Pastor's Corner: What is the Bible?

BY PAUL HATHCOAT

Many people have heard of the Bible and know what it is. But have you ever thought about it outside of its connection to God and Jesus? Have you ever thought about its origins, content, literary style or purpose? We know that this book is spiritual in nature and points to Jesus Christ as the savior of the world, but have you ever stepped back and just looked at it from an insight and wisdom perspective, hoping to learn about it outside of the connection to your own faith or lack thereof? Let’s take a quick look at what the Bible is, as a literary work and historical document, from a Pastor’s perspective.

The Bible is simply a collection of books, or writings, that, when combined, create one long, continuous story. This collection is split into two parts: the Old Testament (OT-39 books) and the New Testament (NT-27 books). In the OT, we read about the history of the people of Israel. The authors of the OT were called the prophets. These prophets wrote the OT as an accounting about what God was doing for all people in the world. These writers were truly masters of literature and storytelling, and when you read the OT, you get a sense of how God revealed himself to His people, what the origins of the world are, and how mankind is stuck with a huge problem. Their skill and cohesiveness are evident throughout the OT.

Eventually, as an objective reader, we begin to see that the OT builds toward the hope of a new leader who would come and save all creation. This leader never comes, and the OT writings and times end. Some people have a hard time understanding how the OT and the NT connect. What do you think? What have you observed or noticed?

The New Testament begins with the introduction of a man named Jesus. We read about this person through the writings of the Apostles. The Apostles wrote about the life, times and ministry of Jesus to relay and reveal God’s ultimate plan for all people. These 27 works reveal the history, poetry, society, governmental structure and culture of this ancient time period. Together, they serve as a historical accounting and revealing depiction of the spiritual movement that was happening in the world thousands of years ago.

When combined and read together, the OT and the NT tell the story of a creator who communicates with us, humans. It tells of our problem of sin and exposes the human condition and how it always leads to death. I find it amazing and incredible that this collection of literary works, written over the period of 1,500 years and was composed by 40 different authors, yet has one central ribbon throughout all the books.

There are brilliant sections of the written word in this literary collection that inspire and bring truth. There are parts that make us think and parts that make us feel. We find historical data and supernatural phenomena all in the same book. No matter what your belief system is, the Bible is a wonderous mystery of writing that somehow made it to our hands and eyes today in a form that seems to tell one long and continuous story of how this God, or Father of us all, has planned for our eternity, one way or another. What do you think the Bible is? What place does it have on your shelf and in your life? I pray that you can see it as a book, a work, a plan, a diary, an inspiration, and an instructional manual on who God is and what Jesus can do for your life. Go check it out! Blessings to you all.