Bible

The Bible is the Christian's sacred scriptures. This book, the Bible, is comprised of 66 inspired and canonized books, divided into two testaments. The Old Testament has 39 books and the New Testament has 27 books. The Christian believer recognizes these books as being inspired, authoritative, and inerrant.

​​Two Testaments. 66 books. 783,137 words. 3,116,480 letters. These letters, purposefully bound together, make up the Bible, a Christian's sacred scriptures. This book is comprised of 66 inspired and canonized books, divided into the Old and New testaments. The Old Testament has 39 books, and the New Testament has 27 books. The Christian believer recognizes these books as being inspired, authoritative, and inerrant.

The Bible has several genres of books: Law, Historical, Prophets, Poetry, Gospels, Epistles, and Apocalypse. The Bible can be broken down like this:

• 17 historical books in the Old Testament

• 1 historical book in the New Testament

• 5 poetical books

• 5 major prophetic books and 12 minor prophetic books- the “major” and “minor” only speak of the size of the book, not the content 

  • (Although, all 66 books are considered to be prophetic.)

• 4 Gospels

• 21 epistles

• 1 apocalipsis

It took a total of 1,000 years to complete the Old Testament. Since its canonization, it has been translated into 1,800 languages to be read or listened to. It has been captured using the visuals of film. It has become accessible in writing and online. Think about church and the many different versions of the Bible that are out there! People are able to access it through apps at no cost! They can bring it everywhere with them, not just to church. YouVersion, a top downloaded Bible app for mobile devices, celebrated over 500 million total downloads as of November, 2021! According to their 2021 trends, 55.8 billion chapters were read, 8.2 billions chapters were played on audio, and 2.4 billion note-taking strategies were engaged. Nir Eyal wrote about YouVersion. He mentions in his article that more than 66,000 people are using a Bible app at any given second! 

“YouVersion’s 2021 Verse of the Year” was Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

This specific passage of Scripture focuses on not worrying. God knows our needs and what is best for us, but this does not mean that we will get a new car when we ask for one. When we seek the Father FIRST, above all earthly things, we begin to think like Him, and He deposits His desires in us in time. We begin to want and ask for what He wills, rather than that of our flesh. If you find yourself with time, check out Matthew 6:25-34 for a deeper understanding of this verse!

Here is a quick breakdown of the Scriptures. The Old Testament is made up of 39 books, 929 chapters, and 23,145 verses. The New Testament is made up of 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,957 verses. In total, the Word has 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses. One might wonder if the chapters and verses have always been a part of the Bible. Those were added later, but they do not take away or add to the legitimacy of Scripture. Chapters were added to the Bible in 1238 by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro, and verse divisions were inserted in the year 1551 by Robertus Stephanus. 

If you'd like to grab some cups of coffee and have hours to spare, you can pick up in Psalms, the longest book of the Bible at 150 chapters in length. Some are lamentations and some radiate with joy and praise. The exact middle point of the Bible is Psalm 117, which is a psalm of thanksgiving. This also happens to be the shortest chapter, in number of words, in the Bible as well. The longest chapter is Psalm 119 (176 verses), and the longest verse is Esther 8:9 (78 words). The shortest book of the Bible, in number of words, is 3 John, and the shortest verse is John 11:35 ("Jesus wept"). 

Having more than 8,000 prophecies, the Bible is a book that speaks of the past, the present, and the future. Many have been fulfilled while many are yet to come. Many contemplate whether the Bible is scientific. Can the Bible and Science go together?? Yes! Let's think about Isaac Newton, recognized as one of the world's most noted scientists from history. His greatest passion was the Bible! He wrote more about religion than about Science and Mathematics. Additionally, the Bible says that the earth was round long before it was discovered scientifically. It also says that each star was unique long before telescopes were even invented. The Bible gives an explanation of who we are, why we are here, and how we got here. It touches on political issues, social issues, cultures, sin, salvation, purpose... It's a letter from God. It's inerrant and infallible. It's meant to be read. It's meant to change us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

With all that said, I'll leave you with the last word of the Bible...

Amen.