A Family Guide to the Bible by Crossway

“ Christin Ditchfield has done it again! She has produced yet another resource that is filled with solid content and fresh insights, plus practical application for daily living. For those who are serious about going deeper in their understanding of the Bible and who want to anchor their families on the rock of God’s truth, I enthusiastically recommend A Family Guide to the Bible.”

Alex McFarland, PRESIDENT, SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL SEMINARY AND THE VERITAS GRADUATE SCHOOL

“ An incredible resource to help families get more familiar with the life-transforming message of the Bible. A Family Guide to the Bible will wonderfully help people get to know the Bible and fall in love with the beauty of the Word of God.”

Jim Burns, PRESIDENT, HOMEWORD; AUTHOR, CONFIDENT PARENTING

DITCHFIELD

Christin Ditchfield, a popular conference speaker, is the author of more than fifty books, including three others in this series: A Family Guide to Narnia, A Family Guide to “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and A Family Guide to “Prince Caspian.” Host of the internationally syndicated radio program Take It To Heart! she holds a Masters degree in biblical theology from Southwestern University.

A FAMILY GUIDE to the Bible

GET TO KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THE SCRIPTURE WITH THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY TOUR THROUGH THE BIBLE

BIBLICAL STUDIES / PRACTICAL LIFE

CHRISTIN DITCHFIELD

A Family Guide to the Bible Copyright © 2009 by Christin Ditchfield Published by Crossway Books a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Cover art: Portland Studios Interior design and typesetting: Lakeside Design Plus Maps: David P. Barrett First printing 2009 Printed in the United States of America Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, Eugene, Oregon. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. Scripture references marked amplified are from The Amplified Bible. Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked esv are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked kjv are from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture references marked nlt are from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill. 60189. All rights reserved. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author. ISBN: 978-1-58134-891-0 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1241-4 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1242-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ditchfield, Christin. A family guide to the Bible / Christin Ditchfield. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-58134-891-0 (tpb) 1. Bible—Introductions. I. Title. BS475.3.D58 2009 220.6'1—dc22 LB 15

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Contents

Introduction

1. The History of the Bible: Where Did It Come From?

2. The Authority of the Bible: Can We Trust It?

3. The Message of the Bible: What Is It All About?

4. The Old Testament: Book by Book

5. The New Testament: Book by Book

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6. How to Study the Bible Choosing a Translation Using a Bible Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Concordance Study Tips for Personal Bible Study Study Tips for Family Devotions Bible Reading Plans

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7. Where in the Scriptures Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Find . . . 271 Stories from the Old Testament That Everyone Should Know Stories from the New Testament That Everyone Should Know 7

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Contents

Bible Heroes: Men Bible Heroes: Women Bible Heroes: Kids and Teens The Miracles of Jesus The Teachings of Jesus Verses to Help You Celebrate Holidays Verses to Help You Share Your Faith Verses to Help You Guard Your Heart Verses to Help You Face Your Fears What the Bible Says about Heaven 8. Maps of Bible Lands From Egypt to the Promised Land The Kingdom of Israel The Divided Kingdom: Israel and Judah Palestine in the Time of Jesus The Churches of the New Testament Bible Lands Today

291

9. Find Out More

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Introduction

hen you first flip open the pages of the Bible, it can be a thrilling experience. Inside you find incredible stories that capture your imagination, amazing characters that touch your heart, powerful truths that challenge and inspire you, words that seem to come alive and leap right off the page! But getting into the Bible can also be confusing, overwhelming, and even intimidating. After all, it was written in a very different time (thousands of years ago), in a very different place (thousands of miles away), in a culture completely foreign to our own. If you didn’t grow up in a home where you were taught all the finer points of biblical theology—and even if you did—you may find there are huge gaps in your knowledge base, gaps that make it difficult for you to truly grasp what you’re reading yourself, let alone explain it to your children or grandchildren, your Sunday school class, or a children’s church group. Yet it’s crucial that we try . . . and try . . . and try again. Because for one thing, the Bible is the most influential and widely-read book in the history of the world. Being familiar with its contents is part of being a well-educated, well-rounded, well-read individual. More importantly, the Bible’s truths are timeless—and still tremendously relevant to us today. Reading the Bible is how we come to know the God of the universe, our Creator. The Bible tells us who He is and what He’s like, why He created us and what He expects of us. It reveals to us the sinfulness 9

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Introduction

of our own hearts—the pride, the selfishness, the rebellion—and introduces us to the Savior who can deliver us and help us be all that we were meant to be. There are literally hundreds of fabulous Bible commentaries, handbooks, and encyclopedias written by Bible scholars available to us today. And if you’ve got the time and inclination, you can spend hours getting lost in their pages, learning all kinds of fascinating facts and information. But unfortunately, for most of us, time is the one thing we don’t have much of. And frankly the thought of wading through some of those eight hundred-page epics can be just as daunting as the original task. Talk about information overload! A Family Guide to the Bible was written to help busy parents, grandparents, and teachers with the basics: what’s in the Bible, where to find it, and how it all fits together. It’s intended to be simple, family friendly, and easy to understand and follow. Hopefully one day you’ll have the time to dig into some of those more detailed resources and reference books. But this is a place to start, a first step in a lifelong journey—a great adventure of faith! The first three chapters of A Family Guide to the Bible give you a little background information. “The History of the Bible” explains how we got the book we hold in our hands today. “The Authority of the Bible” discusses how we know we can trust it. And “The Message of the Bible” provides an overview of the greatest story ever told, from Genesis to Revelation—start to finish. Next, we’ll take a brief look at what’s in each of the sixty-six books that make up the book we call the Bible. Who wrote this particular book? When and where? What are the highlights? Things to know? You’ll find it all right here. The last section offers lots of practical tips and suggestions on things like choosing a translation, using a Bible concordance or encyclopedia, and organizing your own personal Bible study and/or family devotions. There are Bible reading plans, maps and charts, and lists of Scriptures that tell you where to find familiar Bible stories or verses that address specific topics such as “What the Bible Says about Heaven.” 10

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Introduction

It is my heartfelt hope and prayer that A Family Guide to the Bible will truly be a blessing, a help to you and your family, as each of you comes to know Jesus Christ more deeply, personally, and powerfully through the pages of His Word. Christin Ditchfield

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The New Testament: Romans

Jews who recognized Jesus as their Messiah. They didn’t think of themselves as belonging to a faith other than or apart from Judaism.) Over time, believers began referring to themselves and each other as followers of “the Way”—because Jesus had said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (see John 14:6; Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; and 24:14). The book of Acts explains that it was in the city of Antioch that those who belonged to Christ were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26).

Making the Connection: Some of us have learned everything we know about our faith from someone else—we’ve never actually studied the Bible for ourselves. Unfortunately, a lack of firsthand experience with the Word of God can put us at a real disadvantage when it comes to living out the faith we profess. For one thing, we miss out on the joy of personal discovery—the thrill when, through the Scriptures, God speaks directly to us. We find we lack the confidence to share our beliefs and convictions because we can’t back them up with Scripture. We’re not exactly sure what the Bible says and where it says so. Worst of all, when we’re content to take somebody else’s word for it, we leave ourselves wide open to false doctrine—faulty or misleading teachings. Acts 17:11 tells us that the Berean people had a much different approach: When Paul came, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, they listened to his message with great eagerness. Then, they examined the Scriptures “to see if what Paul said was true.” Because they studied the Word for themselves, they were able to recognize and discern the truth of the gospel message, and they received it with great joy. In their diligence, they set a great example for all of us who are believers today. Romans

The Book: Romans The Author: The apostle Paul The Audience: Roman Christians, both Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) believers

The Setting: Written from Corinth, AD 57 198

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The New Testament: Romans

The Story: For many years, the apostle Paul had wanted to visit the new believers living in Rome. The church there had not yet received any formal teaching or training. Paul was actually planning to travel to Rome in the near future; in the meantime, he wrote the believers a lengthy letter to explain to them more fully the basic teachings of the Christian faith. He wanted them to understand God’s plan of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles—and how they should live differently, now that they were Christians.

The Message: After greeting the Romans warmly, Paul begins laying the foundation for faith in Christ. He explains how human beings have angered their Creator by rejecting Him and defying Him and ignoring Him (1:18–27). Since people are so intent on going their own way, God has allowed them to sink deeper and deeper into rebellion and sin (1:28–31). Paul says God has every right to judge humanity for its wickedness—and He will (2:1–16). He gave His own people the Law of Moses not only to teach them right from wrong, but to reveal to them the sinfulness of their own hearts—their unwillingness and inability to do as He asks (2:17–3:9). “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (3:10–11). We are all guilty of breaking the Law and deserve the penalty—death. Because God is a just Judge, He could not let sin go unpunished. So He sent His Son Jesus to take the penalty in our place (3:22–25). Paul says it is faith in Jesus that makes us “righteous,” not our feeble attempts to keep the Law, just as it was faith—and not good deeds—that made Abraham righteous (3:27–4:25). “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:6–8). We came by our sinful nature honestly—we inherited it from our common ancestor, Adam. But in the same way that Adam’s sin cursed all of mankind, Jesus’ sacrifice saves all mankind. “Just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (5:19). 199

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The New Testament: Romans

We are no longer “slaves to sin”—compelled by our nature to rebel and disobey. We have been set free and are now “slaves to righteousness”— earnestly desiring to love and serve (6:15–22). Not that it isn’t a challenge to overcome the habits and behavior patterns of our past (7:7–25)! Though our salvation was accomplished with Jesus’ death on the cross, we’re not in heaven yet. We continue to battle temptation, and sometimes we do still fall into sin. But “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). We don’t live in fear of God’s judgment and wrath. He is our Father and we are His children whom He dearly loves (8:15). The suffering and hardship we face in this life will not last long (8:18–27). We will overcome them, for God has promised us victory: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (8:37). Paul longs for the Jewish people who have rejected Jesus to recognize Him as their Messiah and come to faith in Him. Together, Jewish believers and Gentile believers become the new “people of God”—Christians (9:30–11:32). Paul concludes his letter with detailed instructions on how Christians should live—in love and unity with one another, at peace with the community and those who rule over it (12:1–16:22). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (15:13).

Key Verse or Passage “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1–2)

More on This Story in the Bible:

You can learn more about the apostle Paul, his missionary journeys, and how he eventually ended up in Rome (and under what circumstances) by reading Acts 9, 13–28. The next twelve books of the Bible are also letters written by Paul; Galatians deals with many of the same themes. See pages 282–283 for 200

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The New Testament: Romans

a list of Scriptures from Romans that Bible scholars call the “Roman Road” to faith in Christ.

Words to Know: apostle: a follower of Jesus specially chosen to share His message with the world. righteous: upright, moral, virtuous; Paul often uses the word in the “legal” sense of being in right standing (without guilt or sin) in the eyes of the great Judge—God. “the Law”: God’s rules for holy living, sometimes called the “Law of Moses” because God first gave these instructions to Moses to give to the people. This Law includes the Ten Commandments and the other rules and regulations found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. condemnation: an expression of strong disapproval; the final judgment that one is guilty and deserving of punishment. justified: made right. “grafted in”: something that happens when a bud or shoot is attached to an established plant, so that the two separate plants grow together into one new plant. Paul teaches that Gentiles who believe in Jesus are “grafted in” with the Jewish believers and together they make up God’s new “chosen people.” sacrifice: something that is surrendered, given up, or offered to God as an act of worship.

Did You Know? Have you ever heard that God has a wonderful plan for your life? That He wants to fill you with love and joy and peace? He certainly does! But becoming a Christian doesn’t mean you’ll never have any problems or that bad things will never happen to you. We do still live in a fallen, sinful world—surrounded by fallen, sinful people. But Romans 8:28 tells us, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God . . .” (nlt). The apostle Paul says God is so 201

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The New Testament: 1 Corinthians

loving and so powerful that He can take even the worst things that happen to us and bring good out of them somehow. Paul continues, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow— not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39, nlt).

Making the Connection: For over a thousand years, there was only one Christian church or denomination—the catholic (“universal”) church. But over time, church leaders lost their way. They began teaching things that contradicted the Scriptures—sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes as a result of greed and corruption. They held that salvation was only available to those who could earn it with their good deeds or those who could afford to purchase it from the church—paying a hefty fee for an “indulgence.” It was through his study of Romans 1:17 that a German monk named Martin Luther had a revelation: “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Luther confronted church leaders and called for reform in his “95 Theses,” which he nailed to the door of the Wittenberg church in 1517. At the time, church leaders refused to address the corruption and false doctrine that had overtaken them—so Luther and others like him left the Catholic Church in protest. These “Protestants” created a new, “reformed” church they believed to be more faithful to the teachings of Scripture. 1 C ori nth ian s

The Book: 1 Corinthians The Author: The apostle Paul 202

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Alex McFarland, PRESIDENT, SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL SEMINARY AND THE VERITAS GRADUATE SCHOOL

Jim Burns, PRESIDENT, HOMEWORD; AUTHOR, CONFIDENT PARENTING

DITCHFIELD

A FAMILY GUIDE to the Bible

GET TO KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THE SCRIPTURE WITH THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY TOUR THROUGH THE BIBLE

BIBLICAL STUDIES / PRACTICAL LIFE

CHRISTIN DITCHFIELD