The Bible
The BibleThe holy book of Christians. It has 66 books split into two sections: Old Testament (39 books) and New Testament (27 books). is a central source of authorityAn accepted source of information, advice. for all Christian and reveals many important teachings. Christians often turn to the Bible to seek guidance and understand the history of their faith.
The Bible is a collection of books. There are 39 books in the Old TestamentThe first part of the Christian Bible which corresponds to the Hebrew Bible but is arranged differently. and 27 books in the New TestamentThe second part of the Christian Bible containing 27 books consisting of four types of literature: letters (epistles), gospels, history and prophecy..
Nature of the Bible
The first part of the Bible is called the Old Testament, which begins with God鈥檚 Creation of the universe and humanity. The Old Testament was written before the incarnation of Jesus. It begins with the five Books of God鈥檚 Law, which Jewish people call the TorahLaw; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud.. These books are believed to contain the laws God sent to the Jewish people via Moses. The Old Testament, as a whole, describes the history of the Jewish people prior to Jesus.
The second part of the Bible is called the New Testament. It opens with the four gospelThe teachings of Jesus and the apostles. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) which describe the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. At the very start of the New Testament is Matthew鈥檚 description of the birth of Jesus. Following on from the gospels is the book called the ActsThe fifth book of the聽New Testament, its full title is 'Acts of the Apostles'. of the apostleOne who was sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel or 'good news'. (sometimes just referred to as 鈥楢cts鈥). The New Testament also contains the letters of the early Church leaders to the early Christians, such as St Paul鈥檚 letters. It ends with the Book of Revelation, which tells Christians about the end of the world.
Role of the Bible
- The Bible records the teachings of Jesus during his life. These teachings give Christians guidance and instructions on how to live their life. The Sermon on the Mount is an example of a collection of such teachings.
- The Bible tells Christians about the birth, life, death and resurrectionThe Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion. The rising from the dead of believers on the Last Day in a new, or risen, life. of Jesus. All of these events have significance, and in particular they are linked to the idea of salvationThe healing of a broken relationship between people and God..
- Christianity teaches that it is through Jesus鈥 life and death that humans can be saved from sin. The Old Testament contains the Ten CommandmentsThe list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Also known as the Decalogue., which are believed to be instructions sent directly from God that tell humans how to live.
Significance of the Bible
- The Bible shows Christians what God is like. This is important for Christians in building a relationship with God.
- The Bible can play an important part in worship both in private and public settings.
- In private worship, people can use the Bible to seek guidance on how to manage problems in their life.
- In public worship, the Bible brings people together and creates a sense of community and shared practice.