Introduction

Things may be somewhat different now, but when I was a kid the school system required us to read books; a lot of books. We had the typical text books that taught us subjects such as history, science, and math. Then, once we got past the basics in learning how to read and write, we were given reading assignments, a specific number of chapters from a book assigned by the teacher; which we would then discuss the following day in class. Finally, there were the book reports.

For those of you who have never had to write a book report, the teacher would assign a book to read, then give you a specific amount of time to read it, then write a report on what you had read.

When I think back on it now, English teachers, especially those for elementary and middle school (we used to call it junior high) must have had a masochistic streak in them; I can think of nothing more torturous than having to read and grade 10-20 poorly written book reports. Occasionally the teacher would be so impressed with a child’s book report that they would read it aloud for the class; although that did not happen often, and it never happened with anything I wrote.

At first it seemed as if these book reports were a way of ensuring that we had read the book. You have to understand, this was before the advent of Wikipedia; so we couldn’t cheat and paraphrase what it said about any given book; we had to actually read them. A simple book report gave a brief synopsis of the plot and listed the primary characters of the story; maybe describing their role in the story. Then, as book reports became more complex, we were expected to go into more detail regarding the activities of the characters; describing key events and explaining how those events affected the overall arc of the story. Finally, a complex book report would require that we describe how the story made us feel; what thoughts and emotions ran through our heads as we read the book.

It has been a very long time since I have written a book report; well over half a century, and I never voluntarily sat down to write one…until now. What you are about to read, assuming anyone is actually reading this, is a book report on the single most important book ever written: The Holy Bible. Needless to say, it is a daunting undertaking, and I question my sanity for even attempting it. However, before I get to my thoughts on the Holy Bible, there are a few other things I wish to get out of the way.

Over the course of the past 20-30 years I have done a great deal of studying; primarily on the history of this country and the establishment of our system of government; although I have taken the occasional trip down a particularly educational rabbit hole. While there are others who are far more knowledgeable than I am, I would have to say (based upon conversations I’ve had) that I know a bit more about history and our system of government than a great many; many of whom think I’m absolutely bonkers because of the opinions I hold.

During the course of my studies I have done a lot of reading; essays, speeches, documents, and books devoted to the subjects I was attempting to become familiar with. One of the things I learned during my studies is the fact that much, if not all, of what I was taught about the history of this country, and concerning our system of government, was either extremely biased, or a bald faced lie. If you have read any of my essays you have undoubtedly heard me quote from some of the books I’ve read; books like John Locke’s Second Treatise, No Treason by Lysander Spooner, The Law by Frederic Bastiat, Man and His Government by Robert LeFevre, and The Politics of Obedience by Etienne de la Boetie; just to name a few.

While each of those books has helped to broaden my understanding of our current situation, none of them explain why I hold the beliefs that I hold now. Somewhere along the way, while I was both studying history and watching the government do the things it was doing, I came to the realization that, not only is our system of government corrupt, it is evil. I truly believe that anyone who gives the subject as much thought as I have would be forced to come to the same conclusion; and that is true regardless of which political party happens to be in control of the system at any given moment.

While all those books I read were of great help in leading me to where I am now, they all have one thing in common with one another; they were all written by men, from the perspective of their respective authors. The Bible is different. Yes, the Bible was written by men, but it was inspired by God. No other book ever written can make that claim!

If one reads their Bible carefully, actually studies and thinks about what it says, they will learn of how evil came into the world, and what we are supposed to do to combat it. Politics, or even an in depth study of the Constitution, does not do that; it merely provides us with the option of choosing which form of evil we will submit to; when we should only be submitting to God and His righteous law. Let me ask you something; Will your understanding of the Constitution, or any aspect of U.S. History, ensure that you are granted entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven?

If not, then understanding what the Bible says, and what it says God expects of us, should be our top priority in life. Sadly, the opposite is true…for most people anyway.

That is why I have made the study of the Bible my top concern; and I now study it with the same focus I once devoted to history and our system of government; I care more about where I will spend eternity than I do which corrupt person governs this country, or how our system was designed in such a manner as to allow these corrupt leaders to do all the bad thing things they do. Yes, understanding all that is important, but it won’t affect where I spend eternity; so I choose not to focus on that anymore. Besides, Scripture tells us, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

Although I haven’t been studying the Bible for nearly as long as I studied history and governance, there are a few things I’ve learned; things I think bear discussing before I get into the actual book report on The Bible.

Number 1: This should be obvious, but the Bible was not written in English. In fact, the English language did not begin to be a language until the 5th-6th Century AD; long after the Bible was written. What does that mean; why is that significant? It is significant because, unless you are reading a Bible in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek it was written in, you are reading a translation of what was originally written. Whenever something is translated from one language to another, something is always lost in the translation.

Have you ever told a joke to someone for whom English is not their native language, and had the joke fall flat because they did not get it? It’s not that the person you told the joke to is stupid, it is that they did not grow up speaking English; therefore the subtleties and idiosyncrasies of the English language are lost to them. Have you ever told a joke to someone for whom English is not their native language, and had it fall flat because their grasp of the English language was not sufficient for them to catch the punchline; understand the innuendo or nuance of the joke? If so, then you’ll understand how things said in one language are not always for those who speak another.

You don’t have to do this, but it helps to better understand the Bible if you read different translations of it. I have read the King James Bible from cover to cover, and am now re-reading it; only this time I am comparing what it says to how the New International Version, The English Study Version, and the Greek Septuagint translate it. If a passage is particularly interesting, or difficult to understand, I also keep a copy of Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible handy. I sometimes dive even deeper; going online to find what the Masoretic Text says; reading the translation of each individual word in a passage.

Does this slow the speed at which I can read through the Bible? It most certainly does; but the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to study the Bible thoroughly. Besides, that’s what real study is supposed to look like; not just a casual reading of the material.

Number 2: The Bible was not written for us; it was written by and for people who have been dead for thousands of years. That is not to say that the lessons it teaches us cannot be applied to our lives today, I am only saying that we must read it with the worldview of those who lived during the period it was written if we wish to grasp its full meaning. If we try to apply our worldview to the Bible the likelihood is extremely high that we will misinterpret what it says.

Two thousand years have passed since Christ was put to death, then rose from the grave. In that time how many different denominations of Christianity have arisen? Christ taught one message, so how is it that there are so many different interpretations of His message; His gospel? If Christ were to sit down and discuss theology with the leaders of every major denomination, do you think He would approve of how they have interpreted His message; especially those charlatans like Joel Osteen?

I don’t think that He would, not at all. I think the reason for that is that our churches today are trying to a 21st Century worldview to messages that were written/spoken with a 1st and 2nd Century worldview; we don’t see the world the same way they do, and that is a stumbling block when it comes to our understanding of the message contained in Scripture.

Number 3: While the Bible tells of a great many events (I prefer to call them events rather than stories) they are all part of a much larger story; and if we read about those events believing that they are not interconnected to one another then we are missing out on a large part of the overall narrative of the Bible. I will go into this in more detail in the book report, so I’ll just leave it at that for now.

Number 4: Next, while the Bible often uses metaphors and vivid descriptions to explain things, I believe that is often used as an excuse to explain away things that go against our understanding of the world around us. I believe that there are a lot of passages in the Bible that sound archaic, almost silly, to us today; simply because we think we know so much better than those who wrote the Bible; that they were basically unlearned men trying to describe things they had no explanation for. I think that is a huge mistake, and that is also something I will discuss in more detail as we progress forward.

Number 5: Finally, the Bible often does not provide us with all the answers; such as where Cain found a wife if he, Adam, and Eve were the only humans on the planet at the time.

While the Bible may not answer all our questions, there are other texts written during the same time frame that the Bible was that provide us with a clearer picture of events; it is just that they have not been granted canonical status by the Church.

Books like 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees provide us with a great deal of information that we can use to, pardon the pun, fill in the blanks. I am not saying that they ought to carry the same weight as those books found in the Bible, but to disregard them entirely because they are not part of the Bible would be a serious mistake; if you ask me. Therefore, I will be quoting from them from time to time as I discuss my thoughts on the Bible.

The Bible contains an answer, a solution, to almost every problem we face as a country today. Sadly, people have been conditioned (brainwashed) into believing that it has no place in governance. If you are among those who believe the whole ‘wall of separation between church and state’ doctrine, I have but one question for you; Do you honestly think that is what God intended?

That is why I abandoned my study of history; I realized that it was not providing me with the answers I sought; that believing that we can fix what is wrong by working within the system; a system that was corrupt and flawed from the onset. I now seek to understand God’s plan, God’s desire for mankind, so that when the end comes I can be counted among those who are allowed to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is why I believe the Holy Bible is the single most important book ever written, that is why I abandoned my study of history, and that is the reason I am writing this book report on it; I want to share my thoughts on that book; what I understand it to say, and what it means to me.

What you have just read is the introduction to something much larger. Whether I continue posting segments as I finish them will depend entirely upon how much feedback I get; or if I get any feedback at all.

As the saying goes – the ball is in your court… ~ Neal Ross

March 24, 2026

 ~ The Author ~
Neal Ross is a student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history. Neal has been a long-time contributor to the family of Kettle Moraine Productions and its various websites.

Send all comments to: NealHRoss@outlook.com.