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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Facts about Bible


INTRODUCTION
In many ways there is no greater book than the Bible. Simply put it is the Word of God. It is God's communication to man through man. It rests above any other writing for its author is above any other.

Giving witness to its greatness is the history of its dissemination. No book has been more copied, more read, more distributed, more studied, more translated and more sold. The nature of this achievement would be astounding on its own, but it is further appreciated when seen in light of Christianity's tumultuous beginnings. The first few centuries of the Christian church was replete with violent persecutions that led to the destruction of many biblical manuscripts. If the Bible had just survived, it would've been a miracle; the fact that it has become the most circulated book of all time, is no less than divine.

The objective of these postings (Facts about Bible) is to provide an introductory overview of the Bible. Structure, reliability and history are among some of the topics covered. Focusing on the 'big picture', the goal is to give the reader a greater familiarity with the Scriptures; to know what we believe and why we believe it.

OVERVIEW
The word Bible comes from the Greek Biblia, defined as papers or scrolls, words commonly used for books. The Bible is a book and a collection of books. It is composed of 66 individual books, penned by at least 40 different authors. It was written in various parts of the world, by a very diverse group; these include shepherds, kings, prophets, priests, fishermen, a tent maker and even a tax collector. It's originals were in three different languages. Hebrew, predominantly in the Old Testament; Greek, predominantly in the New and Aramaic in brief portions throughout.

CENTRAL MESSAGE
The Bible's underlying message is the same throughout. From Genesis to Revelation the subject is God's redemptive plan for mankind. The fall of man is narrated in Genesis chapter 3. Genesis 1 and 2 tells us how it was “in the beginning”, Genesis 3 through Revelation 22 shows us God's plan in rescuing His fallen creation. From the promise of a seed that would crush the serpent's head to Jesus' assuring “Yes, I am coming soon”, the unwavering message is salvation.

Go to next post in series - Bible : Old Testament

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