about the bible

About the Bible:

Q. What is the Bible?
A. The Bible is the whole, inerrant (without error), Word of God. The Bible cannot be improved upon because it is God's Word, and trying to improve on God's Word would be like saying you know better than God does.

Q. Who wrote the Bible?
A. The Bible was written by over 40 authors! Not only is it written by over 40 authors, but it is written over a period of 1,600 years! Each author agreed on: history of the world, their idea of what God is like, their rules for living, prophecies for the future, and man's sinfulness. Because there are so many authors and the books were written over such a vast amount of time, there is no possible way that all of these authors could have gotten together and talked about writing the same thing over and over and over again. I like to think about it this way: If you look at a painting by Divinci, you can tell that he did it. If you look at another one of his paintings, you can still tell by the style of painting that Divinci painted it, and not another artist. We're supposed to compare spiritual things to spiritual things in the same way. In each book of the Bible, we can see God's brush strokes. Yes, he used men to write and preserve the Bible, but He (God) is still the author. He inspired the men he used to write what he needed them to write, and promised us that He would preserve His word for all time.


Q. How was the Bible made?
A. The church founders got together and collected all of the writings and scriptures concerning God. They compared them to each other (comparing spiritual things with spiritual), and included the books that were found to meet the standards set for the Bible. Books that did not meet the standards were found to be scripturally inaccurate and were not included. To read more about the history of the Bible, please click here.

Q. What is the difference between the King James Version (KJV) Bible and other versions of the Bible?
A. The King James Bible (KJV) is translated from a different manuscript than other versions of the Bible. The KJV is translated from the Textus Receptus ("received text") while other versions of the Bible are translated from the Critical Text. The Textus Receptus is the oldest manuscript. A man named Origen took the Textus Receptus and changed it around to meet his views of the world and religion, and this "revised" manuscript became known as the "Critical Text". Please click here for a more detailed overview of the differences between the KJV and other versions of the Bible.


Q. Where can I get a free version of the KJV Bible?
A. Click here to read the KJV Bible for free online.


Q. Is there a place I can read the KJV Bible online?
A. There sure is! http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html. You can click on the book, and then the chapter of the book. This is the King James Version of the Bible.


Q. Are there books to help me read and learn the Bible?
A. There are many books available to help you learn about the Bible, but be careful about which books you lead, because some of them can lead you astray. The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it for yourself, and decide for yourself what it says.


The main type of book there is to help you learn the Bible is called a Commentary. J. Vernon McGee's commentaries are some of the best. Basically a Bible commentary will take you through the Bible verse by verse with a detailed explanation.


Q. Are there any websites that can help me learn the Bible?
A. Of course! We hope that you will find lots of useful information on CBSB (this site). On the top of this page there are many links including "tools" and "resources" that are there specifically to help you learn and understand the Bible.


Q. Are there any tips for reading the Bible?
A. Of course! One thing I always like to have handy when reading the Bible is a Bible highlighter... these are highlighters made specially for Bibles so that they don't soak through the thin pages. As I'm reading the Bible, I like to highlight passages that are meaningful to me, and sometimes I also write notes with a ball point pen or pencil in the margins of the Bible so that when I read through it again I will remember what I learned about.


It's a good idea to read the Bible with other people, in a type of study group, but it is also a good idea to read your bible in a quiet place where you feel comfortable, and will be able to concentrate on God's Word.


Another good thing to do before reading your Bible is to pray to God to give you wisdom while reading His Word, and to open your heart and mind to His Word, and help you understand. Ask Him in prayer to reveal things to you.

Books of the Bible by type:

Here are the books of the Bible by type. Click on book name to view book online, or view the whole Bible (KJV) HERE.

Old Testament

Law

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

History

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicals

2 Chronicals

Ezra

Nehamiah

Esther

Poetry

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Major Prophets

Isaiah

Jeramiah

Lamentations

Ezekial

Daniel

Minor Prophets

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

New Testament

Gospels

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

History

Acts

Paul's Epistles

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

General Epsitles

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Prophecy

Revelation

About the Old Testament (from the Free Bible program found HERE): The Bible is not really a single book, but a collection of books and letters, almost like a library. It is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Separating these two parts of the Bible is Jesus Christ. While all of the Bible is very old, the Old Testament refers to the testaments or covenants God made with man before Jesus Christ came, and the New Testament contains the covenants God made with man after Jesus came. The 39 books of the Old Testament can be divided into five logical groups; the books of Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. Knowing what type of book is being read will greatly aid in understanding the message of that book. The Old Testament was written over a period of 1,400 years by about 32 writers, covering over 3,600 years of man’s history. It was penned by men of vastly different backgrounds, living in different countries and in different ages. Many did not know each other and some did not even know what the others had written. Yet when their writings became one book, each perfectly harmonized with the others - an indication that this Book of many writers has only One Author, the Holy Ghost. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21).

About the New Testament (from the Free Bible program found HERE): Four hundred years separate the writing of the last book of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. John the Baptist broke the prophetic silence of these four hundred years with his bold preaching and baptism of repentance. As with the Old Testament, the 27 books of the New Testament can be divided into five logical groups; the Gospels, History, Paul’s Letters, General Letters and Prophecy. Knowing what type of book or letter is being read will greatly aid in understanding the message of that book. The New Testament was written by 8 writers over a period of only a 100 years. The early Church did not have the New Testament scriptures as we know it today. They quoted from the Old Testament scriptures, with every new teaching based on the authority of Jesus Christ as directed through the apostles. The first New Testament books to be written were actually some of Paul’s letters, which he wrote to Churches he had founded on his missionary journeys. The necessity of having a written account of Christ’s life was not urgent while the personal eye-witnesses were alive, but few were still living toward the end of the first century. Then Mark wrote his Gospel, followed by Luke, Matthew and John. The book of Revelation was the last book of the New Testament to be written.

credits to: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/browse.html