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What is the Bible?

The past few weeks have been devoted to the question of "Who is Jesus?" I pray that those entries have been helpful, even if in the most minute ways. What is great about starting with Jesus is that he is the focal point of our faith. Jesus is the hub from which all other aspects of Christianity is founded and linked. As such studying about Jesus leads to studying about everything else as well.

But what are we studying exactly? This is a valid question. Something we Christians tend to take for granted is the Bible. We know that it is authoritative and what we should study, but what is it exactly? Have you ever stopped and pondered what the Bible is? The answer is somewhat surprising (in a good way).

What is the Bible?

First there is an important distinction that needs to be made. Ready? The Bible is not the primary source through which we know God. That would be Jesus. It is through Jesus, not the Bible, that we come to the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; not the Bible. We are baptized into Jesus, not the Bible. 

I think we have, at times, inadvertently made the center of our faith the Bible. At times it feels like Christianity is more about defending the Bible than following Jesus. The intention behind it is good; a deep respect for the authority of Scripture. Like so many other things with good intentions, the result isn't so good. 

How many times have you heard that we should obey the Bible? Well, I hate to break it to you, we shouldn't obey the Bible. We obey God who speaks through the Bible. It may seem like an insignificant distinction, but it is a very important one. This is how churches and Christians can become so legalistic; by glorifying the law and not the Law Maker. 

So what is the Bible if it's not the primary source through which we know God? The Bible may not be the primary source, but it is the secondary source. 

The Bible is an anthology of writing collaborations between the Holy Spirit and man. The books of the Bible are not exclusively from God, but they aren't exclusively from man either. This is inspiration; the authoritative words of God written in the styles, languages, and limitations of man. 

The goal of Scripture is to point us to the one behind it; God. The Bible points to and glorifies Jesus on every page. The Bible's job is to get us to Jesus because, as mentioned earlier, it is through Jesus that we come into contact with God. Now when it comes to the job of getting us to Jesus, the Bible IS the main tool. 

The Bible isn't all the same kind of writing either. Sometimes we treat it like it's all the same, that the way we read Romans is the same way we read Psalms. That couldn't be further from the truth. You wouldn't read a Dr. Seuss book the same way you would read a newspaper. The Bible contains letters, history, mythology, love poetry, laments, prayers, songs, propaganda, apocalypses, visions, dreams, biographies and so much more. One reason Bible study is important is so that we can read the various parts of the Bible in the correct way. 

For example let's go back to Romans and Psalms. Romans is a letter. It is written with one purpose to a specific group of people at a specific point in history. When reading this letter each chapter goes together and what you read at the beginning is part of the same document that you read at the end. Psalms, on the other hand, is a collection of songs, hymns, prayers, and poems. They are written by a variety of authors over nearly 1,000 years. Each one doesn't necessarily connect to the ones before and after it. 

There are more differences but I think the point is clear. The Bible is a wide ranging document that covers more than 1,500 years. It was written and assembled over that time into the book we have now. No matter who has attacked it over the centuries it has always held up. It still points people to Jesus.

Conclusion

I hope that this blog has helped refine your understanding of Scripture in some way. The distinctions made earlier in this blog may seem trivial, but they are vital to understanding the Bible the way it was meant to be understood. God doesn't want you to put your trust in the Bible, he wants you to put your trust in Jesus. The Bible is just a tool to help get you there.

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