The Holy Bible

 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 11
 
The Bible is all for the Christian, but not all about him. God in government, or Messiah and the kingdom, might express the general character of the Old Testament, while God in grace, or Christ and the Church, would characterize the New Testament. Moses, by inspiration of God, opened the canon of divine revelation; Paul completed the subjects of which it treats (Col. 1:2525Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25)); John closed it with the Revelation. This blessed Book is assailed on every hand—its inspiration is openly denied, its divine authority unblushingly called in question, and its heavenly doctrines made the sport of an unbelieving world. Yet its subjects are grand, momentous, and divine; its themes are heavenly and eternal. It is the Word of God, and therefore it lives and abides forever.
Its Title: The title, "The Holy Bible," now everywhere happily accorded to the whole collection of the sacred writings, was first used in the middle of the fourth century. The titles "Old Testament" and "New Testament" were probably borrowed—the former from 2 Corinthians 3: 14, and the latter from Matthew 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28). These expressions originally contemplated the relationships in which the Jews and Christians stood before God-the former before, and the latter after, the work of the cross. They then came to be applied to the books in which these covenants were expressed; hence, the "Old Testament" and "New Testament."
Before the Holy Bible was spoken of as such, it was generally termed "The Scriptures," or "The Holy Scriptures." The Apostles Peter and Paul so speak of the sacred writings (2 Pet. 3:1616As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16); 2 Tim. 3:1515And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)). Philo, a philosopher and very learned Jew residing at Alexandria, and Josephus, the Jewish historian, equally learned, especially in all matters pertaining to his nation, and residing at Jerusalem, were both unbelievers; but both regarded the Old Testament as of divine origin, terming it "The Sacred Scriptures"; both, moreover, were contemporaries, and flourished in the middle of the first century. . . .
The Truth Gradually Unfolded: For a period of four thousand years and more, God at "sundry times and in divers manners" successively revealed His mind and will to man. This He did by revelations and communications, orally or otherwise delivered, from Adam to Moses; and then from Moses to the Apostle John (with an interregnum of about 500 years) in writing, thus fixing the truth and giving it a settled and definite form and character. What a mercy to hold in our hands not a but the Word of God! What a blessing to know the absolute certainty of those things whereof we are fully assured!
From Adam to Noah we have a period of more than 1600 years ; again, from Noah till Abraham there is a period of about 400 years, and from Abraham till Moses about 500 years. Now carefully observe the facts. Adam lived 930 years (Gen. 5:55And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. (Genesis 5:5)), and only died about 56 years before Enoch was translated. Noah too could have enjoyed several years intercourse with Enoch. Thus the man who "walked with God" could have held the hand of Adam with one hand, and that of Noah with the other. We thus bridge the first period of the world's history ; and certainly the truth could not have suffered in its transmission, as Enoch is commended for his walk, and Noah for his testimony (Heb. 11 :5-7). Again, Shem, Noah's second son, the then depository of the truth (Gen. 9:2626And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (Genesis 9:26)), was contemporary with Abraham for nearly a century. Thus we have Shem in special relationship with Jehovah, spanning the second and eventful period from the flood till the gracious call of Abraham, to whom further revelations of the truth were made. A new deposit of the truth was committed to Abraham—"to Abraham and his seed were the promises made" (Gal. 3:1616Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)) ; and to each of the "Pilgrim Fathers" of Israel God communicated His mind. Thus we are carried up almost to the days of Moses, when the duration of human life became so curtailed (Psa. 90:1010The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)) that it would be impossible to hand down the truth with the certainty that its purity would be maintained, as it would have to flow through so many channels.
Now we come to the written Word, and here we would say that this form of communication exceeds by far any other mode of revelation whatever; "for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name" (Psa. 138:22I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. (Psalm 138:2)). The first mention of a "book" or of "writing" in the Bible is in Exodus 17:1414And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. (Exodus 17:14). Moses began writing prior to the promulgation of the law. With certain intervals, the composition of the Old Testament extended through a period of about 1100 years, and was closed by the prophet Malachi. A few years after the death of Christ, the books comprising the New Testament were begun with the Gospel of Matthew; and ere the first century of the Christian era closed, and before John the beloved Apostle was taken to his Master, the whole of the New Testament was finished and in the hands and keeping of the Church! W. Scott