What is the Bible? Allows to illustrate with an everyday example.
You go to the grocery store and ask for two kilograms of apples. The store assistant hands you a bag with the apples and you go home. But when you look at the amount of apples, they don’t seem to add up to two kilos.
Did the store assistant cheat you? Is there a way you can know whether you were given exactly what you paid for?
The answer is, Yes! You just take out the scales and weight the apples.
In life you will come across a multitude of theories, philosophies and religious ideas.
Is there a way to know what is truth and what is not? Are there any “spiritual scales” that will ensure we don’t get cheated by falsehood?
Thankfully, the answer is a resounding Yes! The Bible is the “scales” God has given us to protect us from falsehood. It is the Word of God and the sure guide that can help us discern truth from error.
The Bible is also called the Scriptures, or Holy Scripture, the Word of God, or simply the Word
Below we will discover some fascinating facts about the Bible. I have put Bible verses in blue color. Bible references are from the English Standard Version.
“Jesus answered and said to them, 'You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God'” (Matthew 22:29).
Here Jesus points out that His accusers are wrong because they have failed to understand the Scriptures. Had they understood Scripture, they would know the truth.
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Here Jesus declares that God’s Word, the Bible, is truth. The Bible can sanctify a person making him holy.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
“So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word” (Psalm 119:42).
“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
How else can I know if the Bible is inspired? One of the ways is to realize that the Bible has amazing unity.
The Bible is a collection of writings as follows:
- Two parts – Old Testament (OT) written before Jesus, and New Testament (NT) written after Jesus
- 66 books – 39 in the OT, and 27 in the NT
- Written by more than 40 different authors
- The authors were from different social backgrounds – kings, political persons, prophets, fishermen, shepherds, a doctor, a tax collector
- Written in three different languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
- Written on three different continents, Africa, Asia, Europe
- Written over a period of more than 1,500 years
Despite such diversity in composition, the Bible has an amazing unity and harmony in its message. If you get a group of five friends and ask them a complicated question you may get five different answers. Or maybe even more.
But in the Bible, over 40 different writers, from different times, geographical locations, backgrounds, and languages, and yet they answer life’s biggest questions in unity and harmony.
This can only mean that behind the different authors, there is One ultimate Author, God.
Would you drive a very old car? Choose old clothes? Would you trust old science or medical books? Knowledge progresses rapidly and most of us look to find the newest information. Can something old be of value?
The first books of the Bible, probably Job and Genesis, were written about 3,500 years ago! The last book of the Bible, nearly 2,000 years ago.
And yet, the Bible was and is the ultimate best seller.
- Every year more than 100 million copies are sold or given out freely
- The bible has been translated into 451 languages and dialects, and the number is growing
- Parts of it have been translated into 2,479 languages and dialects, and the number is growing
Such popularity does not prove it is inspired. But it does prove that millions of people find this ancient book still amazingly relevant.
If I were to ask you what is going to happen tomorrow, you might have a good answer based on what you know about today. But still you would not know for sure. At best, you would give a calculated estimate.
What if I were to ask you what will happen in a year? Much harder to estimate.
What about in ten years, or fifty, or 200?
The Bible has prophecies that span literally thousands of years. And they were all fulfilled accurately. Here is a very small list of prophecies (28) about Jesus written centuries before He was born. They were fulfilled very accurately.
Prophecy Reference Written Fulfilment
Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 700 BC Matthew 1:20
Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 700 BC Matthew 1:22-23
Born of the tribe of Judah Genesis 49:10 1700 BC Luke 3:33
Descendant of David 2 Samuel 7:12 1000 BC Luke 3:31
The slaughter of children Jeremiah 31:15 580 BC Matthew 2:16-18
One would prepare the way Isiah 40:3-5 700 BC Luke 3:3-6
Would be rejected by most Psalm 69:8 1000 BC John 1:11
Would be “Son of God” Psalm 2:7 1000 BC Matthew 3:16-17
Would minister in Galilee Isaiah 9:1-2 700 BC Matthew 4:13-16
Would teach in parables Psalm 78:2-4 1000 BC Matthew 13:10-15
Would be considered “King” Psalm 2:6 1000 BC Mark 11:7-11
Children would praise Him Psalm 8:2 1000 BC Matthew 21:16
Would be betrayed Psalm 41:9 1000 BC Luke 22:47-48
Betrayal money buy field Zechariah 11:12-13 450 BC Matthew 27:9-10
False witnesses in His trial Psalm 35:11 1000 BC Mark 14:57-58
Would be spat and beaten Isaiah 50:6 700 BC Matthew 26:67
Would be hated Psalm 35:19 1000 BC John 15:24-25
Would be given vinegar Psalm 69:21 1000 BC Matthew 27:34
Hands and feet pierced Psalm 22:16 1000 BC John 20:25-27
Would be mocked Psalm 22:7-8 1000 BC Luke 23:35
Lots cast for His clothes Psalm 22:18 1000 BC Luke 23:34
No bone broken Exodus 12:46 1450 BC John 19:33-36
Would pray for His enemies Psalm 109:4 1000 BC Luke 23:34
Side pierced Zechariah 12:10 450 BC John 19:34
Would die for our sins Isaiah 53:5-10 700 BC Romans 5:6-8
Buried in rich tomb Isaiah 53:9 700 BC Matthew 27:57-60
Would rise from the dead Psalm 16:10 1000 BC Matthew 28:2-7
Would ascend to heaven Psalm 24:7-10 1000 BC Μάρκο 16:19
Fulfilled prophecy is the indisputable proof that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. No human or angelic person could have predicted the future with such accuracy.
RN was walking on a dark street on a chilly evening returning home from Wednesday night prayer meeting. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. She tried to dodge them by changing direction but the person kept following her. She turned to see who it was and saw a tall muscular man, shaven head and plenty of tattoos.
“Where were you?” he asked.
“At prayer meeting,” she replied.
“What do you do there?”
“We study the Bible and pray.”
“I would like you to teach me the Bible,” he said.
How should she reply? The man was fearsome in appearance and there was no way she could tell his true motives. But could she deny him the request?
RN agreed only on condition that this would happen in church every Wednesday before the weekly prayer meeting so that other people would be around.
To her surprise, next Wednesday he was there. And the next. And the next. After a period of study the man requested baptism and RN directed him to the local church pastor.
At his baptism the man approached RN and offered her a beautiful police baton. In a voice full of emotion and trying to hold back his tears, he said. “This baton belonged to my uncle who was a police officer. I stole it from him and have used it many times. I went to prison because of it. Now I no longer need it. I am a new person.”
Changed lives. Every sincere believer can tell you a personal experience of a life changed by the Word of God. Testimony to the fact that the Bible is not just a collection of beautiful stories and teachings. Within it is the power of God which is able to change lives.
So, what is the Bible? The Bible is the Word of God. It is the one sure guide against which we can measure every teaching and practice. Make the Bible the guide for your life, and see the power of God transform you!
Thank you God for giving me the gift of the Bible. I accept it as the guide for my life!
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