Christian Religion(C.R.E) Form 1 Notes : THE BIBLE

THE BIBLE

The Bible is the sacred book containing God’s revelation to people. It is the inspired word of God and the means through which God communicates with His people.

The Bible as the Word of God

The Bible is the word of God because:

• The written scripture contains God’s word.
• Through the Bible, God communicates His will to humans.
• It contains words written by inspired authors such as the prophets who were sent by God.
• God Himself took part in the writing of the Bible. For example, God is believed to have written the Ten Commandments.
• It contains the history of salvation realized through Jesus Christ.
• The Word reveals mysteries.
• The Bible contains a message of hope and reconciliation.
• It shows that God controlled what was being written and what He intended the writers to pass to the people.

The Bible as a Library

The Bible is referred to as a library since it is a collection of inspired scriptures or books. The Bible contains 66 books. It is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains 39 books, while the New Testament contains 27 books. However, the Roman Catholic Church accepts 7 additional books referred to as Apocrypha or Deutero-canonical books. The word Apocrypha means hidden or secret. They are Esdras (1, 2), Tobit, Judith, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and Maccabees.

Why the Bible is a Library

Several studies show that:

• The Bible contains 66 books just like a library has many books. The Bible is a collection of books arranged in series.
• The Bible is a reference book for Christians. The authors of the Bible had special spiritual guidance; hence each book was written for a purpose.
• The books were written at different times in history.
• The Bible contains various literary works.
• The books cover different topics.
• The Bible has different books written by different authors.
• The books of the Bible were written under different situations and circumstances.

THE BIBLE: MAJOR DIVISIONS AND ITS BOOKS

Major Divisions of the Bible

The Bible is divided into two major divisions: the Old Testament with 39 books and the New Testament with 27 books. The word Testament means covenant or agreement with God.

The Old Testament books are divided into:

• Books of the Law or the Pentateuch or Torah
• Historical books
• Poetic books
• Prophetic books

Law Books or the Pentateuch or Torah

The books of law are: (i) Genesis (ii) Exodus (iii) Leviticus (iv) Numbers (v) Deuteronomy.

Moses wrote these books. They contain the law of God as it was given to the people of Israel through Moses. They also contain the history of the Israelites from creation to the time they entered the Promised Land. Moses is regarded as a lawgiver, teacher, and prophet.

Historical Books

There are 12 consecutive books: (i) Joshua (ii) Judges (iii) Ruth (iv) 1, 2 Samuel (v) 1, 2 Kings (vi) 1, 2 Chronicles (vii) Ezra (viii) Nehemiah (ix) Esther. These 12 books record the history of the Israelites.

They also contain information about the life and achievements of some prophets, for example, the life history of Elisha and Elijah.

Exercise 1 – Go through the 12 books and check page by page the names of other prophets.

Poetic Books

The books are poetic in nature. The poetic books contain wise sayings, songs, and prayers. The poetic books are: (i) Psalms, written by David (ii) Proverbs (iii) Ecclesiastes (iv) Song of Solomon, written by Solomon, and (v) Job.

Prophetic Books

These are divided into major and minor prophets. A prophet is a messenger of God, or God’s spokesperson. A prophet is a mouthpiece of God. Prophets pass information and messages from God to the people. Their messages concern the future.

Five Major Prophetic Books

1. The major prophetic books are by (i) Isaiah (ii) Jeremiah (iii) Lamentations (iv) Ezekiel and (v) Daniel. The books are named after the prophets who prophesied and probably wrote them. Jeremiah wrote Lamentations. These prophets are called Major Prophets because they cover a longer period of time. Their prophecies are long, and they prophesied over a long period.
2. Minor Prophets: There are 12 books of (1) Hosea (2) Joel (3) Amos (4) Obadiah (5) Jonah (6) Micah (7) Nahum (8) Habakkuk (9) Zephaniah (10) Haggai (11) Zechariah and (12) Malachi. These books are by Minor Prophets who are said to have prophesied over a shorter period compared to the Major Prophets.

New Testament Books

The New Testament books are:

• Biographical books or Gospels
• Historical books (Acts of the Apostles)
• The Epistles
• Apocalyptic or Prophetic book

a) Biographical Books or Gospels

Gospel means Good News. The disciples of Jesus wrote the biographical books. They contain information about the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The biographical books are four: (i) Matthew – written by Matthew (ii) Mark – written by Mark (iii) Luke – written by Luke, the doctor, and (iv) John – written by John (the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ).

b) Historical Books

There is one historical book, which is the Acts of the Apostles. Luke, the writer of St. Luke’s Gospel, wrote it. The book of Acts tells the history of the early church.

c) The Epistles

There are two types of Epistles: Pauline Epistles and General Epistles. Pauline Epistles are letters written by Paul. They are 13 letters that Paul wrote to (1) Romans (2,3) 1, 2 Corinthians (4) Galatians (5) Ephesians (6) Philippians (7) Colossians (8, 9) 1, 2 Thessalonians (10, 11) 1, 2 Timothy (12) Titus and (13) Philemon.

General Epistles are letters written to the church by other people. The letters are 8 in number. They are (1) Hebrews (2) James (3,4) 1, 2 Peter (5,6,7) 1, 2, 3 John and (8) Jude.

d) Apocalyptic or Prophetic Book

This is the book of Revelation. It is the last book in the New Testament. It is different from other books because it is prophetic of things to come. It is about the future. It was written by John, the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ.

MAJOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES TO LOCAL LANGUAGES

These books of the Bible are accepted as the Canon of the Bible. The term Canon means standard, guidance, or rule. Translation means expression of books by words and pictures, poems, and songs from one language to another. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the language of the Israelites. Between 250 – 100 BC, it was translated into Greek. The Greek translation of the Bible was known as the Septuagint. This term refers to 70 translators. The Jews in dispersion or Diaspora used this translation. These were the Jews living outside Palestine.

Between 386 – 420 A.D., Jerome, a great Christian scholar, translated the entire Bible from Greek into Latin, the language of the Romans. This translation was called the Vulgate. Christians used the Latin translation of the Bible up to the 16th century. During the Reformation in the 16th century, Christians were encouraged to use their own native languages in worship. From that time, the Bible was translated into English and German. As Christianity spread to different parts of the world, there was the need for translations of the Holy Bible into various languages. In 1804, the British formed the Foreign Bible Society, which translated the Bible into many languages.

Johann Ludwig Krapf translated the New Testament into Kiswahili. This was the first Bible translation in East Africa. Since that time, the Bible Society of Kenya has translated the Bible into other languages such as Kikuyu in 1951, Kikamba in 1956, Kimeru in 1964, Kalenjin in 1968, and Luhya in 1974. By 1980, the Bible had been translated into 29 Kenyan languages. To date (2010), the Bible has been translated into 42 languages of Kenya.

Translation and Versions Used in Kenya Today

Besides Bible translation into several languages, there are many English translation versions commonly used in Kenya. These are:

• King James Version
• Jerusalem Bible
• New International Version
• English Bible
• The Authorized Version
• Good News
• Revised Standard Version
• New King James Version
• Amplified Bible
• The Living Bible
• The African Bible
• Common Bible
• Today’s English Bible
• American Version

Writing of the Bible

By 2010, the Bible Society of Kenya had translated the Bible into 42 Kenyan languages. The need to read the Bible led to the writing of Bible reading materials to teach literacy in local languages. Those who wrote the Bible used different styles and figures of speech to make their message vivid and clear. Several literary forms were used in the writing of the Bible.

These are:

a. Poetry in Psalms

Activity

• Read Psalms and notice the poetry used by David when he wrote Psalms.
• Read Job. Notice the rhythm of the words.
• Turn to your English textbook – the Integrated English. Read topic 4 on sound and pattern in poetry.
• Read any Psalm and any verse from Job. What do you notice?

Other literary forms used in the Bible are:

• Prose in Leviticus, which is a legislative text
• Wise sayings in Proverbs
• Prophetic speeches by Jeremiah
• Prayers by Nehemiah
• Love songs, for example, the Songs of Solomon
• Letters, for example, Pauline Epistles (Romans)
• Gospels, for example, Mark’s Gospel
• Religious events, for example, Exodus
• Narratives, for example, Genesis
• Philosophical essays, for example, the book of Job. Note the use of metaphors and similes in philosophical essays.

The Effects of Bible Translations on African Languages

Bible Translations:

• Increased and deepened African faith in God.
• Led to increased literacy. After Africans acquired literacy skills, they read the Bible and improved their literacy skills. Christian missionaries established schools to teach literacy that helped Africans read the Bible.
• Made it easy for missionaries to spread the gospel to African communities.
• Increased the demand for the Bible. This led to writing of books and setting up of printing presses in African countries.
• Made it easy for the expansion of the church; more people became Christians.
• Led to the emergence of independent churches and schools.
• The missionaries and colonialists learned the African languages.
• The African converts realized that the missionaries were unfair to them. For example, there was different treatment of Africans by white missionaries. This was inequality of races, which was and is even now against Christian teachings.
• Helped Africans to rediscover their cultural identity. For example, the use of African instruments, dressings, and practice of polygamy, which David and other kings in the Old Testament did.
• Led to the writings and spread of African languages. The missionaries learned local languages.
• Improved communication between missionaries and the local people because they could understand each other.
• Increased printing of reading materials.

The Effects of Bible Translations on African Communities

After the first Bible translations, there were immediate effects or influences on some communities. For example, some community leaders did not agree with the Christian teachings. Some wanted to retain aspects of their African religion. As a result, some communities who disagreed with Bible translations established their own Christian denominations in order to preach the Bible as they understood it. This was the emergence of independent churches. Some African communities built independent schools where their children could learn how to read and write without being forced to practice all the Christian teachings.

Review Questions

1. What is the importance of reading the Bible?
2. How is the Bible used in society today?
3. How does the Kenya Government use the Bible today?
4. Name the major divisions of the Bible in both the New Testament and the Old Testament.
5. What are the effects of Bible translation on African languages?
6. Why is the Bible referred to as (a) a Library and (b) the Word of God?
7. What is the meaning of the term inspiration?

Study Activities

1. Read the Bible quotations given above.
2. Carry out role plays, e.g., the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.
3. Visit old people in your community and ask them about African religious traditional practices.