Interpret the Bible correctly

Jesus Christ is the key to understanding all of Scripture; He is the focus, not the Bible itself. The Bible gains its meaning from the fact that it tells us about Jesus and guides us to deepen our relationships with God and our fellow human beings. From beginning to end, it focuses on the loving God revealed through Jesus. Jesus provides the way to understand the Holy Scriptures: «I am the way and the truth and the life; No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14,6).

But there were some well-meaning theologians who viewed the words of the Bible as the highest or most direct revelation of God—and thus, in effect, worshiped the Father, the Son, and the Scriptures. This error even has its own name – bibliolatry. Jesus himself gives us the purpose of the Bible. When Jesus spoke to the Jewish leaders in the first century, he said: “You search the Scriptures because you think you will find eternal life in them. And in fact she is the one who points me out. Yet you do not want to come to me to have this life" (John 5,39-40 Hope for All).

Holy Scripture confirms the truth of the incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. They point to Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life. The religious leaders of his day rejected this truth, which distorted their understanding and led to the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Many people today also do not see the difference: the Bible is the written revelation that Jesus prepares us for and leads us to, who is the personal revelation of God.

When Jesus spoke about scripture, he referred to the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, and emphasized that these scriptures bear witness to his identity. At this time the New Testament had not yet been written. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were the authors of the four gospels in the New Testament. They documented the decisive events in human history. Their accounts include the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son of God - central events for the salvation of humanity.

When Jesus was born, a choir of angels sang with joy and an angel announced his arrival: «Do not be afraid! Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will come to all the people; For to you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David" (Luke 2,10-11).

The Bible proclaims the greatest gift to humanity: Jesus Christ, a gift of eternal value. Through him, God revealed his love and grace in that Jesus took on people's sins and gave reconciliation to all the people of the world. God invites everyone to attain fellowship and eternal life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the good news, known as the Gospel, and the very essence of the Christmas message.

by Joseph Tkach

More articles about the Bible:

The Holy Scriptures

The Bible - The Word of God?