Relevance of the Bible in a modern world

The Bible is the bestselling book of all time. Every year it sells over 25 million copies.

Its popularity is not debated but its relevance is. It is an ancient library made up of 66 different books. Each book is very different in genre, style, tone and theology.

It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek two to three millennia ago in the Middle East and Africa. It makes sense that people question how relevant it is in the modern world because it was written so long ago.

Christians believe in its simplest form the Bible is a story about God and how people relate to God.

They believe the Holy Spirit inspired all the different genres, styles, authors, and contexts into a unified but diverse book of books that explains the story of God, the world he created, and humanities place in it.

A story which culminates in Jesus and what life is like lived with him.

For the Bible to have relevance today Christians believe there are three things to consider when reading it:

1. Revelation: What does the text say?

2. Interpretation: What did the text mean at the time it was written?

3. Application: How can the text be applied in today’s context?

The Bible's impact on human history is complex, having served both as a catalyst for great good and a tool for profound evil.

Its verses have been invoked to justify wars, drawing on the numerous instances of conflict recorded in its pages.

But it has also been used as the driving force to work for peace and reconciliation by people like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, who wasn't even a follower of Jesus.

Christians believe when the Bible is read as a story about God and how he relates to humanity it is relevant and can be applied to life today.