Where did the Bible come from?
For Meditation (Richard Haney)
This Sunday we come to another great “little” question in our summer sermon series: “How did we get the Bible? How did we get our version of the Bible — and what should we do with it?”
Behind this excellent inquiry looms the history of the Bible’s composition, the story of 2000 years of Bible translation, and much, much more.
The Bible’s 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books were written over more than a thousand years in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. So, the biblical material comes from ancient cultures quite different from our own. They reflect many genres: law, history, gospel, poetry, wisdom literature and one amazing apocalypse to bring it to conclusion.
Despite the cultural distance, the Bible has been translated successfully in almost half of the world’s 7000 languages. We are fortunate to have several excellent translations in English. I personally read the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the Message (Eugene Peterson).
Also available to us in English are hundreds of Bible study aids, commentaries and Bible dictionaries to help us interpret the Scriptures. What wonderful Bible access resources we enjoy in the 21st century!
Our Scripture texts from 2 Timothy and 2 Peter are helpful summaries of what God’s Word offers to us. Remember that when Paul and Peter wrote these words they were thinking primarily of the Hebrew Bible. Did they ever dream their own letters would make it into a second covenant or testament of Scripture? Perhaps they had an inkling that they would.
As you prepare for worship, take a moment and give thanks for your earliest Bible teachers. Did someone read you stories during your childhood? Did your Sunday School teachers show you the way?
Secondly, reflect on how you approach the Bible today? Do you read it for information, inspiration, to learn history, to feed on spiritual food?
God speaks to us by His Word. He addresses us as His children to guide us, correct us and feed our souls. Thanks be to God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 3:1-2
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.