The Bible's Origins and Importance
None of the New Testament writers actually knew Jesus personally - the entire Bible was written 10-20 years after Jesus lived. Yet for Christians, this doesn't diminish its power or significance.
The Bible wasn't even recognised as "The Bible" until church councils decided which books to include hundreds of years later. Human beings wrote it over centuries, and humans decided which books made the final cut. No original manuscripts survive today, which raises interesting questions about accuracy.
Despite these facts, Christians view the Bible as the word of God that offers guidance, support during tough times, and instructions for how to live. They believe it contains one amazing story of God bringing salvation, even though it's actually 66 different books by various authors.
Key Insight: The Bible's human origins don't necessarily conflict with its divine significance for believers.
Divine inspiration is the Christian belief that whilst humans physically wrote the Bible, God guided or dictated the content. This concept helps explain how Christians can acknowledge human authorship whilst still viewing it as God's message to humanity.