There is one special book, a once off edition, that not only changed the world, but daily changes the lives of thousands of people. It is because it answers the ultimate questions of life that puzzle everyone. It’s a book that eventually leads to wealth and happiness, far above what this world can offer. It is the Word of God, the Scriptures – what is written about God and His plan for man. Sometimes it’s good to remind yourself of the basics. That’s why we thought a few quotations from a man who devoted his life to God will not be out of place.
# Quotations from David Pawson
The following are from David Pawson’s book, Unlocking the Bible, An unique overview of the Bible.1
- The Bible is not one book, but ‘many.’
- The word Biblia comes from Latin, meaning ‘library.’
- It is a unique book since it is history written from God’s point of view.
- It has 66 books, and is different from any book of history in that it starts earlier and finishes later.
- Its first book, Genesis, starts at the beginning of the universe, and its last, Revelation, describes the end of this age, and beyond.
- A political history or a physical history of the universe has a focus determined by human interest, but in the Bible God selects what is important to Him.
‘There are essentially two main themes in the Bible: what has gone wrong with our world, and how it can be put right. Most agree that our world is not a good place to live in, that something has gone terribly wrong. The book of Genesis tells us exactly what the problem is, while the rest of the Bible tells us how God is going to put it right by rescuing sinful humanity from itself.’
‘The 66 books of the Bible form part of one great drama – what we might call the drama of redemption. The book of Genesis is vital because it introduces us to the stage, the cast and the plot of this great drama. Moreover, without the first few chapters of Genesis, the rest of the bible would make little sense.’
‘The book of Genesis (meaning ‘Origins’ or ‘Beginnings’) not only deals with origins, it also deals with the ultimate questions of life:
- Where did our universe come from?
- Why are we here?
- Why do we have to die?’ (bold not in original text)
‘It is immediately obvious that these questions cannot be answered by any human being.
- Historians record what people have seen or experienced in the past.
- Scientists observe what is observable now and suggest how things may have begun. But neither group can tell us why it all began and whether the universe as it exists now has any meaning.
- Philosophers can only guess at the answers. They speculate about the origin of evil and why there is so much suffering in the world, but they do not actually know.
The only person who could really answer these questions for us is God Himself.’
# Our Comments
We agree with what David Pawson says about the Bible. Especially that the Bible is history from God’s point of view. Also that Genesis is foundational to understand God’s plan for man. We trust that you are blessed by his comments about our wonderful book.
# Conclusion
Scripture is the Book of all books. There is none like it, none will ever be produced like it. It is unique and magnificent! No wonder it says, ‘…For you [God] have exalted above all things your name and your word.’ 2
References
- David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible, An unique overview of the Bible, Collins, 2003, p 19-21
- Psalm 138:2b
6 days / 66 books / 6000 years 