Almost everyone has heard of the Bible or knows something about God. This is probably due to the fact that no other book has ever been more available, no matter where you live, what language you speak, or even the type of faith you have. The word Bible comes from a Greek word meaning books. Never has a book had a more fitting title. Not only is the Bible a book in itself, but it is also a collection of several smaller books — books that speak of angels and miracles, spirits and visions, of people and of God.
Not surprisingly, the Bible has set almost every record possible for a book. The fact that it has remained popular from the first day it was written is a good place to start. To that you can add its record for the most copies sold, translated, and shared throughout the world. Not to mention the record 1,000 years that it took to write it.
With God as the author, it took the work of approximately fifty scribes or message writers to record the Holy Scriptures. In Biblical times there were no printers or photocopiers. The only way you could have your own volume of the Bible would be to have someone copy all of the words down for you by hand. Many felt the message God had to share, a message of faith and love and forgiveness and salvation (being saved), was worth the time it took to record it.
Everything about the Bible is rare. This one of a kind book speaks of the past, the present, and the future. No other book of its time explained in such detail the history and the law of the land, as well as all of the unusual events that were taking place. Throughout the ages, some people have thought the Bible may have been written as a story to entertain. Yet, when these people try to prove that the Bible is wrong or fake, the opposite usually happens. In their attempt to find error, they actually find that many of the events and places that are recorded in the pages of the Scriptures have happened and do really exist.
Although there are many different types of bibles, some that have more or less books inside of them, the one thing all bibles agree on is the message of God's love. This message appears in the first half of the Bible, known as the Old Testament, which tells about God's world. And it's also in the second half — the New Testament — which speaks of God's son. One of the promises God made in the Bible was to share the Good News or Word with others. Billions of copies of this promise have made their way into our homes and churches alike. Many religions use the Bible to teach others about God and love. One can only guess how important the Bible has been to our world, and the effect its words have had on us — words that keep asking us to be kind to each other, and to try to get along.
