The Bible can be referred to as Scripture, The Word of God or the Gospel. Whatever it may be called, the Bible is the divine, infallible Word of God, and is the true message to us on how to follow and believe in Him and His promises. God inspires all Scripture. The word "inspired" in the Greek language is Theopneustas which means, God-breathed. (see Timothy 3:16). The New Testament Scriptures' writers are said to have been moved as the Holy Spirit spoke to them. They wrote what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write. However the human authors wrote in their own words and unique style. God speaks to us in human language through the Sacred Scriptures. The Sacred Scriptures reveal God's plan clearly and beautifully. 

 

The Bible is a way for us to know God, know His love for us and His purpose through all these trials and tribulations that we go through on earth. Scripture is universal; it has gone to almost every nation on the earth, and has been translated into every language so it can become accessible to all. And it is the greatest love story that exceeds time and place, and we are all a part of it.

 

The Bible is made up of the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are many different literary styles in the Bible. Some of these include poetry, narrative and parables. All of these styles make the Bible what it is.

 

The Catholic version of the bible has seven additional books not found in non-Catholic bibles. These books are known as the Deuterocanonical books. The deuterocanonical books bring the number of books in the Catholic Bible to 73, while almost all other Bibles have 66. The Deuterocanonical books include Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and 1 and 2 Maccabees. These books all belong to the Old Testament writings. Some different versions have alternative names for the seven books. Up to the Reformation, there were 73 books that the Church compiled as Sacred Scripture; 46 in the old and 27 in the New Testament. These Scriptures included the Deuterocanonical books, and were used to spread Christianity in the early days of the Church. 

 

From the rise of Protestantism in the 16th century, there has been a rise in different translations of the Bible. Some popular translations are The Good News Translation (GNT), the King James Version (KJV), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).