The Word of God 1

Hello Everyone,

We have been taking the last few weeks and the next few before Pentecost Sunday to Press in. This week it is the Word of God that we are looking in to Pressing In.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalms 119:16

shakach (shaw-kakh'); to lay aside, to forget, to take for granted or neglect.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2

FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE

1. It has 66 books.

2. There are 39 books in the Old Testament.

3. There are 27 books in the New Testament.

4. Testament means "covenant" or "contract."

5. The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.

6. Moses wrote the most books in the Old Testament. He wrote the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; or the Torah which is the foundation of the Bible.

7. The Apostle Paul wrote the most books in the New Testament. He wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.

8. It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).

9. Job is considered by most to be the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.

10. The Book of Revelation is the youngest book written about 95 A.D.

11. The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.

12. The entire New Testament as we know it today was canonized before the year 375 A.D. The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ.

13. The Word "Canon" is derived front the Greek word "Kanon," signifying a measuring rod. So, to have the Bible "canonized" meant that it had been measured by the standard or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship.

14. The first translation of the Bible was made into English in 1382 A.D., by John Wycliffe.

15. The longest book in the Bible is the book of Psalms.

16. The shortest book in the Bible is 2 John.

17. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119

18. The Holy Bible has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated into 50 languages.)

19. The Bible is still the best-selling book worldwide.

History Timeline

1400 - 1500 BC: God wrote the 10 Commandments in ancient Hebrew on stone.

500 BC: the 39 books that make up the Old Testament were completed and preserved in Hebrew on scrolls.

First Century AD: New Testament had been completed and was preserved in Greek on papyrus.

393 AD: Synod of Hippo officially approved the New Testament for the entire Church.

500 AD: Bible had been translated into over 500 languages.

600 AD: Bible was restricted to only Latin. All other versions were considered illegal.

400-1400 AD: Known as the “Dark Ages.”

500’s - 1300’s: Secret Bible society made up of the “Culdees” continued to study God’s word.

1380: John Wycliffe (often called the Morningstar of the Reformation) translated the Bible into English.

1415: John Hus was burned at the stake for his stance for the Bible. Wycliffe’s bibles were used to start the fire.

1517: Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Thesis on the church door at the church in Wittenberg.

1526:  William Tyndale printed the first English Bible.

1536: Tyndale was incarcerated before he was strangled and burned at the stake. Before dying, Tyndale prayed, “Oh Lord, open the King of England’s eyes".

1539: King Henry VIII finally allowed (and even funded) the printing of an English Bible.

To much information I know but interesting.

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil