Bible Basics: Knowing GodSample

What is the Bible?

By Christopher Hyslop

The Bible is the most famous, most influential, most widely distributed, and most translated book of all time. People have risked their lives for it, and it has literally changed the world. From a purely historical perspective, the Bible is a collection of writings by various authors from around 2000 BC to 90 AD. It’s divided into two sections – a kind of before-and-after the life of Jesus Christ.

Many people misunderstand the Bible to be just a book of myths, stories, rules, and outdated teachings. In reality, all 66 books of the Bible form one overarching, unified story of God and His dealings with humankind. Every book of the Bible points to God’s loving, redemptive work on Earth as He pursues a relationship with the people He created.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul explains that all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that we might be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Bible is alive. God breathed life into the scriptures the same way He breathed life into the first man, Adam. God used numerous different people to write down His words, but – amazingly! – we have the (real) author of the Bible, the Spirit of God, living in us. This is great news as we seek to understand the Bible: we can ask the writer Himself what it means.

Jesus told His followers that those who listened to His words and put them into practice would be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. When the storms rolled in, his house stood firm because it had a rock-solid foundation. The same is true for us. Listening to the Bible’s wisdom and putting it into practice helps us survive the winds and floods of life.

Each of us sees the world through a specific lens or worldview, shaped by our upbringing, education, social media, and other influencing factors. As followers of Jesus, we believe that God’s Word – and not the world’s teachings and traditions – should inform our worldview. What’s more, if you want to get to know God better, and if you want Him to speak to you, then the very best thing you can do is open your Bible. May the timeless, life-giving truth of God’s Word transform your worldview and may you find in the pages of scripture the courage and wisdom you need for the next step of your journey.