Introduction
What is the Bible?
The Bible is God’s word (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23) written.
Who is God?
God is the eternal Being who brought this entire universe into existence from nothing and who is directing all the events of history towards His own ends.
What do we find in the Bible?
The Bible contains sixty-six different books:
Law
Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Poetry
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
Prophecy
Why is the term bible used to refer to God’s word?
The word bible means book and the Bible is the book of books or the preeminent book.
Why is the Bible sometimes called Scripture?
The term scripture implies that something was written. Since the Bible is God’s word written, it is called Scripture or holy Scripture. (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:16)
Why is the Bible sometimes called holy?
For three reasons:
- the contents of the Bible are holy;
- the purpose of the Bible is to make us holy;
- the Author of the Bible is holy.
What words are used to refer to the Bible in the Bible itself?
- Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (Deuteronomy 27:26)
- Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)
- Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)
- “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (Joshua 1:8; also Galatians 3:10)
- First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:2)
- I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet… (Daniel 9:2)
- When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)
At what time, did people begin to write down the words of God?
See here.
How was the word of God preserved before it was written?
It would have been preserved in oral form and in people’s memories.
Why did people begin to write down the words of God?
God commanded it. (Exodus 17:14; 34:27; Isaiah 30:8; Revelation 1:11, 19) There are also commands to read the word of God (John 5:39; Deuteronomy 31:11) which assumes that they had also been written.
Authority
Why does the Bible have supreme authority over all the opinions and judgments of men?
Because it is the word of God; see here.
For what reasons do you believe the Bible to be the word of God?
Because Jesus taught us this; see here.
Why should we believe Jesus on this point?
Because Jesus Himself proved that He was a teacher from God by His many miracles.
Canon
How do you know what books and what documents belong in the Bible and which do not?
See here.
Language
In what language was the Bible written?
Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew (cf section 10) and the New Testament in Greek (cf chapter III).
Translation
What were the first translations of the Bible?
The first translation of the Bible was the LXX.
What other translations were there?
Some translations were made into Aramaic and Latin. Eventually, the Latin translations were all replaced by the Vulgate.
What was the Vulgate?
The vulgate was a translation of the Old and New Testaments into the Latin language by Jerome.
Interpretation
How should the Bible be interpreted?
See here.