Section III – How We Got the Bible
Back to The Bible's Difficult Scriptures Explained!
Is the Bible complete without the Apocrypha or other obscure writings? Is there sufficient evidence to prove whether these documents belong in God’s Word? Many facts about the assembly and preservation of the Bible show God’s guiding hand in the entire process. Section III explains the amazing story of how God preserved His Word!
Where did the Bible come from? The previous section made plain that God authored it—but how did we get it in its present form? Is it complete? Many sincerely wonder: Do we have the entire Bible? Some feel that no one can know. Is there any way to prove this?
There are plain answers to these and related questions.
Consider for a moment. Are you able to preserve important financial papers that you need to keep? Can families preserve treasured photographs, protected in an album? Are companies able to preserve records vital to their existence? Can the National Archives protect important documents and artifacts from America’s history? Is the Internet capable of preserving virtually EVERYTHING?
The answer to all these questions is “Of course!”
If God can create the universe—and all life within it—surely He can preserve His inspired Word. Yet, most seem to think that God is less capable of preserving what is vital to Him than are human beings!
The design and development of the Bible is a fascinating story. This section will explore in essential detail the canonization (the binding and confirming) of those books that God intended to preserve for all time as His Word—Holy Scripture.
The Parameters
Three separate areas need to be understood and appreciated to answer the opening series of questions. We will present the overwhelming evidence in the following general format:
(1) The design and layout of the Old Testament (including canonization).
(2) The design and layout of the New Testament (including canonization).
(3) The study of the Apocrypha and other documents not canonized.