Let's be honest. Few people outside Biblical scholars do a deep dive into the Bible. Yet, the Christian Sacred Books are probably the most sold and least read in the world. By that, I mean that Biblical literacy is at an all-time low. Yet for all Christians, the Bible is the basis of belief and theology. Most Christians get their information about the Bible from Sunday School classes or the Priest or minister. Even when they read it most do not understand it.
Also, there are a number of anomalies in the Bible that make it even harder to understand. While we concentrate on highlights, there are subtle events or stories that make everyone scratch their heads.
We can add to that the fact that there are many competing versions and a few translations. We must understand that a version is a retelling of someone else’s understanding, i.e. an opinion, not a translation. Versions are never objective. They attempt to make the scripture readable---as the author understands it.
Translations are a bit better. They are based on the original language and usually attempt to be a true rendering of the words. However, even then, there is not an objective translation. Because the languages are ancient, and the original authors are not always consistent, meanings can be misread easily.
The problem is that the original manuscripts are from various places times and languages. The attempt to put it all into one language—Greek, was in itself a matter of interpretation and so not always consistent with other translations. That was a massive project the result of which is called the Septuagint. It is so-called because it supposedly had seventy translators working on it. Thus, seventy possible subjective readings.
Another problem is that the early manuscripts were not always clear. They were all handwritten and copied and recopied, making them subject to mistakes or illegibility. Thus, modern Biblical scholars will spend much time in debate about the meaning of some words.
“So What?” you say. Well, since the Bible is so critical in making moral decisions and declarations, mistakes can mislead modern readers who are not reading in the original language. Not only that, but over the centuries there have been translations and or versions that were done to prove or disprove particular points of theology.
If you want a true understanding of a Biblical passage, it requires you to do what is called an English Exegesis. If you happen to have the time to learn the original languages you can do an original Exegesis. However, most of us do not have this option so we are dependent on an English Exegesis.
If you want a firm understanding there is no way around the exegetical process. Without it you must trust someone else’s work. That may be fine. Yet if you but dip your toe into the pond of scholarly Biblical studies you will find many different variations. Just as there are many fish in the sea, they are all fish but not all the same kind of fish.
It is this variety of interpretation that has led us to so many different denominations and sects of Christianity.
So, understanding that there are many claims to the truth of the Bible, let’s begin to do our own look at some of the objective realities of Biblical Literature.
The Hebrew Bible: our Old Testament
Order and Arrangement: The Tanakh is divided into three main sections: Torah (Law of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Christian Old Testament, however, is arranged differently.
Number of Books: The Hebrew Bible consists of 24 books, while the Protestant Old Testament has 39.
Our Old Testament, so called because the Gospels are a New Testament, is a record of God's interaction with humanity through a particular people, the Hebrews. God promises their progenitor, Abraham, that through him and his descendants, God will bless the whole world. The development of monotheism. the concept of one all-powerful God grows slowly in the books of the OT.
At the same time, these books are a history of the Hebrew people as they interact with their God and with the surrounding peoples. They are, at first, nomadic people who roam around and pick up bits and pieces of culture from those they encounter. It is not until the exodus from Egypt that the cult of YEHWEH is born. It is not until the tribes are settled in Caanan, that what we now know as Judaism, takes shape.
It is important to understand that the Bible literature was written at various times and later collected and put into the form we know now. Also, as that process occurred, there were edits, or redactions, by those who were collecting the stories that had been oral histories for many generations. As these various now-written documents were synthesized into a new collection, they discovered different versions of the same event. Ultimately, they were both included. Those different versions had originated in different times and under different circumstances. This accounts for the fact that in the book of Genesis, we find two very different creation stories.
It is also worth noting that the Hebrew Bible, which is the basis for the Christian Old Testament, was not written to be an objective history. Rather, it was a history of the Hebrew people. As such it has the same intent as other sacred writings--to extol the virtues of this people over other surrounding nations who were not part of their religious practice and belief.
The New Testament
Primary to the New Testament are the four Gospels. Gospel is a word derived from Middle English that means “Good News.” Mark was written sometime around 60 to 70 AD. The other three seem to have been written (at least in the earliest documents we know) at the end of the first century or the beginning of the second century. So, while all are stories of Jesus, none were written during his lifetime.
The four Gospels in the New Testament each have unique themes that reflect different aspects of Jesus’ life and teachings:
Gospel of Matthew: This Gospel is traditionally attributed to the apostle Matthew. It was written for people familiar with the Old Testament, both the Law of Moses and the prophets. Matthew makes more references to the Old Testament than any other Gospel. It portrays Jesus as the son of David who establishes the kingdom of heaven.
Gospel of Mark: This is the earliest and shortest Gospel. It emphasizes Jesus as the Son of God who suffers to ransom others. Mark stressed the humanity of Jesus, but he does not neglect His deity. One of the outstanding motifs found in the gospel of Mark is the concept known as the Messianic Secret. This theme is viewed on one end as a mystery and on another end as a hermeneutical presupposition. The concept of secrecy centers on the miracles of Jesus, his encounters with demons, and his instructions to the disciples
The Gospel of Luke: Luke’s Gospel was written to show that the place of the gentile Christian in God’s kingdom is based on the teachings of Jesus. It portrays Jesus as the Savior of the world who seeks the lost.
Gospel of John: The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the Lamb of God who brings eternal life through a new exodus. John stands alone in its message and order of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew and Luke incorporate Mark plus some individual passages unique to both of them and some unique to each of them.
Each Gospel was written for a different group of people, by a different author, who was trying to accomplish a different purpose1. They all share several elements, such as the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ1.
Following the Gospels is the Acts of the Apostles. This book is generally considered to be the second volume of the Gospel of Luke.
While all the Gospels are written decades after Jesus’ death, the existence of what is called the “Q” document (from quelle German for “source.), indicates that earlier documents must have existed. The “Q” document is a group of sayings common to both Matthew and Luke but not found anywhere else.