What is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of books and is the primary text for the Christian faith. It shows us how much God wants a relationship with each one of us and can help us discover who we are and who God has created us to be. 

Central to the Bible is the story of Jesus, the lens through which Christians see God’s love for the world. 

The Old and New Testaments 

The Bible, also called the Scriptures, is divided into two parts, called the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

The Old Testament explores ancient Jewish law and history, as well featuring books of poetry and prophecy.

The New Testament tells the story of Jesus life and contains letters which reveal what the early Church believed.

Bible facts 

• Number of books: 66
• Approximate number of words: 750,000
• Approximate number of years taken to write: 1,400
• Approximate number of authors who wrote it: 40 

Inspiration 

The Bible is often referred to as the word of God, but how did the authors know what to write? One writer, Paul, put it like this:

This short passage makes two really important points about the Bible.  

1. It tells us where the Scriptures originate: they were ‘inspired by God’.
2. It tells us part of the Bible’s purpose: teaching, preparing and equipping Jesus’ followers to live life the best way.

God didn’t dictate or coerce the Bible writers to put aside their upbringing and cultural perspectives, but used these to add greater depth and relevance for their audience.  

Neither did God put the authors of the Bible into a trance and take over their writing hand! God, communicating through his Holy Spirit, which is his presence in the world that Jesus’ followers can experience in their own lives. This Spirit guided the authors to enable them to write words which convey his truth. 

Interpreting the text

The Bible helps God speaks to us today. It is a living word that brings us closer to knowing Jesus and living full lives through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Knowing what God is saying to us through the Bible can be challenging at times, especially as the writers are from a very different time and culture to ours today. 

A key purpose of a local church is for people to read the Bible together and explore different perspectives of what God is saying through the text. 

Bible readings and messages, sometimes known as sermons, are a central part of church worship services and many Christians gather in smaller church groups, sometimes in their own homes, to study the Bible together. Churches may also have Bible study groups for people who are new to Christianity.