# What the Bible is (Bibliology) [Nature](reality.md) and [science](science.md) provides *some* insight about God: - Nature shows God's presence: - Psalm 8:3-4 - Romans 1:19-20 - We can see God's design and creative capacity in nature. - Most nature is irreducibly complex, meaning organisms didn't appear by random permutation. God made the universe but isn't a part of it: - 1 Kings 19:11-12 We have enough evidence of *something* that made nature, so we have no reason to reject this Creator as existing. However, we need Scripture or divine inspiration to understand God at all. - Nature allows us to see His creation and power, but not His attributes or personality. - To even *start* observing God, we must observe the [philosophical realities](philosophy.md) behind those creations. - We're easily [deceived](people-lying.md) and distracted, so we require a guide for context, especially since [God isn't the only force at work](spiritual-warfare-tricks.md). The Bible was that compilation, and [there are multiple ways to prove that it's God's word](bible-proof.md) - The *spirit* of Scripture transcends language barriers and travels across our [human universals](humanity-universals.md) to deliver a message. - While we can infer broad concepts through God, we need Scripture to see the truths He wants us to see. God designed Scripture to be taken on *multiple* levels: 1. Literally: as a historical record of what has happened. 2. Figuratively: as a [symbolic association](symbols.md) of what has happened, and how people today could act in light of it. 3. Abstractly/Spiritually/Holistically: as a symbolic association of what was [felt](mind-feelings.md) of what happened, and how people today could act in light of those myths. 4. Broadly: a depiction of God's design for mankind and the universe (see Teleology) We must not only trust Scripture, but also that God has been faithful in preserving it, and [there is hard evidence of that](https://theologos.site/freak/). As far as *interpreting* Scripture, there are multiple ways to understand where the knowledge itself is contained (i.e., "hermeneutics"): 1. Author-centered: the information came from the reasoning of each book's original human creators. - It constrains the meaning to how the author saw it and refer to actual events that happened. - However, it can also mean the information is constrained as well to that context, with little or no modern application. 2. Text-centered: the meaning is contained within the text itself and constructed independently of its context. - It sees the book as artistry and meaning within the language itself. - However, it can descend into an abstraction away from anything personally relevant if it's treated as an abstraction without implementation. 3. Reader-centered: the information in the text is a mirror to the reader for self-reflection. - It uses the contexts of the reader's [culture](people-culture.md) to find wisdom. - It also can become pure subjectivity if the information is seen as relative to each reader. 4. Hybrid: some sort of combination of all three. - It is true that the original culture needs to be considered in interpreting the text. - It is also true that the text itself contains truth and art that can't be found anywhere else. - And, it's true that the Scripture is a mirror to each individual reader and their context. ## The Bible is a compilation The Bible is 66 books written across 2,000 years by 27 authors, with the Catholics having 7 more than the Protestants (see below). The Bible is inspired by God through people, without personal or [political](politics-conservativeliberal.md) bias (2 Peter 1:20-21) - Most of the biblical inconsistencies are either false extrapolations or [false attribution](people-conflicts-christian-why.md). - Remarkably, even when the precise words differ between translations, it maintains the same core ideas and spirit. The Bible has two major parts: the Hebrew Tanakh (the "Old Testament") and the Apostles' letters (the "New Testament"). There is also paratext with chapters and verses to make the Bible easier to navigate: - In 1382, Stephen Langton added chaptering to the Wycliffe English Bible. - In 1448, a Jewish rabbi named Nathan added verses to the Old Testament. - In 1555, Robert Estienne, also known as Stephanus, used Nathan's numbering and added the New Testament numbering. ## Tanakh / Old Testament The Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim are combined to make TNK, or Tanakh. - The Tanakh is 39 (or 46) books written in Hebrew by Jews (and later Christians) who reproduced it immaculately across thousands of years. - The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint) sometime between 250 and 100 BC. - Christians often simply call it the "Old Testament", but it's the exact same books as the Jews' Bible. Torah (the Law): - Canonized around 500 BC. - Gives an introduction to the Israelite people, gives the Jewish Law, and sets a covenant with them as God's chosen people. - The first 5 books: - [Genesis](bible-1_torah-gen.md) - [Exodus](bible-1_torah-exo.md) - [Leviticus](bible-1_torah-lev.md) - [Numbers](bible-1_torah-num.md) - [Deuteronomy](bible-1_torah-deut.md) Nevi'im: - Canonized somewhere between 400 and 350 BC. - Continues to admonish the Israelite people as they consistently break the Law and suffer its consequences. 1. The Former Prophets - [Joshua](bible-2_historical-jos.md)/[Judges](bible-2_historical-jud.md) - [Samuel](bible-2_historical-sam.md) (split in half for convenience) - [Kings](bible-2_historical-kin.md) (split in half for convenience) - [Isaiah](bible-4_major-isa.md) - [Jeremiah](bible-4_major-jer.md) - [Ezekiel](bible-4_major-eze.md) 2. The Latter 12 Minor Prophets - [Hosea](bible-5_minor-hos.md) - [Joel](bible-5_minor-joe.md) - [Amos](bible-5_minor-amo.md) - [Obadiah](bible-5_minor-obd.md) - [Jonah](bible-5_minor-jon.md) - [Micah](bible-5_minor-mic.md) - [Nahum](bible-5_minor-nhm.md) - [Habakkuk](bible-5_minor-hbk.md) - [Zephaniah](bible-5_minor-zph.md) - [Haggai](bible-5_minor-hag.md) - [Zechariah](bible-5_minor-zec.md) - [Malachi](bible-5_minor-mal.md). Ketuvim: - Canonized somewhere between 350 and 250 BC. - Continues the theme of a Messiah coming to redeem the Israelites from bondage, which persists through their exile to Babylon. 1. Poetic Books: - [Psalms](bible-3_poetic-psa.md) - [Proverbs](bible-3_poetic-pro.md) - [Job](bible-3_poetic-job.md) 2. Five Scrolls: - [Song of Songs](bible-3_poetic-son.md) - [Ruth](bible-2_historical-rut.md) - [Lamentations](bible-4_major-lam.md) - [Ecclesiastes](bible-3_poetic-ecc.md) - [Esther](bible-2_historical-est.md) 3. Others: - [Daniel](bible-4_major-dan.md) - [Ezra](bible-2_historical-ezr.md)/[Nehemiah](bible-2_historical-neh.md) - [Chronicles](bible-2_historical-chr.md) (split in half for convenience) ## New Testament The New Testament is made of 27 letters written in Greek (except for the book of Acts, written in Aramaic) by the early Church within the first century AD. - The same 27 books were constantly reproduced and shared across the Roman Empire. Given that the documents were *very* illegal for the time, they were distributed as letters ("Epistles"). - The presence of papyrus was rare up until the 2nd century, meaning that people could only afford to capture *highly* critical information until that time. - The new Christians believed [Jesus would return](theology-end.md) within their lifetimes, so they didn't bother writing things down until at least a decade later for that reason. - In some ways [this attests to its truthfulness](spiritual-exercises-evangelism-apologetics.md), since there was no opportunity for them to collude because they were spread all over the Roman Empire. The Four Gospels - four accounts of Jesus' life: - Three "synoptic" Gospels (i.e., sharing the same point of view): - [Matthew's](bible-6_gospels-mat.md) - [Mark's](bible-6_gospels-mar.md) - [Luke's](bible-6_gospels-luk.md) - [John's](bible-6_gospels-jhn.md), which was likely written a few decades later Luke's historical account of the events immediately following Jesus' resurrection: - [Acts of the Apostles](bible-7_historical-act.md): Paul's Epistles written to various churches: - [Rome](bible-8_letters-rom.md) - [Corinth](bible-8_letters-1co.md) ([twice](bible-8_letters-2co.md)) - [Galatia](bible-8_letters-gal.md) - Paul's Prison Epistles - [Ephesus](bible-8_letters-eph.md) - [Philippi](bible-8_letters-php.md) - [Colossae](bible-8_letters-col.md) - [Thessaloniki](bible-8_letters-1th.md) ([twice](bible-8_letters-2th.md)) Pastor's training epistles by Paul to specific people (Pastoral Letters): - [Timothy](bible-8_letters-1ti.md) ([twice](bible-8_letters-2ti.md)) - [Titus](bible-8_letters-tts.md) - [Philemon](bible-8_letters-phl.md) A letter written to Jewish Christians by an unknown author: - [Hebrews](bible-8_letters-heb.md) General Epistles written for a broad audience: - From [James](bible-8_letters-jam.md) - From [Peter](bible-8_letters-1pe.md) ([twice](bible-8_letters-2pe.md)) - From [John](bible-8_letters-1jo.md) ([twice](bible-8_letters-2jo.md) and [a third time](bible-8_letters-3jo.md)) - From [Jude](bible-8_letters-jud.md) A letter to seven churches, followed by prophecies of [how this age will end](theology-end.md): - [The Apocalypse of John, or the Book of Revelation](bible-9_vision-rev.md) ## Other semi-canonized works There are [other semi-canon and non-canon works](bible-noncanon.md), but the [dispute about them](people-conflicts-christian-3_near.md) is a bit small-minded: - It's an absolute fact that God was faithful to keep all the ideas that mattered in the 66 books that made their way across the world. - Even if there is some special "secret" knowledge, it most certainly doesn't reflect in anything tied to [our salvation](https://theologos.site/gospel/) ## Scripture wasn't written in a dramatic setting The people who wrote the Bible were living people in ancient societies, with their own mundane [personalities](people-personality.md), [cultures](people-culture.md), and [political problems](politics-systems.md). - The writer always had a [purpose](purpose.md) beforehand for they were writing for, and God spoke in that purpose through those people at that moment, outward into the writing, across the lens of history to *everyone*. - The Bible was *not* an abstracted paranormal event, and instead came through the Holy Spirit delivering a divine spark of [creative](mind-creativity.md) wisdom, similar to other arts that capture beauty and truth. - We don't know precisely how much content those people wrote elsewhere, but whatever they wrote was likely still filled with plenty of the unique grammar and writing styles that made its way into the Bible's original text. The paper the Bible is written on doesn't have any inherent divinity, nor its ancient language. - The Word of God is the [ideas](values.md) themselves as they're interpreted in a person's [mind](mind-understanding.md), delivered *through* the written or spoken text. ## Take the Bible for what it is To put it simply, the Bible is a long-standing collection of books written by God that preaches a [message of salvation](https://theologos.site/gospel/) through faith in Jesus. There are several ways to take the Bible: 1. Literally: as stated, without justification. 2. Allegorically: as a set of [symbols](symbols.md) and [patterns](bible-patterns.md) for [how to live well](people-goodlife.md). 3. Spiritually: as the presence of things we can't physically see, and often where it can't be precisely interpreted. 4. Theologically: as a [doctrinal assertion](theology.md) on how to live. 5. Holistically: as a vague guidepost for how to [feel](mind-feelings.md) through various life experiences. - Technically, all the views are true, since [God is clever enough](theology-god.md) to use the same statement to express multiple meanings. Adding or removing parts of the Bible is a significant transgression of God's word (Deuteronomy 12:32, Revelation 22:18). Many people have made dramatic modifications to the Bible, but they *never* gain widespread acceptance enough to affect Christianity at large. The Bible is vague on *many* things, and that was God's intent. - By God intentionally omitting certain information, each [culture](people-culture.md) can fill in the gaps on how to implement many of His commands (even if they have [conflicts with each other](people-conflicts-christian-why.md) about *how* something implements). - God works through [the Church at large](church.md) just as much as through the messages contained in the Bible. - The Bible will answer every "what" question you could have about [ethical matters](morality.md), and answers *many* practical "how" questions, but rarely gives a direct "why" answer to an abstract concept. - We'll often discover the answers to our "why" questions if we're [open-minded](mind-understanding.md) and meditate deeply on [how God framed the Bible](bible-study.md). God's primary [purpose](purpose.md) for the Bible is to reprogram our [personalities](theology-godandman.md) to something better. - In a sense, the Bible is more a mold than a how-to guide, since it directs attention to the broader reasons *behind* our [problems](https://adequate.life/fix/). - Many new Christians tend to treat the Bible as having [inherent value](values-quality.md) on its own, but its value only comes from what it does to our [hearts](theology-godandman-humanity.md).