Why the Bible Is Different From All Other Books
It does more than give us information. God uses His Word to speak truth to our hearts, reveal what is within us, and change our lives. Hebrews tells us why:
The Bible is the most famous book in the world and the most widely distributed and best-selling book in history. No other book has had a greater reach or influence.
Many Writers, One Author
The Bible was written over a period of about 1,500 years by around 40 different human authors.
They included kings, fishermen, priests, government officials, farmers, shepherds, and a physician. From all that diversity comes an incredible unity, with common themes woven throughout.
That unity exists because Scripture ultimately has one divine Author, God Himself. God used the personalities and writing styles of human authors while guiding them to write His message.
There is one central message consistently carried throughout the Bible: God, who created us, desires that we know Him, trust Him, and be reconciled to Him.
The Books of the Bible
The Bible is one Book, divided into two main parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament contains thirty-nine books, and the New Testament contains twenty-seven books. Together they form the sixty-six books of the Bible.
The Old Testament tells how God formed Israel, gave them His law, spoke through His prophets, and revealed the promises of God-including the promise of a coming Savior. The New Testament tells how God fulfilled those promises through Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all who believe in His Son Jesus Christ, creating His church, and revealing God's future for His people.
These books include law, history, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, Gospel accounts of the life of Christ, letters to churches and believers, and the promise of Christ's return.
They contain many themes, including creation, covenant, sacrifice, redemption, faith, obedience, judgment, grace, salvation, and eternal hope. Although the books differ in style and purpose, they form one unfolding message centered in Jesus Christ.
God's Word Is Living and Powerful
God's Word is not dead or powerless. It is living and powerful, and it continues to speak truth into our hearts and lives.
God's Word reaches beneath the surface. It exposes our innermost thoughts, motives, and desires.
Hebrews 4:13 then reminds us that nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is open before His eyes, and He is the One to whom we are accountable.
God not only uses His Word to reveal what is in our hearts; He also sends His Word with a purpose. Isaiah tells us that when God sends out His Word, it will accomplish what He intends.
God's Word never goes out powerless or without purpose. God says that His Word will accomplish what He intends it to accomplish.
What Is the Bible For?
The Bible tells us that Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true, show us what is wrong in our lives, correct us when we are wrong, and teach us to do what is right.
God uses His Word to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.
From the Bible we get our understanding of God. From it we receive instruction about how to live in a way that pleases Him. It gives us truth, correction, wisdom, encouragement, hope, and direction.
The Bible Stands Forever
Kingdoms have risen and fallen, generations have come and gone, and countless books have disappeared, but God's Word remains.
The Bible is not merely an ancient book preserved from the past. God's Word continues to speak because its Author is eternal and its truth does not change.
The Bible's Central Message
The most important event in human history is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible's central message reaches its fulfillment in Him.
The most important fact about life is that God is real and has revealed Himself through creation, through His Word, and most clearly through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The most important decision any person can make concerns what they will do with Jesus Christ.
The Bible is not merely a book of history, wisdom, prophecy, or moral instruction. It points us to God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Author Is With Us
Because the Bible contains God's truth, recorded by men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is different from every other book. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures helps believers understand and apply what God has written.
It's much like having the author of a book sitting beside you as you read his words, helping you understand what he meant.
That makes reading the Bible an exciting experience for a Christian. A passage you may have read many times can suddenly speak to a need in your life, correct your thinking, strengthen your faith, or show you something about God that you had never noticed before.
You never know what God is going to show you from His Word next!
Read It, Think About It, Live It
God did not give us His Word merely to possess it or occasionally read it. He wants His Word to become part of our daily lives.
In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua to keep the Book of Instruction continually before him, to meditate on it day and night, and to be careful to obey what was written in it.
Then, in the very next verse, God reminds Joshua why he can face what lies ahead without fear: the God who gave him His Word will also be with him wherever he goes.
There is a beautiful connection here: Joshua was to keep God's Word before him because God's Word would continually remind him of the God who was with him.
Questions We All Ask
Is there a God?
Does my life have meaning, or does everything happen solely by chance?
How can I find the truth about life and death?
What will happen when I die?
Is the Bible truly the inspired Word of God, or is it simply the philosophical writing of ancient men?
Questions like these come to nearly all of us at some point. The answers matter because they affect our goals, relationships, peace of mind, and ultimately our view of eternity.
The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God and presents its message as truth. Because of that claim, every person should thoughtfully consider the Bible as truly God's Word.
Our deepest beliefs shape our decisions, priorities, and direction. Change what a person truly believes, and sooner or later their actions will change as well.
The Most Important Decision
If you want to know more about receiving God's gift of forgiveness, peace, and eternal life through Jesus Christ, read The Good News.
Read The Good NewsThe Bible has shaped lives for centuries, but its greatest value is not simply its influence on history. Its greatest value is that through its pages we come to know the God who created us and the Savior who came to redeem us.
Read the Bible Online
If you do not have a Bible with you, you can read God's Word online. I have chosen ESV.org because it opens directly to the Bible and keeps the reading experience simple.
Not sure where to begin? Start with the Gospel of John. Read one chapter at a time and ask yourself: What does this teach me about Jesus Christ?
Start Reading the Gospel of John