--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Bible is not just one book, but an…" description: "\"The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library, with stories, songs, poetry, letters and history, as well as literature that might more obviousl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg" --- # The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library… ![“The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library, with stories, songs, poetry, letters and history, as well as literature that might more obviously qualify as 'religious.'” quote by John Drane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg) > “The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library, with stories, songs, poetry, letters and history, as well as literature that might more obviously qualify as 'religious.'” John Drane ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Bible should be seen as a diverse collection of literary forms, not a single monolithic text. **In simple terms:** The Bible is a library of many genres. Key Takeaway Read the Bible as a collection of varied writings. Themes religion literature diversity interpretation Mood thoughtful academic Type theological educational When to use this quote - studying biblical texts - teaching religious studies - interfaith discussions Key Concepts theology literary criticism canon formation Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing the Bible as a library change your approach? - What challenges arise from its genre diversity? A Different Perspective Complexity can overwhelm casual readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [“One alphabet at a time, you can write an encyclopaedia. One word at a time, you can publish an entire library.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/one-alphabet-at-a-time-you-can-write-an-encyclopaedia-one-word-at-a/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The Bible just said ‘Thou shalt not kill’, then told hundreds of stories of people killing each other and becoming heroes, like David with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/the-bible-just-said-thou-shalt-not-kill-then-told-hundreds-of-stories/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“But sometimes when I hear people quote the Bible, I just want to throw up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/but-sometimes-when-i-hear-people-quote-the-bible-i-just-want-to-throw/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“The Bible is just a book. But, you choose whether to prove it's all true or nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shim-steward/the-bible-is-just-a-book-but-you-choose-whether-to-prove-it-s-all/) [Shim Steward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shim-steward/) > [The bible is not just a book, I realized. it's a living, breathing entity. the stories didn't just happen anywhere. they happened here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-roldan/the-bible-is-not-just-a-book-i-realized-it-s-a-living-breathing/) [Jerome Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-roldan/) > [People cheer the Bible, buy the Bible, give the Bible, own the Bible - they just don't actually read the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/people-cheer-the-bible-buy-the-bible-give-the-bible-own-the-bible/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The truths of the Bible are never just abstract concepts; they're always related to real people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-eareckson-tada/the-truths-of-the-bible-are-never-just-abstract-concepts-they-re/) [Joni Eareckson Tada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-eareckson-tada/) > [The bible saw that can get a lot of people killed, so let's try and steer people away from that. I am not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-bible-saw-that-can-get-a-lot-of-people-killed-so-let-s-try-and/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“It is not enough just to read the Bible; it is even just as important to understand it. As to living it- that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/it-is-not-enough-just-to-read-the-bible-it-is-even-just-as-important/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [If you actually read the Bible, you can see there's a whole lot more information in there than the way we interpret the Bible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/if-you-actually-read-the-bible-you-can-see-there-s-a-whole-lot-more/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [In any business that you pursue, if you belong at the top, and you're perceived as having that caliber, and you do qualify, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/in-any-business-that-you-pursue-if-you-belong-at-the-top-and-you-re/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [My advice to American filmmakers is to marry a European. I'm not kidding. Otherwise they don't qualify for international co-production treaties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-thomas/my-advice-to-american-filmmakers-is-to-marry-a-european-i-m-not/) Jeremy Thomas > [A number of well-understood mechanisms, including single gene mutations, produce changes that qualify as macroevolution. These include heterochronic mutations that alter structures by changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/a-number-of-well-understood-mechanisms-including-single-gene/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [Instead of the traditional emphasis on the sanctity of life, bioethics began to stress the quality of life, meaning that many damaged humans, young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/instead-of-the-traditional-emphasis-on-the-sanctity-of-life-bioethics/) [John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/) > [Not only that - college doesn't particularly qualify you for the outside world. he world is changing so fast, and college is not. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-mccord/not-only-that-college-doesn-t-particularly-qualify-you-for-the/) [Kent McCord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-mccord/) ## More by John Drane > [The sheer diversity of literature in the Bible is one of the secrets of its continuing popularity through the centuries. There is something for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-sheer-diversity-of-literature-in-the-bible-is-one-of-the-secrets/) John Drane > [The Gospels were written to present the life and teachings of Jesus in ways that would be appropriate to different readerships, and for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-gospels-were-written-to-present-the-life-and-teachings-of-jesus/) John Drane Explore all 3 John Drane quotes ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. 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Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library, with stories, songs, poetry, letters and history, as well as literature that might more obviously qualify as 'religious.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Drane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-entire-library-with-stories/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-entire-library-with-stories/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/john-drane-81897_bible_the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-en_599914.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Bible is not just one book, but an entire library, with stories, songs, poetry, letters and history, as…” — John Drane", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Drane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-drane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Bible is not just one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-entire-library-with-stories/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-bible-is-not-just-one-book-but-an-entire-library-with-stories/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```