# THE HOLY BIBLE: GOD'S WRITTEN REVELATION
**One Book • One Author • One Story • One Purpose: God's Glory**
> "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." — 2 Timothy 3:16–17
>
### 1. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
The Bible is God's inspired, infallible, inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient written revelation to humanity.
**Key Scriptures:**
* 2 Timothy 3:16–17
* 2 Peter 1:20–21
* Psalm 19:7–11
* Hebrews 4:12
* Isaiah 40:8
### 2. ORIGIN OF SCRIPTURE
* **Revelation:** God makes Himself known. (Heb. 1:1–2)
* **Inspiration:** The Holy Spirit superintends the writers. (2 Pet. 1:21)
* **Written By:** Prophets, apostles, and other God-chosen authors. (2 Tim. 3:16)
* **Preservation:** God preserves His Word through the ages. (Ps. 12:6–7)
* **Canonization:** The Church recognizes the divinely inspired books.
### 3. ATTRIBUTES OF SCRIPTURE
| Attribute | Meaning | Scripture Reference |
|---|---|---|
| **Inspired** | God-breathed | 2 Tim. 3:16 |
| **Inerrant** | Without error | Ps. 119:160 |
| **Infallible** | Cannot fail | Isa. 55:11 |
| **Authoritative** | Supreme final authority | Matt. 28:18 |
| **Sufficient** | Enough for all of life | 2 Pet. 1:3 |
| **Clear (Perspicuous)** | Understandable | Ps. 119:105 |
| **Necessary** | Essential | Matt. 4:4 |
| **Living & Active** | Powerful & life-changing | Heb. 4:12 |
### 4. PURPOSES OF THE BIBLE
* To reveal God and His will
* To reveal salvation through Christ
* To teach and instruct
* To correct and reprove (2 Tim. 3:16)
* To train in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16)
* To equip for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17)
* To strengthen faith (Rom. 15:4)
* To guide daily living (Ps. 119:105)
* To bring hope and comfort (Rom. 15:4)
* To glorify God (2 Pet. 3:18)
### 5. STRUCTURE OF THE BIBLE
**Total: 66 Books | 1,189 Chapters | 31,102 Verses**
**Old Testament (39 Books)**
* **Pentateuch (5):** Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
* **Historical (12):** Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
* **Wisdom (5):** Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
* **Major Prophets (5):** Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
* **Minor Prophets (12):** Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
**New Testament (27 Books)**
* **Gospels (4):** Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
* **History (1):** Acts
* **Pauline Epistles (13):** Romans–Philemon
* **General Epistles (8):** Hebrews–Jude
* **Prophecy (1):** Revelation
### 6. THE BIBLE TIMELINE: GOD'S REDEMPTIVE PLAN
1. **Creation** (Gen. 1–2)
2. **Patriarchs** (Gen. 12–50)
3. **Exodus** (Ex. 1–15)
4. **Judges** (Josh.–Judg.)
5. **United Kingdom** (1 Sam.–1 Kings 11)
6. **Divided Kingdom** (1 Kings 12–2 Kings 17)
7. **Exile** (2 Kings 18–25)
8. **Return** (Ezra–Malachi)
9. **Christ The Messiah** (Matt.–John)
10. **Church Age** (Acts–Rev. 3)
11. **Second Coming** (Rev. 19)
12. **Millennial Kingdom** (Rev. 20)
13. **New Heaven & New Earth** (Rev. 21–22)
**Key Verse:** *"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."* — John 20:31
### 7. THE COVENANTS OF SCRIPTURE
*(Jesus Christ fulfills every covenant: Luke 22:20; Matt. 5:17)*
* **Edenic** (Gen. 1–2): Life & domination
* **Noahic** (Gen. 6–9): Preservation of all life
* **Abrahamic** (Gen. 12, 15, 17): Land, nation, blessing
* **Mosaic** (Ex. 19–24): Law, nation, Sabbath
* **Davidic** (2 Sam. 7): Everlasting throne
* **New Covenant** (Jer. 31:31–34): Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, new heart
### 8. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES
* **Hebrew:** Majority of the Old Testament
* **Aramaic:** Portions of Daniel, Ezra, Jeremiah
* **Greek (Koine):** Entire New Testament
### 9. CANON FORMATION TIMELINE
* **Moses & The Law** (1400 BC)
* **Prophets (Writing)** (1000–500 BC)
* **Ezra & Scribes** (450 BC)
* **Apostles** (40–100 AD)
* **Early Church** (100–300 AD)
* **Recognition of Canon** (382–397 AD)
**Tests of Canonicity:** Apostolicity, Antiquity, Orthodoxy, Universal Acceptance, Divine Authority
### 10. THE CENTRAL THEME: JESUS CHRIST
**The Scarlet Thread of Redemption**
| In the Old Testament | In the New Testament |
|---|---|
| The Seed (Gen. 3:15) | The Incarnate Word (John 1:14) |
| The Promised One (Deut. 18:15) | The Lamb of God (John 1:29) |
| The Passover Lamb (Ex. 12) | The Messiah (Matt. 16:16) |
| The Suffering Servant (Isa. 52–53) | The Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14) |
| The Kinsman-Redeemer (Ruth 4) | The Bread of Life (John 6:35) |
| The Great High Priest (Ps. 110:4) | The Good Shepherd (John 10:11) |
| The Son of David (2 Sam. 7) | The Resurrection & Life (John 11:25) |
| The Coming King (Zech. 9:9) | The Coming King (Rev. 19:11–16) |
*Jesus Christ is the center, the goal, and the glory of all Scripture!*
### 11. MAJOR DOCTRINES FOUND IN SCRIPTURE
* **Theology Proper (The doctrine of God):** Ps. 86:10; John 4:24
* **Bibliology (The doctrine of Scripture):** 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:20–21
* **Christology (The doctrine of Christ):** John 1:1–18; Col. 1:15–20
* **Pneumatology (The doctrine of the Holy Spirit):** John 14:16–17; Acts 1:8
* **Anthropology (The doctrine of humanity):** Gen. 1:26–27; Ps. 8:3–5
* **Hamartiology (The doctrine of sin):** Rom. 3:23; Isa. 53:6
* **Soteriology (The doctrine of salvation):** Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 10:9–10
* **Ecclesiology (The doctrine of the church):** Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22–23
* **Angelology (The doctrine of angels):** Ps. 103:20; Heb. 1:14
* **Eschatology (The doctrine of last things):** 1 Thess. 4:16–17; Rev. 21–22
### 12. HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
* **Dead Sea Scrolls (150 BC–100 AD):** Supports OT accuracy
* **Archaeological Discoveries:** Corroborate people, places & events
* **Ancient Manuscripts:** Thousands of evidences
* **Textual Criticism:** Preserves God's Word
### 13. BIBLE STATISTICS
* 66 Books (39 OT, 27 NT)
* 1,189 Chapters
* 31,102 Verses
* ~783,000 Words (Eng.)
* 40+ Human Authors
* ~1,500 Years of Writing
* Three Continents
* Three Languages
### 14. WELL-KNOWN QUOTES
* **Augustine:** "I believe the Gospels to be what they are: He who made us without us, will not save us without us."
* **John Calvin:** "The Bible is the school of Christ, where we learn to know Him and to become like Him."
* **Charles Spurgeon:** "I would rather be ruled by God's Word than by all the wisdom of men."
* **John Stott:** "The Bible is not merely inspired; it is the very breath of God."
* **J.I. Packer:** "The Bible is God speaking to us. It is His Word, and He is always true to His Word."
* **R.C. Sproul:** "The Bible is the only book whose Author is always present when it is read."
### 15. MORE THAN 200 KEY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES BY DOCTRINE (A Sampling)
* **The Nature of God:** Ex. 3:14; Ps. 90:2; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:5–6; John 4:24; 1 Tim. 1:17
* **The Word of God:** Ps. 19:7–11; 119:105; Matt. 4:4; John 1:1; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; Heb. 4:12
* **Man & Sin:** Gen. 1:26–27; 3:1–24; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12; Isa. 53:6
* **Salvation:** John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 10:9–10; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:11–13
* **Grace:** Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 5:15; 2 Cor. 12:9; Titus 2:11; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 11:6
* **Faith:** Heb. 11:1; John 6:29; Rom. 10:17; Gal. 2:16; Mark 11:22–24; Jas. 1:6
* **Jesus Christ:** Isa. 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1–18; Col. 1:15–20; Heb. 1:1–4; Phil. 2:5–11
* **Atonement:** Lev. 17:11; Isa. 53:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:22; 1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 3:25
* **Resurrection:** Ps. 16:10; John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:3–4; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 15:20–22
* **Holy Spirit:** John 14:16–17; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12–14; Gal. 5:22–23
* **Church:** Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:42; Eph. 1:22–23; 5:25–27; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Col. 1:18
* **Christian Life:** Rom. 12:1–2; Phil. 2:12–16; Gal. 5:16–25; Col. 3:1–17; 1 Thess. 5:16–18
* **Prayer:** Matt. 6:5–13; Phil. 4:6–7; John 15:7; 1 Thess. 5:17; James 5:16; 1 John 5:14
* **End Times:** Matt. 24–25; 1 Thess. 4:16–17; 2 Pet. 3:10–13; Rev. 19–22; Dan. 2:44; 7:13–14
**THE BIBLE IS TRUE • THE BIBLE IS TRUSTWORTHY • THE BIBLE IS TRANSFORMING**
*"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."* — Psalm 119:105