Although the Bible consists of a variety of texts, it tells a single, coherent story. About the Creator and creation, the Fall, and the devil. God’s infinite love for the children of man, and his promise of reconciliation. And finally, about Jesus, the Son of God, who was to reunite humanity and God in a brand-new era.
Although the content of the Bible has changed the lives of thousands of people over the course of hundreds of years, it remains the subject of both criticism and debate to this day. Throughout history, historians, experts, and researchers have studied this collection of texts with great interest.
As a Christian, you may encounter skeptics who believe the Bible is just a random collection of texts. Selected and compiled by people with questionable motives, several hundred years after Jesus lived. That it fits into a long line of religious or philosophical texts such as the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and Mao’s Little Red Book. Those who have experienced the creating power found in the Bible’s texts know that this book is so much more. They themselves have experienced how faith in God’s word has transformed them into completely new people. In the film The Authority of the Bible – A Conversation Between a Believer and a Skeptic, this topic is explored through an engaging dialogue between a devout Christian and a skeptical agnostic.
Both the film and this text explore current issues such as:
What is the Bible?
Who was Jesus?
Which stories about him are true?
Who wrote these stories down, and who decided which stories and texts should be included in the Bible?
Can we say with certainty that Jesus was more than just a historical figure?
The Bible—a subject of criticism
Most historians agree that there was a person named Jesus. That he grew up in Nazareth, was a teacher and preacher, was known for his healing powers, and had disciples who followed him. It is also generally accepted that he was crucified by the Romans under Pontius Pilate around the year 33.
The Bible, on the other hand, tells a broader and more comprehensive story of Jesus’ life. A young man who performed miracles, taught people how to live in harmony with God, and prophesied of a time to come when evil would be overcome. Whom even death could not overcome, since, according to his disciples, he rose from the dead.
There are a number of reliable sources that tell us about Jesus as a historical figure. But as a Christian, how should you relate to the Bible’s description of Jesus? Something that is difficult to document scientifically. That Jesus was God’s own Son, the Messiah.
A collection of texts in two parts
The Bible consists of two parts. The Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament contains the same texts as the Jewish Tanakh. Here we can read about how God created the world and humankind in his image. On creation and the Creator. We can also read about the Fall, the devil, and the devastating consequences this had for the relationship between God and humanity. The Old Testament contains God’s promise of reconciliation between him and the children of man. It describes the commandments God revealed to Moses, and how these commandments taught the Jews to know God. Although the Mosaic Law was good, it did not lead to true harmony and unity between people and God. Human beings were unable, by their own strength, to overcome sin. Time and again, the Jews brought sacrifices to atone for their sins. The Old Covenant.
People needed another way to be saved. A new covenant. Through prophets and key biblical figures such as Moses and David, the Old Testament tells of a new king—the Messiah—who would usher in a new era.
Some people think the Old Testament is a collection of implausible and outdated texts. When viewed in a broader context, it is clear that all these stories, poems, psalms, and texts serve the same purpose. The Old Testament offers us a rich insight into God’s love for his creation and his promises to humanity.
The New Testament
The New Testament begins where the Old Testament ends. With the story of the Messiah—Jesus. It consists of 27 texts and was written by disciples and apostles who were close to Jesus during his lifetime. The New Testament contains four Gospels, a number of letters, and other texts.
The word “gospel” derives from a translation of the Greek word euangelion, meaning “glad tidings,” or “good news.” Through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we come to know Jesus. The first three are similar, both in order and content. That is why they are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. The word “synoptic” means “viewed together.” Nevertheless, they each highlight a different aspect of Jesus. Mark emphasizes Jesus’ divinity, that Jesus is the Son of God. The Gospel of Matthew is written from a Jewish perspective to prove that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Jewish Scriptures. Luke writes from the perspective of the Gentiles and explains that, through faith in Jesus, the Gentiles are now equals with the Jews before God.
John’s Gospel stands apart from the other Gospels, with a different structure and a perspective that is, to some extent, reminiscent of Greek philosophy. This explains how Jesus has existed from eternity as the Son of God. When Jesus is born into the world, it is God himself who becomes human. Together, they paint a complete picture of Jesus, the Savior of all nations.
Many would argue that the texts of the New Testament were randomly selected several hundred years after Jesus and his disciples were alive. That there are even texts from this period that tell completely different stories about Jesus. How can we know that these individual texts, which together make up the Bible, are reliable and tell the true story of Jesus?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”
After Jesus’ death, the Christian community grew rapidly and spread throughout the Mediterranean region. The apostles were very active and devoted their lives to spreading the good news. Wherever they went, they shared stories about Jesus and his teachings.
Not only did they devote their lives to this work, but many also gave their lives for it. The apostles were persecuted and killed for preaching the Christian message. The number of people who had firsthand knowledge of Jesus was steadily dwindling. In order to reach all the people who had now become Christians, and to preserve this important message, the apostles had it written down. Texts about Jesus, the message he preached, discipleship, freedom from sin, and eternal life. James was probably among the first to write texts conveying this message. His writings draw heavily on the Sermon on the Mount and describe the foundation upon which Jesus believed Christians should build their lives.
Paul’s task
The Apostle Paul became one of the key figures in the effort to put into writing the message that Jesus had preached. The story of Paul is well known: how he went from being a persecutor of Christians to becoming one of Christianity’s foremost missionaries. His experience of encountering Jesus in a vision, while on his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish Christians, turned Paul’s entire worldview upside down. Paul was a Roman citizen and was therefore able to travel extensively throughout the Roman Empire, which at that time encompassed the lands that today surround the Mediterranean Sea. He founded and supported churches across a vast region. The work of spreading Jesus’ message was not without risk. Many of Paul’s writings were therefore in the form of letters. In his letters, he provides instruction in the gospel, as well as advice and guidance.
Which texts have authority?
The earliest historical sources thus suggest that the texts of the New Testament were written down shortly after Jesus’ death. To preserve what those who had been close to Jesus had seen, heard, witnessed, and experienced, and to spread the message. But these texts are not the only ones we have from this period. There are several other texts that tell different stories about Jesus. Which texts were considered authoritative for the early believers? Some would argue that there has been no consensus on this, and that the texts of the New Testament were selected several hundred years after Jesus’ death. That the early churches did not read the same texts that we read in the Bible.
There is clear evidence pointing in the opposite direction. We find this evidence in the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as in the form of numerous copies of the very texts we know today as the New Testament.
“The Scripture says”
The authors of the New Testament were more than just skilled communicators, and they were very aware of that. In his letters, Paul repeatedly states that he is an apostle and explains what this apostolic office entails. He brings the word of God. The Apostle Peter refers to Paul’s letters as part of “the Scriptures.” Paul does the same when he quotes his close friend Luke with the phrase “the Scripture says.” These texts were thus read and regarded as more than just personal letters offering advice and guidance to selected congregations. These were texts that carried authority and were recognized as authoritative by the early Christian churches.
We have a strong factual basis to support the claim that the early Church Fathers were in agreement regarding which texts had and should have authority, and which texts were circulated and read by Christians during this period. There are approximately 6,000 copies of New Testament texts. Some of them are just small fragments, while others are almost complete. Most are on parchment, but there are also about one hundred and forty on papyrus—from the earliest period. The early Church Fathers refer thousands of times to the texts found in the New Testament. By comparison, for example, only three copies of the Gospel of Thomas, a text dating from the same period, have been found.
It is thus well documented that the texts of the New Testament were read aloud, copied in thousands of copies, and widely distributed among the early Christian churches. Not many centuries later, as some would claim. The same texts that Christians around the world read today were the guiding principles for the early Christian churches.
The good news
Paul devoted his life to spreading “the good news” about Jesus. He writes, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” (1 Cor. 14:37-38.) It was clear that Paul was well aware of his own authority and on whose behalf he was delivering the message. He devoted his life to preaching about the Jesus whom he and the apostles had seen, heard, and experienced.
In a letter to the Romans, he writes: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord …” Rom. 1:1-4.
Paul, with his authority and his apostleship, never had any doubt about who Jesus was. According to the flesh, a descendant of David; according to the Spirit, the Son of God. A description that goes far beyond the historical figure that researchers can say with certainty existed. The Jesus whom the disciples met, listened to, and wrote about overcame evil and reconciled humanity with God.
The key to a happy life
Jesus himself concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a call to put God’s word into action. We read in the Gospel of John that anyone who desires to do God’s will knows that the teaching is from God. The Bible has been, is, and will always be a bestseller. Researchers, experts, and historians will likely always discuss this collection of texts with great interest. Some with great skepticism as well. But those who have heard God’s word and acted on it know that the texts in the Bible are far more than a random collection of writings and letters. They have found the key to a happy life.
In the world’s best-selling book.
Here you can access to the Bible in several different translations, along with other interesting content from Hidden Treasures Publishers.
