PREFACE: SOME EXPLANATIONS

What is the Bible?
 
Some years ago I was teaching a weekly Bible class at an international school in Pretoria. I put this question to my Grade 9 class, and got more answers than the number of students! And when they started asking questions, it was time for serious research!
 
I knew the traditional "Christianese" answers and explanations, but that didn't mean anything to kids with no (or very limited) previous exposure to the Bible and Christianity. At the same time, there were some Christians in the class, and they surprised me with their knowledge of the Bible and their convictions about the basics of their faith.
 
All of this was an eye-opener to me, and set me on a journey of learning and sharing about the Bible, in a manner that everybody can understand: what it is, how we got it, what it says, how we should approach and use it, and a whole lot more. This section of CCM is based on the results of that journey. Sometimes technical/theological terms will be unavoidable, but I will try to limit those to the absolute minimum, and explain as needed.
 
This study attempts to take a good look at the Bible, from four overlapping but different angles:
¤ what the Bible is, how it came about, and how it came to us in the form we have today;
¤ its content, obviously not in detail, but a sort of flying survey, to give an idea of the basic history it contains;
¤ its central message: its inception, development through human history, major inflection points, where it stands today, and how it will come to its final fulfillment;
¤ how to read, understand and interpret the Bible for daily life: this is a major study by itself, here we will only explore the basic principles, to help you get into the Book, and "understand what you are reading" (Acts 8:30).
 
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DRILLING DOWN?

A difficult decision coming up again and again was how deep to go in explanations.
¤ Do we just take a quick overview of the history of Israel's exodus from Egypt, or do we "drill down" to the precise timeline and places?
¤ And with Scripture quotations, do I quote the passage fully, or shorten it for the sake of brevity?
 
I have tried to straddle the fence here: keep the basics in the Unit text, but supply pop-up text boxes with extra content. It should make it easier for you to stick to the general flow of the material without getting lost in the details, while still having the extra content available. So, in the examples above:
¤ A quick overview of the Exodus, followed by a button labelled "Timeline of the Exodus".
¤ Some Scripture quotes are shortened, but if the reference is on a button, clicking it will take you to the full unshortened passage.
 
Pop-up boxes look like this: Pop-up text box. (Click on the button to see how it works!)
 
If you see any button like this, it leads to extra content: detailed explanations, summaries, interesting facts, full Scripture references (from the NET Bible), or whatever else I considered necessary. The label on the button will give you an indication what to expect.
 
The choice is yours: you could read the text and ignore the button, and come back later to read the boxes, or you could read, go to the box, and come back to the main text. (But please see the explanation in the "Pop-up text box" above about getting back to the text!)
 
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WHICH BIBLE TRANSLATION?

Which Bible translation should you use with this study?
 
Most quotations in the study comes from the New International Version (NIV) unless indicated otherwise, but you are welcome to use any translation you prefer. With the study in English, it might be better to use an English translation, but please feel free to go back and check for clarity using a translation in your preferred language.
 
I would suggest using one of the following translations:
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COURSE STRUCTURE

This is a work in progress. Below is the basic structure of the course, with links to completed Units. Where there are no links, it's still in progress!

Part One: What Is The Bible?

Unit 1: What is the Bible
A basic introduction, including the central themes of the Bible, and a definition that will be our roadmap for the rest of this study.
 
Unit 2: A Record
Focuses on the Bible as a record, what a record is, and some characteristics of the Biblical record.
 
Unit 3: How to Write a Record
Looks at the Bible as a written record, exploring the history of writing, the alphabet, writing materials, and formats of written material, and the role God's people played in these developments.
 
Unit 4: A Complete Written Record
Explores the Bible as a complete written record, looking at the original writings and how it all came together in one book, and investigating the basic stucture, authorship, and translations of the Bible.
 
Unit 5: A Selective Record
Focuses on the Bible as a selective record, investigating the selection of what was included in the Bible: first we look at the question of Biblical inspiration, and then study how and by whom it was decided what books to include in the Bible (the formation of the canon), and what material to include in the individual books.

Part Two: Biblical History

Unit 6: A Historical Record Part One
Starts our review of the Biblical historical narrative, from creation to the time of the Patriarchs.
 
Unit 7: A Historical Record Part Two
Part two of our review of the Biblical narrative, from slavery in Egypt to the establishment of Israel's monarchy.
 
Unit 8: A Historical Record Part Three
Part three of our review of the Biblical narrative, from the division of the kingdom, to exile and return, and the silent years up to the time of Jesus
 
Unit 9: A Historical Record Part Four
New Testament history: the life, death, resurrection and ascencion of Jesus, as well as the history of the early church up until the writing of the book of Revelation.

Part Three: The Central Message Of The Bible

Unit 10: The Relationship Between God and Humanity
The heart of the Bible: the relationship between God and humanity. Explanation, overview, origin, development, and final goal.
 
Unit 11: God's "Last Will and Testament"
Testament and covenant: explanation, differences, key facts.
 
Unit 12: Centerpoint - The Significance of the Cross
The significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, its effect on the relationship between God and humanity, it's place within the Biblical narrative.
 
Unit 13: Endgame - Whereto Next?
God's endgame in human history, where we are in its progression, what's next?

Part Four: Understanding And Interpreting The Bible

Unit 14: Long, Long Ago and Far, Far Away
The need for interpreting the Bible; geography, cultures, languages and history.
 
Unit 15: There and Then
Principles for understanding the message within its contemporary setting.
 
Unit 16: Here and Now
Principles for interpreting understanding the message within the current reader's contemporary setting.
 
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MORE HELP

At the end of the study you will find
 
¤ a Resources page, with suggested resources for further reading and study,
 
¤ a Definitions page, to help with terminology and strange concepts. (If you're looking for a definition and it's not here, please let us know by sending an e-mail to )
 
¤ If you are new to the Bible, we also have a basic introduction to the Bible, just to help you find your way around.
 
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In Summary

I hope this will help you navigate your way. If you need more help, please send an e-mail to , and we'll get working on it.
 
 
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