Holy Bible

Why is the Bible called the Holy Bible? Why is any book called “holy”? Why aren’t all books called “holy”?

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The term "holy" is derived from the Old English word "hālig" and has cognates in other Germanic languages, all related to the concept of wholeness, completeness, or inviolability. It aligns with the Old Norse "heilagr" and Old High German "heilag," suggesting something spiritually perfect or pure.

Note the shift into the spirit world. Note the suggestion that “holy” means perfect or pure.

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We have no standard by which we can measure those terms: perfection and purity. We are always forced to modify those terms with adjectives: almost perfect, 98% pure. And if other books are also labeled “holy,” then we have to study those other books to determine why they have received that label.

Hebrew Holy Bible

"Kadosh" in Hebrew means "holy" or "sacred”. It refers to something set apart or consecrated for a special purpose, often used to describe God in a sacred context. Some contend that “holy” refers to an inherent quality of something, while “sacred” is importance given to something. No concrete evidence exists that a difference or nuance exists between “holy” and “sacred.”

“Muqadas” means “holy” in Arabic. This word focuses more on external importance given to something (the Koran, Jerusalem).

Greek Holy Bible

“Hagios” in Greek means the same thing, with the added distinction of being set apart for the gods, as well as morally acceptable behavior.

All other languages have similar definitions of “holy,” which makes translations more equivalent.

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The basic meaning of “holy” is: “set apart as different,” with moral implications for humans.

Thus, the Bible is a book that’s different. This can also be claimed of other “holy” books, which would then require that we read them and compare them with the Bible. But since the reader came searching for the “Holy” Bible, we’ll just focus on the Bible in this blog.

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So, how is the Bible, in and of itself, different? We’re not asking the question, “How do people treat the Bible differently from other books.” There are only two answers. Either the creator of the Bible wrote in some way that made it intrinsically different from all other books, or humans chose to designate it different from all other books. Although the Bible does state that it was directly “inspired” or “breathed out” by God, that cannot be proven scientifically. History shows that humans have, in fact, designated it as different from all other books.

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Long before humanity studied biology enough to ascertain the difference between life and non-life, people “proved” that a dog was a living being and a rock was a non-living being by the experience of watching them both and seeing the distinct differences in their actions. The dog had emotions, the rock did not. The dog had a will, the rock did not.

Although humans have sometimes labeled their keepsakes “holy” and “sacred,” meaning “special,” the normal usage of those words refers to the spirit(ual) realm. And since we can’t “see” the spiritual realm, we are stuck with viewing the reactions of those who choose to read the Bible. Much like watching a dog and a rock.

"Holy" Bible: how is it "different?"

However, if the Bible is “different” in the sense that it can change a person spiritually (which would imply change our life somehow), then we obviously won’t be able to “see” that after only a few readings. If the intent of the Bible is to change people, then each person will respond to what they read at different speeds and with different attitudes. Some people will fight the changes, while others will embrace them, and sometimes immediately. And since the spiritual world is a very personal thing, no one can control how the Bible changes a person over time, if the Bible is, indeed, the cause of those changes.

It gets more complicated. When a person claims to love and follow the God of the Bible, he is confronted with the command “You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.” The Hebrew text uses a different word order than English, giving the words different importance. “Holy you should be because holy I (am) God Yahweh.” Leviticus 19:2. Since no human has the capacity of becoming exactly like God in his existence as “being different,” we have to fall back on the definition of holy as we need to “be different” than other human beings.

Then, in the New Testament, we are told that God “chose us (believers) to be holy (different)” (Ephesians 1:4). And that believers should worship God by offering their “bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1).

As a human being, I can testify that I have very little ability to obey those verses that command me to be like God, nor to live a live that is totally “different” from the normal human being who doesn’t care about the Bible or about God. Therefore, I have to assume that the Bible, because of its difference, has the capacity to “help” me to become different as God wants.

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Let me add, that if the reader gotten this far in this blog and has a life empty of pain and suffering and fear and etc., etc., then you probably don’t need to read any further. However, if you really would like to have a different kind of live, even if your life is peachy at the moment, but something is nagging deep inside that you might need some changes, the rest of this blog might help you.

Can the Holy Bible Help Me?

And that brings me to ask how does the Bible help me? I can clearly assume that owning a Bible won’t do the trick. Book store owners “own” both Bibles and books about Satan. The physical ownership or proximity to a Bible is useless. If contact with a Bible could change me, then I would buy a hundred Bibles and sleep with them surrounding me in bed.

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So, it seems, that I’m going to have to read the Bible.

I can hear the objections already.

  • I can’t understand all of it. Nope. You can’t understand everything in a physics book the first time you read it either.
  • I don’t have time. Then why are you reading this blog?
  • What will my friends think of me if they discover that I’m reading the Bible? Don’t tell them. (That was simple, right?)

Let’s jump to the solution. Find a modern translation of the Bible. Go into a bookstore and ask for one. Bookstore owners don’t care about your problems. They just want to see you books. Even if it’s a Bible. That’s why they carry them. You could go into a church and ask for a free Bible, but you never know you might run into, so you’re probably better off buying on in a neutral bookstore.

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Ask for a Legacy Standard Bible, or a 1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB), or a New International Version (NIV), or an English Standard Version (ESV.) Most of those are everywhere. If you are in love with old English, try a King James Version (KJV). Just remember that King James has been dead for over 450 years, so his translation is a bit dated. And choose a small Bible, if you don’t want your friends and relatives to know that you’re reading it.

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Once you have a Bible in hand, open up to the contents page: Old Testament (history of the beginning of the universe and the history of Israel), and a New Testament. The New Testament starts with four Gospels, which describe who Jesus was and what he did for his 33 years on the earth. Matthew, a Jew, was written for the Jewish people, so you might stumble across a lot of quotes from the Old Testament that you don’t understand. Mark, a Jew, wrote for the Romans, and usually come straight to the point, wasting no words. Luke, a Greek doctor, wrote for the Greeks, and he is the most detailed. John, a Jew, wrote for everybody. He’s the most philosophical, but he starts from the point that Jesus is actually God in human form.

I suggest you start with Mark, Luke or John.

Next, the book of Acts is a forty-year history of the “church” from the time Jesus returned to heaven. Read a Gospel or two first. The rest of the New Testament are letters written by the apostle to various churches during their day. I’ll stop here.

Let me repeat. The Bible is “different” from all other books that have ever been written and published, but it cannot be “proven” that it’s from God. You have to experience yourself.

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Please feel free to fire off any questions that may arise in your reading. I keep confidences.

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