Faith

Surrendering to the God of Hope When All Seems Lost

February 20, 2023 | by Guest Author Christian Living

“I still have hope for things to change, but regardless, I want Jesus more.”

I sat across from my friend as chills went down my back. Her circumstances hadn’t changed, but her hope had been restored. You could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, even see it in the way she carried herself.

Have you ever longed for something? Like a heart-wrenching, all-consuming kind of longing? The kind of longing that leaves you having many vulnerable conversations with God? Well after years of desperately longing for God to come through, my friend sat across from me a changed person.

Nothing had physically changed, and the circumstances were still the same, but spiritually, everything had changed.

She explained that God had restored her hope. But what really struck me, is that even if he never came through with what she has desperately longed for, it wouldn’t matter, because her longing for Jesus is far greater than anything else she could hope for.

What a beautiful, vulnerable place of complete surrender.

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Waiting for the Miracle: The Power of Hope

I know what it’s like to really hope for something. Like when God gives you promises of things to come and you must wait, desperately longing for the miracle and trusting that God is going to come through.

Proverbs 13:12 says ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick.’ Waiting for the miracle isn’t easy.

Doubt can begin to creep in, as you start to question if you are even hoping for the right thing. Many times, I’ve found myself questioning if I’ve even heard from God correctly, or if I’m just caught up in my own desires.

But our God is the God of hope. Whenever I feel my hope wavering, I go back over the promises he’s spoken to me, the verses he’s given me and the testimonies of his faithfulness that I’ve seen and heard. To put it another way, when I feel my hope wavering, I come back to Jesus.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrew 10:23

We can get so caught up in longing for the miracle, that we forget to long for the Miracle Maker.

What is Biblical Hope?

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we have an eternal hope that one day we will spend eternity with Jesus. But we also have hope for our everyday.

Our culture has lessened the value of the word hope, as we throw it into conversations like ‘I hope you feel better soon’ or ‘I hope to see you soon.’ It’s become a polite exchange.

But God isn’t a God of just polite exchanges. The hope he gives us is so much greater.

Paul prays for the church in Ephesus that ‘the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you’ (Ephesians 1:18). God is not just sitting around waiting for the day Jesus returns, he is actively working in and through us, today and every day, to bring Heaven on Earth.

Biblical hope is not a shallow optimism that everything will just ‘be okay,’ but a deep, powerful belief that God is finishing what he started we he sent his son, Jesus, to reconcile himself to us (2 Corinthians 5:18).

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians 1:6

Dry Bones Come Alive: Restoring Hope

The Israelites knew what it was like to desperately long for God to come through.

God promised to take them out of captivity and lead them to the Promised Land (Genesis 15:18). In Ezekiel 37, God speaks to the prophet, Ezekiel, about how the nation of Israel had become like dry bones. As I was reading over this passage again, there was a part I couldn’t pass.

‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
Ezekiel 37:11

Their loss of hope caused their loss of life.

Life without hope is not life at all.

However, God wanted to bring them life, even before their circumstances changed.

God commands Ezekiel to speak a prophetic word over them (Ezekiel 37:4) and he promises to breathe his Spirit in them and bring them life (Ezekiel 37:14). God reminds them of his promise to physically lead them to the Promised Land, but he is also spiritually transforming them by restoring their hope.

It is the breath of God, his Spirit, that brings us life.

Fully Surrendering to the God of Hope

Hope can feel scary because it’s believing for something out of our control. But hope also brings full freedom because we must fully surrender to God.

There is something deeply soul changing when our hope is set in Jesus. Isaiah says that those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.’ (Isaiah 40:31).

We are called to the freedom we experience when our hope lies solely in the hands of our Heavenly Father. This is a freedom where we trust that his ways and plans are always better, as he fully knows us and fully loves us.

So, no matter your circumstances, hope is not lost. God has a divine and beautiful solution to whatever you need.

And even so, he is still good.

Let this be my prayer for you, as you learn to trust God and let him breathe hope into every situation in your life:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

Eleanor Carpenter

Writer

Eleanor Carpenter is a mother, wife and number one hype girl for women discovering their identity as daughters of the King. Unafraid to talk about the real and raw moments of life, she empowers women to embrace being fully known and loved by God. She is the founder of Fully Loved, which is a community that equips and empowers women to live spirit-filled lives to the fullest. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or through her website.

Such Faith: Encouragement for Christian Mothers from Hebrews 11

September 5, 2022 | by Guest Author Christian Living

After the birth of my second son, I decided to go back to Hebrews 11:1 and study the whole chapter. Being a mom of two brought new challenges and I wanted to spend time studying the examples of faith. God asked many people in the Bible to do things that must have seemed absurd, and there are days when that’s what motherhood is like!

The people in the bible trusted God enough to follow his leading. I was encouraged by their faith and reminded that while God may set tasks before us that require courage, he will never forsake us. And yes, motherhood requires courage! So, let’s look at some of these courageous stories of faith. May they encourage you in your journey as a mother, or in the journey towards any other new task the Lord puts in your life.

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Noah and the Ark

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
Hebrews 11:7 ESV

If you’ve spent any time with animals, you’ll understand how much faith Noah and his family must have had to agree to build an ark and fill it with every kind of animal! Even common domesticated animals can be a handful without adding lions, bears, zebras, deer and so on. The Bible doesn’t elaborate on how Noah fed the animals or cared for them, but that is all part of the miracle.

Not only that but Noah had to build the ark first, which would have been a huge undertaking! How terrifying it must have been, the prospect of everything God was telling him to do. He didn’t let it stop him though. For his obedience, God saved his family and all the animals from the flood. Such faith!

Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
Hebrews 11:17-18 ESV

This story of Abraham and Isaac has always hit me hard. Just as God offered Jesus as a sacrifice for the world, Abraham followed God’s instructions to the point of being ready to sacrifice his son Isaac.

It’s hard to imagine this as a parent. Giving up your son, trusting that God will raise him from the dead! We do everything in our power to protect our kids, but we have to remember that God is the greater power and he will take care of them. God is faithful to those who trust him and stayed Abraham’s hand after he had shown his obedience.

Abraham did not live to see God’s promise fulfilled (the father of nations, Genesis 12:2) but because of his faith, it did happen. What a testament to the assurance of things hoped for. Abraham had no way of knowing whether or not God’s promise would be made real. Such faith!

The Israelites & the Walls of Jericho

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”
Hebrews 11:30 ESV

“Keep walking, but you won’t knock down our wall!” If you are familiar with VeggieTales you may know this song (from the episode “Josh and the Big Wall”). The peas who stood on Jericho’s wall sang it and laughed at the Israelites as they walked around the wall.

When you reread the chapter and think about what the Israelites were doing, it does seem ridiculous! As if walking around and around in circles would make a wall fall. At what point did the Israelites also feel this way? Did they want to turn and run in the other direction instead of marching around a city? I can only imagine the amount of faith it would have taken to keep going.

Likewise, it takes faith not to give up when raising your children to become Godly men and women. Keep being faithful, and believe God to work in their lives.

The Israelites didn’t give in to peer pressure, or to jeering and taunting. They kept their faith and completed the task. Lo and behold the wall fell, just as God promised. Such faith!

Our Faith: Joining in the Legacy of Hebrews 11

There are so many more stories I could talk about, and Hebrews 11 states this as well. People trusted God to provide for them and some of these people died without ever seeing what was promised. Today we have the bible to show us how much God cares for us. These stories remind us of what faith has cost people but also what it provides.

It can be difficult to trust God in our daily lives. When things are running smoothly, we may think we are being faithful but it’s when we encounter a struggle or big decision that our faith is tested. Motherhood can be hard. Even if you’re not a mother, you will encounter life experiences that require faith. Career changes. Big moves. Health issues. Relationship struggles. These are all areas where God may ask us to remain faithful even when the situation looks bleak.

We serve a faithful God. All these stories of faith show God’s faithfulness toward us. When we keep our eyes on him and follow his directions, he will not forsake us. As a mom, I am reminded of this when I reread Hebrews 11. God has plans for my life and my children’s lives if we have faith enough to follow!

As it says in the previous chapter of Hebrews:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 ESV

So, I encourage you to have faith this week. God may not ask you to build a giant boat and house all the animals in the world, but he does ask us to do daunting tasks. Have faith! Trust that God will give you what you need to succeed. Be assured that the things we hope for; the things we cannot see will be provided!

Alyssa Gale

Alyssa Gale is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom and blogger. When she isn’t singing kid songs or enjoying God’s creation with her boys, she writes. Her passion is to share Christian perspectives on parenting, including stories, recipes, tips and activities. Check her out on Facebook @littlebitoflavender.

Is Easter A Pagan Holiday?

April 17, 2022 | by Sammy Porter Christian Living

Last year, I saw a post on social media that implied that all of the Christian holidays, including Easter, have pagan origins. When I saw this, I knew I wanted to dig deeper. Is Easter really a pagan holiday? Should Christians still celebrate Easter in the way we traditionally do in our culture? There are some people who think that many of our Easter traditions are wrong. So if I participate in an egg hunt, or allow my nieces to visit the Easter bunny, is that wrong? Are these practices displeasing to God?

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What Do Christians Celebrate During Easter?

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 ESV

Even if some of the traditions and symbols connected to Easter celebrations today have pagan roots, the holiday itself is not pagan. When Christians celebrate Easter, we are thinking about the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is important to celebrate because it is foundational to our Christian faith. It is a reminder that Jesus’s claim to being the Son of God was true.

Early Christian Celebrations of Easter

The earliest recorded observance of an Easter celebration comes from the 2nd Century, but celebrating Jesus’ resurrection probably started earlier. The last supper was Jesus’s last Passover, so early Christians still observed Passover but integrated the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection into the holiday.

In Acts 2:22-24, Peter preaches about the resurrection on Pentecost. It wasn’t called Easter but it was the first time that Christians celebrated Jesus’s resurrection.

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Acts 2:22-24 ESV

In 325 A.D the Council of Nicea decreed that Easter Sunday, the day after the first full moon, after the spring equinox, would become the day to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

Why People Think Easter is Pagan

People claim that Easter is pagan for a few different reasons.

Some people think that the word Easter came from the word eostre, a name for the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility.

This is largely believed to be where the focus on eggs comes from. Eggs represent fertility and birth.

However, some believe that eggs became important to Easter because they were used to break one’s fast in medieval times. During this time, fasts were very strict and you could not eat any meat or dairy, including eggs while fasting. Eggs, though, could be preserved longer, so that is what people ate to break their fast. Not only that but yes, eggs were a symbol of new life; being born and breaking free from a shell. This is obviously a huge theme for Christians during Easter since Jesus was resurrected and gave us new life so that we can break free from the shell of sin if you will.

The tradition of the Easter bunny is also said to have pagan roots representing fertility. Some sources say that in the 1700s the tradition of bunnies laying eggs came to the states when Germans settled in Pennsylvania. While this does not point to a pagan root, it also doesn’t necessarily point to Jesus.

There is now widespread consensus that the word Easter comes from in albis, a Latin phrase for “dawn” and became eostarum in Old High German, the precursor of the modern German and English term.

Many times, Christians will object to celebrating Easter for these reasons. On the other hand, non-Christians tend to have an issue not just with Easter itself, but also with the idea of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

People think the death and resurrection are made up and copied from the pagan religions that came before Christianity. There are myths of Egyptian gods who died and were reborn. The Persians also worshiped a god, Mithras, who was born from a virgin and who died and rose from the dead. To argue against these, many of the gods in these myths died and rose again each year, not once and for all as Jesus did. Also, Jesus’ death accomplished the salvation of the world and the death of these pagan gods did not accomplish anything.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:8-11 ESV

7 Noteworthy Things Christians Should Know About the Resurrection of Jesus

Should We Celebrate Easter?

Yes, we should. I read an article from Got Questions that I think sums everything up pretty perfectly, “Regardless of what a day may once have meant, its observance today needs to be evaluated on the basis of what it means today. Christians celebrating Easter are no more pagan than are churches that gather to worship on Sunday (so named because it was the pagan “Day of the Sun”). The pagan origins of the names of the days of the week have nothing to do with the church’s weekly gatherings, and ancient pagan spring festivals have no real bearing on the modern Christian celebration of Easter.”

How To Choose A Bible Translation

April 4, 2022 | by Shanté Grossett Bible Study

Choosing a Bible translation can feel very overwhelming. This is especially true if you are a new Christian and you don’t yet know much about the faith. It’s difficult to know which of the many Bible versions you should use. Perhaps, you are wondering why there are so many translations out there to begin with. Or, how each version gets its name. Is there a “most accurate” translation? And are there any you should avoid? I know that all of this can get confusing so I’d like to offer some clarification and guidance for you. Keep reading because in this article I will share some important information that can help you to make an informed decision when choosing a Bible translation.

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Why Are There So Many Translations?

There are many different translations because we live in a global world with many languages, cultures, and dialects! Even among English speakers, there are many different ways of using the language. For example, a person living in the United States will speak a slightly different version of English than someone living in the United Kingdom. So, we have different Bible translations to accommodate for the various cultures that exist in our world.

Additionally, we have many translations because of the varying ways the Bible can be used. It can be used for personal study, devotional purposes, teaching, academic study, and reading aloud. A Bible version that may be excellent for reading aloud may not be as great for personal study.

Next, there are a wide range of Christian traditions, and one denomination may prefer a certain style of translation than another. Here’s an example: a Messianic community (Jewish people who believe in Christ as the Messiah) may want a version that keeps the name of God in Hebrew characters because of their belief that the name of God should not be spoken (or read). A Non-Messianic community may not need this.

Finally, scholars are always learning and gaining new understanding of the Biblical languages. So, sometimes translations need to be updated or revised. Ever heard of a translation called the Revised Standard Version? This just means that it was a revision of the previous translation. Now, just because a translation is revised does not mean the previous one is automatically useless. Some will purchase the new version while others will continue to use the previous one.

What Are The Types of Bible Translations?

Maybe you’ve heard people say that there are three categories of translations: word-for-word, thought-for-thought, and paraphrase. If so, you’re on the right track. However, I’d like to simplify that a bit and explain Bible translations in a slightly different way.

Think of it as a continuum. At one end, we have formal equivalence translations and on the other end we have functional (dynamic)equivalence. Formal equivalence translations stick more closely to the Biblical languages while functional translations will present the text in an idiomatic way so that it is most understandable for English speakers today. These do not oppose each other, they are simply different types of translations.

Formal Equivalence

As I mentioned earlier, formal translations will attempt to closely follow the Greek and Hebrew text when translating into English. It is a literal and word-for-word approach. However, the issue with formal translations is that the original languages are just as idiomatic as our language is. This means that sometimes an idiom that made sense in Hebrew will be lost on English readers when we read it word for word in English.

For example,

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
Genesis 4:1 KJV

Unless you have a Christian background, you may be wondering how Adam’s knowledge of his wife could possibly lead to conception! However, in Hebrew, “to know” someone can mean that you had a sexual relationship with that person. Here’s the same verse in a functional translation:

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant…
genesis 4:1 nlt

Functional Equivalence

Next, instead of focusing on the literal reading of the text, functional translations try to present the text in a way that remains true to the language and makes sense to modern day readers. In the example above, the text does not literally say that Adam had sexual relations with his wife. It literally says that Adam knew his wife. However, since we don’t use the same idioms as the Ancient Israelites, the phrase “sexual relations” can help us better understand what is really taking place in the text.

Now, there is a potential drawback with functional translations. Translating often involves interpreting – it’s inevitable. However, the more functional a translation, the more interpreting scholars will need to do. Instead of allowing readers to study and understand the meaning on their own, very functional translations can end up including the translator’s own interpretive biases in the text. This is why each Bible version has a committee of multiple translators from different backgrounds working on it.

Which Bible Translation is Most Accurate?

None! No translation can fully capture the nuance of the Biblical languages. This does not mean that our English translations are “bad,” it’s just that we cannot perfectly translate between two languages. However, translators work hard to produce the best versions of the Bible in our language so that we can still know what scripture says even without understanding the original languages.

Instead of trying to find the best translation, choose one that aligns with how you plan to use it. If you need a Study Bible, choose a translation that is good for study. If you would like to read devotionally, then choose a translation for devotional reading.

Three Translations I Would Personally Recommend

If you are interested in my recommendation, I would suggest using the English Standard Version, the Christian Standard Bible, and/or the New Living Translation depending on your needs.

It’s great to use at least two different types of translations when you are studying. This way you can compare both and get a sense of the nuance that would have been found in the original languages.

English Standard Version (Formal Equivalence)

The ESV is a great formal equivalence translation. It’s a great version to use when you want to study the Bible.

Christian Standard Bible (Optimal Equivalence)

The CSB is a middle approach. It can be found somewhere between a formal translation and a functional one. It’s great for reading but it can also be pretty useful for studying.

New Living Translation (Functional Equivalence)

Finally, the NLT might be the easiest to read of the three. It takes the Biblical text and presents it in a way that modern English readers can easily understand. This is my fiancé’s favorite Bible translation and he would agree that every new Christian should have an NLT Bible!

Bible Translations to Avoid

There are only two translations that I would tell you to avoid. One should be avoided entirely and the other can be used in the right contexts.

First, I would recommend avoiding The Passion Translation. Why? That’s because it’s not actually a true translation. It was put together by one man who claimed to have received a revelation from God with a better interpretation of the original languages. On the other hand, valid translations go through many stages and are worked on by a committee of scholars who have expertise in the Biblical languages.

Next, I would say to use the King James Version sparingly when reading or studying the Bible. Don’t get me wrong, the KJV is not a “bad” translation. In fact, it was probably one of the best translations when it was published. But that was back in the 1600s…

Language develops and the way people spoke hundreds of years ago is very different from how we speak today. It is really difficult for a modern person to understand the KJV. You want a translation that you can understand because you want to make sure that you grasp what is being said in scripture.

The KJV is sentimental for many people and the language is beautiful. You don’t have to toss it aside completely but it shouldn’t be your study or devotional bible.

Where to Go From Here?

I hope that this article was able to give you some insight about bible translations so that you can make an informed decision. If you need to purchase a new Bible (or two!), my favorite Bibles come from a Christian company called Hosanna Revival. Their mission is to create beautiful products that will help excite people about engaging in scripture. I personally own two of their bibles, a few of their devotionals, a planner, and some of their notebooks. I would highly encourage you to check out their site. Perhaps you can find a favorite Bible there too!

Shanté Grossett

Founder, Daily She Pursues

Shanté is the founder of Daily She Pursues. She is passionate about teaching women how to pursue the heart of God by studying his word, spending time in prayer, and committing to a daily walk with the Lord. Shanté is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies at Liberty University and some of her favorite things include tea, journaling, art museums, essential oils, and thrift shopping.

3 Encouraging Things To Know About The Big Story of the Bible (ft. Corine Bourke)

March 28, 2022 | by Guest Author Bible Study, Christian Living

The Bible is made up of sixty six books, written by around forty different people, and yet it tells one overarching story.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible explores God’s unfolding plan to reconcile humanity to Himself.

It is very easy to become worked up about nuances in doctrine or Ancient Greek grammar when we’re studying the Bible. These things are important, and they help us to understand the God we serve, but they can tend to get blown out of proportion. We can’t see the forest for the trees. The big story of the Bible – its main, recurring, compelling message – is of great encouragement to us. Let me share some reasons why.

1. God has a plan for us.

Despite all the books, authors, and genres, the Bible fits together. It tells one overall story, which is the story of God restoring sinful humanity. It was written over approximately 1500 years, but throughout it all God and His plan remain the same. The consistency of the Bible is one of the hallmarks of its authenticity. Its Divine Authorship is indicated by how perfectly it fits together.

Look at the whole Bible: creation, fall, Israel as God’s chosen people; the judges, the kings, the exiles. The Messiah arrives, He teaches, He dies, He is raised back to life in glorious victory. The church begins in Jerusalem and spreads across the world. And our continuing hope: that one day Jesus Christ will return and make all things new.

This is not a random collection of stories. There is a purpose to the Bible. It is telling us about God’s plan. He has not abandoned us in our sin but forged a highway for us to cross from death to life (Isaiah 35:8).

There is a sense of unfolding in the Bible.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were set apart as God’s holy people (Deuteronomy 7:6), although it is clear that God’s ultimate plan extends to all people. This plan can be followed throughout the Bible. Israel was meant to be a light for the nations (Exodus 19:6), the vehicle through which God would make Himself known to the whole world.

Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 66:18-21:

The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues…and some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.”
Isaiah 66:18-21 ESV

This is realised in the New Testament, when the church expands to all people and nations, and Gentiles are given full participation rights. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:6:

The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3:6 esv

Similarly, the Israelites did not understand exactly how and when the Messiah would arrive. Jesus was not accepted as Christ by most of His contemporaries. But the Bible records for us the way in which this came about so that we can see God’s undeniable plan throughout history.

In Genesis 3, when humanity gave into the temptations of sin, He offered us hope.

In Genesis 3:15, He says to the devil:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15 ESV

Paul – over a thousand years after these words were recorded – picks up on this language in Romans 16:20, and attributes them to Jesus. He signs his letter with the following salutation:

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
romans 16:20 ESV

The promised Messiah had come and fulfilled God’s plan, which had previously been unclear.

Even though there are many things in this life that we don’t understand, the unified story of the Bible shows us that God does have a plan. He is not idle in this world. He is distinct from His creation, but actively involved in it. When we face sorrow and hardship, we can find comfort in knowing that we serve an active God, and that – one day – all things will be made right when His plan is complete.

2. God has not given up on us.

God’s Story is love. He so loved the world that He has put in place the greatest rescue mission to bring us back to Him again. With the privilege of 21st century eyes, we can look back through history and see how He has been at work to bring that rescue about.

It is encouraging to recognise the unity of Scripture, because it shows that God has never given up on us. He is unceasing in His love; long-suffering towards His people even though we have strayed from Him over and over.

Personally, I have drifted away from God so many times. We break His heart when we choose sin instead of Him, and yet it’s a choice many of us make daily.

The book of Judges exemplifies this behaviour. It tells of the Israelites’ initial time in the promised land. Time and again, they drift to apostasy, ignoring God and doing what is evil in His sight. In response, God allows them to be oppressed by neighbouring nations. The people cry out to Him and He raises up a leader who liberates them and brings them back to God. But before long, the cycle begins again and they forget what He has done for them. The book ends with the hauntingly relevant verse:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Judges 21:25 esv

And yet, God has not given up on us. The Bible continues.

God did not need to save us, He chose to. It is “according to His great mercy [that] He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).”

He enacts this great salvation plan because He loves us. Even though we are sinful, disloyal people, He loves us. We can only stand in awe at this outpouring of love.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”
1 John 3:1 ESV

3. God invites us to be part of His story.

Not only can we know the story of the Bible, we have also been given the privilege of participating with God as He unfolds His plan.

I think of the story of Jonah: God’s will will be done regardless of our contribution. But because He loves us, and because we are His children, we are given a place in this Great Story.

We know that God uses all sorts of people to accomplish His purposes. He is not bound by our circumstances. The widow of Zarapheth was so poor she had planned her last meal when she met Elijah. Moses had a speech impediment, Gideon was the ‘least’ in his family, and Mary was an unmarried teenager when she bore the Messiah. God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary purposes. He could accomplish His plan without us, but by His grace, we are welcomed to partake.

Therefore we are not our own. If we truly give our lives to Him, if we take up our crosses daily to follow Him, then that completely and totally changes how we live. We no longer live for ourselves; we give up our wills and desires for His. Our purpose in life becomes to glorify Him, not ourselves.

As Paul tells the Corinthians:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 esv

When we see the overarching narrative of the Bible, we view the world through its lens. Our sense of justice, morality, and identity becomes shaped by what the Bible teaches. Our everyday way of living takes on new meaning because we recognise that in all things we are participating in God’s plan to further His kingdom on Earth until Christ returns again.

Corine Bourke

Corine Bourke loves Jesus, rocks, and books. She is a geologist by trade, and also enjoys writing about God and sharing what she’s learning in her faith journey. She lives in Ireland with her husband. You can connect with her on Instagram @corineoggbou.

How Was the Bible Put Together?

March 21, 2022 | by Shanté Grossett Bible Study

Most Christians know that the Bible is God’s word. We are confident that it is God’s message to us. However, we don’t all know how the Bible we read each day came to us. What method or methods did God use to communicate his message to us? How did we get the 66 books in scripture? Was the Bible dictated to one person through a mediator? Is it a progressive revelation given to various people over a period of many years? Or, did we receive it miraculously from God? Who decided that one book was authoritative and another was not?

It’s important that Christians have some understanding of how the Bible was put together. It informs how we read, study, and interpret the Bible. It can also help us to gain confidence when speaking with unbelievers who doubt that the Bible is God’s word. In this article, we will define canonization, learn how the Old and New Testaments were canonized, discuss the deuterocanonical books, address whether or not the canon of scripture should be closed or open, and finally, explain why it’s important that Christians are familiar with canonization.

Picture of a church obscured by trees with a graphic overlay that reads "What is the Biblical canon"

What does the word Canon mean?

The word “canon” comes from the similar sounding Greek word kanon. It refers to a measuring rod or carpenter’s line. Later on, it grew to describe the standard of what is authoritative scripture and what is not. When we speak of the Biblical canon, we are speaking of the writings that are considered authoritative and inspired by God. These are the writings contained in the Bible that are used for teaching and Christian living.

Who determined what writings would go into the Biblical Canon?

Before I get into this point, I want to clarify something. Canonization is the process by which the believing community determines that a work is already authoritative. It’s like putting an official stamp on something that has already been functioning as authoritative within the Judeo-Christian world. Canonization does not mean that the church can take any random ancient writing and decide if it’s scripture or not.

How did we get the Old Testament Canon?

The Old Testament Canon is also called the Tanakh. It includes three sections: the Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Kethubim. The Torah contains the first five books of the Tanakh. Christians tend to refer to it as the law. The Nevi’im contains the prophetic books. Finally, the Kethubim contains what is known as the writings and it includes wisdom literature, psalms, and some of the historical books.

The Jews viewed each of these sections within a hierarchy of authoritativeness. While all of it was considered authoritative, the Torah held the most weight. This is because it is attributed to Moses, the only prophet who met with God face to face (Exodus 33:11). The prophets were responsible for ensuring that the Israelites remained true to the Mosaic covenant. Because of this, their messages were based on the law. Finally, the writings often expressed the themes of the law in poetic ways.

Scholars believe that the Hebrew Scriptures started to come together during the reigns of David and Solomon around 1000 BC. The Former prophets were written down between 640 and 609 BC and the latter prophets between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Finally, the Kethubim was completed by 165 BC.

However, we have evidence that Moses began writing down parts of the Torah during his lifetime. Deuteronomy 31:24 tells us that Moses wrote down the words of the law in a book that was placed at the side of the ark of the covenant.

The parts of the Torah that were not written down immediately were likely passed down orally. Now, you might ask, wouldn’t that lead to a lot of error? In today’s time, yes. Back then, no. The cultures throughout the Ancient Near East were careful in the way they passed down information. They did not have phones or laptops like we do today, and so, if they wanted information to stay with their community through generations, they had to be careful in how they communicated it.

The Jews accepted a book as canonical if it…

Held to the theology of the Torah
Was considered to be divinely inspired throughout history
Had widespread use
Was written in Hebrew

How did we get the New Testament Canon?

The Christian Scripture, or New Testament, includes the Gospels, Historical Books, Pauline letters, General Letters, and Revelation. The early Christians viewed the Hebrew Scriptures, the teaching of Jesus, the words of the Apostles, and any work recognized by the Apostles to be authoritative.

The Gospels were written by Apostles, or individuals closely connected with the Apostles. They are eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Christians believe that these writings are authoritative because of their direct connection to Christ.

Next, the letters were also written by Apostles or individuals within the Apostles’ circle. Rather than being seen as just letters, these writings circulated within the church and were used for teaching and instruction.

That being said, some of the standards for canonicity include…

Apostolicity – whether or not it can be connected to an apostle
Universality – if it is used and respected in all Christian churches
Orthodoxy – if it lines up with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles
Inspiration – if it is considered by the Christian community to be inspired by God

How was the Bible put together?

In AD 90, the Council of Jamnia used the above criteria to confirm the already established Hebrew Canon. Now, I know this may raise some questions. How do we know that the council was correct in their confirmation? Well, we have evidence from earlier sources that the canon confirmed at Jamnia was in fact the same canon considered authoritative prior to the council.

Josephus, the Jewish historian who lived around the time of Christ, mentions that the Hebrew Bible contained 22 books. This is the same number of books we have today in the Hebrew Bible.¹

In Luke 24:44, Jesus mentions the division between the Law, Prophets, and the Writings. This means that before Jamnia, the Jews knew of these divisions.

Finally, the prologue to the deuterocanonical book Ecclesiasticus also mentions a tripartite canon.

Missing books in the Bible? What should we do with the deuterocanonical books?

The word deuterocanonical means second canon. Another name for the deuterocanonical books is Apocrypha. A lot of Christians get nervous when they hear the word Apocrypha. However, the books of the Apocrypha are not “bad” or problematic. Though this is the case, they are also not scripture.

The Deuterocanonical books were written in the intertestamental period, or the time between the closing of the Hebrew Scriptures and the beginning of the New Testament. As I mentioned before, these writings were not considered to be inspired. We know this because they contain theology that contradicts the Torah, they have historical errors, and the books themselves argue that they were not inspired (see 1 Maccabees 9:27 and 2 Baruch 85:3). Instead of viewing these books as scripture, we may use them devotionally or we may use them to help us better understand the New Testament writings (some of the New Testament authors quote or allude to the Apocrypha).

Why does the Catholic Bible include the Apocrypha?

You may know that protestant bibles do not include the Apocrypha. If so, why do the Catholic Bibles include these books? First, they include these books because they were included in the Septuagint.² These books were originally kept with inspired scripture until they were later separated from protestant Bibles.

Although the Protestant church does not view these books as scripture, Catholic and Orthodox traditions consider them to be inspired.

Is the Biblical canon open or closed?

The Biblical canon is closed. In AD 170, the Muratorian Canon accepted most of the New Testament books as canonical. Next, Athanasius published his Festal Letter in AD 367, acknowledging all of the twenty-seven New Testament books without hesitation. Finally, the Council of Carthage met in AD 397 and endorsed Athanasius. This is the same canon that we recognize today.

Why is the canon closed?

Remember that for a work to be considered canonical, it needs to be accepted and widely used among the church. There are no other writings besides the ones we currently consider to be authoritative that are widely used in the church. Next, these writings need to be connected to an apostle in some way. As far as we know, there have been no other writings discovered that closely connect to any apostle. Finally, we don’t know of any other writings considered to be divinely inspired.

There may be other writings that pass the orthodoxy standard but in order for something to be considered canonical, it needs to pass all four standards.

If we go through the criteria for the Hebrew Scriptures, we’ll find that no other writings can pass those standards either.

This is important because there are two Christian cults that claim to have new scripture from God. These are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons.

However, as enticing as they may seem, these so-called inspired books are not authoritative or inspired by God in any way.

Why should Christians be familiar with the process of canonization?

Christians should be familiar with the process of canonization so that they know what they are reading and where it came from. Understanding how the Bible was put together helps you gain confidence for Christian living. You know that God is true and so are his words. It’s more plausible to believe that God inspired human words than it is to believe that a book fell from heaven or was dictated by God to a prophet.

You also begin to realize that the Bible was written within the context of real people. It takes their culture, history, and lives into consideration. When you read something unfamiliar in the Bible, it’s likely because of the cultural distance between our time and the time of the original writers.

Next, understanding canonization helps you to effectively answer unbelievers’ questions about the inspiration of the Bible.

Finally, it helps you to address your own questions as well. Christians are not merely following the words of a random ancient book, they are actually following God’s timeless, revealed word.

I hope this article was helpful for you. Feel free to let me know if you have any comments or questions about anything I mentioned in the article.

For Further Reading:

¹ Note: It is 22 and not 39 because in the Hebrew version of the Bible, some books that Christians have separated into two parts are combined and the twelve minor prophets are contained in only one book.

² The Septuagint is the first translation of the Hebrew Bible. It was translated into Greek in Alexandria, Egypt. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran, the Septuagint was found together with the Apocrypha.

Shanté Grossett

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What does the word Canon mean?

Who determined what writings would go into the Biblical Canon?

How did we get the Old Testament Canon?

How did we get the New Testament Canon?

How was the Bible put together?

Missing books in the Bible? What should we do with the deuterocanonical books?

Why does the Catholic Bible include the Apocrypha?

Is the Biblical canon open or closed?

Why is the canon closed?

Why should Christians be familiar with the process of canonization?

Shanté Grossett

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