:: Thirty-Five Things Worth Knowing About the Bible ::

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Thirty-Five Things Worth Knowing About the Bible

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations are

from the New English Translation (NET).

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28 What about the fact that the Bible is so ancient and mysterious?

Because the Bible is an ancient book, inspired by God, and written in a foreign land, there are several areas in which major gaps exist between the Bible and us living today. [REF]

CHRONOLOGY. No human being living today can claim firsthand knowledge of the people, places, and events described in the Bible.
GEOGRAPHY. Most people live thousands of miles from the area in which the events described in the Bible took place.
CULTURE. Both attitudes and actions are, to a large extent, culture bound.
LANGUAGE. The Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek -- languages largely unknown to the average Bible reader.
LITERATURE. There are many different genres (= types of literature) found within the Bible.
SPIRITUAL. The Bible comes from and seeks to describe the thoughts and workings of an infinite God.

However, we living today have access to a large number of excellent resources for bridging these gaps, including:

different English versions/translations of the Bible
study Bibles
Bible dictionaries
Bible encyclopedia
language reference works (word study dictionaries, lexicons, and interlinear Bibles)
introductions to the Bible
Bible handbooks
Bible commentary
Bible background/historical reference works

(Please click here for some recommended titles.)

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29	WHO SAID WHAT The Bible is a letter from God with our personal address on it. -- SOREN KIERKEGAARD (1813-1855) [REF]

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30 What's the best way to study the Bible?

By 1) committing to a regular schedule of Bible reading, and 2) asking questions of the Bible as we read. The questions we should ask of the text as we read are actually the same questions we should ask of any literature we read, including: Who? What? Where? When? and Why? Such questions can be divided into three basic categories: [REF]

SETTING. Who wrote the book? Why was it written? What is its historical context? Where was it written, and to whom?
CONTEXT. What genre is being employed? What is the message of this verse, passage, or book? What is said before and after the passage under consideration?
STRUCTURE. Look for: repeated words or phrases; comparisons and contrasts; questions and answers; progression (in time, action, or place); a climax; figures of speech; linking words or ideas; and verbs (action words).

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APOLOGETICS 101

How does Christianity compare to other religions?

Today it is common to hear that all religions are basically the same and that everyone worships the same God (although he goes by different names). But while it is true that most religious traditions can generally agree on what makes a morally good person, there are major differences regarding who/what God/god/gods is/are and how we can be rightly related to him/her/them/it. [REF]

It has been observed that the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions is Jesus Christ, and that the most important difference between Jesus Christ and all other religious leaders is Jesus' claim to be God -- a claim backed up by numerous miracles, the greatest of which was his own resurrection.

Christianity is the only religion that offers the true teachings of Jesus, and binds together the true followers of Jesus.

As important as the Christian faith is, however, we should be quick to remember that the most important issue is not a religion, but a relationship. As one paraphrase renders Jesus' words:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

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32 How can I apply the Bible to my daily life?

More than a book of facts to be learned, the Bible is a book of truths to be lived. Jesus had this same idea in mind when he said

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!" (Matthew 7:24-27)

The application part of Bible study helps us make "meaningful connections" between the passage being studied and our contemporary world. [REF] In other words, application means going from the then-and-there to the here-and-now. Applying God's never-changing truths to our ever-changing lives is a two step process involving 1) determining what a given Bible passage teaches concerning how people relate to one another and, most importantly, to God, and then 2) thinking in terms of contemporary human relationships found in one's home, neighborhood, workplace, school, church, state, nation, and world. [REF] While there is only one correct interpretation -- that is, the original message the original author intended to convey to his original audience -- a given passage from the Bible may contain any number of principles that can be applied to the many and various situations we encounter.

Regarding specific application, one source helpfully suggests using the acronym SPECS: [REF]

Is there a SIN to be forsaken?
Is there a PROMISE to be claimed?
Is there an EXAMPLE to be followed?
Is there a COMMAND to be obeyed?
Is there a STUMBLING BLOCK (= hindrance) to be avoided?

Having said all that, it is vital to remember that right application begins with right interpretation. Which, in turn, means taking the time and effort to hear the original message and the entire message. A very dangerous but all too common tendency is to 1) skip interpretation altogether and go straight to application, and 2) look for those portions of Scripture we can personally identify with while skipping over everything else. And so, for example, the person with a gentle and quiet spirit may key in on "gentle Jesus meek and mild," while someone with a more aggressive personality type may emphasize Jesus' anger toward the Pharisees and his driving the money-changers out of the temple. The best approach -- and, really, the only one that does justice to God and his Word -- is to read, study, and seek to apply all of the Bible. [REF]

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WHO SAID WHAT

The Bible -- banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it more powerful than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless killers into gentle saints.

-- CHARLES COLSON (1931- ) [REF]

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34 What are some benefits of studying and applying the Bible?

As has often been said, God loves us just the way we are -- but (thankfully) he loves us too much to leave us that way. Instead, he wants to change us from the inside out, to make us into the people he created us to be -- which means making us more like Christ in our attitudes and actions. As we consistently study and apply God's inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible, we will see our lives change for the better as God both calls us to and blesses us with specific personal qualities. To name only a few: [REF]

a strong and lasting desire to help others
a pure and blameless life
the courage that comes from strong convictions
a sense of peace and contentment
a sense of direction, purpose, and meaning
a hunger and thirst for what is right -- that is, righteousness
a firm commitment to be truthful
the fruit of God's Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23)

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35	WHO SAID WHAT The mystery of the Bible should teach us, at one and the same time, our nothingness and our greatness, producing humility and animating hope. -- HENRY MELVILLE (1742-1811) [REF]