Greetings listeners! Over the last season, we walked through the New Testament together. We saw the life of Jesus in the Gospels. We watched the church grow in Acts, and we did an overview of what epistles or letters were that were written to early believers. And maybe as you've been listening, you've thought, I want to read this for myself. If that's you, season six is for you. This season we're slowing down. We're going back to build our foundation. And we're going to begin with a simple question: What is the Bible? Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where every two weeks we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable bite-sized chunks. If you're new to the Bible, curious about it, or you've been around for years but want a stronger foundation, you're in the right place. So let's begin here. Why read the Bible at all? Well, because as Christians, we believe the Bible is God's word. If we want to know who God is, what he's done, and what he promises, we listen to what he's spoken. The Bible isn't simply a religious artifact, it's the primary way God has revealed himself. That's why it matters. Now, let's talk about structure. The Bible is not one book written at one time, it's a collection of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. These books were written over roughly 1,500 years by multiple authors in different historical settings and in three primary languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Note I didn't say English. The Bible was not originally written in English. When you hold a Bible, you're holding a library. Different voices, different time periods, collected into one unified volume. Now, let's move from structure to meaning. Christians understand the Bible to be inspired by God. That language comes from scripture itself. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, Paul writes, All Scripture is God breathe and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. That phrase God breathed is where we get the term inspiration. Peter says something similar in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 21. He explains that men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean the Bible fell from the sky, and it does not mean the human authors were passive. They were real people writing real words in real historical settings. Moses writes differently than David. Paul writes differently than John. Their personalities and experiences are visible. And yet, we believe the Holy Spirit guided that process. So the Bible is not merely human opinion. And it's not mechanical dictation. It's God's word given through human voices. That balance is important. So what ties all these books together? From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible presents a single grand narrative that reveals who God is and his plan for all creation. It's one unfolding story. You can summarize it in five movements: creation, fall, promise, redemption, restoration. From the opening chapters of Genesis to the final pages of Revelation, the Bible tells the story of God restoring what was broken. We'll unpack that big story more in a later episode. For now, simply remember, this is not a random collection of religious writings, it's a unified story. Now, here's your step this week. Open your Bible to the table of contents. Notice the division between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Count how many books are in each section. Look at some of the names of the books. Let the structure become familiar. We'll be working more on that in the next episode. So, no pressure. This is just an orientation. So if you remember one thing from today, remember this. The Bible is a unified collection of books, written over time and inspired by God. It's not random, it's not accidental, it's not merely human. It tells one unfolding story. And that story, it's worth knowing. In our next episode, we'll look more closely at how the Bible is organized. So when you open it, you won't feel lost. Until next time, keep reading, keep seeking, and keep growing in your faith.