The Bible, Is It Just Another Book Series

“The Bible: Is It Just Another Book?”

There’s a story of a guy on an airplane who was an atheist. He was sitting next to a little girl who was traveling alone, and the little girl brought out a Bible to read during the trip. The man struck up a conversation with the little girl, and after a while, he asked her about her Bible.

“Do you like reading that Bible?” “Yes, I do,” she replied.

“How do you know it’s true?” “Because it’s God’s Word.”

“Yeah, but take Jonah and the Whale. Do you really believe that?” “Yes, I do.”

“How can you explain how God would make a whale swallow a man like that?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll ask Jonah when I get to heaven.”

“What if Jonah’s not in heaven?” “Then you can ask him.”

It seems today that everyone has an opinion about the bible… SOME – say that the bible is a pack of lies that it simply meets the needs of weak-minded men & women. AND OTHERS – say that this book is God-breathed and is the hope of the world…

QUESTION - what do you think about this book? How seriously do you take it in your life? I MEAN - in your daily life how seriously do you take it? is it just nice to have around or do you read? Do you follow it’s teachings? Is it a guide? Is it a compass for you?

QUESTION – IF God exists and I think last week we settled that matter – IF this: non-contingent, uncaused by anything else, self-sufficient, self-reliant, powerful, intelligent, always existing, unique, good & moral God who loves us (look at the world/nursery he created for us), were to write a book – what kind of book would it be?

WELL - I think among other things a book written by God would be; Unique (in a class of it’s own), Accurate (we could trust what it says) & Supernatural (it would know some stuff that only God could know)…

QUESTION – is there such a book…. WELL TODAY – I want to make the case for the bible being that kind of book……

I. The Bible Is Unique

Webster must have had the bible in mind when he wrote the definition of the word ‘unique.’ CHECKOUT – this definition of the word unique; 1. one and only; single; sole. 2. Different from all others; having no equal.

OKAY – I want to talk about 7 ways that the bible is different from all other books in the world and how it has no equal…

A) The bible is unique in it’s Composition

The bible was written over a period of 1500 years; in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), on 3 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) and it was written by 40+ different writers from all walks of life; including kings, military leaders, peasants, poets, fisherman, prophets, statesman, priests, scribes, scholars, shepherds, fig pickers and even an IRS agent…

The bible was written in many different places; Moses wrote in the wilderness, Jeremiah in a dungeon, Daniel in a palace, Paul behind prison bars, Luke while traveling, John while in exile on the island of Patmos.

The bible was also written during different moods; some wrote from the heights of joy, others wrote from the depths of sorrow and despair, some wrote during times of certainty and conviction, others during days of confusion and doubt.

AND - the bible was written in a wide variety of literary styles – in this book we have: poetry, song, romance, law, biography, prophecy, historical narrative, parable and allegory.

UNDERSTAND – there is no other book like the bible in it’s composition – it truly stands alone. I challenge anyone to find a book written over a period of 1500 years, in 3 languages, by 40+ men, AND YET fit together so perfectly…(it ain’t happening)

B) The bible is unique in it’s circulation

NOW - it’s not unusual, to hear about books that have hit the best seller list, selling a few hundred thousand copies. BUT - it’s much rarer to come across books that have sold more than a million copies, and rarer still to find books that have passed the 10 million dollar mark in sales.

WELL – the number of bibles sold reaches into the billions (6 billion) It sells about 60-100 million copies every year! The bible is the most published book in history – no other book even comes close.

In 2005 – the total number of bibles distributed by the United Bible Societies (entire bibles; testaments and portions of scripture) totaled 373 million!

C) The bible is unique in it’s circulation – 3rd;

D) The bible is unique in it’s translations

The bible was one of the first books ever translated – in 250 BC the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into the Greek language and given the name Septuagint (LXX). The work was originally produced for Greek-speaking Jews living in Alexandria who could no longer read Hebrew.