What is the Bible? It seems like a pretty basic question and most people, whether they’re Christians or not, can give some kind of answer. But for Christians, the Bible is the foundation of our faith, God’s Word to us. So, understanding what the Bible is, what it’s for, and why it matters is crucial. Unfortunately, not everyone, even those who hold it in high regard, truly understand it as they should.
Let’s start by answering this fundamental question, what is the Bible? Keep in mind that we are approaching the subject here from the proverbial ten-thousand-foot view and we will dig into the details in future posts.
The Bible: An Unmatched Influence
The Bible is one of the most influential books in human history. It has shaped religions, cultures, moral values, and even laws around the world. As the foundational text for both Christianity and Judaism, it has touched billions of lives over thousands of years. But the Bible’s reach extends far beyond religion. It has influenced art, literature, and philosophy in ways that continue to be felt today.
Many of the laws and values we hold in the Western world, like justice, compassion, and the belief in the dignity of each person, are rooted in biblical teachings. The Bible’s messages of love, hope, and redemption have gone on to inspire countless individuals to live with purpose and serve others. At the same time, it can be a challenging and even confusing book for many people.
A Collection of Ancient Writings
The Bible is actually a collection of writings that come from ancient Israel, a small group of people living in what is called the Ancient Near East (ANE for short). Among the Israelite community were individuals called prophets. While we often think of prophets as mystical people who give formal predictions about the future, the role of the biblical prophet in Israel was much broader. They were God’s messengers speaking on his behalf, calling out wrong behavior, teaching, and, yes, sometimes foretelling the future.
These prophets didn’t see Israel’s story as merely the history of one nation. They understood it as a key part of God’s bigger plan for all humanity. These prophets wrote poetry, narratives, and other types of literature to help people wrestle with big questions about life, death, and meaning.
The Story Behind the Texts
The Bible wasn’t written all at once. The writings we have in the Bible span over a thousand years and draw from even older oral traditions, stories passed down by word of mouth before they were written down.
The earliest stories in the Bible tell of the origins of the Hebrew people in Egypt and their journey to becoming a kingdom, including the building of their first temple. The story continues through their defeat and exile in Babylon, and then their return to the land and the rebuilding of the temple. It was during this second temple period that these writings began to take the form we know today as the Hebrew Bible, or the TaNaK (t-uh-n-uh-k).
The Structure of the Hebrew Bible
The TaNaK is an acronym for the three main sections of the Hebrew Bible:
- Torah (T) – Meaning “Law,” the Torah consists of the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
- Nevi’im (Na) – Meaning “Prophets” (nuh-vee-EEM), the Nevi’im includes historical books like Joshua, Samuel, and Kings, which tell the story of Israel’s kingdom from a prophetic perspective. It also includes the writings of the prophets themselves, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel.
- Ketuvim (K) – Meaning “Writings” (kuh-too-veem), this section contains poetry, wisdom literature, and other writings such as Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.
Along with the TaNaK, there were other writings valued by different Jewish communities. Books like Enoch, Maccabees, and Tobit sparked debates about whether they should be considered Scripture. These debates went on for centuries as Jewish scholars and early Christians wrestled with what should be included.
The Jewish people believed that throughout the story of the TaNaK, God is speaking to his people, promising them a future king who would come and restore all creation. And as the Tanak comes to a close this promised messiah never appears…the story just ends.
The Fulfillment of the TaNaK in Jesus
Fast forward a couple of centuries, and a Jewish prophet and rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth arrives on the scene. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the TaNaK, God’s promised messiah. He performed miracles and was eventually put to death for claiming to be the Son of God. But after his crucifixion, his followers claimed that he had risen from the dead proving he was indeed the Messiah, the one who would restore all of creation.
These followers wrote new texts, called the Gospels, which told the story of Jesus’ life and teachings. They also wrote a book called The Acts of the Apostles, which told how Jesus’ message spread beyond Israel. They penned letters to early Christian churches, which helped guide these new communities in their faith.
The Formation of the New Testament
The early church spent several decades gathering these writings and determining which ones were most widely used and valued. By the third century, a group of recognized scriptures, the canon, was established. This became what we now call the New Testament. These writings were seen as the completion of the TaNaK and the fulfillment of the long-awaited story of God’s plan.
There were other writings from the time between the Old and New Testaments, like Maccabees and Tobit, which sparked more debate about whether they should be included in the canon. Some branches of Christianity, like the Roman Catholic Church, included these books, calling them the Apocrypha (meaning hidden) or Deuterocanonical (meaning second canon) books. Later, in the 16th century the Protestant Reformers chose to keep only the oldest and most verified writings, including only the Old and New Testaments as we see it today.
What’s Next?
So, now that we have answered the question of what the Bible is now, we face the question of how do all these writings, spread across centuries, tell one complete story? That is what we will explore in the next post.