The Bible

You may be a person who thinks that the Holy Bible needs no explanation, but in my experience I find there are many misconceptions regarding this wonderful book. A number of people I speak to think that the Bible was written by a man many years ago to give people something to believe in. The reality is really quite different (as you will hopefully see). To alleviate any initial concerns one may have in reading this book, I have put together a list of frequently asked questions about the Bible.
I have included some other articles of interest to a person seeking to read and understand The Bible.

Bible F.A.Q.

• What is the Bible?
  
• Who wrote it?
  
• How long did it take to write?
  
• Is The Bible true?
  
• How long does it take to read the whole Bible?
  
• I have never read the Bible, where do I start?
  
• Does it matter what Bible I have?
  

Articles of interest

• Archaic A.V. Word Reference
• Why use 'Thee' and 'Thou'? - a short guide
• Fulfilled Prohecies Regarding Jesus Christ - The Jewish Messiah

Get hold of or read a Bible

May I direct you to the 'Links' section of the site for online-shops and an online Bible. Click Here

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What is the Bible?

A bible is a collection of books. You can have a cookery bible or even a 'Linux' bible. As interesting these type of books may be, they won't get you to heaven.
The Holy Bible (capital 'B') is a collection of 66 books. 39 of these books make up what is called the 'Old Testament'. The rest of the books (27 of them) form the 'New Testament'. The Holy Bible is sometimes referred to as 'The Scriptures'. The following is what they call 'The Canon of Scripture'. This means that these books are considered inspired of God and any other books outside this list are not to be regarded as Holy or inspired of God.

These books contain everything that is necessary in understanding God, the duty that God requires of man and the plan of salvation for man. The Bible is man's guide to life, the universe and everything. It is without error and is infallible.

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Who wrote it?

The Bible is a supernatural book inspired by the creator of the universe. Though it is a collection of 66 books written over hundreds of years, it reads like one whole. The short answer is that God wrote it by 'moving' or inspiring men to commit in writing that which He wanted written down. This is why it is called God's Word - as it's God's Words to men.
If we are talking physical pen-to-paper or oral dictation operations, then we can see that there were many authors. Clever scholars have studied and determined most of the authors of the Bible. I have listed these authors below, along with some of the books they where inspired to write. Some books were written by more than one author e.g. The book of Psalms is a collection of spiritual songs mostly penned by David. Other contributors were: Moses, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Solomon, Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, the sons of Korah and some anonymous others.

List of the most significant Bible Authors (commonly accepted)

OLD TESTAMENT

Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (commonly attributed) and the 90th Psalm.
Joshua: Joshua (probably).
Judge Samuel: Judges (probably), Ruth (probably).
Ezra: 1&2 Chronicles (according to Jewish tradition).
King David: Psalms (73 of).
King Solomon: Two Psalms, Proverbs (most of), Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs.
Prophet Isaiah: The book of Isaiah.
Prophet Jeremiah: The book of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
Prophet Ezekiel: The book of Ezekiel.
Prophet Daniel: The book of Daniel.
Prophet Hosea: The book of Hosea
Prophet Joel: The book of Joel
Prophet Amos: The book of Amos
Prophet Obadiah: The book of Obadiah
Prophet Jonah: The book of Jonah (probably)
Prophet Micah: The book of Micah
Prophet Nahum: The book of Nahum
Prophet Habakkuk: The book of Habakkuk
Prophet Zephaniah: The book of Zephaniah
Prophet Haggai: The book of Haggai
Prophet Zechariah: the book of Zechariah
Prophet Malachi: The book of Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT

Apostle Matthew (Tax Collector): Gospel of Matthew.
John Mark: Gospel of Mark
Luke (Physician): Gospel of Luke, Acts of the Apostles (by the power of the Holy Spirit)
Apostle Paul: Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Hebrews.
James (brother of Jesus): Epistle of James.
Apostle Simon Peter (Fisherman): 1st and 2nd Epistles of Peter
Apostle Jude: Jude.
Apostle John: Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd &3rd Epistles of John and Revelation.

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How long did it take to write?

It took more than 1600 years. The history books (Samuel, Kings and Chronicles) were probably written over a period of time as events unfolded. The earliest book in the Holy Bible is reported to be the book of Job (pronounced Jobe). Job was written around 1520 B.C. The last book written, of the books found in the New Testament, is Revelation. It was written around 96 A.D. So we are talking hundreds of years between the start of God's revelation to the end of it. God's revelation has now finished.

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Is The Bible true?

Yes. Many proofs can be given from the scriptures to show fulfilled prophecy that prove the divine nature of the author. Many old testament prophecies where fulfilled when Jesus was born. (Check out the Messianic Prophecy Document!!) Jesus Christ is regarded as the Son of God because no normal man could ever wilfuly fulfill these prophecies, they are just too amazing. Breathtaking as they are, the prophecies still may not convince you. Speaking of Holy Scripture, The Westminster Confession of Faith says:

"4.The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.
5.We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts."

To summarise: It is the work of the Holy Spirit that shows men that the Bible is the Word of God. Here is an illustration:
A father tells his child not to touch a radiator because it is hot. The father goes out of the room and the child is curious as to whether this is true. He reaches out his hand and grabs the metal, which, sure enough, is VERY hot. The pain makes the child pull his hand away.
At first the child took it by faith that the radiator was hot. His belief was confirmed with experience when he reached out and touched the radiator. There is no way you can now convince that child that the radiator is anything but hot. All doubts have gone.
People can tell you that the Bible is true, but it is not until you read and study it for yourself that you will ever be convinced of this fact. Once you have reached out in faith and the Holy Spirit confirms to your spirit that the Bible is in fact the inspired words of God, no one will be able to convince you otherwise because, just like the child in the illustration, you will just know that it is true from experience.
So go and pick up the Bible today and move from the realm of doubting to the realm of certain faith.

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How long does it take to read the whole Bible?

It can be done in a year if one keeps to a strict reading plan. Five chapters a day should get one through the bible in about a year.

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I have never read the Bible, where do I start?

Genesis is a good beginning (excuse the pun) as this book shows us the start of creation and the fall of man. The Gospel accounts are also a good beginning because they show us the ultimate message of the Bible, which is the salvation of man. I would recommend reading the Gospel of John, Genesis, the Psalms, Matthew and then whatever takes your interest. May The LORD be thy guide.

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Does it matter what Bible I have?

Yes. The most accurate translation in the English language, so far, is the Authorised Version (sometimes called the King James Version - KJV). The manuscripts used are the most accurate and not many other bibles (especially modern translations) used them. The language is timeless and can be a real pleasure to read. Some may have difficulty with some of the words at first, but most people have dictionaries to help them. It is best to stick to one Bible and get to know that. The A.V. will be a Bible for life.
If you have a modern Bible or you are interested in giving your Bible a 'Corruption' test then print out the following PDF document and answer the questions: Bible Test

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Why use 'Thee' and 'Thou'?

In almost every language, but Modern English, people knew whether the speaker was addressing one person or many. In Classical English this is preserved. If the speaker is talking to one person, he uses "thee" or "thou". If he is talking to many people, he says "you" or "your." The A.V. preserves this distinction. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He said, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again" (John 3:7). What He said in effect was, "Marvel not that I said unto thee (Nicodemus), ye (all of you people) must be born again." Jesus did not tell this only to Nicodemus. He spoke to all people of all times, from those who stood around that night, even to us today: "Ye must be born again!"
Another example is Luke 22:31-32: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you (plural disciples), that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee (singular Peter), that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

Would not the meaning suffer if only 'you' was used?