Ask someone to name the Gospels, and chances are they’ll reply, “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.” But in addition to the four gospels featured in the Bible, scholars have unearthed ancient manuscripts containing at least a dozen other gospels. By the fourth century, a consensus emerged among most Christians about who Jesus was and what His teachings meant. Gospels and other texts, such as the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters, which agreed with this consensus, were adopted by church leaders as part of the canonical Bible. Other gospels and texts, such as the Gospel of Judas, were rejected and are now called apocryphal.
Here are some practical ways to make the Bible part of your daily life:
1. Trust that the Bible is vital for your spiritual health. As the Psalmist says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). Or as Paul puts it, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
2. The faith, hope and love encouraged by the Bible benefit you in every way. Paying sincere attention to God’s Word leads to abundant life. “My son, attend to my words…for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22).
3. You cannot be a growing believer without reading the Bible regularly, thinking and praying about it, and following its instructions. It is essential that you apply what you read to your daily life and that you share the Bible’s insights with those around you, both in the way you live and in what you say. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
Accept and know your Bible for what it is: God speaking through centuries of prophets, historians, poets and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Find in the Bible examples, stories and wisdom to guide your own life and to direct your relationship with God. As Paul says in his second letter to Timothy, Scripture is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” that you may be “thoroughly equipped for all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Can you trust the Bible? Oh, yes!
