Just Another Book?

Just Another Book?

Just Another Book?

(Apologetics - Week 8- Student's Guide)

(Isaiah 40:8) There are many religions in the world and even more religious books. Among them is one that seems to stand out as truly unique. Often, people really dismiss the Bible as "just another book," but it is really much more than just a book. The Bible contains the words of God himself and his message for humanity. In the Bible, we find hope, peace, and guidance, but what if it were simply a book? How would if change your faith?

Today, we are not going to prove that the Bible is the Word of God. Simply, we are going to look at one main question. Is the Bible really "just another book?" In other words, does the Bible truly stand out from every other book or is it like many other religious books? If the Bible really is one of a kind, then, at the very least, it is worth looking at and learning about...even if one does not believe it is the Word of God. Let's find out more about the Bible and what makes it up.

First of all, the Bible is not a single book. It is in fact ___ books. It was written over a span of ______years, over ___ generations, by at least ___ different authors. These authors came from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, farmers, shepherds, philosophers, statesman, fisherman, poets, statesman, scholars and more. It was also written on 3 different continents, namely, Europe, Asia, and Africa during different kinds of situations such as war, famine, peace, etc.

The Bible was written in several different environments such as hillsides, castles, dungeons, wildernesses, etc. It was also written in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) and discusses hundreds of controversial subjects that would create opposing opinions when mentioned or discussed. Perhaps the most shocking thing about this is that there are at least 40 people involved in writing the Bible and they are all discussing controversial subjects, yet they never disagree or contradict each other.

How hard do you think it would be to get any 40 people to agree completely on just 5 controversial topics? Now, let's say those 40 people are from all walks of life, culture, ages, and ethnicities. How hard would it be now? If that's how hard it is to get them to agree on 5 things, how hard must it be to get them to agree on hundreds? Of course, as Christians, we know the reason there is no contradictions. Just because 40 people wrote the books, there was only one true author. (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Thess 2:13)

If these things were the only characteristics of the Bible, it would still be unique enough to deserve being looked at. There are many more interesting traits the Bible possesses. Each of these adds a sense of importance to the Bible for even those who believe it is not the Word of God.

The Bible has been published and read more than any other book in history and, in fact, was the first book Johannes Gutenberg printed with his printing press. Is has been translated into more languages than any other book. At the time this curriculum is being written the Bible is available in ______different languages. The Bible also has survived intact longer and through more extreme circumstances than any other book in history.

Unlike other "holy scriptures," the Bible contains prophesies with very detailed events and a messiah that will arise from humans. No other religion can say that their founder was prophesized hundreds of years before their coming by ancient texts. Here's another strange thing about the Bible. It points out the sins of its authors. That's not very common.

Lastly, the Bible has had more cultural impact on the world than any other book in history. Whether you believe it's the Word of God or not, there is no denying that the Bible has had a huge impact on our world. In fact, it has been shown that if every Bible in the world was destroyed, we could recreate the entire thing from quotes out of other writings that have been influenced by it.

Ultimately, does this prove the Bible? No, it simply proves that it is not "just another book." The Bible is arguably the most unique book in history and demands to be explored. At the very least, it is worth looking into and learning about because of its uniqueness.

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