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What is the Bible? Let Us Discuss Christian Faith

The Bible is the sacred book of the Christian faith, but it is important to understand that the book itself has no special virtue—touching a Bible or having it in some special place will have no supernatural effect. It is the message that matters. Christians believe that God inspired the writers and this message is His message for men and women of all nationalities, of all ages.

The message of the Bible

The Bible is about God and his dealings with men and women. It tells us that God created the world and that man is a special part of that creation, made in God’s image to enjoy a special relationship with Him. That relationship is broken by our sin. God loves us but because He is holy, he must punish sin. So he entered our world as a man, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can have forgiveness and be reconciled to God.

How to Read the Bible

The Bible is a collection of 66 separate books containing history, poetry, biography, and doctrine. If you try to read it through from the beginning to the end, you will soon get bogged down inlaws for people living 3000 years ago. So it is better to move around through the different books.

Reading the Bible can have a transforming effect on your life. Here are some practical tips for reading the Bible.

Different Methods

If you are coming to the Bible for the first time, you may just want to read it for yourself at your own pace, maybe reading longer chapters as you would an ordinary book. It is also rewarding to read the Bible with others who are reading and learning about God, such as other family members or others in a group at a church.
There are also reading programs that enable you to read through the whole Bible in a year, which takes about three chapters a day.
A third approach is to read shorter passages and then make notes or observations about the passage in order to more fully understand God’s Word.

Practical Suggestions

Each time you read the Bible, it is a good idea to start by asking God to help you understand and apply what you are reading. As you read, ask these three questions:

What is the passage all about (try to get a general feel for the meaning)?
What was the original writer saying to his hearers (if the Bible has notes, this may help you understand more)?
How does this apply to me today? Some passages may give direct instructions—for example, “love one another.”—but in most cases, you may have to think more carefully about how the principles apply in today’s day and culture.

Also, these questions may help give further insight:

What do I learn about God from this passage?
What do I learn about Jesus Christ?
What do I learn about myself?

There are many different translations and styles of Bibles available today.

King James Version 1611 (KJV)

The KJV is the first version of Scripture authorized by the Protestant church and commissioned by England’s King James I.

Revised Standard Version 1952 (RSV) and New Revised Standard Version 1995 (NRS)

Derived from the King James Version but in modern English and taking account of modern scholarship.

English Standard Version 2001 (ESV)

A new translation from the early texts but making use of the Revised Standard Version as a base.

New International Version 1978 (NIV)

The most popular modern translation, used in many churches. This was a new translation from the earliest available texts, produced by a committee of scholars drawn from different Christian traditions. It is widely respected as a clear, accurate translation.

The Message 1995 (MSG)

The Message is a paraphrase from the original languages written by Eugene, H. Peterson. The Message provides a fresh and unique Bible-reading experience.

To the right is a list of the books of the Bible and the approximate time it takes to read each book. You can get a feel for the approximate day and hour the different books will be read.

New Living Translation 1996 (NLT)

This is a more recent translation that seeks to convey more of the meaning of the passage rather than a strict word-for-word translation. Many people find it more readable than the NIV.

This is the version we will be using during our Bible Reading Marathon.