General Information About The Bible

With this lesson you are beginning a study of the greatest book ever to be delivered into human hands. The Bible is the book of books. It has done more to change the course of human events than any other book ever printed. To engage in a successful Bible study one must understand a little about its make-up. All of the Bible is the word of God, but not all of it is in the form of commandments for us to obey today (e.g., "make thee an ark." Gen. 6:14). Therefore to properly understand, we must "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). We can do this best if we first have an overall view of the Bible story.

I. General Make-Up of the Bible

A. Its Name Indicates Its Pre-eminence.

1. The word Bible comes from the Greek word "Biblios" which means "a book."

2. Because of its importance God's Word is called "The Book of All Books."

B. The Bible Is Composed of Two Major Divisions.

1. Though the whole composition is called "The Book" the Bible is made up of 66 individual books which are divided into two major sections.

2. The Old Testament contains 39 books originally written in Hebrew by about 32 men over a period dating from about 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C. This part of the Bible tells of man's earliest existence and of God's first covenants with man.

3. The New Testament contains 27 books originally written in Greek by 8 men over a period dating from about 52 A.D. to 97 A.D. This is the record of God's covenant for man today. It is called "new" for the first covenant was set aside when this was given (Heb. 7:18; Heb. 8:13).

C. The Bible Is Inspired of God.

1. About 40 men wrote the Bible as God's Spirit directed them, 2 Peter 1:21.

2. They used the words given by the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 2:10-13; 1 Thes. 2:13.

3. Therefore the Bible is inspired (God-breathed), 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Eph. 3:3-5.

4. The unity of the Bible is one proof of its inspiration. These forty men lived over a span of 1600 years and had no possible way to confer with one another. They came from various backgrounds and social levels; they even wrote in different languages. Yet the Bible is without contradiction! Had the Bible been the work of 40 minds it would surely be filled with conflicting human opinions. Its unity proves that the Bible is from one mind-the mind of God!