The Holy Bible is truly the best-seller in the world! Over 100 000 000 copies of the Bible are printed every year, it is the most widely distributed book in the world: what a testament to its value and relevancy! More than 2000 years after it first appeared in the hands of humans, it is still one of the most important symbols of Christianity and faith. The Holy Book can help you travel thousands of years into the past, from the time of Adam, the first Man, to the long-awaited birth of the Messiah, and it can help you discover the stories of the prophets that came before Jesus. You might be thinking that the Bible is very obsolete, but you should know that it is translated from its original languages (Hebrew for the Old Testament, Greek for the New) into more than 674 languages!
The Holy Scriptures are essential for every Christian, and a lot of hard work goes into making them accessible to everyone, because the teachings of the Bible can be a real source of comfort for people finding themselves in distress, and a goldmine for anyone who wishes to enrich their spiritual life. Let's dive into the Holy Book, and try to discover the many mysteries hidden behind each Bible verse and passage: learn to know God and how to strengthen your bond with Him every day!
Above all else, the Bible is the Word of God. But it didn’t fall from the sky: it is the product of more than 6000 years of interactions between God and Man. Humans received a clear instruction to write down the prophecies they received from their exchanges with the Lord. The Bible was then born, with its 66 books. It is divided into two parts: the Old Testament (39 books) and the New Testament (27 books).
Most of the Books from the Old Testament, such as the Book of Exodus, are also part of the Torah, the book of texts and revelation of Judaism.
The Old Testament tells the story of humanity, from the creation of the world (in the Book of Genesis) to the Birth of Christ.
It is composed of poetic books, such as the Psalms, or Prophetic texts passed down to us by the messengers of the Lord. The Old Testament is the story of the (sometimes quite tumultuous) relationship between God and mankind.
The New Testament refers to the group of books studied and prayed to by Christians. It begins with the 4 Gospels (the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of Mark) recounting the life of Jesus Christ, from His birth, to His death on the Cross, His Resurrection, and His Ascension. The message of Christ is delivered to us through the events of His life and His teachings, notably with the parables.
Next are the texts from the early days of the Church, such as the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles. The New Testament also includes the Book of Revelations (relating the events of the Apocalypse).
Learning to know one another is an important step in building a relationship. Same goes when you try to begin a relationship with God: you must first learn to know who He is. We received the Bible for this very reason. Through the Holy Scriptures, we learn that God is great, patient, merciful… The stories of the many people who believed in Him can help us discover His many virtues, such as His faithfulness, His kindness, His justice. We can learn how to tell Him “thank You”, to keep faith in Him, and we are no longer afraid to approach Him to ask for His forgiveness when we have sinned.
What you will find is most surprising with the Bible, is that it also is a story about us! The Bible is the story of love between mankind and the Lord. Look closely at this story: you will learn that you too are part of this humanity God loves so much, and from this realization begins a personal communion with Jesus Christ. The Bible is there to help you rebuild trust in yourself. God speaks to you to help you face the many hardships of your life, such as depression, illness, etc., and come out victorious. Thanks to His Divine Wisdom, you can learn to treat yourself with kindness, by taking care of your mind, body and soul. Your spirit needs to exercise and find nourishment: you can do so by praying in the morning and evening, reading and meditating on this Book of Divine Law.
The Bible is the Word of God. If you’re wondering about His thoughts on a particular situation of your life, you can find your answers in the Bible. God did not forget about any aspect of our lives. The Bible teaches us Christians how to have a fulfilling marriage, how to raise our children, how to appreciate our youth, how to find wisdom in our work…
Meditating on the Words of Jesus Christ can help us adopt the right behavior to develop healthy relationships with others: in hard times, Christ teaches us to forgive, to pray, to enact self-control instead of giving way to anger.
Hozana is a Christian website dedicated to helping you practice daily prayer, by offering you to join a rich and wide variety of prayer communities. Come discover the prayer communities to help you pray with the Bible!