What's the more important part of the Bible, the history, or the message?

Question

Do you think the message about how to live your life is what's important, or do you think that the Bible has to be read as a textbook? What do you think?

Answer 1

The message, because the Bible is not a history book....

Answer 2

To me it's the message that the important thing. However, the history is important as well as the whole book is Word of God in written/spoken form. Jesus is the Word in flesh form.



I think that, whichever way you go about reading the Bible, you are, in fact, reading the Bible.



I've a friend who was an absolute through and through athesit and read the Bible to prove it to me that all of it was false. So it was used as a 'textbook' in that sense. All the historical facts were brought up, more than the messages. And in this two year process of research, this atheist was overcome by Love so powerfully that now this person is a minister and the Holy Spirit moves through this person and so laying on hands heals others in the name of Christ Jesus. For that person the history was more important at that time. Later the message became equally or more important.



People feel all kinds of ways about the Bible. But the Truth contained therein never changes, no matter how twisted man has tried to make it by various translations, omissions, etc.

God's word wills out.



Thanks for a great Q :)

Answer 3

I would say both - cause not only does it brings out the true meaning behind.. the history also backs up the story. Apparently, non of the contents contradict each other and that makes the whole bible complete. Besides, some people often find it difficult to find the hidden meaning within Old testaments of the bible, which led them to dig in only the New testaments. Bear in mind that these two testaments don't stand alone and they back each other up. Anyway, reading is still just reading, what's important is what one does after reading the bible. Do they act on it or do they just memorize and quote some part which they find it interesting? The heart is all that matters.

Answer 4

Who else but the LORD could use all of history to send a message and have that message be as he intended?

Some leader some theorist, Hitler? Marx? can try and make history send his message, fit his idea, but ultimately all fall and once again prove the LORD to be true.

I believe all the Bible is true. All of the history is accurate, and all of the statutes and precepts are the absolute truth and absolute wisdom.

I would not want to separate the two ideas. I live my life both according to the precepts stated in the Bible and with the knowledge that the God who put these precepts for is the God if Israel Who has shown his people his truth and Who has over and over again demonstrated his awesome power and His complete sovereignty.

So, I guess I say, just read it. Read it with the intention of knowing God more and you will be blessed, because everything you learn of Him will serve to increase your faith and strengthen your walk.



It is not a textbook, but it will stand up to that type of scrutiny. It is not a textbook, but neither is it just a series of silly little stories intended to end with a little moral lesson like an episode of HeMan. For us to respond the the call of the Bible in our lives, I think it is good to become more and more aware of what God has done for us, and for Israel and in all matters mentioned in the Scriptures.

Answer 5

I think that the most important part pf the bible is the message. It's the message that counts. The message touches people's hearts.The Bible is not meant to be read as a textbook. = ]

Answer 6

The Bible presents no attractive "message about how to live your life." In my view, it is morally incoherent, if not abhorrent.



The message simply cannot be separated from the way the message is chosen to be conveyed. The history is the message (at least in the parts that present historical narrative).



This would be a little like separating the message from the language.

Answer 7

If the Bible has errors in its original records, the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, then it obviously is not the Word of God because God is perfect and He is able to preserve His Word. Thus, the history and the message are equally important. There are a few errors in translations of the Bible because it is difficult to keep any book completely the same from one language to another, but the KJV is very consistent with the original and many of the others are good enough to learn from, especially if you have difficulty understanding the King James English. The KJV was translated from Greek to English, from Hebrew to English, and from Aramaic to English. Thus, the errors are negligible; not changing any major doctrines.

Answer 8

While the history is interesting and contains facts that provide us better understanding of ancient times, places and people, the REAL benefit of the Bible is the message that God is real, that He is our Father and that He wants to be involved in our lives, if we will permit Him to be. He cares so much that He sent Jesus Christ to do for us what we could never do for ourselves, regardless of how good we are or any other consideration. The "message," as you call it, is that every life has meaning and purpose and that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. Part of "the message" is that by living our lives the way God intended for us to live will bring us peace, happiness and true success. Any other way will inevitably lead to failure and heartache.

Answer 9

The message. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelations is all about God's relationship with man and man's struggle with sin. That's the theme of the Bible. Man does something wrong, and God does something about it. The entire Old Testament builds up to Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. It is the climax of the Bible. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ alone is the central message of the New Testament.



John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Answer 10

Naturally its the message but the history of the writings is also import as it as it backs up some of the proofs of the bible and prophecy

Answer 11

Since Christianity centers around a historical event, the history is important--but it's not a history book. I'd go with message first, but the history still matters.

Answer 12

Breathe

Answer 13

The message the Bible presents is that the human existance was seperated from God because of the sin of Adam and Eve and that God sent Jesus, His Son, to redeem mankind and allow us to be brought into right standing (a relationship) with God.

Answer 14

The message is of great importance. It will teach you how to live and progress on the spiritual path. The teachings of Jesus Christ is most important to all mankind. Learning how to live your life the best way is in the message.

May all mankind learn the truth in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Answer 15

I believe the Message is the most important part... by obeying the message you will get to Heaven, but believing the history won't.

Answer 16

well lets see here..... Since its the christian right who is screaming for everything to read literally, as in 'strict interpretation' of the Constitution and laws and the like, I think that in all fairness, the Bible should be translated verbatim, and you should be forced to live by its rules.



ALL of them.



Then maybe enough christians will get fed up with the fundies and realize that God is change and evolve accordingly

Answer 17

It truly depends on who is handling the word. If we are reading the word by way on gaining knowledge then the real purpose of the bible will be missed. The bible as we know is very mysterious. Outwardly we see just black and white words yet to those that have been regenerated by the Spirit of God and have received the Lord should not just view the bible as a book full of history and things about God.



The Bible definately has a message. This message is not only on the side of Man but it is moreso on the side of God.

God has a plan and a purpose, a hearts desire and a will. All of this has been detailed in the Holy Bible.

Here is an interesting couple of verses in 1 Cor 2:14-15

" But the soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he is not able to know them because they are dicerned spiritually.



But the spiritual man discerns all things, but he himself is discerned by no one"



To me this sums up how we handle the word of God . We can approach it logically with the mind of our soul, in a soulish way or we can be those regenerated and filled with the Spirit of God and have the capacity to KNOW the things of God.



The bible in its inner essence is Spirit and Life.

The Lord speaks this in John 6:63

" It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing, the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life"



The bible in its intrinsic essence is also the breath of God and has spiritual value that can only be tapped in through the faculty of our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God.



2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.



This verse really address your question regarding " how to live your life"

But if we see the bible as only a manual and not as more then we too will just be gaining the " knowledge of Good" from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and actually miss what the bible is here for.



To any genuine believer the Bible is first and foremost his spirit's food and drink. The word norishes and supplies our spirit and strengthens it with might.

2 Cor 4:16 shares

" Therefore we do not loose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our INNER MAN is being renewed day by day"



Ehphesians 3:16, Paul prayed for the believers in this way.

' That He will grand you according to the riches of His glory to be strenthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man"



Our inner man is our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God.



It is from this strengthened spirit that feeds on the rich word of God dear one that the Lord can have a way to lead, direct, supply, norish, inoculate, solidify, transform, conform, give revelation and light concerning His will and purpose.



Praise the Lord for the Logos.. the constant word and the Rhema.. the instant operative word.



May we feed day by day on the word of God for Growth and tranformation for the building up of the Body of Christ.



Ty for posting this question,

IN Christ

sandy

Answer 18

see what went wrong with people reading the bible is that you were not reading it by yourself you were reading it as a relegion and the church was telling you the meaning that they perticuluarly might have got some things wrong ..it is some thing to be read alone with GOD and you ..he is the best teacher and then you do not have to keep on going over it because it will be as clear as day

Answer 19

The message! We don't need to know everything that happens in the Bible. But we do need to know the hows and whys. We need to apply the mesage of the Bible to our lives.

Answer 20

Both but mainly the message

Answer 21

Message...because even though we believe it is Spirit fed and God breathed...it is still translated by man, which means that it is up to interpretation.



But...we need to remember history in order to not make the same mistakes.



Good luck, and may God continue to shine on you.

-Shalom

Answer 22

Ironic...



https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20080205145346AAqG5Rc

Answer 23

you learn from both rather you are Reading as a text or studying to get the deeper message you need both and should do both

Answer 24

both

but mainly the bible is the Word of God so i would say the message

Answer 25

The message is in the history and the history is in the message. They are not divorsed. They are not stationary.

Answer 26

neither.

the history is fabrication, and the message is flawed and contradictory with highly questionable moral content.



edit: i guess some people think a book that says the punishment for rape falls on the victim, she has to marry her rapist..the rapist has a penalty of 50 silver pieces, is moral.

or how about "blessed is he who dashes the little ones against the stones" or kill every man and woman who has knows the touch of a man but go ahead and keep the virgins to play with.

it sounds to me like a sadists guidebook.

Answer 27

Christ Himself is God, He is 'the history' -

He is the alpha and omega - so they can't be separated...



There's a song "no-one else in history is like You

for history itself belongs to You" : )

Answer 28

Both the history and the message are important. Both the history and message tells us about God.



The history reveals to us the story of creation. The history contains the 10 commandments. The commandments were written on a rock by God’s finger and are repeated various times in the Bible which proves its importance. Each individual's personal life experience is a testament to God's commandments. When we violate His law, we suffer the consequences. Jesus came to fulfill the word, not to contest it. God is omnipotent, omnipresent and never-changing.



The history reveals real stories that we may reflect upon and realize the outcomes of each person's actions and God's reaction to people. We can learn about the detrimental results of sin. Thus we can avoid our own ruin by not committing those same sins and mistakes people made in the past. And it shows how people’s lives were recorded and foreshadows how the angels are recording each individual’s life now…but in more detail.



Jesus also shows up in every book in the old testament (history). This points to His coming in the new testament. You need to dig for this, but trust me He's there. Also the stories in itself are prophetic. History repeats itself. Jesus came to earth before and He's going to come again soon. The prophesies in the psalms have also been fulfilled with great precision. The chances of these prophecies being fulfilled are next to impossible. God has provided us with the prophecies as one of the means for everyone to discern truth from fiction (lies). God is the only Truth.



In the past, only a select people who had possessed God's true light would share the word with the Gentiles, people like you and me. And some people felt that they were favoured by God. (This attitude even exists today as history repeats itself. Some people are blessed with God's magnificent light, but will not share it with the rest of the world.) Moreover, before Jesus came to earth, many people regarded obedience to God's commandments and doing good deeds as means to earn their way into God's kingdom.



But not only did God want us to abide by His law, He also wanted to have a loving relationship with us. Jesus gave us the Heart of God. Jesus came down from his heavenly throne to set things straight and tell us ALL DIRECTLY that the narrow way is through faith in Jesus as saviour and that the promise of everlasting life with God is available to ALL. The message of Jesus as saviour, truth and love enlightened the world about God. And through one's true love for God and faith in HIM, it would be natural for one to truly desire to keep the commandments and thirst for knowledge and wisdom of God. Jesus revealed His True Self as an archetype on how to live, how to love, how to forgive, and how to have great mercy & compassion beyond measure. He told us to even love our enemies. This was unheard of before Jesus' time. He even prayed for forgiveness to even those who tortured Him, murdered Him and nailed Him to the cross.



A Great Tribulation has to come first before Jesus comes back. Jesus is coming soon! Are you ready? May God be with us all.



Blessings,

Over The Rainbow

Answer 29

both is important : 1 is incomplete without the other

Answer 30

Unfortunately, on both matters the Bible is loaded with contradictions.

Answer 31

The Bible is neither historically nor theologically accurate, so the only importance of it is to show this falsehood. If anyone attempted to live strictly by that text thay would be a sociopath.

Answer 32

The history.



When it's long-gone out the car window.

Answer 33

The message. It is hidden in there, but it is in there. :)



http://lwk2431.wordpress.com

Answer 34

I think both the history and the message is false.

Answer 35

its both....history and message....

Answer 36

Neither.

Answer 37

it's a novel and great entertainment, with all the killing, wars, incest, death. great novel.



...i forgot---adultery! sizzling hot.