A very good question. And one I asked some 20 years ago. I will only speak for myself here as I answer.
First, to understand what the Bible is, you must seek out it's history. In the early Christian era (1-3 century, pre Nicene) there were many many books of the Gospel. Jesus taught thousands over a 3 year period, and the educated (those who could read and write) Christian wrote many books on the Gospel message.
There was a great division in the 2nd century of the catholic ideology and dualist ideology. Marcion, Valentinus, as well as Arians, Marcosians and others saw the dual God theory as what Christ spoke of.
(John 8:44, John 10:8 and others). Marcions Antithesis explained why 2 gods existed. One of the physical creation, imperfect, ignorant and the reason the body dies, and the one Jesus said was his Father, who was perfect, spirit, and had no ties to "this world" other than to save mens soul through (real) Truth).
Jesus told us to see their fruits. With the power of Rome (physically), the Nicene Creed made the religion of catholics the religion of Rome. All others would be exiled or destroyed as heretical (against catholic thought). It was through this process that the Holy? Catholic church made the Bible the law of the land (Rome).
No other religion considered the Hebrew Scriptures Gospel Truth. They saw them as a time before Truth and Light came. But it behooved Rome and the Catholics to combine both, as it benefited Rome and the Catholics, because Jews made up one tenth of the Roman army. In the early Christian period, Christians were slaughtered by Jews and Rome alike because they were sheep, would not fight in any army, and would not consider Caesar their king like the Jews did (John 19:15).
When the Catholics translated the Bible into Latin, they took what Truth was in it to their own advantage. Like doctors and lawyers, only the elitist could read and teach it. During the time the Bible was in Latin only was almost some 800 years (after the fall of Rome). These were also the Dark Ages of History when man regressed rather than progressed.
Once John Wycliffe ( as well as William Tyndale) translated the Bible into English and German (starting in the 1300s), both were killed by the Catholic's by decree of the Pope. They were considered heretics and their writings destroyed. One reason was because William Tyndale's translation showed fallacies in the celestial authority the Catholics taught they had. Especially in the translated words for Priests, Bishops and Church.
I'll stop here. But if you seek, you should find where most all Christian religions today are God and Mammon, because the physical portrayal is sought more than the spiritual truth. The sword Jesus brought cuts completely, not just half way.
I'll stop here as there are many times the Catholic Popes showed their ignorance of Gospel truth through their actions. Here's just one.
Pope Urban II in the 10th century said this to crusaders getting ready for battle:
"All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested."
The Bible also was brought to you from the Catholics as the Word of God.
Many believe the Catholics speak for God. I don't. They're just as fallible as any man.
