One of the Seven Commandments of Animalism in George Orwell’s allegorical Animal Farm. It wasn’t long before the entire system of thought distilled into much fewer maxims that excused the pigs, as they tended more towards humanness. “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”, later retorted the pigs.
Perhaps one could project the latter retort into the world of books by saying ‘All books are equal, but some are more equal than others’. In other words, all books are simply not equal!
So far on the blog, we have alluded to the Bible, assuming a level of familiarity on the reader’s part. Whilst that assumption may or may not prove true, it is worth doing some groundwork, if only for the sake of readers who aren’t so familiar with the Bible. As such, today, we will be answering the basic question – what is the Bible?
Guinness World Records affirms that “there is little doubt that the Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely read book” under the non-fiction category. While the Bible doesn’t earn its credibility and sense of worth from external sources, it wouldn’t hurt to hear what secular polls make of it.
It also makes one wonder why the Bible has gained much prominence over the years. Could it be that it is not just another book? And if it isn’t, what is it really all about?
Not your ordinary book
To the unfamiliar reader, the Bible may appear to be a disjointed compilation of writings by many authors on a diversity of subjects, but it isn’t. It is actually one book by one ultimate author on one subject i.e God’s plan of salvation, and promise of a redeemed people for His Son, Jesus Christ.
It is a collection of 66 books, written by about 40 different human authors, over a period of over 1,500 years. Despite the many human authors credited with writing different parts, there is one ultimate author – God. Along with the diversity found in the Bible, there is remarkable unity throughout its pages, thus affirming the ultimate authorship of God.
Divided into two Testaments, there are 39 Old Testament books (Genesis to Malachi) and 27 New Testament books (Matthew to Revelation). It comes to us in different categories such as narratives, proverbs, letters, revelation, etc; telling stories of people, both good and bad. Graeme Goldsworthy helpfully describes the history of the Bible as purposive; therefore, it is God’s purpose that governs events, not chance or blind fate. He goes on to affirm this purposive element in biblical history as what makes the Bible unique, giving it its distinctive dimension.
It is a book primarily about Jesus – “predicted and prophesied about in the Old Testament, revealed in The Gospels, preached in the Acts of the Apostles, explained in the Epistles, and expected in the book of Revelation”.
Reading the reader
Not only do we read the Bible, in a most unusual twist, it reads us! It is living and active, able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. By its inspired truth, we profit in teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
Now that is no ordinary book, and for starters, we do well to approach it, convinced of its peculiarity amongst all other books.
How then are we supposed to make sense of this not-so-ordinary book? Do stay tuned for the next blog post.
