Goatherd's Guide to the Bible

The Bible

A book of books. Not all Bibles are the same. Speak of the canon.

Divine origin

The Bible claims to be of Divine origin.

Claim for the Old Testament:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Testimony of the apostles that Jesus fulfilled the OT prophecy:

Ac 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Gospels are a record of the testimony of the disciples, and how Jesus fulfilled prophecy.

Authorization for the apostles to lead the church:

Mt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mt 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Endorsement of Paul's writings:

2Pe 3:15 And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

2Pe 3:16 As 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.

The Bible is unique in many ways. Josh McDowell's "Evidence that demands a verdict" (1) examines claims that the Bible is unique in one of it's sections. It's been many years since I have reviewed it. But claims of uniqueness are unsatisfactory when used subtly to imply divine origin.

Old Testament

Writings which prophesy of Jesus the Messiah.

Tanakh (Hebrew: תנ"ך) is an anagram for the threefold division of the Hebrew Scriptures:

Torah תרה ("Teaching")

Generally refers to the first five books of the Bible, also called the Pentateuch

Genesis, Bereshith (בראשית)

Exodus, Shemot (שמות)

Leviticus, Vayikra (ויקרא)

Numbers, Bamidbar (במדבר)

Deuteronomy, Devarim (דברים)

However, Torah also refers to everything that God has revealed. We might say "Every word which proceeded from the mouth of God" or even more, everything that God has said about himself in every way he said it. Jesus is the living Torah.

New Testament

Gospels

Writings which demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah according to the Old Testament

Letters

Writings which explain how we should then live, since Jesus is the Messiah.

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Notes

(1) Unsolicited endorsement. I receive nothing for having a link here.