This page is a brief introduction to the Bible, though so much has been written about it - probably more than about any other book - that this is the briefest of précis.
The Bible is in two parts; the Old Testament (OT), which is the Jewish scripture, written in Hebrew and the Christian New Testament (NT) written in Greek. Each testament contains lots of books 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT The original documents have been lost - the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 date back to the 1st century BC and provide the earliest record of the OT. The NT was written between 40AD and 100AD. There are fragments of documents from these times and more complete collections from the end of the second century.
The first translation was of the OT into Greek occurred sometime from 285-246BC, and both OT and NT were translated into Latin (the Vulgate) by 400AD by Jerome. Getting an English version took a bit longer. The Venerable Bede translated John's Gospel into Anglo-Saxon in the 7th Century, King Alfred in the 9th Century translated some more and John Wycliffe in 1384 produced a complete translation of the Latin text.
Printed bibles were quickly produced when printing was invented, and Tyndale produced the first printed English Bible translated directly from the Greek in 1526. However the authorities - including VIPs like Sir Thomas Moore, Chancellor of England - did not want ordinary people to be able to read the bible - it undermined the authority of the Church. Tyndale was hunted down and burnt to death. However many English Bibles were produced in the 1500s.
King James I commissioned a group of scholars (to avoid individual bias) and the Authorised, or King James, version was published in 1611 for use in all English Churches. This is the bible with all the old fashioned English, A new version has recently been published which keeps most of the language, but makes changes where the words now have a totally different meaning to what they had in 1611.
There are now many different versions of the Bible. Whaddon Way tends to use two modern versions though many others appear at the mid-week study groups.
The Good News Bible, 1966/76, is written in non-academic everyday language. The New International Version (1972/79) in a new translation by a committee of scholars using up-to-date research to try to ensure that English means what the original writers meant to say.
There are also lots of free paraphrases of the bible. The Message is a vigorous translation meant to be read rather than studied. The Street Bible uses MTV language to appeal to young people.
All of these are available from the links below.
Alongside the Bible are the Bible Commentaries. These seek to explain the Bible by expanding the text in more detail and provide cross references to similar passages in other parts of the Bible. The "Bible Speaks Today" from IVP is good; older commentaries are available on the web - see the links below. There are also single volume commentaries - The New Lion Handbook to the Bible ( ISBN: 0 7459 3870 1) has been invaluable writing this page and the many pictures, maps and timelines are good too. Lion publish many other good reference books.
Many people find choosing a bible hard. Nowadays there are so many to choose from, all different sizes, different colours and with odd initials such as "NKJV" and "NIV" on the spine. I hope this page provides some help.
The bible is not an ornament, something special to be put in a place of honour and carried ceremoniously to church on Sunday. It is a book that should be read. There's no point having the bible if you're not going to read it! So choose a version of the bible that suits what you like reading. If you are buying a bible for a child buy a Children's bible. If you intend reading it on the train to work, buy a compact one, or a DVD you can use on your laptop.
The best way to do this is to go to a Christian Bookshop, such as the St. Andrew's bookshops, talk to the staff and compare several. If you cannot get to one it is also online.
Alternatively look at the "What is love?" section on this page, where I have typed out the same passage in 5 different versions.
The original bible was in Hebrew and Greek, not English. Translations didn't become available 'til the late 1400's and then they were illegal. The Authorised (King James) Bible was the first official standard version, but people in 2007 do not talk the same way they did in 1611, some words mean very different things now. Also scholars now know a great deal more about life and culture in bible-times than they did then.
Translators have a difficult job. Do they look for the English word that matches most closely the Hebrew or Greek word, or do they use words that get over the meaning of the whole passage? The Good News Bible, New International Version and Revised English Bibles below are examples of what different sets of scholars have decided.
Alternatively if you want an interpretation of what the bible means, rather than a good translation, look at "The Message". It says the same as the bibles above, but in a very different way. It doesn't pretend to be a good translation of the original Greek, but it makes people think.
There are versions of the bible that put 4 different translations side by side on each page, but these are bigger and more expensive. There are pink bibles for girls, and even a "Bloke's Bible".
In our house-groups we all have different versions of the bible, and passages that are obscure in some become clear in others. Choose the one you like to read.
The bible is not like a novel or a textbook, where unless you start at the beginning the story doesn't make sense. The bible is lots of separate books, and you can read these in any order. I really wouldn't recommend starting at chapter 1 of Genesis (the first book) intending to work through to Revelation chapter 22 (the last book). Instead jump about a bit, for example:
There are lots of books to help you read the bible; talk to your friendly bookseller. Bible reading notes help you work your way through the bible by giving you a bible passage to read each day, sometimes with a comment about how it may affect your life, or a more detailed explanation of what it means, depending upon the notes you choose.
You may remember this passage from a wedding service. It is also the passage that Prince William read at the recent celebration of the Queen's and Prince Phillip's diamond wedding in Westminster Abbey.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith necessary to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burnt - but if I have no love, this does me no good.
Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up up and its faith, hope and patience never fail.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I may speak in tongues of men or of angels, but if I have no love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy and the knowledge of hidden truth; I may have faith enough to move mountains; but if I have no love I am nothing. I may give all I possess to the needy, I may give my body to be burnt, but if I have no love I gain nothing by it.
Love is patient and kind. Love envies no one, is never boastful, never conceited, never rude; love is never selfish, never quick to take offence. Love keeps no score of wrongs, takes no pleasure in the sins of others, but delights in the truth. There is nothing that love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, its endurance.
Copyrights.
Scripture quotations taken from the Revised English Bible. Copyright © Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1989. All rights reserved.
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © Whaddon Way Church 2009 This website was designed and built by Michael Kelly