Where do we find out more about Jesus? In the Bible. WHAT IS THE BIBLE? The Bible is the most published book in the world. About 25 million copies of the Bible are printed each year and it is estimated that over the years five billion copies have been printed in over 2,800 languages. What makes it so popular and enduring? The Bible …. Is God’s Word given to the world through men who wrote under the Holy Spirit’s divine inspiration Unfolds one main story threaded throughout – the story of Jesus becoming the world’s savior Has the power to create faith and give strength, guidance, and hope to our lives
TIMELESS TRUTHS Summary The Bible never goes out of date The Bible reveals the mysteries of God The Bible answers life’s biggest questions “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” （Isaiah40:8） ¬ The Bible has survived the test of time and cultures over thousands of years. People risked their lives to translate it. Others risked their lives to read it and share it. Yet despite all the hostility it met over the years, it continues to be in demand throughout the world. Unlike other books, the Bible never goes out of date (although the language often needs to be updated to keep current with changes that occur in language use.) The Bible is filled with love stories and tragedies, heroes and villains, history and poetry. It talks of human sufferings and victories. It identifies with the daily challenges of this world and unfolds the hidden mysteries of the spiritual world. There is a genuine honesty about the people in the Bible as it reveals the sins and weaknesses of even the great heroes of faith. Here God reveals amazing truths about who he is and what he does – information that can’t be found anywhere else.
The Bible helps us understand the origin and cause of the evil and suffering in our world and shows how God carried out his plan to solve it. It addresses life’s biggest questions, which include, “Where did this world come from,” “Why am I here?” “What will happen after I die.” The Bible remains timeless because it deals with the unchanging challenges of humanity and reveals the only solution that applies to any culture, any person, any situation. It has changed the lives of countless people for thousands of years across all cultures.
TWO SECTIONS Summary The Bible has two sections – Old Testament and New Testament The two tell a seamless story about God’s love Jesus is the center “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) ¬ The Bible contains two sections – the Old Testament that was written before Jesus was born, and the New Testament that was written after Jesus was died and rose again. There is a total of 66 books in all.
The Old Testament contains 39 separate books whose history, poetry, and prophesy. The Old Testament books covers about 4,000 years of history. They recount for us the world from its beginnings (Genesis). Then they follow the more specific history of the people of Israel whom God singled out to reveal his glory and grace. It includes books which are inspirational songs or poetry that relate to our everyday struggles and joys. The remaining books are mostly prophesies which include details about the Savior (Jesus) who was to come. The New Testament contains 27 books and covers a period of less than 100 years. The first four are called the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and tell the story of Jesus’ life death and resurrection. They tell the story from different angles like witnesses viewing an event from different positions and telling it to audiences with different cultural backgrounds. The book of Acts tells the history of the first years of the early Christian Church after Jesus returned to heaven. Many of the remaining books are called Epistles (letters) that were written by the apostles to different churches or individuals to encourage them in their faith. The two sections of Scripture fit together seamlessly. The “old” testament centered people around their relationship with God through the law of Moses. The “new” testament centered people around their relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus completes the story because he fulfilled the law for us and provides forgiveness for our violations of God’s laws.
AUTHOR Summary
The Bible really only has one author – God himself The human writers wrote through divine inspiration God spoke through people from many walks of life “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20) ¬ The human writers of the Bible were farmers, kings, fisherman, tax-collectors, musicians, and people from other walks of life. But the Bible is unique among all others because during the 1,400 years it was written, it really had only One author – God himself. The whole collection of books is the message God communicated through many different writers to reveal to the world who he is and how he operates in our world. We say that each verse is “inspired (breathed in) by God”. Paul said (2 Timothy 3:16), “All Scripture is God-breathed…” Paul also wrote (1 Thessalonians 2:13), “…when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” The main human writers of the Old Testament were Moses and the Prophets. Moses wrote the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). These contain the story of the beginnings of the world, the entrance of sin and evil into a perfect world, the rescue of God when his people found themselves in trouble, and the promise of a savior who would change everything. Other writers of the Old Testament included King David who wrote the Psalms (songs), King Solomon who wrote wisdom phrases (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) and several prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. The New Testament was written mainly by those who had followed Jesus during his life on earth (like Matthew, Peter, and John) and others were writers like Luke who got information from eyewitnesses. Paul wrote many of the letters as encouragements to the churches he started on his missionary journeys. The last book, called Revelation, was written by the apostle John as a vision from Jesus to give us a window into the spiritual realm and God’s victorious plans against Satan.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN Summary The books of Bible were written between 2,000 and 3,400 years ago They reveal the history of the world from the beginning of time They tell the unfolding story of God’s activity to reunite us with him “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write and orderly account for you….so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3) ¬ Genesis, the first book of the Bible, was written about 1,400BC (over 3,400 years ago) and described events and persons that lived many hundreds of years before all the way back to the first two people – Adam and Eve. The last book of the Old Testament section was written about 400BC. Most of these Old Testament books were written originally in the Hebrew language spoken by the Jews. Some parts were written in Aramaic which was similar to Hebrew. The books of the New Testament were written after Jesus had ascended to heaven. Revelation, the last book, was written around AD100. These books were written mostly in Greek which was the common language during the time when Jesus lived on the earth. A few phrases are also in Aramaic.
That means the Bible is the collection of writings from a period of over 1,500 years. They tell the unfolding story of God’s activity in our world. That activity centers on his act of love to send a savior to reunite fallen humanity with the God who created them. The different books of the Bible originally didn’t have the chapter and verse markings we have today. The chapter divisions we use came into use in the 13th century. The verse divisions were added by a printer in the 16th century. These are helpful to find specific passages but are not the original divisions within the flow of the message.
TWO MAIN TEACHINGS Summary The Law the Gospel are two distinct teaching of the Bible The Law tells us what we have not done and condemns us The Gospel tells us what God has done to save and bless us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) ¬
Throughout the portions of history, poetry and prophesy found in the Bible, two main teachings (doctrines) become evident: the Law and the Gospel. They reveal to us sin which condemns us, and grace though which God forgives and accepts us. The Law tells us what to do and what not to do. It reveals our sinfulness. It exposes even our thoughts and intentions as sinful. It reminds us we are worthy of eternal punishment and separation from the blessings of God. At times it curbs us from doing bad things, but intends to show how distant we are from God and lead us to long for God’s help. The Gospel, which means “good news” are those parts that show us what God in his love is doing for us by planning, promising, and eventually providing a Savior from our sin. All the blessings that flow from that are part of the gospel message. It leads us to faith and closeness to God and a confidence in the future…even after death. The Bible is more than just history. It is much more than principles of living. It is more than many separate stories. It is essentially just one story – the story of Jesus and the importance of a saving relationship with him through faith. The focus is the forgiveness of sins and faith which restores us to an eternal relationship with God filled with his strength and blessings.
MAIN CHARACTER
Summary Moses and the Prophets pointed ahead to the day the Messiah would come Faithful readers of the Bible recognized Jesus as the fulfillment Our life before God depends on our understanding and faith in Jesus Jesus said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39) ¬ God is always the hero in the story of the Bible. From beginning to end it is the story of God’s grace to a world that rejects him, but because of his great love God sends his Son to be the Savior. God the Father, points us to His Son Jesus. Moses and Prophets looked forward to the day he would come and spoke the prophesies from God about how he would save us. The worship rituals of the Old Testament that God prescribed for them were visual reminders of sin that had to be forgiven and the sacrifice that would take away the sin and its punishment. When Jesus finally came, the faithful readers of the Scriptures recognized him as the Messiah, the Savior that was promise. Our life with God centers on him. Our comfort comes from him. Our strength in life comes through him. And finally Jesus will return at the end of the world to be Judge and bring his own to live with him in heaven. Jesus then is the central focus of all of the Bible. After Jesus rose from the dead he started talking with two people on the road to Emmaus. He said to them (Luke 24:44-47), “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
IMPACT Summary The Bible is more than historic facts Your response to the message has an effect on what happens after you die The Bible leads us to faith in Jesus and a fulfilling life in him “The Holy Scriptures … are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus….and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:15-17) ¬ The purpose of the Bible is not just history and facts. The words are more than letters put together, they are the very message of God that have the power to do what they say. The words have the power to give us comfort and strength. More importantly, how we understand the message has everything to do with what happens after you die and where you will spend eternity. The prophets said it was a matter of life or death. The Bible leads people to see the glory and grace of God in Christ Jesus and to lead them to faith in him. Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” John 20:31 “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” This message of the Bible has touched many souls over the years. There are countless stories of people whose lives had turned totally around or found unexpected strength through the love of God which is found in Christ Jesus. There they found the blessing of living in a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus and entrance into heaven when they died to live in his presence forever.
HOW TO READ Summary Recognize it as God’s Word to you Ask yourself questions on what it means Read the main stories first Read each passage in context Study with others
“The Ethiopian asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:34-35) ¬ Reading the Bible can be an intimidating task, especially when you get into some of the more difficult areas of Scripture. But the basic story is not hard to follow. The more you understand the main story, the easier it will be to see how the rest of the Bible fits into it. There are courses available to help you dig deeper into scripture, but here are a few quick helps 1. Recognize it as God’s Word to you Read the Bible not as another book, but as God himself writing to you. If things do not match your understanding or the viewpoints of the world, accept what you read as more knowledgeable because it is from God whose ways and insights are much higher than ours. 2. Ask yourself questions of what it means and how to apply it The Bible is not just to give you information and facts but to impact your life. As you read, ask yourself some of these questions: What is God teaching me about himself? What is God revealing about me and my world? What gift and blessing is he wanting to give me? How should I apply this to my daily life? 3. Read the main stories first Some of the Bible gets into technical aspects of the worship life of the Israelites. Some prophesies are best understood with a knowledge of what was happening at that time. It may be easiest for you to stick with the basic stories first. A place to start might be in reading the following books first: To understand the main story: Genesis, Exodus, Luke, Acts For deeper understanding of forgiveness through Jesus: Romans, Galatians, Hebrews To grasp how to live your life: Ephesians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 John. For devotional encouragement or direction: Psalms, Proverbs, 4. Read each passage in its own context Oftentimes people are misquoted by taking their words out of context. The same is true about the Bible. It is important to take into consideration the main message the author is trying to get across in that section of scripture. It is helpful to understand the original setting and situation of the people. Above all it is important to take into consideration the whole context of the Bible – the main message that we have sinned and fallen short of his design, we are accountable to God whose justice demands punishment, but we are declared not guilty, forgiven, and accepted and have a place in heaven because of what Jesus has done for us. 5. Study with others who have a deeper knowledge of Scriptures All the points above are good reasons also to find a partner or group to study with. Those who know more or have greater insights can share with those who are still learning. You may also
want to turn to some trustworthy authors who have written more deeply on the section you read. The additional insights will expand your understanding and application.
SUMMARY OF THE BIBLE STORIES OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY (Creation to 400 B.C.) Creation to 2000 B.C. – Beginnings of the World God creates the universe, including the first couple, in 6 days. Everything is perfect. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil and fall into sin. Immediately afterwards, God promises to send a savior. As the human race multiplies, people become more wicked. God sends a worldwide flood to destroy them. Only 8 members of Noah’s family survive in an ark (ship) that God directed them to build. Of Noah’s 3 sons, God selects Shem as an ancestor of the promised Savior. 2000 to 1700 B.C. – Age of the Patriarchs God calls Abraham, a descendant of Shem. God directs him to go to Canaan, the land which God has chosen for his people. God also tells Abraham that he is an ancestor of the promised Savior. By God’s power, elderly Abraham and Sarah produce a son, Isaac. At this time, God institutes circumcision as a
sign of his covenant with his people. God tests Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham is willing, but God intervenes by providing a lamb for the sacrifice. Isaac produces a son they named Jacob. Jacob has 12 sons and Joseph is one of them. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. However, by God’s guidance, he became prime minister of Egypt. When there was a famine in Canaan, he invited his family to come to Egypt to escape the disaster. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob are the ancestors of the promised savior. In the sons of Jacob, Judah and his descendant are designated as the ancestors of the promised Savior. 1700 to 1500 B.C. – Israel’s Deliverance from Egypt Jacob’s descendants became known as the Israelites. They remain in Egypt and increase in number. As the years pass, the Egyptians force the “Israelites” to become slaves. God calls a man named Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. To force the Egyptians to free his people, God afflicts them with 10 plagues. Before the last plague, God instructs each family of Israel to kill a lamb, eat its meat for supper, and paint its blood on the doorpost. All families who follow God’s instructions escape the last plague, the death of the firstborn son of each household. Afterwards, this “Passover” – which is observed annually – pre-figures the Savior, Jesus Christ, the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” After the Israelites leave Egypt, they begin their journey to Canaan, the “promised land.” Along the way, the people often rebel against God. Nevertheless, God guides them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night. He also feeds them with “manna” and quails. At Mount Sinai, he gives them his law through Moses. 1500 to 1100 B.C – Israel’s Journey to & Conquest of Canaan Because of his people’s disobedience, God forces them to journey in the wilderness for 40 years. One time, God sends poisonous snakes among his people. At the same time, God tells Moses to make a brass snake and raise it on a pole. Anyone who trusts God and looks at the brass snake on the pole is saved. Again, this incident pre-figures Christ, who died on a cross and saves those who trust him. Joshua succeeds Moses as leader of Israel and leads the people divided into the twelve tribes, named after the sons of Jacob and Joseph. After the death of Joshua, God appoints “judges” to lead his people. The last of these judges is a prophet called Samuel. 1100 to 980 B.C. – The Unified Kingdom When Samuel is old, Israel insists on having a king. Saul is chosen as the first king of Israel. In the beginning, Saul is a good king. However, he later disobeys God and, finally, commits suicide. God directs Samuel to anoint David to succeed Saul. David, originally a shepherd, also is the poet who wrote many of the psalms. Under king David, Israel becomes a great nation. David, however, is not perfect. At one stage in his life, he commits both adultery and murder. When David dies, his son Solomon succeeds him. Solomon, who is famous for the wisdom which God gave him, writes many proverbs.
During his reign, he builds a grand and beautiful temple for God. Solomon’s shortcoming, however, is his many heathen wives. At the time of this death, the nation of Israel begins to decline. 980 to 720 B.C. – The Divided Kingdom After Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel is divided into 2 kingdoms. The northern kingdom, consisting of 10 tribes, is called Israel. The capital is in Samaria. The smaller southern kingdom, consisting of only 2 tribes, is called Judah. Its capital is Jerusalem. The kingdom of Israel is ruled by evil kings. God sends 2 prophets, Elijah and Elisha, to warn the people. However, the people do not listen and fall away from God. Finally, Assyria conquers Israel and destroys it completely about 720 B.C. In the meantime, the kings of Judah are both good and evil. The people vacillate between the worship of God and the worship of idols. God also sends prophets to warn the people. Some of these prophets, such as Isaiah, remind the people of the Savior whom God has promised to send. 720 to 400 B.C. – The Captivity and Return Because the people of Judah repeatedly rebel against God, God allows Babylon to capture them. However, because God has promised the Savior is to come from Judah, he preserves this small kingdom. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the people return to Canaan. There they rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple. 400 B.C. to Birth of Jesus Christ – The Silent Period The Bible does not record any history from the time that the people of Judah return to Canaan until the time of Jesus’ birth. God, however, does preserve the small kingdom of Judah until Christ, the Savior whom he has promised, is born. Summary of the Old Testament Story The Old Testament is a record of God’s dealings with his people. It reveals how frequently people sin against God. It reveals God’s hatred of evil AND God’s deep love for the sinner. Above all, it reveals how God preserved his people so that he could provide the Savior which he had promised to the world. NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY (4 B.C to A.D. 100) 4 B.C. to A.D. 30 – The Life of Christ Jesus Birth and Childhood
When God decides to fulfill his promise of a savior, he informs a virgin named Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the “Son of God.” Later, God also informs Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, that “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” After Joseph and Mary are married, they travel to Bethlehem. Meanwhile, the time came for Mary’s baby to be born. The promised child is born in a stable of Bethlehem. At the time of his birth, a host of angels announces the event: “Today… a Savior has been born to you.” Eight days later, the child is circumcised and called “Jesus.” When Jesus is 2 years old, “magi” from the East come to worship him. At the same time, a king named Herod seeks to kill him. As a result, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt. After Herod’s death, the family returns to live in Nazareth, a city in the province of Galilee. When Jesus is 12 years old, he travels to the temple in Jerusalem. There his words and deeds amazes everyone with his wisdom. Public Ministry When Jesus is 30 years old, he begins his public ministry. John the baptizer announces that Jesus is the “lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” and baptizes him. Jesus then spends 40 days in the wilderness overcoming the devil’s temptations. He chooses 12 ordinary men as his disciples. For 3 years, he travels throughout the land of Israel. All the while, he preaches, urging people to trust in him. At the same time, he performs many miracles, e.g., raising the dead. He performs these miracles not only to help people, but also to demonstrate that he is God’s son and God’s promised Savior. Some of the Jews accept him, but most reject him. Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension When he is 33 years old, Jesus foretells that he will suffer and die, then rise from the dead. Shortly thereafter, he enters Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. A few days later, he meets with his disciples and institutes a special meal for them, now called “The Lord’s Supper” or “holy communion.” That night, he is betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, and arrested. The next day (Friday), he is sentenced to death, first by the Jews and then by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. He is crucified with 2 criminals. Later in the day, he died and is buried. On the third day after his death, Jesus returns to life. During the next 40 days, he meets with his disciples. To prove that he has risen from the dead, he also appears to more than 500 other people. Then, exactly 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus returns to the Father by ascending to heaven. Summary During his 33 years on earth, Jesus was God’s representative. He revealed the Father to us. At the same time, Jesus also was man’s representative. He did what God required us to do: obey the law perfectly. He also suffered what God required us to suffer: the punishment for sin. He indeed is God’s son and our Savoir.
A.D. 33 to 100 – The Beginnings of the Early Christian Church 10 days after Jesus ascended to heaven, he sends the Holy Spirit into the world. On that day (Pentecost), Jesus’ disciples begin to preach, starting in Jerusalem. Many people in Israel and the surrounding regions believe. When the local governments persecute these “Christians,” they flee to other countries, preaching the gospel wherever they go. At the same time, God enlists a man named Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. As a result, the church grows rapidly. By the end of the 1st century, Christianity has spread through southern Europe and northern Africa, as well as to India in the east and to Spain in the west.