What Is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books written by about 40 different authors over a span of 1,500 years, yet it tells one unified story. It is the inspired Word of God, serving as a divine library that reveals God’s character, his plan for humanity, and the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Because it is divinely inspired, the Bible is the ultimate authority for faith and life, providing wisdom, guidance, and the truth about our salvation.
A Divine Library of 66 Books
While we often refer to the Bible as a single “book,” it is actually a library. It is divided into two major sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains 39 books written before the birth of Jesus, focusing on God’s creation of the world, the fall of humanity into sin, and God’s covenant relationship with the nation of Israel. It sets the stage for the coming Savior.
The New Testament consists of 27 books written after Jesus’ life on earth. It begins with the four Gospels, which record the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The rest of the New Testament explains how the early church began and provides practical instructions for how followers of Jesus should live. Together, these 66 books work in perfect harmony to point us toward God’s plan of redemption.
Written by Man, Inspired by God
One of the most unique aspects of the Bible is its authorship. While it was physically written by human hands—including kings, fishermen, doctors, and shepherds—the primary author is God himself. This concept is called “inspiration.” God didn’t simply dictate words to robots; rather, he worked through the personalities, cultures, and languages of the human authors to ensure that exactly what he wanted to say was recorded.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Because the Bible is inspired by God, it carries a weight and authority that no other book possesses. It isn’t just a collection of ancient advice; it is “living and active.” This means that when you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses those ancient words to speak directly to your current situation, offering hope, conviction, and clarity.
One Unified Story
Despite the diversity of its authors and the vast amount of time it took to complete, the Bible is not a disjointed collection of myths. From Genesis to Revelation, it tells one coherent story: the story of God’s rescue mission for humanity. The Bible explains where we came from (Creation), what went wrong (the Fall), what God did about it (Redemption through Jesus), and how everything will eventually be made right (Restoration).
Jesus is the “hinge” of this entire story. The Old Testament looks forward to his arrival through prophecies and symbols, while the New Testament looks back at his finished work on the cross and forward to his return. If you read the Bible without looking for Jesus, you’ll miss the heartbeat of the message. Every page is ultimately about God’s love for us demonstrated through his Son.
More Than Just Information
The purpose of the Bible is not merely to increase our intellectual knowledge or give us trivia facts. The goal of Scripture is transformation. God gave us the Bible so that we could know him personally. Through its pages, we discover our identity as children of God and learn how to walk in the freedom and purpose that Jesus provides.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Reading the Bible is the primary way we hear from God. As we study it, we begin to think differently, love differently, and live differently. It serves as a compass in a world that is often confusing and dark. When we build our lives on the truths found in the Bible, we are building on a foundation that can never be shaken by the storms of life.
The Takeaway
The Bible is God’s gift to us—a divinely inspired library that tells the story of Jesus and his love for humanity. It is 66 books with one unified message: God wants a relationship with you. By reading and applying the Bible, you aren’t just learning about history; you are engaging with the living Word of God that has the power to change your life forever.
What Is the Story of the Bible?
The story of the Bible is a unified narrative about God’s plan to rescue humanity and restore a broken world through Jesus Christ. It begins with the perfect creation of the universe, follows the tragic fall of humanity into sin, and traces God’s ongoing efforts to reconcile people to Himself. From the ancient promises made to Abraham to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Bible tells the story of God’s relentless love and His ultimate victory over evil.
Creation and the Image of God
The Bible begins in Genesis with God bringing order and beauty out of chaos. Unlike the random processes often described in secular worldviews, the Bible presents a purposeful Creator who speaks life into existence. As the crowning achievement of His creation, God made humans in His own image—a concept known as Imago Dei. This means that every person has inherent dignity and a unique role to play in God’s world.
Originally, Adam and Eve were given the privilege of ruling over the earth as God’s representatives. They were to live in perfect harmony with God, each other, and nature. This “Garden of Eden” state represents the world as it was meant to be—a place of peace, purpose, and unhindered relationship with the Creator.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
The Fall and the Choice of Humanity
The story takes a dark turn when humanity chooses to redefine “good and evil” for themselves rather than trusting God’s definition. Tempted by a serpent, Adam and Eve ate from the one tree God had forbidden. This act of rebellion, known as the Fall, introduced sin into the human heart. Consequently, sin acted like a poison, breaking the perfect relationship between God and people and bringing death and suffering into the world.
Because God is holy and just, sin created a massive gap that humans could not bridge on their own. Instead of ruling the world in love, humanity began to rule in selfishness and violence. We see this throughout history as societies try to build their own “Towers of Babel,” seeking significance and security apart from God. The rest of the Bible is essentially the story of God’s rescue mission to bring us back home.
The Promise to Abraham and Israel
God did not abandon His creation after the Fall. Instead, He started a long-term plan to bless the world through one family. He called a man named Abraham and made a covenant with him, promising him land, many descendants, and a future blessing that would extend to all nations. This family grew into the nation of Israel.
Genesis 12:2-3 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others… All the families on earth will be blessed through you.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see Israel struggle to stay faithful to God. They were meant to be a “light to the nations,” showing the world what it looks like to live under God’s good rule. However, they repeatedly failed, proving that the problem of sin was too deep for just laws or rituals to fix. They needed a Savior who could change the human heart from the inside out.
Jesus and the New Creation
The turning point of the entire Bible is the arrival of Jesus. He is the “future blessing” promised to Abraham and the “New Adam” who succeeded where we failed. Jesus lived a perfect life, showing us exactly what God is like. Through His death on the cross, He took the penalty for our rebellion, and through His resurrection, He defeated death once and for all.
The New Testament explains that anyone who trusts in Jesus is brought back into a right relationship with God. The story doesn’t end with us just going to heaven; it ends with God bringing heaven to earth. The early church was started to spread this Good News, inviting people from every nation to join God’s family and participate in His work of restoration.
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
The Takeaway
The story of the Bible is not just a collection of ancient myths; it is the true story of our world. It explains where we came from, what went wrong, and how God is making all things new through Jesus. By understanding this unified narrative, we can find our own place in God’s plan and experience the hope of a restored relationship with Him.
Literary Styles in the Bible
Talking Points:
- In the Bible, understanding literary genres or literary styles is key to interpreting what you’re reading. You’ll miss out on a lot, or even draw incorrect conclusions if you treat a poem like a narrative or vice versa!
- Narrative makes up half the Bible, and this makes sense because it is the most common form of communication. By assembling these seemingly random events into a sequence, we are able to see the meaning and purpose of the events and realize that they aren’t random at all.
- Poetry/wisdom literature in the Bible falls into three main categories: poems/songs (Psalms, Song of Solomon), wisdom (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job), and prophetic (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other Hebrew prophets). All of these sub-genres have different tones and goals.
- These are speeches, letters, or essays that form an argument requiring a logical response from the audience. This literature is found in the Law of Moses (“torah”), the wisdom literature, and the letters written by the Apostles, like Peter, Paul, and John.
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Think of things like satire websites or “fake news.” Why is it important to understand context when you are reading, hearing, or seeing something? Share an example or story if you have one.
- Give an example of how context helped you understand a confusing Bible passage, or how context changed a view you previously held.
- “In life, we tend to think in familiar, well-worn paths.” Explain how you’ve seen this to be true in your own life. How have you seen people break out of vicious cycles or pointless ruts?
- How can the Bible’s different types of literature and genres reach all of us right where we are?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature | How to Read the Bible #4
Talking Points:
- One important facet of ancient Jewish literature is that it lacks many of the details modern English-speakers expect when they read. The Bible is not always attempting to answer the types of questions we are asking.
- The Bible is not a book to be read in one sitting, but a book to be read and reread over a lifetime: meditation literature.
- Psalm 1 describes the “ideal Bible readers” as someone who meditates upon the scripture day and night. In Hebrew, the word for “meditate,” (הָגָה, “hagah”) means to “mutter” or “speak quietly.” This holds the idea of slowly, quietly reading the Bible aloud to yourself and talking about it with likeminded people. Psalm 1:1-6
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Have you ever been confused by a film, article/book, or something else because it seemed foreign to you? Explain.
- How does something’s origin – time, place, original writer/audience – affect how we should interpret it? Explain.
- What are some examples of people imposing their own lens/bias onto the Bible?
- “The Bible is not always attempting to answer the types of questions we are asking.” Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.
- How does this video help you understand what seems like missing or ambiguous information in the Bible?
- Consider the “offspring” of Genesis 3:15. Why does the Bible invite us to engage with its story rather than provide all the answers we’re seeking up front?
- Read Psalm 1:1-3 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What does it mean that “the Bible reads you?” What does it look like practically in our lives?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Plot in Biblical Narrative | How to Read the Bible #5
Talking Points:
- The basic elements of narratives (stories) are characters, settings, and events. Biblical narratives are about people doing things in places. How the events are selected and arranged by the author of the narrative is called the “plot.”
- Scenes must be understood in the context of the larger plot. A story can seem to have a very different point if you don’t know what is happening, when, and why in a narrative – and this happens all the time when people read the Bible. Judges 6:1-16, 36-39
- Gideon doesn’t trust God, and that’s the plot conflict of the beginning of his story. If anything, this story is a cautionary tale about how we should not test God, not a formula for ways to test God. Judges 7:1-20
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What are some of your favorite stories? Why do you enjoy them?
- Read Judges 6:1-16, 36-39. What did you think of the story of Gideon and fleece before watching this video? After?
- Read Judges 7:1-20. What do we learn from Gideon’s story in chapter 7 that we didn’t learn in chapter 6?
- How does the story of Gideon help you understand how to read biblical narratives?
- How does the story of Gideon apply to our lives today?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Character in Biblical Narrative
Talking Points:
- Good stories have relatable characters with relatable struggles. This is important because stories are reflections of our own struggles. We see parts of ourselves in stories and characters, and the message a story conveys can have a profound impact on how we come away from the story.
- Biblical narratives develop characters differently than modern English narratives. For example, biblical narratives don’t often describe the physical appearance of biblical characters, but when they do, it’s crucial.
- Biblical narratives often refrain from providing moral commentary, telling us that one thing is right or another is wrong. Instead, the actions of the characters speak for themselves.
- Often the characters, even the ones we usually say are “good,” do bad things. They are a mixed bag of moral successes and failures, of faithfulness to God and faltering. King David is called a man after God’s own heart…yet he committed a murder. 2 Samuel 11:1-27, 1 Samuel 13:14
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Who is one of your favorite Bible characters? How about a character from outside the Bible? Why do you like/identify with these characters?
- Often, people can make the mistake of thinking the Bible is saying one thing when it’s actually saying another. Has anyone ever misinterpreted you? What happened?
- The Bible isn’t always as clear with details as modern readers might hope. Have you ever been frustrated or confused when a story in the Bible left out a detail or other piece of information you thought would be crucial? Explain.
- Read 2 Samuel 11:1-27 and 1 Samuel 13:14. How can both of these passages be talking about the same person? What does it say about God that he could still appoint David as king knowing his future mistakes?
- In what ways have you seen God as the hero in your life?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
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