The Bible is no ordinary book

The English word comes to us through the Latin and Greek language, that means “book”.  The Bible is a little library of 66 different books, written by around 40 different people over the space of approximately 1500 years. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says, “Twenty-two of [the books of the Bible] are historical, five are poetical, eighteen are prophetical, twenty-one are epistolary. They contain logical arguments, poetry, songs and hymns, history, biography, stories, parables, fables, eloquence, law, letters and philosophy. There are at least thirty-six different authors, who wrote in three continents, in many countries, in three languages, and from every possible human standpoint. Among these authors were kings, farmers, mechanics, scientific men, lawyers, generals, fishermen, ministers and priests, a tax-collector, a doctor, some rich, some poor, some city bred, some country born -- thus touching all the experiences of men extending over 1500 years.” That is a marvel, of itself. My guess is if I got 40 Baptist preachers to write 40 articles on the church, we wouldn’t all agree on everything and there would be some inconsistency in the work. But not the Bible.

 What is the Bible? Let’s ask the Bible! What does the Bible say about itself? It’s the book (Psalm 40:7). The Scriptures (John 10:35; 20:9; Romans 4:3; 2Peter 1:20), which just mean “the writings.” They are the Scripture of truth (Daniel 10:21) and the Oracles of God. The Word, the testament, and as Psalm 119 says, it’s the law, the law of the Lord, the precepts, the statues, commandments, righteous judgments, and God’s ways. The testimony of the Bible, about the Bible is it is the Word of God. Over and over again, you read, “the Lord said…thus saith the Lord”  or some such expression, attributing the words in the text to God. W.A Criswell said he found that formula around 3800 times. Therefore, it is no ordinary book.