the Bible - an introduction
The Bible - An introduction.
There are many holy books but the Holy Bible is sacred to Jews and Christians and recognised as holy by most muslims. The books included in the Bible vary slightly across the spectrum of Christian faiths but these variations are really only matters for scholars. For us the readers, the Bible is the story of God's relationship with his people and is the story of Jesus. There is only one Bible; there will be no sequel. It begins before time and it ends when time comes to an end. It is complete. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by 40 different writers from all walks of life yet it is cohesive, self-explanatory and without error. The Bible is one unbroken story of redemption.
The Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament. The New Testament reinterprets the Old Testament in the light of the coming of Jesus. |  |
A key concept to understanding the Bible is:
First the natural then the spiritual. The Old Testament is the natural; the New Testament the spiritual
In the Old the temple was of stone, in the New, the temple is of living tissue. In the Old the land had to be taken physically. In the New, the land is spiritual. The kingdom of God is where the King rules: in our hearts and minds. When you read the Bible things will happen to you. You will develop a proper concept of who God is. And who he isn't. Some wrong concepts: He's got favourites He's at a distance He's father Christmas He punishes The right concept: God is father. A God of love, majesty, mercy, holiness.
You will learn about life. And the reason for your salvation. It is to take the land. The spiritual land.
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