Four Reasons I Am Amazed by the Bible
The Bible Has Stood the Test of Time and Relevance
Thousands of years have not put the Bible to rest. Instead, the Bible continues to be the best-selling and most-read book on the planet. There are billions of people today who consider the Bible to be a source of inspiration, direction, and instruction for life. Throughout the Bible’s existence, great leaders, great cultures, and great nations have adhered to it as the foundation of their existence. I am amazed that the words I read in the Bible have shaped history for thousands of year, and it doesn’t look like it is going to stop anytime soon.
The Bible Is Historically Reliable
Compared to other books of ancient literature, the Bible turns out to be the most accurate to its original form. There are over 5, 700 New Testament manuscripts written in the original language of Greek. If you include the other languages it was copied in, that number goes to around 23,000. Second place goes to Homer’s Illiad with just over 600 copies. For the sake of comparison, we have just 7 manuscripts of Plato’s writings. It is safe for us to say that the Bible we have today is accurate to the original.
Additionally, the historical events and geographical settings of the Bible continue to be proven accurate by outside sources. A few examples include: the exodus of the Jewish people out of Egypt; the conquest of Palestine by the Jewish people; King David’s power and prominence around 1000 B.C.; the locations of the ancient towns of Galilee in the 1st Century A.D.; the political and religious figures of the 1st Century A.D.; the beliefs of the earliest Christians; and the spread of Christianity in the 1st Century A.D. I am amazed that the testable parts of the Biblical narrative continue to pass, not because it surprises me, but because it reminds me of how concrete the Bible is and how God intervenes in history.
The Bible Is Complex, but Contains One Message
Written over a period of 1500 years, in 66 books, by 40 authors, on 3 continents, and in 3 languages, the Bible is the most complex book ever written. However, it contains one theme throughout its entirety: God is redeeming a people for Himself by a redeemer. I am amazed that, from its beginning in Genesis to its end in Revelation, the Bible tells us that God is not distant. He is very near. He is not waiting on us to make the first move, He is pursuing us.
The Bible Is about Jesus
Jesus is everything I have ever wanted, everything I have ever needed, and everything I aspire to be. Why? My reality is this: 1.) There must be a God who made everything in the universe; 2.) Because I was made, I must have a purpose from my Maker; 3.) There are universal rights and wrongs determined by my Maker; 4.) I, as well as everyone I have known, have not lived in accordance with my purpose and have instead done a lot of wrong; 5.) I cannot fix my problems on my own because I am the problem; 6.) Everyone else has my problem, so they cannot fix me either; 7.) I must need help from my Maker to fix my problem. As it turns out, my reality lines-up with the teachings of the Bible. Thankfully, the Bible tells me that my God does provide the solution to the problem of my reality: “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) I am amazed by the Bible because its hero is my hero.