WHY SHOULD WE READ THE BIBLE?

The Bible is powerful and impactful. It has sold more copies than any other book. Parts of the Bible have been translated into more than 1,500 languages, and translations into many other languages are in progress. Six in 10 Americans say that their interaction with the Bible has changed their life.

Completed nearly 2,000 years ago, the Bible has stood the test of time. Jesus says about it, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35, New International Version). His statement has proven true. The Bible is just as applicable today as it was then.

The Bible was inspired by God and penned by dozens of authors who knew and followed Him. There are 66 individual books in the Bible. The books are written in a number of genres, including narrative history; proverbs; prophecy; law; genealogy; personal letter and poetry focused on worship, romantic love and mourning.

The first 39 books of the Bible make up the Old Testament, which includes, among many other things, the historical account of God making promises to the nation of Israel and the Israelites continually rebelling against God. The New Testament is made up of 27 books and starts with four accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. From there, the New Testament goes on to describe how Christianity spread across the world and the message that Jesus’ followers communicated as they spread it.

Interwoven throughout the Bible is the redemptive work of God. Each book points to His master plan to rescue broken and desperate people and restore their relationships with Him through Jesus. Even though Jesus does not show up until the New Testament, the Old Testament still anticipates Him with prophecies, promises and foreshadowing.Seeing the Bible as one story with multiple authors all writing with the same overarching theme in mind brings unity to the Bible. Next time you read a passage from the Bible, take time to look through that text and see how it connects to Jesus.That is why we read the Bible.