The essence of the Bible, and ultimately the Christian faith, lies in one word: gospel, which means "glad tidings" in the ancient Greek language in which the New Testament was written. The meaning of the Gospel is summarized in the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, descended into hell, rose from the dead the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, eternal life. Amen.
