Jesus replied to His critics by saying “You are in error because you don’t know the scriptures, (Matt.22:29).” And many Christians believe that His reply is a summary statement that reminds us that all we don’t know, how we ought to live today and forever, can be found when we get to know the Bible. Getting to know the Bible is a foundational task of a disciple of Jesus. [Read more…]
From the Old Testament to modern translations, a series of lessons and infographics on how we got it, why we have the books we do it, and why we can trust it.
Following is a short video of some of the content in this category and then below this intro, the materials that are part of it.
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How to Understand the Apocalyptic Passages in the Bible
When we read through the Prophets in the Old Testament, particularly when we get to Ezekiel and Daniel we are introduced to fantastic images, whirling wheels, fantastic beasts, and world-shaking prophecies. This type of writing is what is known as “apocalyptic” and it’s useful to take some time to understand this type of writing, this genre in the Bible to understand the books that contain it. [Read more…]
Read the Bible in Chronological Order! Motivation, how to, and helps to get the most out of it!
Where do we go for truth today? For a connection with reality in living our day-to-day lives and for our eternal salvation?
We certainly won’t get it from the media or the news or from asking one of the new AI chatbots (artificial intelligence online sources that are upending content creation on the web and in business). The only trustworthy place to find the truth is in God’s Word. [Read more…]
How we got our English Bibles, The long and winding road from Greek and Hebrew to English translations
After the decision was made as to which books would go into our Bibles, it was still a long, complex, and difficult time before most people had what we take for granted—our own Bibles in the language we speak. [Read more…]
Canonicity, the Bible, and Us—how we discover, not determine God’s Will
Who decided what books are in the Bible?
Many have heard the term “Canonicity” used with this topic—what does it mean? [Read more…]
How we got the New Testament, Part 2—why the Gnostic Gospels aren’t part of it & implications for today
A primary criticism of the New Testament is that critics say that Christians intentionally left out and/or suppressed certain writings, primarily what we call the Gnostic Gospels and that they should be part of our New Testament and aren’t. [Read more…]
How we got the New Testament, Part One—History that proves WHEN it was written
Many people assume the New Testament was written hundreds of years after the life of Christ. If that was true, how then do we know that what was talked about in the Bible, His miracles and especially His resurrection from the dead, how do we know those aren’t real, but myths and legends that developed many years after He lived? [Read more…]
The Time Between the Testaments, and what to do when God seems silent
In the previous lesson in our series on How We Got Our Bibles, we looked at the Apocrypha, the series of books written between the Old and New Testaments, and the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible done at that time. [Read more…]
How We Got the Bible—an essential foundational series for reading the entire Bible
Getting to know, trust, and apply the Bible is one of the most important things you need to do to grow as a follower of Jesus.
One of the most important things to help you know, trust, and apply the Bible is to read through the Bible in Chronological order, where you see God’s entire redemptive story of salvation from beginning to end. [Read more…]
How We Got the Apocrypha and its relationship to the Septuagint
Many people are familiar with the books that are placed in some Bibles between the Old Testament and the New Testament, also known as the Apocrypha, but what are they, and are they important for us to read to learn about God and to grow in our Christian lives are questions, not many take the time to answer. [Read more…]
How We Got the Old Testament, and why we can trust it as the Word of God
The Old Testament makes up a large section of our Bibles, but though many people are familiar with the first part of it with the stories of Creation and the early characters in Biblical history, many people stop there.
Unfortunately also is the idea many people have of the Old Testament is that it is a collection of ancient stories and fables and not something based on true history that can be objectively verified. [Read more…]