INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE.

The greatest treasure any nation can have is the Bible in its mother-tongue.

God has bestowed favor on the English-speaking nations of the world by giving them a Bible in English.

We would doubtless have been poorer were it not for this treasure. The influence of the Bible on the lives of the English-speaking nations of the world would be very difficult to assess.

Therefore it is important for us to know as much as possible about this BOOK in order to acquaint ourselves with its contents.

But before we can make a thorough study of Biblical Introduction we must first look at important statistics, the divisions, abbreviations and the different people who wrote the Bible books.

The Bible consists of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and the other 27 in the New Testament.

These books have been written by about 36 different authors over a period of more or less 1600 years.

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Bible’? Perhaps you think of a huge, heavy book found at the front of a church.

Perhaps you think about what is found in it – lists of ‘do’s and ‘do not’s, like in the Ten Commandments, or stories: Noah and the Ark, Adam and Eve, or the stories Jesus told, like the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Bible is the biggest selling book in the world and has influenced life for billions of people throughout history.

Many countries, including our own, have created societies based on the rules, wisdom and values found in it. Phrases found in the Bible, such as ‘turn the other cheek’ or ‘go the extra mile’, are part of our everyday language and its stories have inspired many of our greatest works of art.

The Bible is incredibly special to Christians today. For them it is more than just a book. It is a sacred text: God’s words spoken to many different people over thousands of years to help them know more about who He is and His plans for the people of the world.

The last entries to the Bible may have been written nearly 2000 years ago, but for Christians it is just as meaningful today as it was when it was first written.

Many read a little part of it every day.

The Bible shapes what they believe about God, themselves and how they should live and the words found in the Bible comfort, encourage and inspire millions of people across the world today. In this section you will find articles explaining how the Bible is structured and what’s in it, as well as stories from Christians sharing how they use it and the difference it makes in their day to day lives.