The Amazing Bible

Once I realized what the Bible truly is, I became enamored. It’s the source used to gauge all claims of truth in the world today. And since it is God’s word, He speaks through every verse contained in it. It is the believer’s job to seek and understand it.

Through it, I learn what God expects and what I should believe about Him. I have no need to guess; the Bible tells everything I need to know. It’s an amazing book.

So amazing, the Bible had over four hundred predictions that told the Jewish people of the coming Jesus Christ.

They knew his future birthplace, that he would die by the shedding of blood, without the breaking of bones, his hands and feet would be pierced, people would mock him on the cross, they would cast lots for his garments, and his killers would give him sour wine to drink (see Micah 5, Psalm 22, Isaiah 52 and 53, Zechariah 12 for these accounts).

All this information was known hundreds of years before it happened. Is there any other book like that?

The Bible is a library that consists of sixty-six separate books but also has a unified, single voice. One Bible author is a king, one a peasant, one comes from a priestly family, and another is a doctor. Living over a span of sixteen hundred years with different styles of writing in many different languages.

Yet, if you could ask any of the authors the same questions, their answers would never contradict each other. In fact, their writings complement each other about who God is, what is right or wrong, and the future judgment.

There is not a contradiction to be found. From the moment you earnestly start to read it for understanding, you realize there is no other book like it.

For example, a common Biblical topic is eternity, which is a truth beyond our understanding. Think about time without a beginning or an end. Eternity is a concept that cannot be grasped by our minds. Where did humans get the ability to write about these truths we cannot understand?

Like God himself. How is he described in the Bible? Well, God is the Father. He is the only Father. All of God is the Father, but God is also the Son. All of God is the Son. Likewise, God is the Spirit in the same way.

And yet, the Father isn’t the Son, and the Son isn’t the Spirit. While this is definitely confusing, think of this piece of information — there are not three Gods…only one!

How can a book describe truths like this with human authors who could not possibly understand these truths? What’s more, during the period of time it was written, the Greeks and Romans thought the world was being held up by elephants or giants.

The Bible says that God sustains the world with nothing but supernatural power (Hebrews 1:3). The concepts of the Bible differed vastly from common thoughts of that time.

And it has withstood attacks for thousands of years remaining preserved for all to read. Voltaire said three-hundred years ago that Christianity would not survive. Have you read any of Voltaire’s books or have copies of them in your house? The Bible is the most owned and read book in history.

There once was a man named Lew Wallace who was an atheist and set out to disprove the Bible. During this process, he wrote the novel Ben-Hur, which is considered the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century.

C.S. Lewis, an atheist until the age of 33, became famous by capturing what it meant to be a Christian. The Bible changes lives. It has changed the whole course of nations throughout history.

And the men who contributed to this book were as sinful and untruthful as all humans are. Yet, they condemn anything untruthful throughout the work and every embarrassing act from Peter’s denial of Christ to all fleeing as He is arrested is recorded for the world to read about.

From beginning to end. Everything about the Bible points to its divine origin.

The church of Jesus Christ went fifteen centuries without a personal Bible for believers to read. This is amazing. Printing was not invented until about the year 800AD in Japan or China. The early Christians couldn’t even read a Bible on their own.

They didn’t have computers, dictionaries, or commentaries. Private Bible study was nonexistent. Yet, I would wager if you had the opportunity to talk with those Christians from hundreds of years ago, they knew their Bible better than we do.

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer,” (Acts 2:42, NASB).

This was the earliest church that devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching. Christ formed the church for men to teach the Bible. In fact, history tells us that the whole of the Bible was read publicly every year for all to listen. The knowledge of the Bible was the result of church life.

Many think today if you read a verse or two during a personal devotion, then you can do away with meaningful fellowship and teaching. You can go your own way.

Friends, church life is essential. Where the Bible is discovered and your appetite for it is stimulated. Where questions are answered and false doctrine corrected. Your church life is as important as any personal Bible study you do.

When you devote personal time to study Scripture, I found there are important steps to take. First, chose a time each day to read. Make it a habit. Go slow and question what you are reading.

Pray over God’s book for understanding. Look for Christ since he is found in every passage. Let the words tickle your mind and stimulate your imagination.

Remember, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16, NASB).

In the life of a believer, you can be all that God wants you to be without seeking any other voice besides the Bible. Thoroughly equipping you for every good work. Let’s become a Bible-carrying and reading people. Let’s become Bible-preaching churches again. It really is an amazing book.