The Bible is the inspired word of God. It is the valid revelation of God to mankind and contains all that the believer would need to live godly and conduct his affairs in this life. It also gives us a peep into what happens hereafter and how to merit living eternally in the glory of life and immortality.
The Bible reveals man’s need of a Saviour and points him to Him. It teaches clearly how to find God and how to walk with Him after finding Him. It feeds the soul of the believer and shines God’s light on his path. The Word of God should be the final authority in the believer’s life and should dictate his aspirations, tastes, choice of words, lifestyle, values, conduct, thoughts, and so on.
To benefit immensely from the study of God’s Word, the Bible should be read with an open mind. It should be read regularly. It should be read prayerfully. It should be read slowly. It should be read with determination. It should be read with utmost concentration. It should be read with all seriousness. It should be read with the intention to believe and obey its precepts as they are unraveled.
The Bible contains 66 books in its two parts – the Old Testament (39 books) and the New Testament (27 books). The Bible is also called ‘the Word of God’, ‘the Holy Scriptures’, ‘the Oracles of God’, ‘the Book of the Lord’, ‘the Book of the law’, ‘the Word of Christ’, and ‘the Word of Life’.