Thomas S. Kidd: Most of the early colonists expressed at least a nominal desire to evangelize Native Americans, although besetting conflict with Native Americans often got in the way of following through in bringing the Bible to the Indians. 36% thought the Bible helped shape communities and 34% thought we would be a better society if more people engaged with the Bible. This was as high as 30% amongst those who never read the Bible. It has 1 chapter with 21 verses. The Number Of Times The Word “God” Appears In The Bible Is 3,358. Amongst the 18-24s this was particularly noticeable with nearly 7 out of 10 claiming to not know. This would imply that the Bible is impacting in ways other than directly accessing it – after all only 22% claim to read the Bible once a year or more often. For more information like this on the Bible and its history you may be interested to read the 'Bible Style Guide'. The Old Testament has more than 60 passages which Christians believe are prophecies of Jesus. The Bible is one of the most read books in the world. URC and Methodist churches were respectively likely to always  use the Bible during evangelism 19% and 26% of the time, and at the time of this research their attendance was falling sharply (and in the case of the URC still is). The increased use of Scripture by informal leaders, who include Pentecostal denominations, was reflected in an ethnic bias towards black leaders using the Bible more frequently than their white counterparts. Having asked respondents which Bible they thought they had at home, we then read out the same short passage from each of three versions (KJV, NIV and GNB) asked which of these was most like the one they had at home. The oldest parable in the Bible is in Judges 9:8-15. Men who had a Bible on average had 1.98 copies, whereas women had 2.14 on average. The Bible Never Contradicts Itself. The Bible was initially spoken and then written over about 1300 years, roughly between 1200 and 100 AD. The second part of an examination of the Bible as literature, this film examines the books of Joshua, Samuel, and Kings as historical documents, the Book of Proverbs as lyric poetry, and the prophetical books as protest literature. How many books are in the Old Testament? In the Bible, there are not only scientific truths, but also many historical truths. The shortest verse in the Old Testament is 1 Chronicles 1:25. The two major locations where people engage with the Bible are to be expected; Home and Church, with few people engaging outside these locations. The Number of Authors is 50. So for this reason many people who had responsible for discipleship (e.g. There Are 8,674 Different Hebrew Words In The Bible, 5,624 Different Greek Words, And 12,143 Different English Words In The King James Version. Biblical History vs. Myths of other Religions. 46% said the Bible needed to be in words they could understand. Scripture says in the last days many people will think gain is godliness. 2 THE FACTS OF THE CASE No. In this case because the sample selected by the external agency who conducted the work was substantially imperfect, the weighting factors were rather larger than would normally be considered ideal. Its complexity can boggle great minds, and yet it’s simplicity can be understood by children. Today, about 2,500 of the world’s 7000+languages have part of the Bible translated into them. Men are more likely to never read the Bible (73%) than women (62%). The results in this study are likely to be less reliable than other results reported in Religious Trends. However, over 4,500 languages still wait for even one book of the Bible. One in five of those claiming another religion or no faith also had a Bible in the household. Since this is a retrospective study, where people are being asked to look back on what they believe that they think or feel, this could have several interpretations. Here are some interesting findings from the research: Just over half the sample recalled having a Bible in the household. Other Interesting Facts about the Bible. … The first complete Bible with chapter and verse divisions was the Geneva Bible of A.D. 1560. The Bible As Literature, Part Two: History, Poetry, and Drama in the Old Testament. This indirect engagement could well form the focus of further research. The Bible Was Written In Harmonious Agreement On A Widely Diverse Range Of Subjects And Doctrines. To what uses do Church Leaders put the Bible? Books of the Bible: Old Testament: 39 books Of those who access the Bible 46% read a paper version regularly and a further 41% read a paper version occasionally. Ideally when weighting data one hopes to keep the factor used to adjust the scores reasonably small. There are clearly issues about access to the Bible in terms of language and navigation. When is Queen Esther on the Bible Timeline? Research study samples of population are always at least slightly imperfect, and it is usual practice to weight the raw data so that it conforms to a known population profile – in this case the 2005 Church Census. We asked which of the three passages was the easiest to understand. Only 9% ever read the Bible on line, 4% ever read it using a mobile phone or PDA and 7 % listened via iPod, MP3 or other recording device. These data on emotional experience when reading the Bible may also serve as a proxy for which portions of the Bible are read regularly by leaders and congregations. These levels rose the more actively respondents engaged with the Bible, but even amongst the diehard non-believers nearly one in five thought the Bible an influence for good in society. Some non-faith engagements with the Bible are based on its narrative content. It’s familiar and something I enjoy reading.”, “I try to make sense of things when bad things happen.”, “It is stimulating. In other words 2 out of every three Christians had a Bible in the household. Among leaders of “formal” congregations the Jerusalem Bible dominates, reflecting, the near universal use of this translation among the Roman Catholic community, whereas among the leaders of other formal congregations usage was approximately equally divided between the NIV, the GNB, and the NRSV. There is a clear effect for informal leaders and congregations to report a higher incidence of teaching from the Bible than congregations and leaders with a formal tradition. Two different passages were used, each on half of the sample. We can only explain this in terms of the men being unaware that they have a Bible at home. • There are 66 books in the Bible. It provides me with a vision to strive for.”, “I find I read it because it refreshes me.”, “I look for guidance throughout my life.”, “I’m a believer and I read the Bible daily. 69% of over 65s had a Bible at home, compared to only 39% of the under 44s. … The Bible Was Written By Approximately 40 Authors. This graph shows the incidence of all church leaders, leaders from formal traditions, and leaders from informal traditions responding that they would always use the Bible in a variety of leadership related activities. CBN.com – As the King James Bible celebrates its 400th year here are a few interesting facts about it that might surprise you: . The research was conducted for Bible Society. Vows To Eradicate Christianity, India: Pastor shot, killed On Street After Baptizing New Converts, List Of Books In The Bible From Shortest To Longest, Mississippi Governor Declares Sunday A Statewide ‘Day Of Prayer, Humility And Fasting’, List Of Bible Stories In Chronological Order, List Of Books In The Bible Written By Apostle Paul. How important is it that the congregation has an overview of the Bible? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! The Bible contains many different types of documents: poetry, legal documents, songs, letters, eyewitness accounts, people stories, historical documents and advice material. The Bible - 100 million copies are sold each year. Thus at least some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,386 languages. Overall, responses to statements in this section were positive with 40% agreeing that the Bible is an influence for good in society. Such a generally expressed intention is not always helpful, but in this case there is some allied data. The word “bible” is from the Greek ta biblia, which means “the scrolls” or “the books.” The word is … 03 The Old Testament has the sacred scriptures of the Jewish faith. Amongst regular churchgoers the figure was 95%, and amongst those who hardly ever or never go it was 36%. 02 The New Testament has 27 books. While billions of people believe Jesus of Nazareth was one of the most important figures in world history, many others reject the idea that he even existed at all. The under 24 year olds were much less likely to buy their own Bible (10%). More informal congregations (76%) than formal ones (69%) believe that the Church should work hard to promote Biblical principles across society. What are some facts and stats about the Bible? It could mean that leaders are genuinely remembering more incidents where they experienced strong emotions while reading the Bible (which would be consistent with the finding that leaders are more likely than congregations to read the Bible daily). In July 2010 Christian Research sent professional interviewers to 44 locations throughout England and Wales to ask the population their views on the Bible. The shortest book of the Bible is 3 John. What is the meaning of the number forty or 40 in the Bible? 30 Bible Translation Projects in Nigeria Suspended Over Terrorism, Pandemic, Jews Lived In Jerusalem Before Islam Existed, Over Half Of US Christians ‘Wrongly’ Believe Their Good Works Will Get Them Into Heaven, List Of Nigerian Praise And Worship Songs, Thousands Of Pastors Flee China Amid Growing Persecution As Govt. The Number Of Chapters In The Bible Are 1,189, The Number Of Verses In The Bible Are 31,101, The Number Of Words In The Bible Are 783,137, The Number Of Promises Given In The Bible Are 1,260, The Commands In The Bible Are 6,468 Veres, The Fulfilled Prophecies Of The Bible Are 3,268 Verses, The Yet To Be Fulfilled Prophecy In The Bible Is 3,140 Verses, The Number Of Questions In The Bible Is 3,294 Verses, The Longest Name In The Bible Is Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1), The Longest Verse In The Bible Is Esther 8:9 (78 Words), The Shortest Verse In The Bible Is John 11:35 (2 Words: “Jesus Wept”), The Middle Books Of The Bible Are Micah And Nahum, The Middle Chapter Of The Bible Is Psalm 117, List Of All Books Of The Bible And Their Authors, The Longest Book In The Bible Is Psalms (150 Chapters), The Shortest Book In The Bible Is 3 John (By Number Of Words), The Longest Chapter In The Bible Is Psalm 119 (176 Verses), The Shortest Chapter In The Bible Is Psalm 117 (By Number Of Words), The Number Of Times The Word “God” Appears In The Bible Is 3,358, The Number Of Times The Word “Lord” Appears In The Bible Is 7,736, The Bible Has Been Translated Into Over 1,200 Languages, The Bible Was Written By Approximately 40 Authors, The Bible Was Written Over A Period Of 1,600 Years, The Bible Was Written Over 40 Generations, The Bible Was Written In Three Languages: Hebrew, Greek And Aramaic, The Bible Was Written On Three Continents: Europe, Asia And Africa, The Bible Was Written In Different Locations: Wilderness, Dungeon, Palace, Prison, In Exile, At Home. Complete List of Apostle Paul’s Prayers In The Bible, The Bible Was Written In Different Times: War, Peace, Poverty, Prosperity, Freedom And Slavery, The Bible Was Written In Different Moods: Heights Of Joy To The Depths Of Despair. It is plain that both for leaders and congregations within formal and informal congregations reading the Bible excites mainly positive emotions. 10% agreed they would be embarrassed to be seen reading the Bible and 14% thought the Bible needed to change its image before they would consider it. More than half did not know which version(s) they had at home. Those households that have a Bible have an average of 2.2 Bibles. 2003; and last but not least, The Bible In English, Its History And Influence, by David Daniell, Yale University Press, 2003. The New Testament has about 8,000 verses. We pray that the eyes of your understanding (mind) may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of Christ's calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints. Recently, computer-aided programmes have now reduced the time involved. The Bible Has Been Translated Into Over 1,200 Languages A Brief History Of Bible Translations. However in other areas where the meaning of the descriptive term is unambiguous, for example ‘sermons’ and ‘evangelism’ informal leaders were 1.25 and 1.28 times more likely to use the Bible than their formal counterparts. Even amongst the over 65s – the age group by far the most likely to know – only half knew which version they had. Out of 1189 total chapters 929 (78%) chapters are in Old Testament Books and 260 (22%) chapters in New Testament Books. Here are some interesting facts and figures about the Bible. The Bible is by far the best-selling book of all time. There was broad concurrence between denominations on this point although among United Reformed Church leaders the percentage believing that this knowledge was ‘very important’ fell to 69%. Don’t forget to read our teaching on Bible History, for a more in-depth study. The shortest book in the New Testament is 2 John with 13 verses. As might be expected, the overwhelming majority of Churches in England and Wales regularly teach from the Bible. However, most people claimed to read the Bible for faith reasons; because it gave them comfort and strength; “I find it a comfort and I enjoy reading it. When we asked which version they would prefer to read in private, there was a clear preference for the Good News 40%, with NIV 33% and KJV 27%. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 01 In the Old Testament, the Bible has 39 books. The bible is the inspired word of God. Only 4% were hidden away in lofts and 5% elsewhere (most of which were accessible, such as child’s bedroom, study, front room table etc). About 30 books are mentioned in the Bible, but not included in the canon. With many thanks to Bible Society for these facts and figures. Bible simply means ‘book’ or ‘scroll’ Bible is derived from the Latin word ‘biblia’ or the Greek ta biblia. Universal Truths & Facts About the Bible The Bible Is Our Standard. The historicity of the Bible is the question of the Bible's relationship to history—covering not just the Bible's acceptability as history but also the ability to understand the literary forms of biblical narrative. Preserving the same relation between formal and informal congregations between 55% and 65% of the sample believe that the development of Biblical public policy is desirable. 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