What Is the Bible?

What Is the Bible? Plot Summary

Introduction

The Bible remains one of the most influential texts in human history, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many approach it either as an outdated collection of primitive stories to be dismissed, or as a rigid rulebook to be followed literally without question. Both approaches miss the richness and transformative potential of this complex library of texts. When we examine the Bible as a collection written by real people in real historical contexts, we discover a progressive trajectory of human understanding about the divine, justice, and what it means to be human. This exploration invites us to engage with the Bible in a fundamentally different way - as a living, breathing conversation across centuries that continues to evolve. By understanding the historical contexts, examining the literary genres, and recognizing the development of ideas within these texts, we can uncover a compelling narrative of human consciousness expanding toward greater inclusion, compassion, and justice. Rather than reading the Bible as a flat collection of equal texts, we can discover how these writings chart a journey from tribal understanding to universal love, from violence to peace, from exclusion to radical welcome - a journey that speaks profoundly to our modern questions about meaning, ethics, and human community.

Chapter 1: The Bible as Human and Divine: A Progressive Collection of Texts

The Bible did not drop fully formed from heaven. It emerged over approximately 1,500 years, written by some forty authors across three continents in vastly different historical contexts. When we acknowledge this human dimension, we honor what the Bible actually is - a library reflecting how real people understood their encounters with the divine through their cultural lenses. These writers lived under various empires - Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. Their perspectives were shaped by exile, oppression, and the struggle to maintain identity amid powerful forces threatening to erase them. When we encounter violent passages attributed to divine command, we're seeing how ancient people interpreted events through their understanding of God at that historical moment. The Bible honestly portrays these limited understandings rather than sanitizing them. Yet something remarkable happens when we read these texts chronologically - we witness human consciousness evolving. Early texts may portray God demanding sacrifice, but later prophets proclaim God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Earlier writings describe violent conquest in God's name, while later ones envision swords beaten into plowshares. The trajectory moves consistently toward greater compassion, inclusion, and justice. This is what makes the Bible so compelling - it documents humanity's growing ethical and spiritual awareness. The writers weren't merely recording history; they were interpreting events to make meaning of their experiences. They selected which stories to include, which details to emphasize, which perspectives to present. This editing process itself reveals theological intentions. Far from undermining the Bible's significance, recognizing its human dimension allows us to engage with it honestly and discover the divine inspiration working through human vessels. This human-divine collaboration creates a text that continues to speak across cultures and centuries. The Bible isn't simply a human document about God; it's also a divine document about humanity - revealing both our capacity for violence and our potential for transcendent love.

Chapter 2: Examining Biblical Context: History, Culture, and Original Intent

Understanding the historical and cultural context of biblical texts transforms our reading experience. Consider how differently we interpret Jesus calling out religious leaders when we understand the exploitative temple system of first-century Palestine. Rather than seeing him as merely confrontational, we recognize his defense of the poor who were being economically oppressed through religious practices. The Bible emerged from collectivist, honor-shame cultures vastly different from our individualistic, guilt-innocence oriented societies. In these ancient cultures, group identity superseded personal identity, and maintaining honor was paramount. When Paul writes about being "baptized into Christ" and becoming "one body," he's addressing people whose entire identity was wrapped up in their group affiliations. His message that slave and free, Jew and Gentile, male and female are all one in Christ represented a radical disruption of the established social order. Original languages further illuminate context. Hebrew often employs wordplay and ambiguity that English translations flatten. Greek terms like "ekklesia" (translated as "church") had political connotations in the Roman world that modern readers easily miss. Even the concept of "belief" has shifted dramatically - the Greek "pistis" implied active trust and allegiance, not merely intellectual assent to doctrinal statements. The Bible's texts were primarily meant to be heard in community, not read privately. Approximately 95% of people in the ancient world were illiterate, so these writings were composed for public reading. This explains the repetition, memorizable phrases, and dramatic elements that seem strange to modern readers but made perfect sense in an oral culture. We miss crucial dimensions when we read silently what was meant to be performed. Understanding biblical genres is equally important. Ancient apocalyptic literature like Revelation used symbolic imagery to communicate hope to oppressed communities, not to predict literal end-times scenarios. The Genesis creation narratives employed the cosmological language of their day to make theological points about human dignity and divine purpose, not to provide scientific explanations. Reading poetry as prose or apocalyptic literature as historical prediction leads to fundamental misunderstandings. The Bible's writers addressed specific situations in their communities. Paul's letters responded to particular conflicts and questions, not to provide universal church policy for all time. When we grasp the original intent behind these writings, we can more thoughtfully consider how their principles might apply in our dramatically different contexts.

Chapter 3: Biblical Interpretation: Flying at Different Altitudes of Reading

Biblical interpretation benefits tremendously from what might be called "altitude awareness" - recognizing that we can read these texts at different levels, each offering unique insights. At the lowest altitude, we examine individual words and their meanings in the original languages. This close reading reveals nuances lost in translation, such as when Jesus uses the Aramaic term "Abba" for God - a familiar, intimate form of address that shocked his listeners but conveyed his understanding of divine relationship. Flying at a slightly higher altitude, we observe the literary structure and narrative patterns. The Gospels aren't merely chronological biographies but carefully crafted theological narratives. Matthew organizes his material around five major discourses, deliberately echoing the five books of Torah to present Jesus as the new Moses. Luke structures his narrative as a journey toward Jerusalem, emphasizing Jesus' resolute movement toward his sacrificial destiny. These literary choices communicate theological claims beyond the explicit content. At mid-altitude, we consider how individual passages fit within their immediate contexts. Isolated verses extracted from their surroundings frequently lead to misinterpretation. Paul's instructions about women's silence in church (1 Corinthians 14) take on different meaning when read alongside his commendations of female leaders elsewhere and within the specific situation he was addressing in Corinth. Context prevents cherry-picking passages to support predetermined positions. Rising higher, we examine how specific books contribute to the larger biblical narrative. The book of Ruth isn't merely a charming story but a powerful statement about the inclusion of foreigners within God's people, directly challenging the exclusionary policies described in Ezra-Nehemiah. The book of Jonah subverts nationalistic expectations by portraying Israel's enemies receiving divine mercy. Individual books often engage in dialogue with one another, offering complementary or even contrasting perspectives. At the highest altitude, we discern the overarching narrative and theological trajectories across the entire biblical library. We observe the movement from tribal deity to universal God, from rigid purity codes to inclusive community, from eye-for-eye justice to enemy-loving forgiveness. Jesus repeatedly interprets his own Jewish scriptures through this lens, prioritizing their life-giving essence over legalistic readings. "You have heard it said... but I tell you" becomes his interpretive framework. This multi-altitude approach prevents both rigid literalism and unfounded speculation. It reminds us that faithful interpretation requires patience, humility, and willingness to engage the text from multiple perspectives. No single reading method exhausts the meaning of these richly layered texts.

Chapter 4: The Bible's Arc of Redemption: Violence to Love, Exclusion to Inclusion

Throughout the biblical narrative, we witness a remarkable progression from violence toward nonviolence, from exclusion toward radical inclusion. This trajectory doesn't develop in a straight line - it zigzags, with steps forward and backward - but the overall direction becomes unmistakable when viewed across the full biblical library. Early biblical texts reflect the violent realities of ancient tribal warfare. The conquest narratives in Joshua contain disturbing accounts of divinely sanctioned violence against enemies. However, later prophetic voices begin questioning this militaristic paradigm. Isaiah envisions nations beating "their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" (Isaiah 2:4). Micah dreams of everyone sitting "under their own vine and fig tree, and no one will make them afraid" (Micah 4:4). These voices challenge the assumption that security comes through violence. This trajectory reaches its culmination in Jesus, who rejects violence even in self-defense. When faced with arrest and crucifixion, he refuses the sword, healing the wounded servant and submitting to execution rather than retaliating. His teaching to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44) represents the fullest expression of this nonviolent ethic. The early church continued this countercultural witness, choosing martyrdom over violence. A parallel trajectory moves from exclusion toward radical inclusion. The initial covenant with Abraham was particular to one family that would become one nation. Membership required ethnic identity and male circumcision. Yet even within these early texts, we find surprising moments of inclusion - Rahab the Canaanite prostitute, Ruth the Moabite widow, and other outsiders welcomed into the community. The prophets envision a future where "all nations" stream to God's mountain (Isaiah 2:2). Jesus dramatically expands this inclusive vision. He consistently transgresses social boundaries, touching the untouchable, dining with the excluded, and welcoming those deemed unclean. His parables frequently feature unexpected outsiders as exemplars of faith - Samaritans, Roman centurions, Syrophoenician women. The early church continued struggling with inclusion, as seen in Peter's vision abolishing food purity laws and Paul's insistence that "there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female" (Galatians 3:28). This redemptive arc doesn't erase the disturbing passages, but it provides a framework for interpreting them. The Bible honestly portrays humanity's capacity for violence and exclusion while constantly pushing toward a more compassionate, inclusive vision. It invites readers to locate themselves within this ongoing story of transformation, continuing the journey toward greater love and justice.

Chapter 5: Addressing Common Questions: Contradictions, Inspiration, and Authority

The Bible contains numerous apparent contradictions that trouble many readers. Genesis includes two creation accounts with different orders of events. The Gospels offer varying chronologies of Jesus's ministry. Paul seems to contradict himself on matters of law and grace. Rather than attempting to harmonize these differences or dismissing the text entirely, we might consider these tensions as invitations to deeper engagement. Ancient Near Eastern cultures were more comfortable with paradox and multiple perspectives than our modern minds. Different accounts weren't viewed as contradictory but as complementary angles on truth. The varying Gospel accounts, for instance, reflect each writer's theological emphasis rather than historical inaccuracy. Matthew portrays Jesus as the new Moses, while John presents him as the incarnate Word. These aren't competing claims but multifaceted perspectives on a reality too profound for any single articulation. The question of biblical inspiration similarly requires nuanced consideration. The rigid notion of "verbal plenary inspiration" (where God dictated every word) emerged relatively recently in Christian history. Earlier understandings recognized inspiration as a dynamic process involving both divine guidance and human participation. The biblical writers themselves suggest this partnership model - Luke mentions his historical research, Paul distinguishes between his opinion and divine command, and the Psalms express deeply human emotions. Inspiration might better be understood as God working through human authors with their limitations, personalities, and cultural contexts - not bypassing them. This explains why biblical texts reflect the scientific and cultural assumptions of their time while simultaneously pushing beyond those limitations with transcendent insights. The divine message works through, not despite, human vessels. Biblical authority functions differently than modern concepts of authority. Modern Western cultures typically view authority as hierarchical power demanding obedience. Biblical authority operates more like the authority of a compelling story that invites participation. Jesus frequently taught through parables precisely because stories engage imagination rather than imposing rules. The Bible's authority lies in its power to transform communities through this narrative engagement. When asked if the Bible is "literally true," we might respond that it's actually more than literally true - it's transformatively true. Biblical narratives function on multiple levels simultaneously. The exodus story recounts a historical liberation while also providing a paradigm for all divine liberation movements. Job explores profound questions about suffering through a literary framework. Revelation uses apocalyptic imagery to strengthen persecuted communities. These texts transcend simple categories of "literal" versus "symbolic." The most profound biblical truths often emerge from wrestling with its tensions rather than resolving them prematurely. The Bible itself models this wrestling - Jacob struggles with God and receives blessing, Job questions divine justice and encounters mystery, and Jesus reinterprets his own scriptures in revolutionary ways.

Chapter 6: Living with the Text: Questions That Transform Our Reading

The Bible invites not passive acceptance but active engagement through transformative questioning. Rather than approaching it primarily with "What does this mean?" we might ask "What is this text doing?" Biblical writings weren't composed merely to convey information but to form communities, challenge existing power structures, provide comfort to the suffering, and inspire faithful action. The Psalms weren't written to explain emotions but to give voice to them. The prophets weren't predicting distant futures but calling for immediate justice. Fruitful interpretation requires self-awareness about the lenses through which we read. Our social location, political assumptions, economic status, and religious traditions profoundly shape how we approach these texts. A wealthy person and someone living in poverty will experience Jesus's teachings about money quite differently. Those from marginalized communities may find immediate resonance with exodus narratives that others read more abstractly. Acknowledging these interpretive lenses doesn't mean surrendering to relativism but recognizing that all reading is contextual. The communal dimension of biblical interpretation provides essential balance to individualistic reading. Throughout history, the Bible has been read, interpreted, and lived in community. Engaging diverse interpretive communities - across theological traditions, cultural backgrounds, and historical periods - protects us from narrow readings that merely confirm our existing beliefs. When communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America read familiar texts differently than Western readers, these varying perspectives enrich rather than threaten faithful interpretation. The Bible consistently directs attention beyond itself. It points toward relationship with God and concrete action in the world rather than mere intellectual mastery of the text. Jesus critiqued religious experts who knew scripture thoroughly but missed its transformative heart: "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:39-40). Biblical knowledge that doesn't lead to greater love remains incomplete. Perhaps the most transformative question we can bring to scripture is simply "How might this text be reading me?" Rather than positioning ourselves as masters of the text, dissecting it for information, we might allow it to master us - questioning our assumptions, challenging our complacency, and inviting us into more faithful living. This receptive posture approaches the Bible not primarily as an object of study but as a living word that continues to speak in unexpected ways. Living with these ancient texts requires embracing their strangeness rather than domesticating them to fit our modern sensibilities. Their cultural distance creates space for genuine encounter with perspectives beyond our limited horizons. Their sometimes troubling content provokes essential questions about violence, exclusion, and justice. Their beauty and horror, clarity and ambiguity all serve the larger purpose of transformation - forming communities that participate in bringing heaven to earth.

Summary

The revolutionary approach to biblical interpretation presented throughout this exploration fundamentally reframes how we engage with these ancient texts. By understanding the Bible as a progressive revelation documenting humanity's evolving comprehension of the divine, we discover a collection that consistently moves toward greater compassion, inclusion, and justice. This developmental understanding invites us to read with the trajectory in mind - seeing how early tribal understandings give way to universal love, how violence yields to peace, and how rigid boundaries dissolve into radical welcome. This approach liberates the Bible from both dismissive criticism and rigid literalism, revealing its enduring relevance for contemporary ethical and spiritual questions. The text becomes neither an outdated relic nor an unchanging rulebook, but a dynamic conversation partner inviting us into its transformative story. By engaging the Bible with historical awareness, literary sensitivity, and ethical discernment, we discover not just information about ancient peoples, but wisdom for creating more just and compassionate communities today. The Bible's power lies not in providing easy answers to complex questions, but in forming people who ask better questions and live toward better answers through lives of love and justice.

About Author

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Rob Bell

Rob Bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. His books include The New York Times bestsellers What Is the Bible?, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Love Wins, as well as The Zimzum of Love, Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars. At age 28, Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011, he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah's 2014 Life You Want Tour and will be speaking at venues around the world in 2015 on the Everything is Spiritual Tour. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles.

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