Do you know what the essence of the Bible is? The dictionary defines essence as the indispensable quality of something, the most important ingredient or crucial element of that thing. This is important because what something is determines how it’s handled. Thus, knowing the essence of the Bible determines how we handle the Bible.
The History of the Bible, Part 3—Interpretation
Interpretation: Unlocking the Bible’s Full Meaning By the step of transmission, God’s breath, from its intangible reality, was received and recorded as written text, readable and knowable by mankind. The next step, Bible translation, involved the process of freeing the written manuscripts from the confines of their ancient tongues and rendering them into modern languages. The capstone of...
The History of the Bible, Part 2—Translation
This is the second post in a special, three-part series on the history of the Bible. Where did the Bible come from? How did it come to be in English and so many other languages? Knowing the history of this most precious Book will increase our appreciation of the written Word of God and its availability to us today, and will motivate us to treasure the Bible and read it regularly.
The History of the Bible, Part 1—Transmission
This is the first post in a special, three-part series on the history of the Bible. Where did the Bible come from? How did it come to be in English and so many other languages? Knowing the history of this most precious Book will increase our appreciation of the written Word of God and its availability to us today, and will motivate us to treasure the Bible and read it regularly.
The Bible’s Source—God or Man?
Where did the Bible come from? Are its words simply religious lore, written down by people over the centuries? Are they the product of the thoughts and imaginations of men? Or is the Bible the inspired Word of God? Did God write the Bible? Or did men? Since our faith is based on this book, it’s crucial for us as Christians to know the source of the Bible.
The History of the Bible
Introduction: The Journey of the Bible and the Struggle to Unlock Its Meaning The Bible is the greatest book in the universe. Much more than merely a Christian book of morals and stories, the Bible is the speaking of God to man. But how did the Word of our God, recorded so long ago, reach us in its written form? The Bible has taken an incredible journey—from God’s mouth to our hands. To grasp the...
One Major Function of the Word of God: To Testify concerning the Lord Jesus Christ
In previous posts, we discussed the Spirit being the essence of the Word of God, Christ Himself being its content, and God being its origin. Additionally, we’ve talked about the functions of the Word of God, what it does. Did you know the Word of God has at least six major functions? In this post, we’ll focus on just one: to testify concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. What is “function” and why is...
6 Functions of the Living Word of God
Hebrews 4:12 says that “the word of God is living and operative.” The Bible is a living book, and as a living book, it is very active. It functions to do many things both for God and for us. In the following sections, we’ll look at some verses that show six of the primary functions of the living and operative word of God. The Word of God testifies concerning Christ John 5:39 says, “You search the...
