Most religions have holy books or sacred Scriptures. In light of the many sacred texts, what’s unique about the Bible? Here are a few of my initial answers to that question.
The Bible is unique because:
- It is the record of God’s enduring relationship to a specific people group spanning about two millennia.
- It shows how various ideas, such as sacrifice, redemption, and God’s triune nature, developed over time.
- It highlights and gives a voice to the marginalized and outcasts of society (e.g., those not firstborn, slaves, the poor).
- It records a high number of miracles.
- It focuses on the life, death, and resurrection of one person—Jesus of Nazareth. The OT contains prophecies about a coming Messiah, the four Gospels narrate his life, and the NT epistles explain the meaning of Jesus’ life.
- It offers the hope of a new creation: new bodies, new heavens and a new earth.
- It presents God’s love for undeserving sinners. I don’t know of another book that teaches that God loves sinners and sacrifices himself on their behalf. (See Romans 5:8.)
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. My latest book focuses on Paul’s work as a tentmaker and what it means for today.