The purpose of the Bible is to bring us into a personal relationship with the Lord. Some people read their Bibles and adhere to much of it, without ever developing a personal relationship with the Lord.
We don't have a "relationship" with a "book". Jesus Himself is the true word of God. The scriptures reveal Christ Himself when illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the Word within the word.
We are just as dependent on the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ and His finished work on the cross and resurrection as Mary was dependent on the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus in her womb.
Without this - we can create a religion and there is a religion of Christianity too - we just use terms like God, Jesus, word of God, Spirit of God....etc.
Jesus said it perfectly -
John 5:39-40 (NASB)
[SUP]39 [/SUP] "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
[SUP]40 [/SUP] and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Luke 24:44-45 (NASB)
[SUP]44 [/SUP] Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."
[SUP]45 [/SUP] Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,