What Is The Bible About (Study On The Central Theme Of The Scriptures)

The Bible is the Word of God revealed to humanity:

However, it is not just a collection of good stories, nor is it a manual containing some rules of conduct or recipes for a happy life. The Bible is God's book, through which He made Himself known to the world, making it a unique book.

The Bible has a central theme, to which everything converges, and it consists of a person: Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, all the books point to God, in the person of Jesus Christ, the author of humanity's salvation (Luke 24:27, 44-45; Acts 10:43).

Characters and stories served as shadows or illustrative figures of God's love, the life, and the work of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps believers understand the Word of God by guiding them to the Truth (John 16:13).

Overview of the Bible

We can understand the Bible as a grand narrative that has a central plot and other secondary stories that serve as images or figures pointing to the main core: The great story of God and His love for humanity.

1. The one and only Almighty God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) created the entire universe for His glory. The climax of His creation was the human being, the only creature made in His own image, with the purpose of loving and having fellowship with Him. God reigns over all creation. Humanity was endowed with many abilities and gifts, one of which is the ability to govern the earth and express free will.
2. However, humanity chose to reject God and His Word. By disobeying God, human beings scorned all the love and fellowship that their Creator had provided.
3. When humanity rejected God, they accepted the influence of evil and lost their connection with the Father, the source of life, light, truth, and love. From that point on, they began to live according to their own ways, constantly erring and being subjugated by evil. They lost self-control and could no longer govern the earth or their own lives effectively.
4. Now, humanity is governed by sin, and without the life of God, they are subject to death. They need a Savior. As humans became increasingly degenerate, they became slaves to sin. No matter how hard they try, they are incapable of achieving spiritual life or reconciling with God through their own efforts. Death is their certain fate.
5. But God loves humanity and has mercy on their deplorable condition. He decided to rescue those who trust in His loyal love and His Word. To do this, He sent His own Son to die on the cross and forgive sins.
6. The living Word became flesh and dwelt among us, living as one of us but without sin. He alone could fully satisfy God without offending Him. Jesus Christ is God's solution to humanity's insoluble problem. The King of kings Himself came to restore the fellowship between God and humanity.
7. The Holy Bible reveals the plan of salvation and God's purpose to rescue the lost. Through the Word of Christ, humanity can receive a New Life by faith. If they seek to know and trust the Truth, they will be freed from the slavery of sin and will be able to fulfill all that Jesus Christ taught through the Scriptures.
8. Humanity must once again accept God's rule over their lives. Only in this way can the original fellowship be restored, allowing them to live eternally with the Lord. This will only happen if they listen to God's Word and accept it to guide their lives through faith in obedience. To achieve salvation, it is essential to accept the redemptive work of Christ and believe that God's Word is the truth. By receiving it, the Word of Christ comes to dwell in the believer through the Holy Spirit.

What is the Bible?

The Bible is considered the Book of books. It is a collection of 66 books, divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament consists of 39 books, written in Hebrew and Aramaic, ranging from Genesis to Malachi. The New Testament comprises 27 books, written in Greek and Aramaic, extending from Matthew to Revelation.

The word "Bible" originates from Greek, referring to books. In ancient times, papyrus (a plant from which fibers were extracted) began to be used for writing, replacing stone. Texts written on papyrus sheets were stored in the form of scrolls or parchments. Each papyrus book in Greek was called 'biblos,' and the plural form 'biblos' was 'biblia.' This is how the term Bible originated, referring to the collection of sacred books.

In addition to this name, it is also known as 'Truth,' 'Law,' 'Word of God,' 'Holy Scriptures,' 'Gospel,' 'Commandments,' and others. It is an unparalleled collection of books through which God provides important information about Himself, His deeds, His purpose, and about all of humanity: who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.

How was the Bible written?

The Bible was written over approximately 1,600 years (from 1500 BC to around 100 AD) in different languages, by about 40 authors, in various periods, with diverse styles and literary genres. It features a rich array of figures, stories, poetry, illustrations, parables, and a vast number of historical characters that inspire faith, understanding, and the teaching of God's justice through the sacred texts.

Despite this diversity, all the books testify to the unity concerning the Savior of humanity, the Lord Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible points to God in the person of Christ. Moreover, all its readers can benefit from a personal, unique, and transformative experience of contact and knowledge derived from it.

The Holy Scriptures testify that it is the inspired Word of God and serves as a tool for revealing Himself to humanity:

Do you understand the Bible?

Although the Bible is the most read and sold book in the world, many read and quote it without fully understanding its central message. To grasp the content of the Bible, one must examine it carefully. Additionally, it is essential to remember that its entire message points to the person of Jesus Christ.

Major Periods and Events:

Principles - (Genesis 1 to 11)

• The life of Adam
• The Fall and human corruption
• Peoples scattered around the world

Patriarchal Period - (Genesis 12 to Deuteronomy 34)

• The call of Abraham
• Jacob's family goes to Egypt
• Moses and the Exodus from Egypt

Theocratic Period - (Joshua 1 to 1 Samuel 9)

• Entry into the Promised Land
• The leader Joshua
• Leadership of the Judges

Monarchic Period - (1 Samuel 10 to 2 Chronicles, prophets Isaiah, Joel, Jonah, Hosea, Micah, Amos, Nahum, Jeremiah 1-38)

• Period of the United Kingdom: Saul, David, and Solomon
• Period of the divided kingdoms: Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah
• Israel turns away from the Lord, prophecies and warnings

Period of Foreign Domination - (Jeremiah 39, Lamentations, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Daniel, Ezekiel)

• The captivity of Israel and Judah
• Prophecies and prophets

Post-Exilic Period - (Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)

• The return of Ezra and Nehemiah - repair of the wall
• Reconstruction of the temple
• Last episodes of the Old Testament history

Period of Interval between OT and NT

• Persian Empire
• Greek conquest by Alexander the Great - catalyst for the translation of the OT into Greek
• Translation of the Septuagint (250 B.C.) and apocryphal books (written between 300 B.C. and 4 A.D.)
• Maccabean Period - rebellions and independence

Roman Period - (Matthew to Revelation)

• NT History
• Birth, life, work, death, and resurrection of Jesus
• Early Church, work of Christ's apostles
• Conversion of Paul, missionary journeys, imprisonment
• Destruction of Jerusalem, end of the Jewish state
• Persecution of Christians
• Death of John and end of the apostolic age

Progressive Revelation:

The Holy Scriptures convey God's progressive revelation over time. Gradually, God promulgated His divine Law:

1. Through nature (Psalm 19:1-6)
2. In human conscience (Romans 2:15)
3. On tablets of stone (Exodus 24:12)
4. Through the Old Testament - Law and the prophets (Romans 15:4; John 1:45)
5. Through the incarnation of truth, in Jesus Christ, the living Word (John 1:14)
6. Through all the Holy Scriptures, which constitute the complete written text - OT and NT (1 Peter 1:8-12)
7. Inscribed on the hearts of believers (Hebrews 8:10)
8. Christians around the world declare God's Law, as living letters (2 Corinthians 3:2-3)

The Importance of the Bible for Your Life:

Its relevance to humanity is not merely historical or literary but primarily spiritual, with eternal implications. The Bible is useful for teaching us how to:

• Love God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
• Obtain power from God for salvation (Romans 1:16)
• Be cleansed (have the inner self restored) through the Word (John 15:3)
• Be corrected and instructed in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• Be warned through examples and various human experiences (1 Corinthians 10:11)

But the primary purpose of the Holy Scriptures is to give us knowledge of eternal life and to lead us, all sinners without hope, to the Lord, the God of the Bible. Through it, we can know the way that leads to the Father, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). And it is by faith that we have access to the grace given in Jesus. However, we can only genuinely believe if we receive (hear, read, meditate, learn) the Word of God:

Through faith, knowledge, and practice of the Bible, we can also achieve numerous other benefits:

• Resistance against sin (Psalm 119:11)
• Sanctification (John 17:17)
• Liberation (John 8:32)
• Purification for life (Psalm 119:9)
• Powerful weapon (Ephesians 6:17)
• Hope (Romans 15:4)

When we believe in the Holy Bible and make it our sole basis of faith and practice, we receive not only eternal life in Jesus but also God's guidance for daily living through the knowledge of His Word and the action of the Holy Spirit within us.

Learn more about:

• Where Did The Bible Come From And How Was It Put Together?
• The 10 Commandments of the Law of God mentioned in the Bible
• Verses To Find Strength And Courage In Difficult Times
• Bible Verses on Evangelism