Fun facts

Last word in the Bible: Amen (Rev. 22:21)

Longest word (and name): Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah
8:1)
Shortest verse: John 11:35 (2 words: Jesus
wept)
Longest verse: Esther 8:9
Shortest book (number of words): 3 John
Longest book: Psalms (150 chapters)
Middle books: Micah and Nahum
Chapters: 1,189
Longest chapter: Psalm 119 (176 verses)
Shortest chapter (number of words): Psalm 117
Number of times the word God appears: 3,358 (It appears in every
book except Esther andSong
of Solomon.)
Number of times the word Lord appears: 7,736
Number of different authors: Over 40
Number of languages the Bible has been 513have full Bible
translated into: 2,817have some portion of
the Bible
(as of 2014)
Number of new Bibles distributed (sold or About 168,000 per day (as of
given away) in the U.S.: 2001)
So what is the Bible? Well, in addition to all the above, the Bible is:

A guide for living life to the full. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or
to put it another way, on our voyage through life's ocean, the Bible is an anchor.

A storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the
ark? Joseph's coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah and the fish? The
parables of Jesus? These stories empahsize the triumphs and failures of ordinary
people.

A refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, and in mourning tell how
turning to the Bible brought strength in their desperate hour.

A treasury of insight as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are
magnificent creatures of a God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.

A sourcebook for everyday living. We find standards for our conduct, guidelines for
knowing right from wrong, and principles to help us in a confused society where so
often "anything goes."

I've got a good friend who's probably a lot like you. He loves the Bible and does his
best to read it and live it every day. There's one problem. Some of his friends say the
Bible isnt true, and he's not always sure how to respond. So I've created a list of the
best arguments I can find for the credibility of the Bible. Interested? Okay, here are
myTop 10 Reasons the Bible is True. (If I missed any that are important to you,
please add them in the comment section below. I'd love to hear from you.)

1. Manuscript Evidence. There are way more copies of the biblical manuscripts,
with remarkable consistency between them, than there are for any of the
classics like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. "There is no body of ancient
literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as
the New Testament." F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They
Reliable?
2. Archaeological Evidence. Again and again archaeological discoveries have
verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. The
more they dig, the more it confirms the Bible. It is important to note that Near
Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical
reliability of the Bible in many important areas. E.M. Blaiklock, The New
International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology.
3. Eyewitness Accounts. The Bible was written by people who witnessed the
events it describes; many were persecuted or martyred but never changed their
story. Would you die for something you knew was untrue? It is no moderate
approbation of Scripture that it has been sealed by the blood of so many
witnesses, especially when we reflect that they died to render testimony to the
faith with a firm and constant, yet sober, zeal toward God. John
Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
4. Corroborating Accounts. There are plenty of references in non-biblical
sources to the events described in the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus,
born in 37 AD, provide(s) indispensable background material for the student
ofNew Testament history. In them, we meet many figures well known to us
from the New Testament. Some of his writings provide direct commentary on
New Testament references. J.D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary.
5. Literary Consistency. The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years
by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that
culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even pass a secret around a circle of 12
people and get the same message at the end. There is indeed a wide variety
of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind thesethere lies a
single divine author with a single unifying theme. John R.W.
Stott, Understanding the Bible.
6. Prophetic Consistency. There are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old
Testament that are fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in
the New Testament. The very dimension of the sheer fulfillment of prophecy of

the Old Testament Scriptures should be enough to convince anyone that we are
dealing with a supernatural piece of literature.God has himself planted within
the scriptures an internal consistency that bears witness that this is his Word.
R.C. Sproul, Now Thats a Good Question.
7. Expert Scrutiny. The early church had extremely high standards for what
books were judged to be authentic and therefore included in the Bible. A book
had to have been written by an Apostle or someone in their immediate circle,
had to conform to basic Christian faith and had to be in widespread use among
many churches. This was a careful process of the people of God in many
different places, coming to recognize what other believers elsewhere found to
be true; these writings were truly Gods word. G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A.
Carson and R.T. France, The New Bible Commentary.
8. Leader Acceptance. A majority of the greatest leaders and thinkers in history
have affirmed the truth and impact of the Bible. "I believe the Bible is the best
gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is
communicated to us through this book. But for it we could not know right from
wrong. Abraham Lincoln.
9. Global Influence. The Bible has had a greater influence on the laws, art,
ethics, music and literature of world civilization than any other book in history.
Can you think of one that even comes close? Christianity, as set forth in the
Bible is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian
advances in the history of civilizationin education, medicine, law, the fine
arts, working for human rights and even in the natural sciences. Craig L.
Blomberg, in Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.
10.Changed Lives. From St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Joni Eareckson Tada to
countless everyday men, women and children, the words of the Bible have
transformed lives unmistakably and forever. As unnamed masses of Christians
down through the ages have shown us, the Bible is the most reliable place to
turn for finding the key to a life of love and good works. T.M. Moore, The Case
for the Bible.

Section One: What Is The Bible?

Section One: Survey
What Is The Bible?
In the right margin, write "true" or "false" after each of the following statements:
1.

The Bible consists of edited writings, collected and put together at one point in history.

2.

Part of the Bible is wise instruction from men, and part is from God.

3.

The entire Bible is inspired.

4.

We find the writings of John in the Old Testament.

5.

The four Gospels are Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, and Daniel.

6.

The Book of Acts gives the history of the early Church.

7.

Jesus Christ is the central figure in Scripture.

8.

The New Testament has no relation to the Old Testament.

9.

Many books in the New Testament were letters to different Churches and groups.

God's record of the creation of the world is found in the Book of Genesis.

10.

Section One: "What Is the Bible?"

Key/Memory Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16

"All Scripture is inspired by God and

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness."

Introduction
The Bible can be read as great literature, or as a history of Israel, or as a source book of theological
information. It is all of these things. But none of them does full justice to the purpose of Scripture
as set forth by the Bible writers themselves. This amazing book, the Bible, is the source of truth,
the standard for meaningful life, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the key to true freedom and liberty,
and true food for man's soul.
May our eyes be opened, our hearts enlarged, and our lives changed by this Book of all books!
I.

Definition of Terms

A. The Bible:
The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word biblion which simply means "book."
B. The Scriptures:
This word is the word we use in our translation of the Greek word graphai, which can
also be translated as "writings."
C. Testament:

This word is derived from the Latin word testamentum, which was used in early
Latin translations of both the Greek and Hebrew words for a "will" or "covenant."
(For further study: Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia, "Bible," vol. 1, pp. 554ff; A
General Introduction to the Bible, by Geisler and Nix, pp.l7ff.)
II.

Introductory Facts About The Bible:

The Bible is the most remarkable book ever written. About 40 men of several
countries and many occupations did the writing. They wrote over a period of
approximately 1500 years and in three languages - Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Yet
the Bible is an well-organized unity with one great theme and central figure - Jesus
Christ. All of this would be impossible unless the Bible had one supreme Author and it did - the Holy Spirit of God.
A. The Age Of The Bible
The earliest portions of Scripture date back more than 3,300 years.
However, its message has been fresh and relevant to men of every age
and generation. Its pages are still producing new gems of truth, even
to those who study them the most.
B. The Demand For The Bible
It is by far the most widely circulated book in the world. Since 1804, more than 800
million Bibles and portions of Scripture have been issued. These figures are from the
British and Foreign Bible Societies alone. Every year more than 22 million copies of
the complete Bible and New Testament are circulated around the globe.
The Bible has been translated more than any other book. Each year we see an
increase in the number of translations. The following figures reflect this steady
growth.

In 1500 A.D. it had been printed in 14 languages.

In 1600 - about 40 languages.

In 1800 - about 72 languages.

In 1900 - about 567 languages.

In 1937 - about 1,000 languages

In 1970 - about 1500 languages.

In 1997 - to date, at least partially translated in more than 2100 languages.

(Wycliffe Bible Translators are currently working on an additional 1000 languages.)

III.

The Uniqueness Of The Bible

(This material and more information under this topic can be found in Evidence Which
Demands A Verdict. Josh McDowell, pp. 16-25)

A. Unique In Its Continuity The Bible has an unique continuity when you consider that...

it was written over a 1500-year period;

written over 40 generations;

written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants,
philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.;

written in many different places.

B. Unique In Its Survival -

Survival through Time Being written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for
hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish
its style, correctness or existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient
writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical
literature combined.

Manuscript Evidence for Ancient Writings

Author
Caesar

Written

Earliest Copy

Time Span

100-44 B.C.

900 A.D.

1,000 yrs

Plato

427-347 B.C.

900 A.D.

1,200 yrs

Thucydides

460-400 B.C.

900 A.D.

1,300 yrs

100 A.D.

1100 A.D.

1,000 yrs

75-160 A.D.

950 A.D.

800 yrs

900 B.C.

400 B.C.

500 yrs

40-100 A.D.

125 A.D.

25-50 yrs

Tacitus
Suetonius
Homer (Iliad)
New Testament

Manuscript variation from copying:

a. Old Testament: 95% of the texts are identical with only minor
variations and a few discrepancies between the Dead Sea Scrolls
(dated to the 1st century) and the Masoretic text (dated to around
800 A.D.).

b. New Testament: New Testament manuscripts agree in 99.5% of the

text (compared to only 95% for the Iliad). Additionally, the New
Testament can be put together from the writings of the early church
fathers, since they extensively quoted from it.

Survival Through Persecution The Bible has withstood vicious attacks of its enemies as no other book.
Many have tried to burn it, ban it, and "outlaw it from the days of Roman
emperors to present-day Communist or Islamic-dominated countries."

Survival Through Criticism -

"Infidels for eighteen hundred years have been attempting to refute and overthrow
this Book, and yet it stands today as solid as a rock. Its circulation increases, and it
is more loved and cherished and read today than ever before. Infidels, with all their
assaults, make about as much impression on this Book as a man with a jackhammer
would on the Pyramids of Egypt. When the French monarch proposed the
persecution of the Christians in his dominion, an old statesman and warrior said to
him, Sire, the Church of God is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.' So the
hammers of infidels have been pecking away at this Book for ages, but the hammers
are worn out, and the anvil still endures. If this Book had not been the Book of God,
men would have destroyed it long ago. Emperors and popes, kings and priests,
princes and rulers have all tried their hand at it; they die and the book still lives."
(H.L. Hastings cited in Josh McDowell's, Evidence that Demands A Verdict p. 21)
II.

The Supernatural Origin Of The Bible

How did this amazingly unique book come about? A look at the following two terms will help
us understand the divine origin of the Bible.
1. Revelation God has disclosed or revealed Himself to man. We can learn about God through
these revelations.
God has revealed Himself in a general way through nature/creation. In the beauty
and wonder of creation we see the signature of God (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20).
However, a more complete disclosure or revelation of who God is, what He is like,
etc., is found in the Bible. God revealed Himself in a variety of manners to His
chosen authors that they might record a permanent testimony concerning God.
What the authors wrote were not their own ideas - but rather God's ideas.
God used various methods and instruments to reveal the Scriptures to His chosen
authors:

Direct Voice - God spoke in an audible voice to some of them, telling them
what to write down. (Exodus 33:1)

Direct Writing - God visibly wrote certain of the truths Himself. (Exodus
31:18)

Dreams - God used the dreams of men as a channel through which He

revealed prophetic truths. (Daniel 2:1-49)

Men - The personal experiences and spiritual lives of individuals were used
by God. (Psalm 51)

Natural World - The universe, which God created, declares Him. (Psalm
19:1 and Romans 1:19-23)

Historic Events - God used the events of men to reveal His will (the Old
Testament Books of Genesis and Esther).

Holy Spirit - The Spirit of God guided men as they penned His words (2 Peter
1:21)

Inspiration

The key verse is 2 Timothy 3:16. The word "inspiration" means "God-breathed."
"Every Scripture is God-breathed." The Bible claims that on the original parchments
every sentence, every word, every line was placed there in complete agreement with
the will of God. The veritable author of the Bible is God. God used human authors to
write down the words He wanted in the Bible. He watched over them as they wrote,
so no errors could creep in.
How do we know when writings are inspired by God? The Bible itself tells us what
characteristics writings must have to be considered inspired by God. They must:

Be spoken from, and in the name of, the Lord (Jeremiah 30:2, 1 Peter 1:21).

Exalt and glorify God (John 5:39 &; 17:4-10; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Direct the love of men toward God (Colossians 3:16; Revelation 19:10).

Draw men to repent of their rebellion against God and to submit fully to Him
(Psalms 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16).

Prophecies come to fulfillment with 100 percent accuracy (Deuteronomy

18:21-22).

Support the laws, precepts, and principles set forth in the rest of Scripturewithout contradiction (Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 5:17; John 10:35).

Communicate truth, and only truth, in all disciplines of knowledge (Psalms

119:160; Hebrews 6:18).

Summary Of Terms

II.

Revelation - is God's activity in giving truth to the human mind.

Inspiration - is God's activity in producing a record of his revealed truth.

Survey Of The Bible

The Old Testament

The first five Books of the Old Testament were written about 1440 B.C. by
Moses. These are called the "Five Books of Moses", or the "Pentateuch"
(five writings). List them below in the order you find them in your Bible.

a.

Genesis

The Book of beginnings (creation, man, sin, redempti

God's nation Israel)

b.

Exodus

The record of God's deliverance of His people from th

of Egypt.

c.

Leviticus

Priestly laws of holiness and worship through sacrific

purification.

d.

Number

The record of the continual disobedience of God's pe

and their wandering through the wilderness for 40 yea

e.

Deuteronomy

Moses' great discourses to prepare the people to ent

Promised Land.

The next twelve Books in the Old Testament are historical. They were
written about 1100-600 B.C. and describe God's dealings with His chosen
people, Israel, the Hebrew nation. Note these Books and their titles.

The following five books are poetical, describing in poetry and song God's
greatness and His dealings with men. List these in order below.

a.

Job

The suffering and loyal trust of a man who loved G

b.

Psalms

Songs of praise and instruction.

c.

Proverbs

God's practical wisdom for successful living.

d.

Ecclesiastes

The emptiness of earthly life without God.

e.

Song of Solomon

A portrait of God's love for His people.

The five books of major prophets follow. A prophet is one who is

commissioned by God to deliver His message to men. These books are called
"major prophets" because they are generally longer than the writings of the
"minor prophets". These five books were written from about 750-550 B.C.

The last twelve books of the Old Testament are called "minor prophets."
These books were written from about 800-400 B.C. Note the names of these
books in your Bible.

2. The New Testament

The New Testament (or New Covenant - God's present agreement with men) reveals
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of men. In it we find the life of Christ, the beginning of
Christianity, the way of salvation, instruction for Christian living, and God's plan for
the future.

The first five books of the New Testament are historical As you list them in
order below, study their descriptions on the right.

a.

Matthew

The life of Christ written especially for the Jews, revealing Jesus
Christ as their long-awaited Savior-King.

b.

Mark

The life of Christ revealing Jesus as the obedient Servant of God.

c.

Luke

The life of Christ revealing Jesus as the perfect Man,

emphasizing His humanity.

d.

John

The life of Christ revealing Jesus as the Son of God, stressing His
deity.

e.

Acts

The beginning and spread of the Christian Church. This book

could well be called the "Acts of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are referred to as "The Four Gospels." Look
up John 20:31 and record two reasons given for the writing of John's Gospel.

a)

that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

b)

and that believing you may have life in His name

The next 21 Books are letters (epistles). They are written to individuals, to
churches, or to believers in general These letters deal with every aspect of
Christian faith and responsibility. Notice the titles of these epistles.

The last book of the New Testament is a book of prophecy. It tells of future
events - including the return, reign, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the future state of believers and unbelievers.

Revelation

This book is called

II.

Conclusion
1. The Bible At A Glance (66 Books)
(Open in New Window)

The Bible At A Glance (66 Books)

OLD TESTAMENT (39 Books)

"The New is in the Old

concealed.
The Old is in the New revealed."

HISTORY

POETRY

PROPHECY

17 books

5 books

17 books

Law
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy

1. Job
2. Psalms
3. Proverbs
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Song of
Solomon

About
400 years
between
Testaments

HISTORY

TEACHING

PROPHECY

5 books

21 books

1 book

Major Prophets

Gospels

Paul's letters

1. Isaiah
2. Jeremiah
3. Lamentations
4. Ezekiel
5. Daniel

1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John

1. Romans
2. 1 Corinthians
3, 2 Corinthians
4. Galatians
5. Ephesians
6. Philippians
7. Colossians
8. 1 Thessalonians
9. 2 Thessalonians
10. 1 Timothy
11. 2 Timothy
12. Titus
13. Philemon

History
History and
Government
1. Joshua
2. Judges
3. Ruth
4. 1 Samuel
5. 2 Samuel
6. 1 Kings
7. 2 Kings
8. 1 Chronicles
9. 2 Chronicles
10. Ezra
11. Nehemiah
12. Esther

NEW TESTAMENT (27 Books)

Minor Prophets
1. Acts
1. Hosea
2. Joel
3. Amos
4. Obadiah
5. Jonah
6. Micah
7. Nahum
8. Habakkuk
9. Zephaniah
10. Haggai
11. Zechariah
12. Malachi

Revelation

General Letters
1. Hebrews
2. James
3. 1 Peter
4. 2 Peter
5. 1 John
6. 2 John
7. 3 John
8. Jude

God used 40 different men over a period of 1,500 Years (about 1400 B.C. to 90 A.D.) in writing the Bible- (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Frequently, sections of the Bible will be referred to in an abbreviated way. For

example, 2 Timothy 3:16 refers to the book, Second Timothy, Chapter three, verse
sixteen. Until you familiarize yourself with your Bible, you can use the table of
contents at the front of your Bible to locate the order and page number of the book
for which you are looking.

2. Who is the central figure of all the Scriptures according to John

5:39 and Luke 24:25-2 7?
Jesus Christ
3. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, which of the following is the correct answer?

Some of the Bible is inspired by God.

There are a few parts that are not inspired.

The entire Bible is inspired by God.

Only the parts that speak to us in a personal way are inspired by God.

b. This Book of all Books is an amazing record of history, great literature, and
theology; but more importantly, it is the source of truth, the standard for
meaningful life, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the key to freedom and liberty,
true food for man's soul!