New: 14 February 2025; Update: 25 June 2026
The Bible:
Inspired Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16 NASB
The Bible: inspired Scripture
The Bible is a special book because it is inspired by God; it is, literally, theopneustos, 'God-breathed' (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible's divine origin is such because people chosen by God were moved by God's Spirit to write divine words (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). These words were spoken and then recorded or written in documents such as letters.
The Bible is more than a book; it is a library of books. The Bible is a collection of 66 books (39 Old Testament; 27 New Testament), written by over 40 different authors in three different languages over a timespan of around 1500 years and on three different continents. This, too, points to the divine source of sacred Scripture. It is a Book like no other.
The Word of God
Because of the divine inspiration of the Bible (see B1), believers accept it as the Word of God. It is what God says and therefore reliable (B2) and applicable (B3). It is a compilation of the many things God spoke to and through His people in different ways. The final revelation came to humanity in His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3), the Word that became flesh and manifested His glory on earth by explaining God to humanity (John 1:1-18). The Gospel is the heart of the Bible and the fulfilment of prophecy (see Luke 24:44). Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in His life on earth. There are hundreds of quotations and allusions of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in the New Testament. The Bible is thoroughly interconnect and has one core message: God loves humanity and wishes to restore a relationship with His creation (John 3:16-17). The Bible is God's Love Letter to humanity.
Not only is the Bible written in three languages, two major (Hebrew, Greek) and one minor (Aramaic), by over 40 different authors (kings, prophets, apostles, priests, psalmists, historians, shepherds, scholars et al) over a long timespan, it also contains different genres (literary types). There is Law in terms of instruction and commandments bringing moral clarity; there is the Wisdom Literature to teach God's wisdom in His Word; there are psalms and prayers to praise God; there are prophecy, poetry, and parables expressing God's Word in creative and impactful ways; there are letters to explain God's salvation history (the divine, biblical Meta-Narrative; see I2); and there is history and apocalyptic literature to reveal God's oracles and plan.
Salvation History
The God of the Bible revealed Himself to humanity within history and at different times in history. He is Creator and Life-giver, as well as Lord and Law-giver. God spoke in history and God's providence hovers over history. The approximately 1500 years timespan within which Scripture was written, from the Law of Moses (Torah) around 1445 BC to the Revelation of John (Apocalypse) in c. AD 95 shows how God worked in history over millennia. His plan of salvation stretches from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus that brought salvation to all men, to which He dedicated Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, all the way to the Garden of God in heaven when He makes all things new. The Paradise that was lost, is the Paradise that will be restored at the end of time. The God of the Bible is the God of history.
The Bible, from its first book (Genesis) to its last (Revelation), shows God's dealings with humanity and His chosen people. Scripture shows the origins of all things, explains why there is evil an suffering in the world, and points to the salvation through Jesus Christ by His redemptive death on the cross and His resurrection as the victory over death. It shows how Paradise was lost, and how Paradise will be restored. Biblical history is linear history in which God's purpose will be fulfilled. From the time of Abraham to Moses to David, God's people experience their Maker in different ways, always acting in faithfulness and righteousness. There were times of upheaval and even sinfulness that brought judgment on them (exiles), followed by restoration as God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God. With the incarnation of Jesus, God dwelled among the humanity He wishes to save and restore. God's plans and promises found fulfilment in a new way. Scripture shows both history past, as well as God's message proclaimed through His church: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour of the World (see Articles).
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible, known as the Old Testament, is the first of the two main parts of the Holy Bible. It is predominantly written in Hebrew and subdivided into three parts: Law (Torah), Prophets (Neviim) and Writings (Khetumvim), a division Jesus hinted at (see Luke 24:44). The Law of Moses is the bedrock of the Hebrew Bible; the Prophets both directed God's people back to His Law, as well as predicted times of salvation and a Messiah in the future; the Writings are a compilation of psalms, wisdom literature and others writings further elaborating on God's salvation for humanity.
At the beginning of the formation of God's people through Abraham, God gave a promise (Genesis 12); with Moses, God gave the Law, instructing His people who He wished them to live. The prophets points back to God's promise and Law, and predicted the future. Malachi was the last of the Hebrew prophets (c. 430 BC), pointing to God's messenger (Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6) who would prepare the way of the LORD, a prophecy fulfilled in John, the forerunner of Jesus (Matthew 3:1-3; cf., Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 11:2-15; Luke 3:1-6; John 1:6-34). The time between Malachi and John is called the Intertestamental Period ('between the testaments'), during which time many pseudepigraphal writings emerged (such that use the name of a famous person as the title of their writings, e.g., The Book of Enoch, yet not written by the biblical Enoch [Genesis 5], only ascribed to his name [cf., Jude 14-15]. The Septuagint (LXX) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, written for Jews in the Diaspora (dispersion outside of the Holy Land), as Greek was the 'common language' of the Greco-Roman world after the conquests of Alexander the Great and Romans conquests.
We called it the Hebrew Bible because it was written in Hebrew and for the Hebrew people. Christians refer to it as the 'Old Testament.' Perhaps a better term for 'Old Testament' is Tanakh, an acronym from the first letters of the words of each of the three subdivisions: T for Torah, N for Neviim, and Kh for Khtuvim (adding Hebrew vowels ('a') in between the consonants). The term 'Old Testament' can have a negative connotation, referring to something old and obsolete. With the many quotations of the Tanakh in the New Testament, we see how relevant it remains, although the Old Covenant under Moses has been exchanged for the New Covenant (see A9), based on the perfect atonement of Jesus, yet in fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise (Galatians 3:13-14). Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets. He is the predicted Messiah, who paid the ultimate price to redeem God's people and all nations. His Name is Jesus (Hebrew: Yeshua, 'Yahweh saves') because He came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) and in Him salvation has come to all of humanity (Titus 2:11; Acts 10:43). Both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) can be saved by faith in Jesus the Messiah (Romans 1:16-17). This is the main message of the New Testament.
New Testament
The second main part of the Bible is known as the New Testament (NT). It speaks of the New Covenant God had announced through Jeremiah (31:31-34) and fulfilled in Jesus (Hebrews 8:7-13). The NT has four Gospels, biographies of the life, deeds and words of Jesus, culminating in His atoning death and the demonstration of God's power in His resurrection. Jesus was declared Son of God by His resurrection (Romans 1:1-4). He is the eternal Son, the second Person of the divine Trinity (three-in-one), who became flesh (incarnation), humbled Himself even to the point of death (to save humanity) and was exalted by God and given the Name above every other name (Philippians 2:5-11; Acts 4:12). The apostles were His eyewitnesses and emissaries spreading the message of salvation to Jews and Gentiles. They were ambassadors for Christ offering peace to the world through the ministry of reconciliation. This is the Apostolic Gospel of salvation, grace and peace through the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). The Gospel of the Kingdom announces God's goodwill towards humanity as the hope of eternal life.
The Book of Acts records the history of the early church, the faith community of Jesus, with the apostolic witness from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 1:1-2, 8). The history starts with the ascension of Christ, the outpouring of God's Spirit and the subsequent apostolic witness from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and far and wide within the Roman Empire. It starts with the apostolic witness in Jerusalem, the centre of Judaism, and ends with the apostolic witness of Paul in Rome, the centre of the Roman Empire. The many NT letters elaborate on the Gospel and how the faith community, comprised of Jews and Gentiles, now reconciled in Christ our Peace (Ephesians 2:11-14), are to live together and serve God and the world around them. The NT concludes with an apocalyptic vision of the end of time when God will restore Paradise that was lost at the beginning of time and 'make all things new' at the end of time (Revelation 21:5).
The NT documents were written between the AD 40s and concluded c. AD 95. They were written in the life time of the eyewitnesses and their associates, and then faithfully transmitted by the disciples of the apostles and their successors. The Muratorian Canon (AD 180) is the first evidence mentioning 22 of the 27 canonical NT documents. A letter of Church Father Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, contains the list of the 27 NT documents (AD 367). These documents were not chosen by a church council, but rather recognise to be the inspired Word of God by apostolic witnesses (see A1).
There are thousands of manuscripts that witness to the Bible's reliability and accuracy. The Bible has stood the test of time to be God's inspired Word and message of salvation to humanity. It is today translated in hundreds of languages and powerfully impacts life on earth, as it has throughout history. The Bible remains the bestseller of all times!
Read and learn more about this fascinating Book of books: the Bible!