The Bible, the Old Testament, was initially written in the Hebrew language. Hebrew was the only language on earth in the first 1,750 years, until the construction of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:6-7). In Gen 14:13 Abraham was called a “Hebrew.” In Ex 7:16 Moses said to Pharaoh, “The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness …” The LORD Jesus also spoke Hebrew after His ascension – this was Paul’s testimony: “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue …” (Acts 26:14). In the Hebrew language, persons and names as well as locations often have a meaning that sometimes gets lost in the translation into other languages.

The Old Testament ends with the Prophet Malachi, who lived approximately 400 years before Christ. Until then, there were the five books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms in the form of scrolls. It was not until the time period 300 to 200 years before Christ that the Old Testament with its 39 books was collectively combined. However, the individual scrolls did remain as well. Between 1947 and 1956, the oldest known handwritten scrolls were found in Qumran at the Dead Sea. Among them was a 7.3 m long, virtually undamaged scroll of the Book of Isaiah, the Psalms, and the Book of Daniel. They can be viewed in the “Shrine of the Book” at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. In Lk 24:44-45 Jesus, our LORD and Savior, emphasized the tripartition into the law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets: “… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” In the synagogue in Nazareth, He once read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:1) and then said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Lk 4:16-21). In fact, more than a hundred prophecies of the Old Testament that are part of the Plan of Salvation were fulfilled at that time.

The Hebrew Old Testament was first translated into the then-exist-ing Greek world language around 250 B.C. by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt. The Hebrew scholars of the Torah in Israel, however, did not acknowledge this translation, which was referred to as “Septuagint LXX.” Even in that early translation, there are precious and important significations, which effortlessly emerge from the Hebrew text, that are oftentimes no longer recognizable for the reader. For that reason, the original meaning, as discernible from the Hebrew text, shall be included in this exposition wherever necessary. But even those who speak multiple languages have to depend on the guidance and revelation by the Spirit of God. We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scripture, which is legitimized within itself by the perfect agreement between the Old and New Testament.

The New Testament with its 27 books came into existence in the course of the first Christian centuries as the “canon” – guideline. Luke stated in the introduction to his Gospel what initially took place: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us …” Of the “many,” four remained, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, whose records were entered into the biblical canon as the “Gospels.” They were ordained to leave unto the future generations an account of what took place in the life and works of Jesus Christ as part of the Plan of Salvation. Each Gospel has its own composition. In their diversity, they produce a comprehensive picture of our LORD and Savior, starting with His birth up until His ascension.

Matthew, for instance, straightaway presents the evidence that with the birth of Christ the prophecy from Isa 7:14 has been fulfilled: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel …” (1:18-25). In chapter 2:1-6 he reports of the birth in Bethlehem and emphasizes the fulfillment of the promise from Mic 5: “And thou Bethlehem … out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”

Mark begins with the two Old Testament prophecies in regard to the ministry of John the Baptist, namely Isa 40:3: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD …” and Mal 3:1: “Behold, I will send my messenger …”

Luke reports right in the first chapter of Zechariah’s visitation by the Angel Gabriel in the Temple, who predicted unto him the birth of John the Baptist, and of Mary’s visitation by the Angel Gabriel, who announced unto her the birth of the Redeemer: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahshua).”

John goes back to the very beginning and testifies: “In the beginning was the Word …” (Jn 1:1) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” (v. 14).

Only by reading all four Gospels does one gain a complete overview of the life and works, the ministry, the suffering and dying, and the resurrection and ascension of our Redeemer as the point of culmination of the Plan of Salvation, just as it was already announced in the Old Testament.

The Gospels were followed by the “Book of Acts” of the Early Church, then came the Epistles of the apostles, and finally the “Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ,” which was given to the Apostle John on the Greek island of Patmos.

Initially, the Gospels and also the Epistles of the apostles were read and passed on in the local congregations: “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” (Col 4:16). The proclamation went out into all the world as the LORD had commanded it in the Great Commission.

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the 15^th century, the texts were transcribed by hand over and over again. With the translations into other languages came the partitioning into chapters and then the verse assignments. It should be emphasized once again that it is not the comparisons of the many translations – as valuable as they might be – which bring us clarity, but that only the Spirit of God truly searches the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10) and leads into all truth (Jn 16:13). The letter, the written Word must become the revealed, living Word unto us. The Word of God remains forever (1 Pet 1:25; Isa 40:8).

The Bible, the Old Testament, was initially written in the Hebrew language. Hebrew was the only language on earth in the first 1,750 years, until the construction of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:6-7). In Gen 14:13 Abraham was called a “Hebrew.” In Ex 7:16 Moses said to Pharaoh, “The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness …” The LORD Jesus also spoke Hebrew after His ascension – this was Paul’s testimony: “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue …” (Acts 26:14). In the Hebrew language, persons and names as well as locations often have a meaning that sometimes gets lost in the translation into other languages.

The Old Testament ends with the Prophet Malachi, who lived approximately 400 years before Christ. Until then, there were the five books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms in the form of scrolls. It was not until the time period 300 to 200 years before Christ that the Old Testament with its 39 books was collectively combined. However, the individual scrolls did remain as well. Between 1947 and 1956, the oldest known handwritten scrolls were found in Qumran at the Dead Sea. Among them was a 7.3 m long, virtually undamaged scroll of the Book of Isaiah, the Psalms, and the Book of Daniel. They can be viewed in the “Shrine of the Book” at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. In Lk 24:44-45 Jesus, our LORD and Savior, emphasized the tripartition into the law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets: “… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” In the synagogue in Nazareth, He once read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:1) and then said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Lk 4:16-21). In fact, more than a hundred prophecies of the Old Testament that are part of the Plan of Salvation were fulfilled at that time.

The Hebrew Old Testament was first translated into the then-exist-ing Greek world language around 250 B.C. by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt. The Hebrew scholars of the Torah in Israel, however, did not acknowledge this translation, which was referred to as “Septuagint LXX.” Even in that early translation, there are precious and important significations, which effortlessly emerge from the Hebrew text, that are oftentimes no longer recognizable for the reader. For that reason, the original meaning, as discernible from the Hebrew text, shall be included in this exposition wherever necessary. But even those who speak multiple languages have to depend on the guidance and revelation by the Spirit of God. We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scripture, which is legitimized within itself by the perfect agreement between the Old and New Testament.

The New Testament with its 27 books came into existence in the course of the first Christian centuries as the “canon” – guideline. Luke stated in the introduction to his Gospel what initially took place: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us …” Of the “many,” four remained, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, whose records were entered into the biblical canon as the “Gospels.” They were ordained to leave unto the future generations an account of what took place in the life and works of Jesus Christ as part of the Plan of Salvation. Each Gospel has its own composition. In their diversity, they produce a comprehensive picture of our LORD and Savior, starting with His birth up until His ascension.

Matthew, for instance, straightaway presents the evidence that with the birth of Christ the prophecy from Isa 7:14 has been fulfilled: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel …” (1:18-25). In chapter 2:1-6 he reports of the birth in Bethlehem and emphasizes the fulfillment of the promise from Mic 5: “And thou Bethlehem … out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”

Mark begins with the two Old Testament prophecies in regard to the ministry of John the Baptist, namely Isa 40:3: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD …” and Mal 3:1: “Behold, I will send my messenger …”

Luke reports right in the first chapter of Zechariah’s visitation by the Angel Gabriel in the Temple, who predicted unto him the birth of John the Baptist, and of Mary’s visitation by the Angel Gabriel, who announced unto her the birth of the Redeemer: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahshua).”

John goes back to the very beginning and testifies: “In the beginning *was the Word …”* (Jn 1:1) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” (v. 14).

Only by reading all four Gospels does one gain a complete overview of the life and works, the ministry, the suffering and dying, and the resurrection and ascension of our Redeemer as the point of culmination of the Plan of Salvation, just as it was already announced in the Old Testament.

The Gospels were followed by the “Book of Acts” of the Early Church, then came the Epistles of the apostles, and finally the “Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ,” which was given to the Apostle John on the Greek island of Patmos.

Initially, the Gospels and also the Epistles of the apostles were read and passed on in the local congregations: “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” (Col 4:16). The proclamation went out into all the world as the LORD had commanded it in the Great Commission.

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the texts were transcribed by hand over and over again. With the translations into other languages came the partitioning into chapters and then the verse assignments. It should be emphasized once again that it is not the comparisons of the many translations – as valuable as they might be – which bring us clarity, but that only the Spirit of God truly searches the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10) and leads into all truth (Jn 16:13). The letter, the written Word must become the revealed, living Word unto us. The Word of God remains forever (1 Pet 1:25; Isa 40:8).