by Lee Ann Mancini
Recently, I was asked to do some research regarding the Bible.
When it comes to the bible and what you need to know about it, a great place to start is how it came to be! There is so much to know about the bible! Different translations are used best when knowing what to use each one for. You may want to know what would be the right Bible for children, and for what age. There is too much information regarding the history of the Bible to put in one blog post. So with that being said, I hope to share just enough for you to get an idea of this inspired masterpiece, and I encourage you to dig deeper!
The Bible is comprised of:
- Oral traditions
- Ancient songs
- Wise sayings through letters and decrees
- Historical records and eyewitness testimonies
- Words from the prophets, such as Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. In the Old Testament, Moses wrote the first five books, called the Torah.
- Kings such as David and Solomon
- Songs and poetry found in the books of Psalms and Song of Solomon, among others. David wrote about half of the psalms, but some not well-known men contributed songs, such as Heman, Ethan, and Agur.
- Letters from the Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul
- Scribes, like Ezra, who edited the Bible and wrote many manuscripts. They faced the penalty of death if they transcribed an error.
- Those who preserved the Bible – Jews and Christians
- Those who canonized – Martin Luther reformation
- There are approximately 40 different authors, written in 3 languages—Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
- Authored over a span of 1,500 years.
- Many of the writers were geographically separated by hundreds of miles on 3 different continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe
- God intended to make sure that we knew it was miraculous writing as the Bible is a cohesive message, fulfilling all prophecy.
Where some may claim there are discrepancies, there are none. Most of the so-called discrepancies are nothing more than complementary information or a lack of knowledge from the reader. For example, one disciple will tell a slightly different version of the same story but will add a detail that perhaps the other disciple left out; therefore, adding more information to have a complete picture. The Bible’s internal consistency is astonishing, proving it was the Holy Spirit that guided these writers.
Today, We Have A Variety of Protestant Bibles.
The Amplified Bible, The King James Bible, The New King James Bible, New American Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, and others. You will often hear that one version is better than another for various reasons. That is because there are translations that we understand are “word for word.” And then there are paraphrases that we understand is “thought for thought.” When studying the context to grasp the original understanding meant for the text, you should always study a “word for word” translation, rather than a “thought for thought.”
For Children:
God’s word is not only a lesson in faith but also a moral lesson in character formation. The difference between a faith lesson and a moral lesson is that a faith lesson reflects on Jesus within the story. A moral lesson teaches how Jesus acted. We learn from his character and behavior. Both faith lessons and moral lessons help to solidify a cohesive, effective foundation for faith formation and moral attitudes and behaviors. Biblical faith formation is essential. It is acquired through various experiences that nurture a solid transformation by which faith in God is accomplished and cherished, and then flourishes. Raising your children to love reading is one of the best gifts you can give them. You want them to read their Bible – start early!
Top 3 Bibles for Toddlers
The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories, Baby’s First Bible Stories, and Lift the Flap Bible
Top 3 Bibles for Elementary Children
The Jesus Storybook Bible, 365 Bible Stories and Prayers, The Bible Made Easy – for Kids
Lee Ann Mancini is the award-winning children’s author, publisher, and executive producer of the Sea Kids books and TV series. She is a renowned speaker and Bible college professor whose passion is to help parents raise their children to have a strong foundation in Jesus.
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The Armed and Dangerous Devotional is a great tool to add to your daily time with God.