Basic Teachings: The Bible

The Bible: The Message to Humanity  

The Bible is not just a sacred religious text understood by a few religious elites. The Bible is God’s Word to humanity. It is a collection of human written texts divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is without error and provides the truth. The Bible, or Scripture, is not just one book but a collection of different types of literature in multiple languages that is timeless in truth and application. 

The Bible even defines its own uses. 2 Timothy 3:16 claims, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Scripture comes from God and is used for teaching, for instructing, and for training people to live in a right relationship with others and with God. 

Scripture is also unique from other texts in many ways. God reveals himself through the Bible and that means that God speaks to humans and through humans, which is why the Bible is also known as God’s Word. It’s not a collection of teachings about God, it is a collection of narratives, poetry, prophecy, and prose that reveals the Creator of the Universe and His character that comes from God Himself. 

The basic form of the Bible tells the story of humanity, not just focusing on how to live right. The story of humanity is how we were created, rebelled, and God’s plan to redeem us. The whole story leads to Jesus and how his actions led to our redemption. In John 5:39, Jesus said that the Scriptures were all about Him. Jesus was God’s plan to rescue His created beings back into a state of righteous living. 

The Bible is a collection meant to be read again and again. It is meant to be read aloud, to be read alone, to be meditated on, and to be wisdom for us. The Bible is God’s Word to humanity and we respond by reading it, hearing it, and applying its wisdom to our lives.