Imagine, if you will, discussing the bible with someone who has never heard of it. How would you begin? There are some difficulties that would arise if you simply jumped in and started with the bible proper, so I feel it best to begin at the beginning.
So, who is God?
Well, Genesis 1 describes that God is the creator of everything, but to begin this discussion, I would appeal to nature itself around us. Consider Oxygen, the very air we breathe. It is a very flammable gas, so a very specific amount had to be given, 21%. Next we consider the sun and the moon. Both are in very precise places in order to provide us the needed amount of warmth/cool that we need, but more than that, to keep us happy and healthy. If the sun was closer we'd burn to death. Too far, we'd freeze. And then the beauty of creation all around us. So many plants, flowers, trees, yes and even animals have been created simply for our enjoyment. The chances of such a perfect environment for life just... happening is so improbable that I find difficulty wrapping my head around it. Something can not be created from nothing, therefore I believe in intelligent design. Science oftentimes goes through hoops trying to come up with theories on the creation, but it constantly changes and again it's nothing more than a theory.
After stating my case based on nature, then I would turn to Genesis 1. The genius of the bible is it's simplicity. Something so complex and brilliant is also so easy to understand that anyone can understand it. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" and then we learn how it was done.
Psalms 33 would be the next passage I would turn to. It provides a very beautiful explanation about God's power and majesty. Because he created everything, he seeks those to be righteous to praise him. Considering His authority, how can we NOT fear Him? And yet he also gave us His word so we can know how to obey him and to live our lives in a manner that is not only pleasing to him, but completely beneficial for us, too [2 Timothy 3: 16-17] since the bible was inspired by Him, and He is our creator, it is our blueprint for this life. After all, who can know us better than him? The world itself often stands against God, but considering His awesome power and might, how can they possibly compare to him? How can they resist? The wonderful thing is, we don't have to resist. He has chosen us to be an inheritance to Him. The promises and blessings for those who are faithful may be granted to us as well if we fulfil our end, even though we don't deserve it. For those who are righteous, we know that He will take care of us because we are His inheritance. [Romans 8:28]
So, if He created us and has all power, majesty, and authority, how, exactly, does one obey him and gain that inheritance?
By reading His word- the bible. But do we know that it was indeed God that wrote the bible? 2 Peter 1: 16-21 records that Jesus was indeed God's Son and as such had all majesty due Him. It is Him that the New Testament is based on, and as God's Son we are to heed His words as we do God's. We have in this passage not only inspired writings, but also eyewitnesses to Jesus, to add further verification.
None of what we find here is man's design, although men did physically write it.Because it was inspired by a divine source, it flows together beautifully. The prophecies, miracles, types and anti-types all lead toward something beautiful. And even moreso the more you understand the purposes behind them. Man alone can NOT accomplish something so wonderful. Especially considering all of the writers of the book, and the period of time the writers lived. As mentioned before with nature, the chances of man recreating something of this magnitude alone are beyond infinitesimal.
After proving that God is, that He created us, and gave us the bible so we may know how to obey him. When I consider His awesome might, majesty, and power, I learn that studying His word is integral for my life. It answers everything we wish to know that is worth knowing about this life. Our existence.