(Subtitle Indonesia) What Is The Bible - How To Read The Bible

Summary

The Bible is a collection of ancient texts, spanning over a thousand years and written by numerous authors, that tells the story of Israel and its relationship with God. It explores profound themes like life, death, and humanity's purpose through the literary genius of prophets and storytellers. After Israel’s exile and return, Jewish scriptures were formed, and the arrival of Jesus led to the creation of the New Testament. Christians, over centuries, recognized the Bible as a unified story, blending both the Old and New Testaments, offering wisdom and a continued journey toward understanding through Jesus.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Bible is a collection of books that spans over a thousand years and is considered one of the most influential works in human history.
• 😀 It tells the story of the ancient Israelites, their relationship with God, and their view of humanity's purpose.
• 😀 The Bible was written by various authors, including prophets who were literary geniuses, using sophisticated language, metaphor, and storytelling.
• 😀 The Jewish Bible, called the Tanakh, is divided into three sections: Torah (law), Nevi'im (prophets), and Ketuvim (writings).
• 😀 The Tanakh tells the story of Israel’s history, with books that blend historical narratives and poetic writings.
• 😀 After the Israelites were exiled and returned to their land, their scriptures began to take shape into the form we have today.
• 😀 In addition to the Tanakh, there were other writings produced during the Second Temple period, which were debated for inclusion in the biblical canon.
• 😀 These additional writings were highly valued by Jewish communities and were passed down alongside the Jewish scriptures.
• 😀 The New Testament, written by Jesus' apostles, builds upon the Tanakh, presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of its prophecies and promises.
• 😀 Different Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) have varying views on which books should be included in the Bible, particularly those from the Second Temple period.
• 😀 The Bible, though a collection of texts from different authors over many centuries, tells one unified story about God’s plan for humanity, culminating in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Q & A

What is the Bible and why is it so influential?

The Bible is one of the most influential books in human history, exploring fundamental questions about existence, and inspiring many people to do remarkable things, while also confusing others. It is a small library of books that emerged from the history of the people of ancient Israel.

What role did prophets play in the Bible?

Prophets in the Bible were viewed as individuals who saw Israel's story as central to God's work for all of humanity. They were literary geniuses who used the Hebrew language to craft epic narratives, sophisticated poetry, and metaphors to explore life's most complex questions about death, life, and the human struggle.

How many different authors contributed to the Bible?

The Bible was written by many different authors over a period of more than a thousand years, with these texts beginning around Israel's origins in Egypt and continuing through their kingdom and eventual conquest by the Babylonians.

What is the structure of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh)?

The Jewish Bible, called Tanakh, consists of three parts: Torah (the law, the five foundational books), Nevi'im (the prophets, which includes historical books and prophetic writings), and Ketuvim (the writings, which include poetic and wisdom literature).

What role did second temple writings play in Jewish tradition?

During the second temple period, many Jewish writings were produced that were highly valued in Jewish communities. There was debate about whether some of these texts should be considered part of the scriptures, but they were still important and circulated alongside the traditional Jewish scriptures.

Why were the different writings of the Bible compiled together?

The various writings of the Bible were compiled because together they tell an epic story of how God is working through the people of Israel to bring order and beauty to the world. This story builds up to the hope for a new leader who would renew all of creation, though the leader never arrives in the Tanakh itself.

What was the significance of Jesus in the context of the Bible?

Jesus, a Jewish prophet, claimed to carry forward the story of the Tanakh. His followers believed he was the long-awaited leader who would restore the world, and they wrote the Gospels and letters that became part of the New Testament, seeing them as the fulfillment of the Tanakh's story.

How did early Christians view second temple literature?

Early Christians had different views on the second temple literature, but they valued and read many of these texts, passing them along with the Jewish scriptures. They saw the New Testament writings as a continuation of the biblical tradition, inspired by God.

What is the difference between the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Bibles?

The Catholic Bible includes some additional books from the second temple period, known as the deuterocanonical books. The Orthodox churches may include even more books, while during the Reformation, Protestant Christians chose to accept only the Old and New Testaments, excluding these additional writings.

How does the Bible tell a unified story despite being written over many centuries?

Despite being written by different authors over a long period, the Bible is seen as a unified story because it tells a cohesive narrative about God's actions in the world, ultimately leading to the coming of Jesus and offering profound wisdom for the modern world.