The Bible
The Bible is the collection of writings through which Christians learn the story of creation, sin, God’s rescue, Jesus Christ and the hope of renewed life with God.
The Bible contains many books and kinds of writing, but Christians read them as one unfolding story whose centre is Jesus: God the Son who died for human sin and rose to give forgiveness and eternal life.
A library, not a single kind of book
The Bible was written over many centuries by many human authors. It includes history, law, poetry, songs, wisdom, prophecy, letters and accounts of the life of Jesus.
Different kinds of writing need to be read differently. A poem uses imagery, a letter addresses particular readers, and a historical account tells events. Responsible reading pays attention to these differences.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament begins with creation and humanity’s turning away from God. It then follows God’s covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel through figures such as Moses, David and the prophets.
It contains law, worship, wisdom, failure, judgement and repeated promises that God will rescue, forgive and restore. Christians share these Scriptures with Judaism, although Jewish and Christian traditions arrange and understand them differently.
The New Testament
The New Testament begins with the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They tell of Jesus’s life, teaching, death and resurrection.
Acts describes the spread of the early Church. The letters explain the meaning of Jesus and guide Christian communities. Revelation uses powerful symbolic imagery to encourage Christians with the hope that God will finally defeat evil and renew creation.
One central message
The Bible’s many books form a connected story: God creates, humanity turns away, God promises rescue, Jesus accomplishes that rescue, the Holy Spirit forms the Church, and God will renew all things.
The New Testament identifies Jesus as God the Son and speaks of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in ways that form the foundation of Christian belief in the Trinity.
The Bible’s message is not that people earn acceptance through perfect obedience. Its central announcement is that God saves by grace through Jesus, who bore sin and rose from death.
Why Christians trust the Bible
Christians believe the Bible is inspired by God. This means God worked through its human authors to give the Church writings that truthfully reveal his character, purposes and saving work.
Christians differ over exactly how inspiration and interpretation should be explained. They are united in treating the Bible as the foundational written witness to God’s revelation and to Jesus.
Reading the Bible through Jesus
Because Jesus is the centre of Christianity, Christians read the whole Bible in relation to him. His life, teaching, death and resurrection provide the clearest revelation of God’s character and rescue.
This does not mean ignoring the original setting of a passage. Christians seek to understand its historical context, its place in the wider story and how it relates to the teaching and character of Jesus.
Where a beginner can start
A beginner does not need to begin at the first page and read straight through. One of the Gospels is usually the clearest starting point.
Mark is the shortest and moves quickly. Luke gives a fuller ordered account. John is more reflective and speaks especially clearly about Jesus’s identity as God the Son and the eternal life he gives.
When a passage is difficult
Some passages are unfamiliar, disturbing or hard to understand. Christians do not always agree about them. It is reasonable to read the surrounding passage, compare a clear translation and seek help from trustworthy teachers and commentaries.
One difficult passage need not obscure the Bible’s central message or prevent someone from continuing to explore Jesus.
Next: Prayer
The Bible tells Christians who God is and what he has done. Prayer is how they turn towards the Father, through the Son, in the help of the Holy Spirit.