Michael F. Bird - Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible

One thing that Ive noticed growing up in the church is that we are often taught certain properties of the Bible, but not taught how to actually read it. Mike Bird is a gift to the church in that he is an experienced biblical scholar who can distill complex matters into something understandable, even enjoyable. If you want to grow in your competence of reading Scripture and have a crackalackin good time doing it, read this book!

AIMEE BYRD, author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and Why Cant We Be Friends?

Before you can talk about what the Bible says on this and that, it is important to process what the Bible is. Bird offers clarity and insight on big issues of inspiration, canon, and how to read the Bible wiselyall in a short seven chapters. I wish I had this book when I was first learning how to study the Bible.

NIJAY K. GUPTA, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

In an age where the ordinary Christian no longer knows who Josephus is, why reading literally could end in errors, or how the Bible was even put together, the struggle to help Christians understand the basics about the Bible is real. Finally, a book I can simply hand to fellow Christians and say, Read this! Bird humorously tackles the most common gaps and misunderstandings among Christians in a way the average person can understand: the nature of texts, good interpretation, the role of history, and how Scripture works within the Christian community. This would make a great book for a small group or families at home. Hear Bird now and thank him later.

DRU JOHNSON, associate professor of biblical studies at The Kings College, director of the Center for Hebraic Thought

Holy Smokes! This sounds like a clich, but this is absolutely truethis is a book every Christian or person exploring Christianity should (Id rather say must) read. The reason is that knowing the true Jesus comes from what we read in the Bible. However, there are so many misunderstandings of what the Bible is or isnt that can lead to poor understandings of Jesus and what it means to follow him. I dont say this lightly, but reading what Mike has written in this book helps us have a rebirthing of how we view and understand the Bible. I urge anyonefrom non-Christian to mature Christianto read this book, as you will never view or think of the Bible in the same way again.

DAN KIMBALL, author of How (Not) To Read The Bible, on staff at Vintage Faith Church

ZONDERVAN REFLECTIVE

Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible

Copyright 2021 by Michael F. Bird

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Zondervan titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@Zondervan.com.

ePub Edition April 2021: ISBN 978-0-310-538868

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 Common English Bible.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NJB are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible. Copyright 1985 Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City, NY.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright 1952 [2nd edition 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Rick Szuecs

Cover illustration: Alhovic/Shutterstock

Interior design: Kait Lamphere

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 /LSC/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

For Naomi, whose husband has never once made her a coffee, but who sticks with him anyway