The word Bible is derived from the Greek word biblos, which means book. Used as a title it means The Book, so called by the way came into use among believers after the Bible was completed.
The titles, Old Testament and New Testament, also came into use after the completion of the Bible. The books which pass under the latter title contain a new covenant which God made with men, while those under the former contain the old covenant which he made with the word for covenant is translated Testamentum; and from this, at a time when the Latin Bible was the most read in Europe, the title Testament came into its present use.
The New Testament then consists of four classes of literature:
The earliest writings in the New Testament are the letters written to the various Christian churches, answering matters of practice and belief. Paul wrote most of these between 52 A.D. and 64 A.D.. The first is considered to be the letters to the Thessalonians.
The New Testament is a great place to begin reading the Bible because it starts with the story of Jesus and His teachings. Understanding this, the rest of the Bible comes into perspective.
The Old Testament books were originally written in the Hebrew language and the New Testament books were written in the Greek language. The writing of the Bible took place over a period of fifteen hundred years. Since we do not speak ancient Hebrew or ancient Greek, educated men have translated the Bible into the different English versions so that we can read and understand God's Word.
1. Pray for understanding before and while you read the Bible.
2. Use the Table of Contents to find the various books of the Bible.
3. Use the markings at the top of each page to keep track of which chapter you are at as you look for a passage.
4. Think about what you read, especially the things that strike you. God uses His Word to speak to you this way.
5. Ask yourself questions. Is there: a promise to know, an action to take, a truth to learn, an example to follow, or something I should pray about now?
6. Underline special verses.
7. Believe, memorize and obey what God says!
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
1. The Bible teaches that it is the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God and inerrant in the original writings. Accept no other book as the Word of God but the Bible. (II Tim. 3:16, II Peter 1:21)
2. The Bible teaches that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is called the Trinity. (Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19, John 10:30)
3. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:23), lived a sinless life (Heb. 4:15,7:26), proved by many miracles (John 2:11), died a vicarious and atoning death through His blood (I Cor. 15:3, Heb. 2:9), was resurrected bodily (John 11:25,I Cor. 15:4), ascended to heaven (Mark 16:19), and will return in power and glory (Acts 1:11). Remember for Jesus to have accomplished, this He must be God (John 20:28).
4. The Bible teaches that lost and sinful man must be saved and that man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Only God can save man. Man cannot save himself no matter what he does. (Rom. 3:23, Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:4,5)
5. The Bible teaches that the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by His indwelling, enables the Christian to live a Godly life. (Rom. 6-8)
6. The Bible teaches the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are unsaved unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28,29)
7. The Bible teaches that the spiritual unity of believers is in our Lord Jesus Christ and not any one particular Church. (Rom. 8;14,15, I Cor. 12:12-13, Gal. 3:26-28)
Some of the rewards of memorizing scripture