The Bible's Value: A Reflection of Societies When it was Written


Sometimes a great summary of something complex comes along. In this case it is that the Bible's only value is what it reflects about the individual who wrote. Of course, there were many unknown authors so we learn what many different people were thinking back in an ancient time.

What the Bible is not is a historical record of what happened back then. There is a little information that matches non religious sources but not much. Certainly, there is no non religious source for the existence of a Jesus. This does not "prove" anything one way or another, just that the tale of a Jesus is dubious.

The authors of the Bible wrote things they wanted other people at the time to read. They were trying to persuade them to think the way writers wanted them to think. Some of the writing also reflects what was on the minds of people. In the Old Testament we read people must not eat certain things together nor wear clothes made of two different fabrics. Probably these were topics discussed seriously at the time.

We know the Bible was written in long hand and translated from its original languages to other languages.  Before the printing press the only way to make a duplicate was to recopy another copy. Many had written copies have been handed down and it is clear scribes made changes as the Bible moved from one to another. There is considerable controversy about which parts of the Bible came from the original hands and which was added later when it was recopied.

It would be educational if each time the Bible was read aloud in a church or Sunday school it would be prefaced with a disclaimer. The disclaimer would be approximately, "We are going to read from the Bible. It was written by various unknown people at various times. It was recopied and changed over time. Its writers were addressing an audience of that time and not us. Now, today's scripture..."

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