Bible
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Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16
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The Bible is the collection of documents acknowledged by Christians to be inspired by God. The Bible contains 66 books (Catholic and Orthodox contain 73) and is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. It tells of the story of the creation of the universe and man by God, the rebellion of man against God and his rescue plan for humanity through his Son, Jesus Christ.
The word Bible comes from the Greek word for book, biblion.
Books of the Bible
The Bible is divided up into two main sections - the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Old Testament
The Old Testament tells the story of ancient Israel and God's intervention in their history. There are three main sections that make up the Old Testament - The Books of the Law, History and Poetry, and the Books of the Prophets. The books of the Law tell the very early story of the history of Israel and lay out the covenant or agreement between God and his people with their laws for living. The books of history and poetry continue the story of the people of Israel starting with their invasion into Canaan and ending with their kingdom splitting into two and being conquered and exiled. The books of the prophets describe some of the visions and words of the prophets who continually called the people to account for their abandonment of God.
New Testament
The New Testament tells the story of Jesus and the early church. The New Testament contains different categories as well including the Gospels which describe the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the book of Acts which tells the story of the formation of the early church. The New Testament also contains a number of letters or epistles to various early Christian communities. It finishes with the Book of Revelation which is apocalyptic prophecy that paints a picture of the final victory of Christ, calling on his followers to pesevere despite persecution.
Extra-Biblical texts - Apocrypha
A number of books are not considered to be part of the Bible by Protestant Christians, but are by other denominations - these books are referred to as apocryphal literature.
Formation of the Bible / Biblical Canon
Translating the Bible
The original languages of the various books of the Bible were Hebrew (for Old Testament books) and Koine Greek (for New Testament books). A small amount of the book of Daniel was originally written in Aramaic.
In the first few centuries after Christ the Bible was translated into a few other ancient languages (for example Latin) but it wasn't until the Protestant Reformation that widespread translation of the Bible into many languages (such as German and English) really began to occur.
In recent years there has been lots of activity in translating the Bible into many of the minor languages of the world.
Interpreting the Bible
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Quotes
Abraham Lincoln
- 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.
Patrick Henry
- The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation.
Charles H. Spurgeon
- Defend the Bible? I would just as soon defend a roaring lion.
Isaac Newton
- There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.
Isaac Asimov
- Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.
Immanuel Kant
- The existence of the Bible, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.
Goethe'
- Let mental culture go on advancing, let the natural sciences progress in ever greater extent and depth, and the human mind widen itself as much as it desires, beyond the elevation and moral culture of Christianity, as it shines forth in the gospels, it will not go.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in your reading have been like the blast of triumph out of Shakespeare, Seneca, Moses, John and Paul.
Lord Tennyson
- Bible reading is an education in itself.
Thomas Huxley
- The Bible has been the Magna Carta of the poor and oppressed. The human race is not in a position to dispense with It.
- Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
Links
- Bible Gateway
- CCEL - World Wide Study Bible
- Crosswalk.com
- Bible.org
- E-Sword Bible Software
- Bible Database
Bible Study Links
- The World wide Study Bible
- Bible Study Tools
- Trust worthy Bible Study Tools
- Free Bible Software "Without payment you have received; without payment you are to give." (Mat 10:8 ISV)
- FREE Bibles and Bible Study Software Downloads
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