So, what is the Bible, and why is it important to the Christian faith?
The word itself comes from the Greek “τὰ βιβλία” which means, “the books” and it’s an apt description. The Bible isn’t just one book. It’s a collection of books. The Protestant Bible has 66 books. Those books fit into several genres, from letters, to poetry, to music, to history, to philosophy and to prophesy. They were recorded over the better part of a millennium, by a large number of authors, from different eras, different backgrounds and from different experiences.
We Christians believe that these authors were inspired by God and that their words came from him. As such, the Bible is the word of God. There are many traditions within the various denominations of the Christian faith, but the core beliefs and shared values, come from the Bible.
“Love your neighbour”, “Love your enemy”, “Go the extra mile” – all of these values come from the teachings in the Bible. The story of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the reason behind it, are all articulated in the Bible.
Do you want to know why God created us? The Christian answer is in the Bible.
Do you want to know what love is and why love is so important? The Christian answer is in the Bible.
It is a very long read, and it can be difficult, but the breadth of content it covers is surprisingly vast. Yes, some people cherry-pick from it to defend this position or that position, but anyone can do that with any book.
Don’t just judge the book by its cover. Read it! You will be surprised what you find.
