The Bible

The Christian holy book is the Bible and this is the most important source of authority for Christians, as it contains the teachings of God and Jesus Christ.

All Christians, regardless of denomination, regard the Bible as the starting point for guidance about their faith. It contains 66 different books and is split into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Old Testament

The Old Testament is a collection of books that were written before the life of Jesus. It contains the rules which Christians should live by, contained in the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus.

The Old Testament also contains examples of:

other people that Christians can learn from, eg Job
prayers and songs that are used in worship, eg The Song of Solomon
passages that are regarded as prophecies of the Messiah, such as Isaiah chapter 53

New Testament

The New Testament is a collection of books that were written after Jesus died and rose from the dead. It contains the four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is in the gospels that Christians learn about the example that Jesus set and the teachings that he gave to his disciples and early followers.

The New Testament also contains the teachings of Saint Paul who helped to form the early church's teachings. He wrote some of the letters, sometimes called epistles, that are in the New Testament, such as Romans and Galatians.

Some Christians also regard the Deuterocanonical books or Apocrypha as part of the Bible. The Deuterocanonical are books that are accepted as scripture by Roman Catholics and the Eastern Churches, but they were not in the Hebrew Canon and are not regarded as canonical by Protestants. These books are usually placed after the Old Testament in a Bible. They help to place other books in historical context and offer a different view on the Hebrew Bible. Examples of Deuterocanonical books include The Book of Wisdom and The Books of Maccabees.

How different Christian traditions regard the Bible

Christians generally regard the Bible as their holy text. They follow the rules it contains for living life and can turn to Jesus's teachings for moral guidance.

Christians can be broadly categorized into three groups, depending on their interpretation of the Bible:

Fundamentalist Christians regard the words of the Bible as being the true voice of God. For example, when reading the creation story in Genesis, fundamentalists would believe that the world was literally created in seven days.

Conservative Christians believe that the Bible was written by humans who were inspired by God. They still follow its teachings but don't necessarily take every word as being the voice of God. For example, when reading the creation story, conservatives might accept that one of God's days may not necessarily be the same length as one of our days; meaning the world wasn't literally created in seven days but that God did create the world as outlined in Genesis.

Liberal Christians regard the Bible as words that have been written about God. Although these are a good guide for Christians in understanding their faith, they might interpret passages differently to fit modern society. For example, when reading the creation story, a liberal Christian might believe that the Genesis account is simply a story to help Christians understand that God is the creator of the world.

Other important Christian sources of authority

The apostles

In early Christianity, the apostles had a special place of honour. After the apostles had visited a town, they would lay their hands on certain leading Christians and appoint them to act in the place of the apostles.

According to many Christian churches, notably the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches, these Apostles were the first bishops. Bishops guide their communities and tell them how to interpret the Bible in modern situations. They are seen as the descendants of the apostles.

Because bishops are responsible for large areas (diocese), local ministers are appointed to care for the immediate concerns of the community. These are often called priests, vicars or pastors. They have studied the Bible in depth and can interpret its teachings. Ministers are able to offer the community advice and guidance based on the teachings of the Bible.

The Roman Catholic Church is led by the Pope who is based at the Vatican in Rome. The Pope is considered to be the direct successor of St Peter, the leader of the apostles.

Tradition

Many Christians also rely on tradition for guidance. The Christian Church has existed for two thousand years and many traditions and practices have developed over the years which people find reliable and helpful. Tradition must be supported and reinforced by the teachings in the Bible.

Creation

The Apostles’ Creed, the most widely used declaration of Christian belief, begins with the words: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

This statement shows the importance of the Christian belief that God created the world. Most Christians believe that the world is evidence that God exists. St Paul explains this in the Bible:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. Romans 1:20

Creation in Genesis

Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and in its first two chapters (Genesis 1 and 2) readers are given accounts of the creation of the world: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1:1)

The third chapter tells the story of how the first humans, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, bringing sin into the world.

Genesis 1

The first chapter of Genesis describes the creation of Heaven and the Earth, explaining how:

God is the only creator.
God existed before he created the world.
The world was well planned and is sustained by God.
God blessed creation – all creation is holy.
God created everything in Heaven and on Earth in six days.
On the seventh day, God rested.

The Word and the Holy Spirit in creation

Christians believe that all three persons of the Trinity were present at the creation of the world. God the Father is the creator, but Genesis 1 shows that the Holy Spirit also had a role:

The Spirit of God was hovering over the water. And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. Genesis 1:2–3

The Gospel of John describes the role of Jesus in creation, referring to him as the ‘Word’:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. (John 1:1–3)

Question

According to Genesis 1, what did God create on the third day of creation?

The creation of humans

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

The Bible teaches Christians that God created humans in his image. This does not mean that humans physically have the same appearance as God. Instead, they have certain characteristics that they share with God, such as being loving.

For Christians, this shows how important all humans are to God and explains their special relationship with him. It is also a reminder that humans should try to show love and forgiveness.

The creation of the human soul

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Because God breathed life into Adam, Christians believe that they have a non-physical, spiritual dimension that connects them with God.

The non-physical, spiritual aspect of a person is known as the soul. Many Christians believe that the soul lives on after a person’s life on Earth has ended. According to Christian belief, this sets humans apart from the rest of creation, which God simply commanded into existence.