During its stay on Earth, humanity found various gods, and accordingly, books were written that talked about these gods, how to live with them, and worship them. Christianity is one of many religions and also has a book called the Bible. It contains the truth necessary for the salvation and sanctification of man, and it is the only book that addresses so much the moral and spiritual state of society. There is no other book that has been translated into more languages or as widespread and reprinted as many times as the Bible. This work highlights the most essential and fundamental parts of it with their meanings and meanings.
The Character of God
The Creation of the world is described in the opening chapters of Genesis. On the first day of Creation, the primary substance, light and darkness, was created. Many theologians have discussed this light, describing it as both energy and joy and grace (Mackey, 2006). On the second day, airspace and the vault of heaven formed. Further, on the next day of Creation, the water separated from the land; water accumulated in seas, lakes, and rivers, and grasses and trees appeared on land. A day later, the sun, moon, and stars appeared on the firmament. The universe developed according to the will of the creative plan of God. According to the Bible, it is noted that animals arose after algae appeared and filled the air with the product of their vital activity – oxygen, that is, on the fifth day. Finally, the sixth day of Creation is marked by man’s appearance – this is a new stage in the universe; from this day, the history of the human race begins (Barker, 2011). Man is something completely new on the young Earth; it has two principles – natural and divine.
The history of the Jewish people begins about 4000 years ago from the era of the patriarchs – Abraham, his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. When famine struck in Canaan, Jacob and his 12 sons and their families settled in Egypt, where their descendants were turned into slaves and were forced to work hard (Barker, 2011). After 400 years of slavery, Moses paved the way for the Jews to be free. As the Bible says, God chose Moses specifically to lead his people out of Egypt and bring them to the Land of Israel, bequeathed by the forefathers (Barker, 2011). Over the next two centuries, Jews conquered most of the territories of the Land of Israel and turned into farmers and artisans, after which a stage of economic and social development began. Days of relative calm gave way to wars and battles when the people united under the banner of their leaders, known as judges. After three kings – Saul, David, and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split in two. God gave the Jews land, but anger and wars led to the scattering as the judgment of God.
God wanted to make a new covenant with people, as mentioned in the last prophetic books of the Old Testament. The four Gospels have always been of particular interest to Christians. They are the primary source of knowledge about the life of our Lord because, without them, this knowledge would be reduced to the level of incomplete information. However, the God of the Old Testament seems to many people to be strict and demanding, while Jesus Christ manifested a good, merciful, loving, even meek God. However, God is unchanging in His love and His holiness, since He is first of all good and humane and only then punishes, of course, if punishment is necessary (Barker, 2011). Thus, the New Testament reveals to us the ability of God to judge with all his love and mercy, but this strictness protects love, which is accurate and primary.
The Character of Humanity
The first people in the Bible were Adam and Eve, whom God gave a garden and told to cultivate. However, the fall and the forbidden fruit made people mortal. Later, the sons of Adam and Eve reached the point of fratricide, and the theme of sins and God’s punishments became the central theme in the other plot. In the story of the Flood, Noah was the personification of the unification of humanity as a single family, albeit fragmented in language after the construction of the Tower of Babel (Barker, 2011). God tested humanity and tested man: the plot of the sacrifice of Abraham’s son Isaac makes a strong impression. In his history, Jacob, “the God-fighter,” personifies the struggle with life’s circumstances, putting action and struggle over indifference in the religious sense. Many prophets carried a warning, destruction, sorrow, exile, and hope. Evangelists and apostles were closest to Jesus Christ – one of the most influential figures in the Bible. Judas Iscariot personified betrayal, Pontius Pilate – the severity of choice. People and faces were revealed in different ways in the stories of the Bible, where there was a place for the fall, torment, and righteousness.
Who is Jesus Christ
One night in Bethlehem, Mary, the future mother of the holy baby, is relieved of her burden by her son, whom she calls Jesus. The Bible states that the baby was born on the night of the brightest star in the sky (Sheen, 2008). At the age of 12, Jesus comes with his parents for Easter to Jerusalem, where for 3-4 days, he conducts spiritual conversations with the scribes who interpreted the Holy Scriptures. The boy amazes his mentors with his knowledge of the Laws of Moses, and his questions baffle more than one teacher. Then, according to the Arab Gospel, the boy withdraws into himself and hides his miracles. Evangelicals do not even write about the child’s later life, explaining that the events of the zemstvo should not be reflected in the spiritual life (Barker, 2021). Until the age of 30, Jesus lived with his parents and helped them in every possible way, and after that, enlightenment descended on him. He longed to become a preacher, telling people about divine phenomena and the meaning of religion. Therefore, Jesus goes to the Jordan River to receive baptism from John the Baptist. Then Jesus went to the wilderness, where he wandered for 40 days. Thus, he prepared himself for the mission of atonement for the sin of the human race through the act of self-sacrifice. The more Jesus won the love of men, the more he was hated to know Jerusalem. After the public execution, the martyr rose from the dead and appears in the flesh to his disciples. He gave them the last instructions before his ascension into heaven.
Jesus’ role was in ministry and teaching, and his mission was redemption. No human soul could save another; Christ did this at the same time for all people. Humanity should imitate Jesus in his knowledge, love, prayers, ordinances, and patience, but not repeating his path or doubting.
The Bible
Holy Scripture is the Word of God. It contains Divine Revelation. Through him, God speaks to man. However, there are opinions that people should always focus on the extent to which the Scriptures correspond to the realities of today (Sarisky, 2019). No interpretation is complete until this stage is reached and adequately reflected. The purpose of Bible study is not knowledge per se, but everyday Christlikeness. The purpose of the Bible is an ever deeper, closer relationship between the believer and the Triune God.
The Church and Christianity
Faith is not something that people evoke in themselves; we are not born with it, and it is not the result of diligent study or spiritual pursuit. The Bible says that God gives faith for free, not because people deserve, earn, or are worthy of it (Barker, 2011). God also gives people the ability to forgive, and they must forgive even those who do not deserve or ask for it. Without forgiving, communication with God is interrupted for people. However, after this act comes to love. The path of Christ is often associated with the meaning of every person’s life: to heal, learn, and return (Sheen, 2008). The Bible retains its authority in Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. At services and holidays, passages from the Gospels are read, and Scripture is often a guide to confessions.
Conclusion
Every person needs an authoritative source of truth from God. It is for this reason that God inspired different people to write the Bible. People need advice, salvation, a sincere and authentic lifestyle that this book can provide. The immortal philosophical and ethical ideas embedded in the Bible can lead people worldwide to harmony, order, and justice, keeping them from war, violence, and self-destruction.
References
Barker, K. L. (2011). NIV Study Bible. Zondervan Pub. House.
Mackey, J. P. (2006). Christianity and Creation: the essence of the Christian faith and its future among religions. A&C Black.
Sarisky, D. (2019). Reading the Bible theologically (Vol. 13). Cambridge University Press.
Sheen, F. J. (2008). Life of Christ. Image.