Bible
 A Gutenberg Bible printed in the 1450s, on display at the New York Public Library in 2009. | |
| Genre | Scripture |
|---|---|
The Bible is a collection of sacred writings that forms the holy book of Christianity and incorporates many of the sacred scriptures of Judaism.[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá described it as "the Holy Book of God, of celestial Inspiration."[2]
The Bible is divided into two sections known as the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, includes collections of sacred Jewish scripture known as the "Law" (the Torah, or Pentateuch), "Prophets" (Nevi'im), and "Writings" (Ketuvim). The New Testament includes the four Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, which describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the actions of Christ's early disciples; and a number of epistles, or letters, on various topics. Finally, the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse of St. John, relates visions connected to the end times.[1]
The Bible appears in many different versions and translations, some of which differ considerably from the others. The Bibles used by different sects of Christianity vary in length due to disagreements on the status of certain texts. For example, Bibles used by Protestant sects tend to be shorter than those used by Roman Catholics or Eastern Orthodox Christians due to the exclusion of certain texts as apocryphal, i.e., of doubtful authenticity.[1] One of the most influential English translations of the Bible was that commissioned by King James in the 1600s; the "King James Version" (KJV), and translations based on it, are still widely used. More modern translations include the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB).[3] Shoghi Effendi personally used the King James Version for its authoritative character and its beautiful language; however, the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice noted that he did not specify that other translations may not be used.[4]
The Bahá’í Writings confirm that the Bible is a Divinely inspired Book. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called it "the Bible of Salvation, the noble Gospel", "the mystery of the Kingdom and its light", and "the Divine Bounty, the sign of the guidance of God."[2] Shoghi Effendi confirmed, moreover, that "the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized".[5] He explained that Bahá’ís believe in the substance of what is in the Bible, but that it is not wholly authentic and that individual passages should not necessarily be taken literally or be quoted as authentic sayings of the Prophets.[6][7] In response to questions from individual believers, letters written on his behalf cite the difficulty of substantiating accounts in the Bible, or knowing "how much or how little of the four Gospels are accurate and include the words of Christ and His undiluted teachings".[8][9] As a general rule when reading the Bible, Bahá’ís give precedence to the words of Bahá’u’lláh; passages quoted by Him or by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are considered to be authentic.[7][9]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bible". www.britannica.com. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15 February 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Written by 'Abdul-Bahá in the Bible of the pulpit of the City Temple in London, quoted in Star of the West (September 27, 1911). Bahai News Service. Volume 2, Issue 11. Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ "What are the differences between Bible versions and translations?". biblehub.com. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ↑ "Bible, Preferred English Translation of". bahai-library.com. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ↑ Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, par. 269.
- ↑ Helen Bassett Hornby, ed. (1988) [1st pub. 1983]. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá’í Reference File by Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Universal House of Justice New Delhi: Baháí Publishing Trust. No. 1660. ISBN 978-8185091464.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 From a letter dated July 28, 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada.
- ↑ Helen Bassett Hornby, ed. (1988) [1st pub. 1983]. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá’í Reference File by Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Universal House of Justice New Delhi: Baháí Publishing Trust. No. 1659. ISBN 978-8185091464.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 From a letter dated January 23, 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer.
References[edit]
- Dibdin, Colin. (1996). "A Bahá'í View of the Bible". 75 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in Australasia. Rosebery: Association for Bahá'í Studies Australia.
