About the Bible

(By Derek Prince)

Adherents to the Christian faith throughout the world today number at least one billion
persons. This total includes Christians from all sections of the church, in all areas of the earth and
from a multitude of racial backgrounds. Not all these are actively practicing their faith, but all are
recognized as adherents. As such, they constitute one of the largest and most significant elements
in the world’s population.

Virtually all these Christians recognize the Bible as the authoritative basis of their faith and
practice. The Bible also plays a significant role in two other major world religions: Judaism and
Islam. By all objective standards it is the most widely read and influential book in the history of
the human race. Year after year it consistently heads the list of the best-selling books of the
world. It is obvious, therefore, that any person who desires a good general education cannot
afford to omit the study of the Bible.

The Bible, as we have it today, is divided into two major sections. The first section, the Old
Testament, contains thirty-nine books. It was written primarily in Hebrew although a few
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portions were written in a sister Semitic language called Aramaic. The second section. the New
Testament, contains twenty-seven books. The oldest extant manuscripts are in Greek.

The Old Testament describes briefly the creation of the world and, in particular, of Adam. It
relates how Adam and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God and thereby brought a series of evil
consequences upon themselves, their descendants and the entire environment in which God had
placed them. It then goes on to trace in outline the history of the first generations descended from
Adam.

After eleven chapters, the Old Testament focuses on Abraham, a man chosen by God to be the
father of a special people, through whom God purposed to provide redemption for the entire
human race. It records the origin and history of this special people, to whom God gave the name
Israel. Altogether, the Old Testament records the dealings of God with Abraham and his
descendants over a period of about two thousand years.

The Old Testament reveals various important aspects of God’s character and His dealings both
with individuals and with nations. Included in this revelation are God’s justice and His
judgments; His wisdom and His power; His mercy and His faithfulness. The Old Testament
particularly emphasizes God’s faithfulness to keep the covenants and promises He makes,
whether with individuals or with nations.

Central to God’s special purpose for Israel was His promise, sealed by His covenant, that He
would send them a deliverer with the God-given task of redeeming mankind from all the
consequences of his rebellion and restoring him to God’s favor. The Hebrew title of this deliverer
was Messiah which means literally “anointed one.”
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The New Testament records the outworking of this promise in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.
This is indicated by the title given Him: Christ. This title is derived from a Greek word Christos
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— which means precisely the same as the Hebrew title Messiah that is, “anointed one.” Jesus
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came to Israel as the anointed One whom God had promised in the Old Testament. He fulfilled
everything that the Old Testament had foretold about His coming. Viewed from this perspective,
the Old Testament and the New Testament are linked together to form a single, harmonious
revelation of God and His purposes for man.