The Books of the Bible

[Patriot]

Why is understanding the Bible important?​

ANSWER

Understanding the Bible is important because the Bible is God’s Word. When we open the Bible, we read God’s message to us. What could be more important than understanding what the Creator of the universe has to say?

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason a man seeks to understand a love letter from his sweetheart. God loves us and desires to restore our relationship with Him (Matthew 23:37). God communicates His love to us in the Bible (John 3:16; 1 John 3:1; 4:10).

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason a soldier seeks to understand a dispatch from his commander. Obeying God’s commands brings honor to Him and guides us in the way of life (Psalm 119). Those commands are found in the Bible (John 14:15).

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason a mechanic seeks to understand a repair manual. Things go wrong in this world, and the Bible not only diagnoses the problem (sin) but also points out the solution (faith in Christ). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason a driver seeks to understand traffic signals. The Bible gives us guidance through life, showing us the road of safety and wisdom (Psalm 119:11, 105).

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason someone in the path of a storm seeks to understand the weather report. The Bible predicts what the end times will be like, sounding a clear warning of impending judgment (Matthew 24-25) and how to avoid it (Romans 8:1).

We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason an avid reader seeks to understand his favorite author’s books. The Bible reveals to us the person and glory of God, as expressed in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18). The more we read and understand the Bible, the more intimately we know the Author.

As Philip was traveling to Gaza, the Holy Spirit led him to a man who was reading a portion of Isaiah. Philip approached the man, saw what he was reading, and asked this very important question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). Philip knew that understanding was the starting point for faith. Without understanding the Bible, we cannot apply it, obey it, or believe it.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

Basic Bible Interpretation by Roy Zuck

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[Patriot]

What is the Jerusalem Bible (JB)?​

ANSWER


The Jerusalem Bible (JB or TJB) is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible which first was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966. As a Roman Catholic Bible, it includes not only the deuterocanonical books, but numerous notes and introductions, although for the most part they appear to be only marginally influenced by RCC doctrine. In 1943, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter on biblical studies in which he gave permission for an English version to be done by Roman Catholics on the basis of the Greek and Hebrew texts rather than upon the Latin Vulgate, as was traditional up to that time. The Jerusalem Bible derives its name and its character from an earlier French version, called La Bible de Jérusalem. This French version, published in 1956 and revised 1961, was prepared by the faculty of the Dominican Biblical School in Jerusalem, on the basis of the Hebrew and Greek. The Jerusalem Bible was translated from the French version. In 1985, the English translation was completely updated. This new translation—known as the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)—was freshly translated from the original languages and not tied to any French translation (except indirectly, as it maintained many of the stylistic and interpretive choices of La Bible de Jérusalem).

Jerusalem Bible - Translation method
The translation from the Hebrew and Greek is literal with the notes and introductions reflecting the "higher criticism" approach. This method led the translators to come to some unfortunate conclusions, notably that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses (a theory discredited by Jesus Himself in Mark 12:26). The translators adopted a “mid-Atlantic” method of translating syntax in order for it to sound neither overwhelmingly British nor particularly American in nature. The famous author of the “Lord of the Rings” series, J.R.R. Tolkien, contributed to the translation of the book of Jonah. Tolkien also consulted on one or two points of style and criticized some contributions of others.

Jerusalem Bible - Pros and Cons
Overall, the Jerusalem Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible are good English translations of the Bible. Very little Roman Catholic "influence" is seen in the translation. The "higher critical" approach the translators took is troubling, but actually makes very little impact on the translation itself. With Roman Catholicism and theological liberalism as the foundation, though, the Jerusalem Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible should not be used as a primary Bible translation.

Jerusalem Bible - Sample Verses
John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 3:16 – “For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

John 8:58 – “Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I am.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 – “Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.”

Titus 2:13 – “waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus.”

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee & Mark L. Strauss

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

 

[Patriot]

Is the Bible true?​

ANSWER

Logic requires that there is only one objective “truth” for any specific claim. Contradictory claims cannot be equally true. For example, the statements “the hamster is in its cage” and “the hamster cage is empty” cannot both be true simultaneously. This evaluation of truth applies to spiritual matters just as well as logical or physical matters. It’s reasonable to claim that the Bible is true in a way that excludes all other statements. Examining the Bible in the same way we would any other text, we can confidently say that it is, in fact, true.

The Bible not only encourages readers to examine their own beliefs (1 John 4:1), but it also commends those who check spiritual claims for truth (Acts 17:11). The Bible makes claims on the basis of history and eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4; 2 Peter 1:16), connects belief to visible evidence (John 20:30–31), and ties biblical ideas to the observable world (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1). Jesus overtly claimed to represent an exclusive truth (John 18:37; 14:6). So the Bible is clearly meant to be interpreted as true, and exclusively true (John 17:17).

Where we can check biblical claims against verifiable truth, the Bible proves itself accurate. History, archaeology, science, and philosophy have shown Scripture to be factual and consistent. This correspondence between various forms of evidence is a major advantage the Bible has over the scriptures of any other faith system. In many cases, it has been the deciding factor in converting skeptics and nonbelievers to faith in Christ.

Whether or not the Bible is true is a separate question from whether or not a particular passage is “literal.” It’s reasonable to say that a phrase or statement is true, even if the truth is not presented in literal terms. For example, if a person says during a heavy rain, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” the statement is true—it’s just not literal. Idiomatic phrases are meant to be interpreted. The same principle applies to John’s words about Jesus: “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Of course, a person might ask for clarification, and be told, based on Old Testament passages, that Jesus isn’t literally a wooly farm animal, but that He’s the fulfillment of the Law and the divinely chosen sacrifice to redeem the world. The figurative nature of John’s statement doesn’t make his statement untrue, simply metaphorical. It’s good to remember that the Bible is comprised of sixty-six separate books, and each of them often contains different types of literature and a mixture of literal and figurative language.

More so than with any other religious text, we have assurance that the Bible is true. The combination of internal consistency, connection to evidence, and relevance to our experience makes the Bible unique among books. Like many religious works, the Bible claims to be true (2 Timothy 3:16). Unlike any other religious work, the Bible emphatically supports that assertion.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

Making Sense of Bible Difficulties: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation by Geisler & Howe

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

 

[Patriot]

What is the Berean Study Bible (BSB)?​

ANSWER

The Berean Study Bible (BSB) is a Bible translation published in 2016 by the Bible Hub. The translation team was comprised by scholars from the Bible Hub and the Discover Bible.

The Berean Study Bible seeks to connect readers with the Greek and Hebrew root words and meanings in an easy-to-read format. The study Bible merges two previous translations, the Berean Literal Bible and the Berean Interlinear Bible. The Berean Study Bible was created to offer an accurate translation of the Greek and Hebrew texts in a reader-friendly format. The publishers believe that the Scriptures are meant to be studied and shared freely, as Paul urged in Colossians 4:16: “After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.” To promote sharing, the BSB is offered free online and through downloads. Other free digital resources that will aid in Bible study are being developed.

The name Berean comes from Acts 17:11: “Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.” After encountering resistance and persecution in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas went to Berea to preach the gospel. There, the God-fearing Bereans listened with interest to what Paul and Silas said about Jesus, and then they compared what they heard with the Old Testament Scriptures. Verse 12 says, “As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.” The name Berean has come to symbolize people who are careful in their theology and doctrine and accept teaching only if it is supported by Scripture.

According to the Berean Study Bible website, Berean Bibles consist of four components or “translation tiers”:

1. An interlinear Bible to directly follow the Greek and Hebrew texts.
2. A literal translation to take the reader to the core of the Greek and Hebrew meanings.
3. A modern English translation, effective for public reading, memorization, and evangelism.
4. An annotated translation to bring out the full meaning and intensity of the original texts.

The Berean Bible Translation Committee considers the translation process open and subject to change as language evolves and meanings change. Various Bible translators use different methods for translating the Bible into English and other languages. Those methods fall on a continuum of dynamic translation (“thought for thought”) and literal translation (“word for word”). The Berean Study Bible utilizes both “word for word” and “thought for thought” approaches in the translation process. It maintains the original gender designations in Scripture and strives to be as consistent as possible to the core meanings of the original sources.

The Berean Study Bible includes all the links to Greek and Hebrew words that are part of the Berean Literal Bible. It also makes generous use of section headings and paragraph formatting to help ensure a smooth reading experience. In all, the Berean Study Bible is a good option for those wanting deeper study, cross-references, and a reader-friendly format.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee & Mark L. Strauss

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

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What is the Christian Standard

 

[Patriot]

What is the Catholic Bible?​

ANSWER

Many Christians are surprised to learn that the Catholic Bible is different from the Bible used by Protestants. While all 66 books found in Protestant Bibles are also found in the Catholic Bible, the Catholic Bible also contains other books, and additions to books. The Catholic Bible contains a total of 73 books, 46 in the Old Testament (Protestant Bibles have 39) and 27 in the New Testament (the same as Protestant Bibles).

The additional books in the Catholic Bible are known as the deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. They are Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch. The Catholic Bible also includes additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. Should the Apocrypha be included in the Bible? There was significant debate in the early Christian church, with a majority of the early church fathers rejecting the idea that the Apocrypha belonged in the Bible.

However, under tremendous pressure from Rome, Jerome, the translator of the Latin Vulgate, included the Apocrypha, despite Jerome’s insistence that the Apocrypha did not belong in the Bible. The Latin Vulgate became the dominant and officially sanctioned Catholic Bible, and remained that way for around 1200 years. Thus, the Apocrypha became a part of the Catholic Bible.

The Apocrypha was not formally/officially made a part of the Catholic Bible, though, until the Council of Trent, in response to the Protestant Reformation. The early Protestant Reformers, in agreement with Judaism, determined that the Apocrypha did not belong in the Bible, and therefore removed the Apocrypha from Protestant Bibles.

The most popular English translations of the Catholic Bible today are the New American Bible, the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, and the New Jerusalem Bible. Aside from the inclusion of the Apocrypha, each of these Bible translations is reasonably good and accurate in how it renders the biblical text into English.

In summary, the Catholic Bible is the version of the Bible promoted by the Roman Catholic Church and used by the majority of the world’s Catholics. Aside from the inclusion of the Apocrypha, the Catholic Bible is identical to Protestant Bibles in terms of the canon (the books belonging in the Bible).

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce

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[Patriot]

What is the purpose of the Bible?​

ANSWER

The Bible is great literature and the all-time number-one best-seller. It contains history, entertaining stories, poetry, philosophy, and personal letters. But, more than that, the Bible is God’s Word. If we have to speak of a single purpose of the Bible, it would be to reveal God to us. There are many things that we could never know about God unless He told them to us. The Bible is God’s self-revelation to humanity. The Bible also tells us who we are. It tells us of our sin and of God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Second Timothy 3:15–17 may be one of the most comprehensive purpose statements found in the Bible. The apostle Paul writes to his young assistant Timothy, “From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Some of the Bible is spoken directly by God Himself, and other parts are spoken by men whom He guided—but all of it is His Word, and all of it is beneficial and authoritative. Scripture shows us the way of salvation. Furthermore, it will teach us, rebuke us when we are wrong, and train us how to do right so that we may be ready to do God’s work.

Here are a few other verses from the Bible that speak of its own purpose in our lives:

Following it will keep us from sin: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

It gives us spiritual guidance: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Some of the Bible was written specifically to give us an accurate account of Jesus so that we might believe on Him and have eternal life: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31).

It assures the believer of his salvation: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

David delights in the Word of God and its purpose in his life:
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7–11).

When Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread, He responded, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Not only does Jesus profess that the Word of God is more important than physical food, but He also refutes Satan’s temptation by quoting from God’s Word. One of the Bible’s purposes, then, is to provide all-important spiritual sustenance and help us defeat temptation.

The Bible can help us see ourselves in perspective and cut through the distractions of pop culture that would lead us away from God. “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

It is not human cleverness or will-power that will change lives. God accomplishes His purposes when His Word (the Bible) is faithfully proclaimed. He will take care of the result:
“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11).

The Bible is not just a list of wise sayings that can be pulled out as if from a fortune cookie. Although we can benefit from all of the Bible, not all of it is written directly to us. The Bible is a unified work and must be carefully read and studied in context.

Christians who want to please God in their lives need to have a regular spiritual diet of God’s Word. Those who are not believers but who may be interested or even skeptical should read the Bible for themselves and see what it is all about.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

The Quest Study Bible

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

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[Patriot]

What is the proper way to dispose of a ruined Bible?​

ANSWER

There is no "biblical" way to dispose of an old/damaged/ruined Bible, as the Bible itself does not address this question. It is, therefore, a matter of personal conviction. It is important to understand that it is not the paper, binding, and ink that are "sacred" or "holy." It is the Word of God that is holy, not the material it is printed on. We are not to worship or idolize the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to teach us about Jesus the Savior and the salvation He provides and to point us to worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The paper and ink of a Bible are merely the means through which God communicates His Word to us.

It would seem, though, that throwing away a Bible would have to be the absolute last resort. Many old Bibles, if rebound, would be "as good as new" and could then continue to be used or given to someone else to use. Even an old/tattered Bible, given to someone who does not have a Bible, can be a tremendous blessing. Some people keep old Bibles as family heirlooms to remind future generations of how committed to God’s Word their ancestors were. There are many such options and all are worth prayerfully considering.

Ultimately, if a Bible is genuinely damaged to the point of being unusable, it can be discarded. In no sense will discarding a Bible invite God’s displeasure. Some prefer to burn a Bible rather than placing it in the garbage. Neither method is right or wrong. There is a story of a person who threw a Bible out with the trash. A garbage collector saw the Bible and removed it from the trash, began to read it, and placed his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. God can use His powerful Word (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12) to testify of Him, even from the pages of a Bible that has been discarded.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

The Quest Study Bible

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

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[JakeWade]

If you're like me and enjoy exploring the depths of these ancient texts or if you have questions about their meaning, you might find whenyouneedgod.com to be an excellent community. It's a place where you can connect with fellow enthusiasts, share your insights, and engage in enlightening discussions.

The beauty of exploring the Books of the Bible is that it can be a deeply personal and spiritual journey. It's not just about reading the words; it's about understanding their significance in your life and the lives of others. So, whether you're a seasoned theologian or just beginning to delve into these sacred texts, whenyouneedgod.com could be a great space for you to connect with like-minded individuals, ask questions, and share your insights.