Introduction to the Bible
The Bible—Starting the Journey
The Bible is the story of humanity and the God who made us. This story is told primarily through the lens of Abraham and his descendants, who become the nation of Israel. Jesus himself is descended from Abraham—and, ultimately, Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham. As an extension of God’s calling to Israel, the church—made up of all those who follow Jesus—is commissioned to tell the rest of the world about the power of the living God.
The Bible—The Story Starts Here
The Bible’s story begins in Genesis with the first people. Sadly, these people walk away from the Creator. This is the beginning of the rest of our story. From this moment forward, God chases after humanity, to bring them back to himself. This effort reaches a pivotal moment in Abraham’s story. God tells Abraham:
Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you (Gen 12:1–3).
Due to a famine, Abraham’s great-grandchildren move to Egypt, which ultimately results in their descendants being enslaved there. Centuries later, God frees them through Moses (a story recorded in the book of Exodus). God says to Moses:
Surely I have seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry of distress because of their oppressors, for I know their sufferings. And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from this land to a good and wide land, to a land flowing with milk and honey (Exod 3:7–8).
As Moses leads God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, they venture into the wilderness. But instead of entering the land promised to Abraham, they end up roaming in the wilderness because of their disobedience to God (this story is recorded in Numbers). At this point, God’s people have received his laws, which demonstrate how they should interact with him and others. These laws are recorded in a part of Exodus, throughout Leviticus, in a part of Numbers, and in most of Deuteronomy.
After Moses’ death, Joshua takes over. He leads God’s people into the promised land (this is recorded in the book of Joshua). But Joshua’s efforts don’t last long, and the book of Judges tells of the promised land being invaded and God’s people attempting to defend themselves. Even though God should be their rightful king, the Israelites demand an earthly king. God grants them Saul as king, but he does such a terrible job that, several decades later, David is appointed to replace him (1 and 2 Samuel record this narrative).
David asks God if he can build him a temple, even though God doesn’t really need one: Prior to this, God had moved with his people—with his presence symbolized by the ark of the covenant, which Moses had built. Ultimately, God grants David’s request but insists that David’s son Solomon carry out the work. God says to David:
Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling? For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the Israelites from Egypt until this day; rather, I was going about in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all of my going abo ut among all the Israelites, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build me a cedar house?’ (2 Sam 7:5–7).
Solomon builds God a temple but quickly loses sight of God himself. Solomon’s son split the kingdom in two: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. This results in a huge mess, as God’s people repeatedly walk away from him. Israel falls to Assyria, and those left alive are exiled. About 135 years later, Judah falls to Babylon and the Jerusalem temple is destroyed; again, those remaining are exiled. (This is recorded in 1 and 2 Kings; the entire narrative is retold in 1 and 2 Chronicles.) After Persia becomes the dominant empire, God’s people return from exile to rebuild the Jerusalem temple and the city itself. (This is recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.)
During these tumultuous periods, God raises up prophets to boldly speak his truth and call his people back into relationship with him. (Accounts of the prophets are recorded in 15 Old Testament books—the Major Prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, along with 12 Minor Prophets [Hosea—Malachi]. The book of Daniel also includes prophecy, but it falls into a category called “apocalyptic literature,” as does the New Testament book of Revelation [see below].) Israel’s worship is recorded in the Psalms, and other aspects of its culture are reflected in the Bible’s collection of Wisdom literature (including the books of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs).
Centuries later, following the rise and fall of several empires, Jesus is born into Abraham’s family (Matt 1:1–2; Luke 3:34). Jesus is God and the Son of God. He is fully human, born of a virgin, but also is fully divine. Paralleling the Old Testament accounts of God, Jesus dwells among his people, but he is always on the move.
The Apostle John says:
The Word [being Jesus] became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Jesus performs miracle after miracle and teaches with authority and power. He is good news to the entire world, but especially to the downtrodden. When asked if he is the Messiah, Jesus says:
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear; the dead are raised, the poor have good news announced to them (Luke 7:22).
But many of God’s people—particularly the religious leaders—believe that Jesus is distorting Israel’s long-standing relationship with God, so they have him crucified. Yet three days later Jesus rises again, showing his superiority over the powers of darkness and over sin itself. (This story is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) The power of Jesus is recorded by John the Apostle when he says:
For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him (John 3:16–17).
Believers in Jesus come to be known first as “the Way” and are called “the church.” They become filled with the Holy Spirit, empowering them to perform miracles and do God’s work. The church begins to spread the message of salvation through Jesus to the rest of the world—proclaiming that both the Israelite (Jewish person) and the non-Israelite (non-Jewish or Gentile person) are saved by Jesus. This story is recorded in the book of Acts. Belief in Jesus means a new way of living—a life of self-sacrifice, for the sake of others, that embodies God’s love, mercy, and holiness. About the early church, Luke says:
And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles. And all who believed were in the same place, and had everything in common. And they began selling their possessions and property, and distributing these things to all, to the degree that anyone had need. And every day, devoting themselves to meeting with one purpose in the temple courts and breaking bread from house to house, they were eating their food with joy and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to the total of those who were being saved (Acts 2:42–47).
The salvation that Jesus offers is so powerful that it can even change the lives of murderers who persecute God’s people. This is precisely what happens to Paul, who killed Christians before he believed in Jesus. Paul becomes arguably the most effective Christian missionary in the Roman Empire (much of Acts focuses on his story), and a great deal of Christian teaching comes from 13 letters traditionally attributed to him (the books of Romans—Philemon). The church’s teachings also are reflected in letters ascribed to Peter, John, James, and Jude, and in an anonymous sermon recorded in the book of Hebrews. The final book of the Bible, Revelation, uses cryptic and symbolic language to present a vision of God’s ultimate victory over evil and his renewal of the earth.
All of biblical literature is really about humanity’s journey with God—and this powerful story continues today in the lives of God’s people throughout the world.[1]
1] John D. Barry et al., eds., DIY Bible Study (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).