The Bible is not one book so much as a library. It was written over many centuries and includes history, poetry, prophecy, letters and the biography-like accounts of Jesus called the Gospels. Reading it well starts with noticing what kind of writing each part is.
Two different questions
Asking whether the text has been preserved is different from asking whether everything in it is true. On the first question, scholars compare thousands of surviving manuscripts to trace how the writings were copied and passed on. Historians also study who wrote each part, when, and in what setting.
On the second question, Christians believe the Bible is more than a record. They believe God speaks through it:
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16
That is a claim of faith, but it is not one that asks you to stop reading carefully. The Bible itself invites people to test what they hear.
Where to begin
You do not have to settle every question about the whole Bible before you begin. A good starting point is one of the Gospels. Mark is short and fast-moving. John is reflective and was written, it says, so that readers might believe (John 20:31).
As you read, ask simple questions. What does Jesus say about himself? How do people respond to him? Do these accounts read like legend, or like testimony?
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105
If you would like a reading plan, or someone to read alongside, we are glad to help.
