdering him, piercing his hands and his feet. There is a group of them watching as he is being put to death. They are taking his clothes and gambling them away. It's a gruesome scene...but what is so significant about it? 

This Psalm is a prophecy of the death of The Messiah. It describes a method of capital punishment that had not yet been invented! Verse 16 states that this man's hands and feet were pierced, describing a crucifixion. During the time of David, the Jewish form of capital punishment was stoning to death. The method of crucifixion wasn't popularized until the roman empire which didn't come into existence until 27BC, 900-1000 years after this psalm was written. 

The Gospel of John is estimated to have been written between the years 50-90AD, over 1000 years after King David ruled. John explicitly describes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as an eye witness to the event. Verses 23-24 say the following:

 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

In the OT, David told us what is going to happen. In the NT, John told us what did happen. The prophetic nature of this book shows that it can only come from God. God may have used man to write these scriptures throughout history, but He is the ultimate Author. Man was simply His instrument.  

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

The Bible is not some made up book or a fictional story. The stories told in it are events that actually took place in history. There are countless other prophecies and historic accounts throughout scripture, proving that the Bible is trustworthy. The proof is based on evidence in history, archeology, prophecy, moral principle, human philosophy, and more. This book has survived on onslaught of persecution both against it's believers and against itself. Standing upon a mountain of evidence, this book has withstood endless attempts to discredit it.

Napoleon Bonaparte, a year before his death in 1821 describes it in the following way:

"Alexander, Cæsar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon sheer force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men will die for Him. 

The Bible is no mere book but a living creature with power that conquers all that oppose it.” 

Hebrews 4:12 describes the Bible in a similar fashion: "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." 

This word is alive. It is as active today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. I only started reading this book three years ago, and I cannot fully explain the impact it's had on my life. This book changed me. It transformed me. It challenged me. It strengthened me. It's given me hope. It's filled me with joy. And it has allowed me to have a relationship with the God who created every single one of us. He came into this reality in the body of a man. He is your savior. This is His story. And it is the greatest story ever told. 

There is nothing greater in this world than experiencing the love of Christ. If you diligently seek Him with the fulness of your heart, you will find Him. He will reveal Himself to you through His Word. So pick up a Bible, start reading the book of John, start reading the gospels, and find out for yourself! 

There is no greater calling. There is no greater purpose. God is the greatest and only true purpose in life. Seek Him. Find Him. Watch as your life begins to change, and this marvelous word comes to life in your own reality. God went through insurmountable lengths to give us His Word. He wants to have a relationship with you...the only question is, do you want a relationship with Him?  

God Bless.