The Wonder of the Bible
Our Fellowship theme for 2025 has been our “Year of the Bible” with the theme verse, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine…” (2 Timothy 3:16a, KJV)
The Bible remains #1
The Bible remains supreme in our world as the number one best-seller — being sold and distributed more than the Quran (1.8 billion Muslims); Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Vedas (one million Hindus); Tripitaka (376 million Buddhists); Guru Granth Sahib (23 million Sikhs); Torah, Talmud, and Hebrew Old Testament (14 million Jews); Kitáb-i-Aqdas (seven million Bahá’í); Āgamas, Sutras, and Puranas (four million Jainists); Kojiki (four million Shintoists); and the Avesta (20 million Zoroastrianists).
The Bible’s unity points to a single author
The Bible remains supreme in its unified harmony despite being written over 1500 years ago, by 40 different authors, on three continents, and in differing literary genres. In fact, the Bible’s amazing unity is irrefutable internal evidence of the divine planning and origin of the book. Its unity in the midst of its diversity becomes a compelling explanation of its divine authorship:
Many books
The Bible is a collection of 66 different writings, but they’re not viewed as a collection of many writings or books, but as one book, The Bible. Lots of authors
The Bible’s 66 different writings were written by 40 different authors over a period of about 1500 years (circa 1450 BC to 100 AD). These authors varied dramatically — priests, shepherds, farmers, fishermen, tentmakers, doctors, poets, philosophers, statesmen, and kings. They were spread across generations with no precise idea their message would eventually be incorporated into a single book. Their only common claim was a belief they were being divinely inspired to write. Most other religious books are penned by one author based on a vision or special enlightenment claimed by one individual propagating their ideas. How does one determine the veracity of a single individual’s claim of having seen a vision, and then base their life on that one person’s claim? Different locations and circumstances
The Biblical writings were composed over three continents — Asia, Africa, and Europe and written in three different languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Again, unique among religious books.
The Bible was written by authors undergoing different situations in widely different cultures, political regimes, and regions. Written while in prison, a palace, a dungeon, in the wilderness, while traveling in peace, on military campaigns, while experiencing joy, sorrow, or even despair. Multiple subjects and literary genre
The Bible covers every conceivable subject important to human existence, the nature of God, and our final destination. The Bible addresses this using multiple literary genres including: poetry, wisdom literature, historic narratives, sermons, letters, law, prayer, praise, and prophecy. It’s a religious book but also a work of beautiful literature that has indelibly impacted literature in the western world for centuries.
The wonder of the Bible
Try to think about any other book written over 1500 years by 40 authors from different continents and cultures, who largely never met one another to compare notes, writing in differing languages, different circumstances, subjects, and literary forms — and come up with a book with such unity and harmony.
With all these contrasts, what would you typically expect in one book? Likely something disjointed with conflicted messaging. Right?
But the Bible is not chaos — it’s supremely unified in all its diversity. Pointing to a single divine author.
2025 is the Fellowship’s Year of the Bible
In 2025 we chose to celebrate the Bible by accomplishing a few things, as follows:
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The modification of our policy on “Marriage and Human Sexuality”. Delegates at FNC 2024 approved additions to our policy that strengthened our Biblical Understanding of gender.
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Secondly, to approve the final Fellowship National Affirmation of Faith (AoF), prepared by a duly appointed AoF Team (two and a half year process), approved by our Fellowship National Council (February 25, 2025), and sent to FEBCC churches on March 12, 2025.
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Delegates gather at FNC 2025 in Toronto to vote on 14 motions to approve (or not) the 14 Articles of the revised AoF. This business meeting occurs on November 4, 2025 at 2:00pm EST. This meeting will be available online for voting but I’m hoping you’re planning to attend FNC 2025 (November 3-5, 2025) at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre (Toronto) with special speaker: Dr. Bill Hogg, “Fan the Flame”.
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And lastly, to continue the ongoing work of creating a resource tool, “Exploring our Faith”, that will accompany our revised Fellowship National Affirmation of Faith. This tool walks through each AoF article answering over 100 questions, explaining theological concepts, defining terms, providing commentary, and leaving follow up questions to ponder.
Our “Exploring our Faith” resource tool allows Fellowship Baptists to use our revised AoF as a discipleship tool to help form and sharpen the doctrinal awareness and convictions of members of local FEBC churches.
The plan is to launch the “Exploring our Faith” tool at FNC 2026 (November 9-11, 2026) in Toronto.
Hope to see you at FNC 2025 – Register HERE today!
Thank God for our Bible!