Grasping the Bible Reading the Bible for All It s Worth
The Necessity of Grasping the Bible According to the American Bible Society, 87% of American households own a Bible. In fact, the average American household owns 3 Bibles. According to a 2017 LifeWay research project only 20% of Americans have read the Bible all the way through, only 9% have read it more than once. A similar Barna research project found that nearly 2/3 of American adults are curious about the Bible, but have little to no grasp of its contents.
The Necessity of Grasping the Bible 35% never pick up the Bible at all. 30% pick up the Bible whenever they need to look something up. 19% read only their favorite parts. 17% flip open the Bible at random, and read random parts. 78% of those who read the Bible regularly have no systematic method for reading or understanding the Bible.
The Necessity of Grasping the Bible Consider the words of 2 Peter: - Everything we need for this life and the next comes from the knowing Christ (2 Peter 1:3). - Knowing the exceeding great and precious promises we have in Christ allows us to become like God (v. 4). - Therefore we are to give all diligence (i.e. strive without stopping) to add to our faith knowledge (v. 5). - If we add the qualities of 2 Peter 1:5-7 to our lives we will never fall (v. 10).
The Necessity of Grasping the Bible - The term fall describes more than a mere stumble, but a fatal fall, from which it is difficult to recover. This word can be well illustrated by rock climbing Getting a grasp of Scripture allows us to get a grasp on life. If we fail to do this, we are inviting failure, and potentially fatal failure into our lives. - Yet the opposite is also true. If we add these qualities to our lives, we will be confident, fruitful, useful, joyful, & eternally rewarded (v. 8-11).
The Necessity of Grasping the Bible - Peter goes on to say that our guiding light through life is the knowledge of Christ found in the Scripture (v. 19-21). - Finally, he will close his book with these words, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (3:18). - We cannot live a life of meaning and purpose in the way God designed without knowing the God who designed us. Knowledge of God comes through the Bible. Knowing the Bible then is our lifeblood. We MUST learn this book.
Method for Grasping the Bible 1. 2. 3. 4. Like peeling an onion, we are going to begin tonight with a brief overview of the entire Bible in order to give a framework for thinking through the Bible. Next, we will do another overview, which pays more attention to detail, and further subdivides the Bible. Then we will do a deeper survey of each individual part, and see how it connects to the whole. My goal is to give you a framework with which you can personally think through your Bible. In other words, I want to give you a skeleton to which you can tie together all the various parts of the Bible.
The Big Story of the Bible 1. The Bible is all about God, Who He is, and what He has Done (i.e. there is a God) 2. God is the Creator, Sustainer, & Redeemer of All things (i.e. He made you, and He loves you) 3. The Bible tells the Story of Creation & Redemption (i.e. He has provided a means for us to know Him, love Him, and live with Him forever)
Genesis Creation Revelation New Creation Redemption
Genesis Paradise Given Revelation Paradise Regained Paradise Lost
The Bible Bookshelf Though I find this visual helpful, I am going to divide the Bible up slightly different.
Visual Aid to the Structure of the Bible
- Gives me answers to who I am, where I came from, where I m going, and what I m supposed to do in the mean time. - Declares there is a just, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God, yet we have rebelled against Him. We are sinners. Sin separates us from God. Sin stains this world, and strips it of its glory. We desperately need a Redeemer to come and conquer sin and death - However, God loves me, and promises to provide that Redeemer, who will fix my sin problem, so I can live forever with my King and Creator! Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
- Backbone of all God s Revelation. History tells us WHAT HAPPENED. History illustrates that there is a God, and that He is just, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, just as He said He was. God uses the History of Israel to demonstrate that He is alive and well, and that all the world should trust Him. - He is always faithful to His promises, whether to bless or to punish. God preserves the people of Israel in order to keep His promise of bringing the Redeemer into the world. History: Living out the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
- The wise Sages of the O.T. read the Torah, watched the History, thought about God, prayed to God, and sang about God. The Poets witnessed WHAT happened, then told us what SHOULD HAVE happened. - They admitted their sin, and longed for a better day. They bemoaned the evil around them, but looked to the coming Redeemer, and trusted that He will one day solve all problems, ease all ills, repay all evils, and usher in perfect peace. History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah - The Prophets read the Torah, watched the History, heard the Poets, yet witnessed the disobedience of the people. God called these men to preach to the nation of Israel, and plead with them to do right. - They warned Israel that disobedience brings punishment, but obedience brings blessing. They comforted the people by proclaiming that the ultimate Redeemer is coming, Who will conquer sin and death! History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
- The Gospels tie together all O.T. threads by announcing that the Redeemer that the Torah declared we need, that History showed was coming, that the Poets & Prophets looked forward to has finally come! Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29). - This Gospel is the good news that sins can be forgiven, people can be transformed, and fellowship with God can be restored, and death can be overcome! The Gospels: the Living Word: Culmination of O.T. Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
Acts: Extending the Gospel The Gospels: Culmination of O.T. & Announcing the Gospel Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah - The book of Acts parallels O.T. history in that it illustrates that Jesus is alive and well, and all should trust in Him. Jesus is just, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving. Jesus sends the Spirit, transforms His Church, and lives through His Church in order to demonstrate to the world that He is real! The Church of Christ shines as a light to the world in the New Testament, just like Israel shined as a light to the world in the Old Testament. Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
The Gospels: Culmination of O.T. & Announcing the Gospel Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah Epistles: Explaining the Gospel Acts: Extending the Gospel History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah - The N.T. Epistles parallel the Old Testament Poets. Peter, Paul, James & Jude think about the Gospel, and expound how we are to live in light of it. They witnessed the life of Christ, lived the history of Acts, listened to the Poets & Prophets, and warned the people around them that sin brings despair, but then announced to them that there is a better way! They in turn tell us to do the same. We must read the O.T. the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles, declare that the Redeemer has come, and live in such a way that we make our message attractive. Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
Revelation: Climax of all Truth Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah Epistles: Explaining the Gospel Acts: Extending the Gospel The Gospels: Culmination of O.T. & Announcing the Gospel - Revelation is the capstone of all Biblical Truth. It parallels the Prophets of the Old Testament, and announces the fulfillment of all God s promises throughout all the ages. It is the Climax of all history, prophecy, and poetry in that it completes redemption by ushering in the new creation, and bringing everything back to the way it was in the beginning, nay, better than it was in the beginning! History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
Revelation: Climax of all Truth Epistles: Explaining the Gospel Acts: Extending the Gospel The Gospels: Culmination of O.T. & Announcing the Gospel Prophecy: Proclaiming the Torah History: Living out the Torah Poetry: Contemplating the Torah Torah: Foundation of all Truth: Answer to Universal Questions
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth DON T Read the Bible Like a Dictionary: that is, as collection of organized definitions to terms and concepts DON T Read the Bible Like a News Paper: that is, a collection of unrelated stories, events, or statistics. Read the Bible Like a History: that is, a continuing flow of various settings, characters, and concepts, many of which communicate from differing points of view, yet are all connected to the all-encompassing story.
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth SO HOW SHOULD ONE READ THE BIBLE? - More than one answer exists to this question - If someone has the fortitude, then read the Bible straight through from Genesis-Revelation. - However, few people are able to do this most stop somewhere around Leviticus! - So let me suggest an alternative way to read the Bible in order to grasp its major thought-flow, and synthesize its various parts
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 1. Read the History from Genesis-Acts: Learn the story. Know what happened. - Start in Genesis-Exodus, Read the Accounts in Numbers, Read Joshua-Esther, & Daniel. - Then go to the N.T. and Read Matthew-Acts - Knowing the story will give you a setting for understanding what was written amidst those settings. - First, know the history
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 2. Read the New Testament Epistles: Romans-Jude. - Learn the New Testament Explanation for the incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and how we ought live in respond to that. - Knowing the story (especially the Gospels & Acts) will give you a setting for understanding the Epistles, which were written afterward. - These writings will give a Messianic (Post-Redeemer) interpretation of the History
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 3. Go back and Read the Law: - Now that you know who Moses is, and what happened after him, read Leviticus-Deuteronomy. Realize how history was shaped by obedience or disobedience to the Law revealed in Leviticus-Deuteronomy - The Law reveals what should have happened in the History of Israel, and how she failed in this task - These writings give a standard by which to measure history - Note how the Person and Work of Christ fulfills the Law in all its parts, including righteousness & sacrifice.
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 4. Read the Poets: - Now that you know the historic setting of the various authors who wrote the poetic books (i.e. Job, David, Solomon), read Job-Song of Solomon. - Note how the poets describe how a faithful person lives in the middle of difficult circumstances such as David fleeing from Saul, or the nation going into exile - These writings will give a soul to the history
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 5. Read the Prophets: - Now that you know the historic setting of the various authors (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Nahum etc.), and you know the Law, from which they preached, read Isaiah- Malachi. - Note how the prophets explain why the nation of Israel was sent into exile, and how the faithful were to live amidst the depravity that surrounded them, and how they taught the people to look forward to the glorious destiny awaiting them - These writings will give a conscience to the history
Reading the Bible for All It's Worth 6. Read Revelation: - Revelation is the climax of all Biblical truth. Revelation ties together thoughts, images, and truths from nearly every other portion of the Bible. Familiarity with the rest of the Bible will greatly aid your understanding of Revelation. - Note how Revelation serves as the capstone of the Bible. It helps guide our present living by pointing to our glorious future. Longing for the return and triumph of Christ helps us be faithful to Him in the present. - The book of Revelation gives a climax to the history