Don Stewart :: To Whom Was the Bible Written?

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The appeal of the Bible is universal - addressed to all humanity. It is a book that everyone can understand. The Bible says that when Jesus spoke, "the common people heard him gladly" (Mark 12:37). The multitudes listened and followed Him. Jesus encouraged the children to be brought to Him.

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14).

Scripture Has Universal Application

While certain parts of the Scripture are written to individuals and specific groups, even these have both special and universal application. All Scripture is beneficial.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

It Is Written In Everyday Language

One way that we know the Bible was written for everyone is the language in which it was composed. As recently as one hundred years ago, we did not possess any Greek writings that were contemporary with the New Testament. The Greek of the New Testament was different from the classical Greek of Plato and Sophocles. Most scholars speculated that it was some special kind of "Holy Ghost" language - not the ordinary speech of that day.

This all changed at the end of the nineteenth century. In a garbage dump in Egypt the discovery was made of the letters, contracts, receipts, etc. of ordinary people who lived at the same time as Jesus. It became clear from these writings that the New Testament was written in the same common, everyday language of the people, not some special language. This reinforces the idea that the Bible was written to the masses, not just to an elite few.

The Bible Is An Understandable Book

The Bible has been written in such a way that everyone can understand it. This, of course, does not mean that everyone will understand it or that any one person will understand everything in it. Neither does it mean that a person will understand it the first time they read it. The more one reads, and studies the Bible, the more it will be understood.

Everyone Is Held Responsible To Obey Its Teachings

Scripture assumes its message is clear because everyone is held responsible to respond to it. The Bible claims to have universal authority over all people everywhere. There are only two categories of people according to the Bible, believers and unbelievers. The New Testament says.

The one who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and the one who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on that person (John 3:36).

The fact that the Bible separates humanity into these two categories is another indication that all people are held responsible to believe its message.

Summary

The evidence demonstrates that the Bible was written to every human being, not to just a select few. We now understand the language of the New Testament was the common written and spoken language of the time. The Bible was not written in some special holy language to meet the needs of a few. Scripture has been composed in such a way as to be understandable to the masses. Furthermore, God will hold everyone responsible as to how they receive His Word. This is another indication that the Bible was written with everyone in mind. Therefore every person needs to pay close attention to its message.