The King James Bible - Essay Example

They are significant precisely because they speak to the present conditions of man. The discussion proceeds by taking a look at selected Biblical texts, and drawing significant principles and concepts from them. Because of their relevance even to contemporary times, they ought to be included in books that give importance to timeless texts and ideas. The selected books are Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew. The earlier two are from the Old Testament, and the latter is from the New Testament. The Bible As a collection of books, the Bible was therefore not written as one, long account.

Instead, the various books were written at various times, with many different authors. They appear to be written primarily as accounts of the different events in the long history of Israel. However, the New Testament seems to provide the crucial key in understanding the Bible, when it introduces the character of Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies found in the Old Testament. The main purpose of the Bible then is to provide an account of God’s divine hand in man’s affairs. On a practical note, the Bible was written to provide a moral guide to man.

It must be pointed out that the Bible is not the only text that provides a cosmological account, considering that Christianity is not the only influential religion in the world, and neither does it contain the only moral code available to man. The Holy Qur’an of Islam and the Vedas of Hindu belief are only some of the other accounts given to explain man’s place in the world. As with Christianity, Islam teaches monotheism, or the belief that there is only one creator God. The Vedas of Hinduism likewise provide a creation account, as well as ancient forms of prayer.

What sets the Christian Bible apart is the fact that it contains the teachings of one of the most successful religions, in terms of the breadth of its influence. Christianity is by far, incredibly successful in spreading its influence because its teachings are easily appropriated into various cultures. This latter fact makes it necessary for students to study this text, in order to see the origin of many current laws and moral practices. The following selections from the Bible illustrate this fact.

Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Genesis “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Every belief system has its own creation story, and this is particularly true of every major religion. However, it cannot be denied that Christianity, though not the oldest, is still one of the most influential religious systems in the world. The first three chapters of Genesis give an account of the creation of the world, and this is where the distinction between work and rest begin to clarify.

Genesis chapter 2 verses 2 and 3 state: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” This point is significant because the idea of a work week, or simply the notion of a week for that matter, is based on this biblical account. Genesis was written to provide an account of a particular culture’s faith, and a guide on how to keep that faith alive.

Chapters 20 and 21 of Exodus These chapters from the book of Exodus are