The Bible is a truly extraordinary collection of books and letters written by at least thirty-six different authors. The writers include prophets, fishermen, kings, ministers, lawyers, priests, a doctor and a tax collector. The Bible spans some 1,600 years which is divided into two basic periods; the Old Testament which was written before Christ and the New Testament which was written after Christ. As concerning the authenticity of the Bible, the Apostle Paul says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." 2 Timothy 3:16.
The books of the King James Version of the Bible have been divided into chapters and verses to make references easier to find. This version of the Bible contains 1,189 chapters, 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. The longest chapter is Psalm 119, with 176 verses and the shortest is Psalm 117, with only 33 words. The middle chapter is Psalm 117. The books of Jude, Obadiah, Philemon and II John and III John are only one chapter long.
The Bible has 31,101 verses. The Old Testament contains 23,144 verses, the New Testament 7,957. The middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 103:2 which is verse number 15,551 of 31,101. The shortest verse is "Jesus wept," John 11:35 and the longest is Esther 8:9.
Originally the Bible was written without chapter or verse divisions. Instead the texts were simply large blocks of letters all written side by side. One can easily imagine the difficulty of trying to figure out where one word ended and the next began. In addition, trying to refer to a specific passage was very difficult.
However, some progress was made when early manuscripts made for public reading were written in larger print with reading aids such as punctuation, breathing marks and blank spaces for paragraphs. But it was still over twelve-hundred years after the beginning of the Christian era before the Bible was divided into chapters. Chapter divisions are usually credited to the work of Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, in England, who died in 1228.
The division into verses, as we find the arrangement today, was made about the year 1550 by a printer from Paris, who is said to have done the task while making a horseback journey from Lyons to Paris. The first versified English New Testament was published in 1557 and three years later the entire Bible was published versified.
It should be noted that neither the division of chapters, verses or punctuation is inspired. However, the idea of dividing the Scriptures into chapters has proven to be so convenient that Jewish scholars adopted the idea. Therefore, the present-day Hebrew Old Testament has chapter divisions similar to the English Old Testament.
In one year you can read the entire Bible by reading a little over three chapters per day.
Some of the Most Well Known Chapters of the Bible
1. The Love chapter 1 Corinthians 13
2. The Faith chapter Hebrews 11
3. The Resurrection chapter 1 Corinthians 15
4. The Twenty-third Psalm Psalm 23
5. The Forgiveness chapter Psalm 51
6. The Suffering Servant chapter Isaiah 53
7. The Heaven chapter Revelation 21
The name Jesus Christ appears in the first and last verses of the New Testament.
The famous inscription on the "Liberty Bell" in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, was borrowed from Leviticus 25:10, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
For Deeper Study
The Quest for the Original Text of the New Testament, Philip Wesley Comfort, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992
The Origin of the Bible, Philip Wesley Comfort, Editor; Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, ILLinois, 1992
The Cambridge History of the Bible, "The West From the Reformation to the Present Day," edited by S.L. Greenslade F.B.A., Volume 3, Cambridge University Press, 1963.

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

There is never a charge for my articles, and if you have a good reason, there is no limit to how many you may request. However, if you find them valuable you may want to order my latest book, History, Mystery and Facts About the Bible. Order at 1-800-845-7618 (ext. 301). You may also order from Amazon.com. Proceeds from the book go to support this ministry.

Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

Http://www.biblehistory.com

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