AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLY BIBLE

PURPOSE: The Bible is God's communication to his creation. As an automobile manufacturer provides each vehicle with a manual describing proper use and care, so God provides us with a manual describing us, himself, and the proper relationship we should have with him, both in the short term on Earth and in the long term to follow.

COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATION: Though God used some forty four individual writers over a period of two thousand years to create the complete document, the Bible is consistent and no part should be interpreted apart from the framework of the whole. To accept and follow only a portion of the Bible is to deprive ones self of the full revelation, and may lead to inaccurate understanding.

THEME: God's provision for his creation. God created man in his own image, including the ability to make decisions. From the beginning humans have chosen to disregard God's instruction and substitute their own wisdom. A fatal mistake. Rebellion against God is sin, and sin results in separation from God.
To redeem sinful man, God, in the person of the Son, took upon himself the form of a man, lived sinlessly among mankind, took our sins upon himself and paid the penalty of sin for us. The third chapter of the gospel according to John is a concise statement of God's remedy for man's condition. Reward awaits those who believe, punishment awaits those who refuse to believe and continue in the same original sin pattern, substituting their own ideas for God's truth.

ONE BIBLE, TWO TIME PERIODS: The first thirty nine books of the Bible are called the Old Testament and are devoted to preparing the reader for the coming of Christ. How sin entered into the world, laws (collectively, the Law) which govern behavior and make us aware of our own sinfulness, the sacrificial system which was a picture of the ultimate sacrifice which Christ would make to redeem us from sin, and prophecies which outline God's plan and authenticate the Scriptures.

The final twenty seven books are called the New Testament and are devoted to the life and sacrificial death of Christ as predicted, his resurrection, the spread of the good news throughout the Earth, instructional letters regarding the faith, and a final revelation of the ultimate future of believers and unbelievers.

RECOMMENDED STUDY PATTERN: Sequential reading! The Bible covers the history of man from creation to disposition. Reading the Bible sequentially provides a framework upon which the Holy Spirit can build the big picture in our minds. HOWEVER, as any mystery novel reader knows, it is fun to read the last chapter first to see "Whodunit" and then return to the beginning and watch the plot develop. It is perfectly OK to begin reading the Bible at the New Testament and then go to the Old Testament to see how it all came about.

VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE: Throughout history the Bible has been translated into the languages of those who wish to read it. Most of the translators have been sincere and have done a good job. Occasional discovery of portions of very old text have shown that the Bible remains true and accurate. We at godsview.net have chosen to base our site on what is commonly known as the King James Version, an English translation which has stood the test of time. If you are more comfortable with a modern language version or a translation in another language, we have no problem with that. If you have any question regarding the quality of a given version of the Bible please consult your pastor.

HOW godsview.net CAN HELP YOU STUDY THE BIBLE:
1. Number one requirement of Bible study - Daily sequential reading! Few have ever read the Bible completely through. Following the suggested reading guide helps one to read the entire Bible in a little over a year. Better than TV anytime!
2. Topical research. Be thorough! Much of the error which is taught today is due to someone reading a verse and jumping to a conclusion. Context and relationship with other references to the same subject are important. The online search feature permits one to identify every ocurrance of a word or phrase in the entire Bible. The concordance makes it easy to set up a search for multiple similar words in a single pass. Finally, the complete list of verses containing the target words/phrases may be downloaded for further editing and research using your own PC. We are open to suggestions regarding how godsview.net may be improved to enhance ease of use and accuracy of research. Not all suggestions may be technically feasable, but we would like to hear them anyway.


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Copyright (C) 2003,2004,2005 Robert C. Denig. All rights reserved.

This page updated 07/10/2005