BIBLE- Why is the Bible Important?
REFLECT
What is one of the best books you have ever read? Why did you enjoy it so much?
The Bible has an amazing track record:
• The Bible was written by 40 authors over a period of 2,000 years.
• The Bible has been translated into over 500 languages making it accessible to over five billion people.
• At least some parts of the Bible have been translated into over 3,000 languages.
• According to the Guinness World Records, the Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book.
• Over five billion copies of the Bible have been printed.
• The Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year, with 100 million copies sold every year.
The Power of the Bible
People are attracted to the Bible because it has the power to transform people’s lives:
• The Bible is a spiritual light for our journey in life: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
• God inspired the people who wrote the Bible: “All Scripture is inspired by God.” 2 Timothy 3:16
• The Bible reveals Jesus to us: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
• The Bible speaks directly to our hearts: “For the word of God
is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cuing between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12
• The Bible gives us spiritual wisdom for life: “The Scripture is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17
Transformed by the Bible
If you want to understand God’s personal message for you, in the Bible, there are practical steps you can take:
1. Set aside some time every day to read through the Bible, starting with the biographies about the life of Jesus, which are called Gospels. Originally, the Bible was written in the Hebrew and Greek languages.
The Bible is so popular that many different English translations have been written. We recommend that you choose an English translation you find easy to understand, like the New Living Translation (NLT), Good News Translation (GNT) or the New International Version (NIV).
2. Pray that God will speak to you personally as you read.
3. Ask how you can apply what you read in the Bible, in your own life.
4. Put what you learn from God into practice.
Why do you think God wanted to give you the opportunity to read the Bible?
FURTHER STUDY
Practical Steps to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
- The Bible gives us practical steps on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit:
- Accept Jesus’ invitation to enter into His kingdom and His promise to give you the Holy Spirit.
- Acknowledge your sincere desire and willingness to change and become a new person.
- Pray for Jesus to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
- Study the Bible to become familiar with the way the Holy Spirit guides people.
BOOKS TO READ
- Can We Still Believe the Bible? And does it really matter? — Bryan Ball
- The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? — F. F. Bruce
- How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth — Gordon Fee
- The Bible (The New Living Translation is a dynamic version of the Bible which is enjoyable and interesting to read)
NEXT STEP
Would you like to go on the personal journey of reading Mark’s biography of Jesus over the next 2-3 weeks?