PastorJohn@BFFM
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I LOVE life, and it's no wonder why -because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
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Post by PastorJohn@BFFM on Nov 15, 2013 11:14:00 GMT -5
PART 1
Here are a few interesting Bible facts to help you understand this great book!
What is the Bible? The Bible is God's written revelation of His will to humanity. Its central theme is salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 authors, covering a period of about 1600 years.
It is said that it takes an average of about 80 hours to read the entire Bible (KJV version) at read aloud speed.
The Old Testament was originally written mostly in Hebrew. It was later translated into Greek. Our English Bible is a translation from those original languages. Most books are provincial (localized) and only interest the people in whose language it was written, but not this Book. No one ever stops to think it was written in what are now dead languages.
The word "Bible" is from the Greek word biblos, meaning "book."
The word "testament" means "covenant," or agreement. The Old Testament is the covenant God made with people about their salvation before Christ came. The New Testament is the agreement God made with people about their salvation after Christ came.
The Old Testament begins with God (Genesis 1:1)
The New Testament begins with Christ (Matthew 1:1)
Authors of the Bible were kings and princes, poets and philosophers, prophets and statesmen. Some were learned in all arts of the times and others were unschooled fishermen.
In the Old Testament, we find the covenant of law. In the New Testament we find the covenant of grace that came through Jesus Christ. One led to the other. (see Galations 3:17-25)
Stay tuned for more...
-Pastor John
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Post by Shelly@BFFM on Nov 15, 2013 12:11:03 GMT -5
Wow, thanks Pastor John! That's a very concise list. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. It helps me to better understand the Bible.
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PastorJohn@BFFM
Pastor/Minister/Group Leader
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I LOVE life, and it's no wonder why -because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Posts: 67
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Post by PastorJohn@BFFM on Nov 16, 2013 22:41:16 GMT -5
PART 2
Here is some info on the 66 books that make up the Bible:
The Old Testament consists of 39 books. It is broken down like this; there are 5 law books, 12 historical books, 5 poetical books, and 17 prophetical books. (the prophetical books are broken down into 2 categories, with 5 Major prophet books and 12 Minor prophet books. The words Major and Minor have nothing to do with importance, they are only categorized this way according to length. Major/longest and Minor/shortest)
The New Testament consists of 27 books. The books of the New Testament are grouped like this; 4 Gospels, 1 History, 1 Prophecy, 21 Epistles (Paul wrote 13 of these epistles and they are referred to as Pauline epistles).
The King James Version of the Bible contains these interesting elements:
Number of verses - 31,102
Number of words - 775,793
Longest Chapter - Psalm 119
Shortest Chapter - Psalm 117
Longest verse - Esther 8:9
Shortest verse - John 11:35
Longest book in the Old Testament - Psalms
Longest book in the New Testament - Luke
Most chapters in the New Testament - Matthew
These are just a few interesting facts about the Bible itself as a book. We will begin diving in a little deeper and discovering God's plan for us by studying His Word and applying it to our life in a different thread. The next post from me under this thread will be a "how to" guide on how to study the Bible and get the most out of it.
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PastorJohn@BFFM
Pastor/Minister/Group Leader
Contact Pastor
I LOVE life, and it's no wonder why -because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Posts: 67
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Post by PastorJohn@BFFM on Nov 17, 2013 23:13:36 GMT -5
Here are a few things that may help you when studying the Bible...
1) Look for purpose-God's plan for salvation.
The Bible tells us the origin of sin and how this curse separates us from God. We find that by only following the law of the Old Testament, it is impossible to bring us the salvation we need. Then in the New Testament, we find the promise of a Savior, One who has come "to seek and save that which was lost" and "give his life as a ransom for many."
2) Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
PRAY before starting your Bible study. Clear your mind and ask God for help and to guide you through His Word, you will be amazed at what a difference this makes. God wants you to understand, He is not trying to trick or confuse you.
3) Read attentively.
Give the Bible attention. Be intentional about the attention. Grab a notebook and take notes. I actually write, hi-lite, and circle passages in my Bible that stand out. If I run across something that I have questions about or do not understand, I jot it down and research deeper into it.
4) Make a reading plan.
Research and find a reading plan. Even if you attend church regularly, only hearing what the minister says will not cut it when it comes to fully understanding Gods Word. It may do you well to read a book a week, but do find a plan and stick to it. It will be rewarding.
5) Appreciate the Bibles uniqueness.
The Bible is a book unlike any other. As you read it, it will come to life and make more sense as you go. Read it with an open mind. Think of your mind as a parachute, it will do no good unless you open it.
A few other things...
When doing Bible study and you come across a verse that doesn't make sense (and you will), this may help:
Think about the context of the passage. This will be the most helpful thing to remember. The place, time, and circumstances that the verse was referring to means everything!
Scripture never contradicts scripture. If you think it does, go back and study the context of the passage to get a better understanding.
Never get discouraged if it gets confusing. Remember that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). There are plenty of pastors and Godly people that would love to help you understand, there are a ton of commentary books and resources in the stores and on the internet that can help. Be careful of the resource you choose, there are just as many false teachings out there too! Stay away from anything that goes against God's Word. The Bible is God's Word and it will never change.
I hope this helps!!
-Pastor John
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amym
Guppy
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Post by amym on Nov 18, 2013 9:32:42 GMT -5
I few years ago I purchased The Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. It has helped me understand the context of specific scriptures that I get stuck on. It kind of summarizes the scenario that is going on in regard to that passage.
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Post by Kinzie@BFFM on Nov 18, 2013 13:39:37 GMT -5
Pastor John, After reading all of those awesome fact about the Bible...I have a question. Where the Books and Versus labeled like they are as they were written or was that added later?
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PastorJohn@BFFM
Pastor/Minister/Group Leader
Contact Pastor
I LOVE life, and it's no wonder why -because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Posts: 67
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Post by PastorJohn@BFFM on Nov 18, 2013 14:12:31 GMT -5
Good question Kinzie@BFFM. The books of the Bible were not originally named nor were they numbered and broken down into versus like they are today. To make a long story short, it was done to make reading, studying, locating scripture more easy. The name of each book may not have been God inspired as the contents were, and they were basically named according to what type of literature is found within. Some of the books are named after their main character, some to the place they were sent to (the epistles), others prophecy, history, or author and so forth. It varies.
Just so you know, the Bible is also not in chronological order (or at least each book is not placed that way). The books of the Bible are primarily divided by the type of literature. For example, Genesis through Esther are primarily historical, Job through Song of Solomon are poetry, Isaiah through Malachi are prophecy. Similarly, Matthew through Acts are historical, Romans through Jude are letters to churches or individuals, Revelation is prophecy. Within the type of literature, the books of the Bible are in basic chronological order. For example, Isaiah's prophecies occurred before Jeremiah's prophesies.
I found this info on chronological Bibles: The Bible not being in chronological order can sometimes make studying the Bible difficult. That is why chronological Bibles can come in so handy. A chronological Bible actually puts the content of the Bible in chronological order. As an example, Isaiah ministered during the times of the kings. So, a chronological Bible puts Isaiah’s prophecies in the appropriate place in the books of 1 and 2 Kings. A chronological Bible also takes the four Gospels and attempts to put all of the events in order.
-Pastor John
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Post by Kinzie@BFFM on Nov 18, 2013 14:34:41 GMT -5
That is so interesting! I never really though of the Bible not being in "order".... I mean I realize that they like skip around a little bit.... I mean like Matthew, Mark and Luke (I know at least two of them talk about this but I don't really remember which two, so don't quote me on this!! lol) all tell about the Crucifixion of Jesus, and they are each just a little different. The Bible is an amazing book that I don't think anyone can truly understand it all on their own. I am glad that we started this. I have already learned so much more!!!
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PastorJohn@BFFM
Pastor/Minister/Group Leader
Contact Pastor
I LOVE life, and it's no wonder why -because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Posts: 67
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Post by PastorJohn@BFFM on Nov 18, 2013 16:16:59 GMT -5
The Bible has been nicknamed "The Good Book" for a reason. Always remember this; It is the final and authoritative Word of God. Nothing should ever be added to it and nothing should be taken away. Personally for me, whenever I read and study it, it always seems to reach me where I am at in life. It is almost as I read through a passage once and can go back to it at another season in my life and it means something different. I am sure thankful for it!
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