Message of the Bible

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

Adam and Eve And the LORD God

commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16,17

Message to the Prophets

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord…” Isaiah 1:18

“As for them, whether they hear, or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 2:5

Gospel Message “How that by revelation He

made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” Ephesians 3:3-5

To Obey, We Must Understand

John 7:16,17

Ephesians 5:17

2 Timothy 2:15

The Bible Is Not… A household ornament—”good

old book.” A magic charm. A panic button. For comfort at death.

– Psalm 23 A political handbook. An American symbol = U.S.

flag.

The Bible Is Not… A basis for diverse creeds. Restricted to “licensed

clergy.” A reservoir for the Ten

Commandments so everyone can be saved.

Just one book among many. A keepsake to pass down to

our children.

We Need a Savior! Genesis 3:6-8—The first sin. Romans 3:23—All sin. 1 John 1:8—We lie if we say we

have no sin. Jeremiah 10:23—Man cannot

direct his own steps. Proverbs 14:12—Our way ends

in death. Ezekiel 18:20—Sin is not

inherited! Isaiah 59:1,2; Romans 6:23—Sin

breaks fellowship with God.

Old Testament Message: a Coming Savior

Genesis 12:1-7– LAND– NATION– SEED

Patriarchal Age— 2500 years.

Mosaic Age—1500 years.

Gospel Age— 2000 years, plus.

Books of Law

Genesis—God’s promises. Exodus—A growing

nation. Leviticus—Priesthood. Numbers—A census of

the people. Deuteronomy—The

second generation receives the Law.

The Tabernacle Pattern

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” Exodus 25:8,9

Books of History Joshua—Conquering the land

—Joshua 21:43-45

Judges—Othniel through Samuel—Judges 2:10

Ruth—Story of love and devotion—Ruth 1:16,17

United Kingdom

SAUL — 1 Samuel 15:15-23

DAVID—2 Samuel 7:12-14

SOLOMON—1 Kings 3:7-10

120 years

Divided Kingdom

Jeroboam—Ten tribes—Northern Kingdom—ISRAEL

Rehoboam—Two tribes—Southern Kingdom—JUDAH

Assyrian—1 Kings 16:6-23 Babylonian—2 Kings 25:21

Return From Exile Ezra & Nehemiah

After 70 years, they returned from Babylon.

Zerubbabel —rebuilt the temple.

Ezra—found the book of Law. Nehemiah 8:1-6

Nehemiah—rebuilt the walls and gates. Nehemiah 6:15

Esther—Saved the Jews in Persia. Esther 4:13-17

Books of Wisdom and Poetry

Basic human needs. Job—human suffering. Job 13:15 Psalms—expressions of worship

and praise. Psalm 100 Proverbs—practical wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7 Ecclesiastes—the purpose of life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 Song of Solomon—the value of

steadfast love. Song of Solomon 8:7

Books of Prophecy

Major Prophets…–Isaiah–Jeremiah–Lamentations–Ezekiel–Daniel

Books of Prophecy

Minor Prophets–Hosea–Joel–Amos–Obadiah–Jonah–Micah

Books of Prophecy

Minor Prophets (cont)–Nahum–Habakkuk–Zephaniah–Haggai–Zechariah–Malachi

Isaiah

Isaiah 7:14—virgin birth. Isaiah 53—suffering Savior. Isaiah 2:2-4—new kingdom. Isaiah 9:6—government of

new kingdom. Isaiah 62:2—name of new

kingdom.

Jeremiah Jeremiah 1:10—

tear down; pull down. Jeremiah 6:1-16—

steps of apostasy. Jeremiah 10:23—

man cannot make his own way.

Jeremiah 18:4-6— the potter and the clay.

Jeremiah 31:31-34— New Covenant.

Lamentations

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which has been brought on me, which the Lord inflicted in the day of His fierce anger.” Lamentations 1:12

Weeping prophet.

Ezekiel Ezekiel 2:1-6—

Sent to a rebellious nation. Ezekiel 3:17-21—

God’s watchman. Ezekiel 18:20—

Sin can’t pass to descendents.

Ezekiel 34:1-10— False shepherds.

Ezekiel 37:1-14— Vision of dry bones.

Daniel

Daniel 1:20—Ten times better than the king’s men.

Daniel 2:44,45— The new kingdom.

Daniel 6:18-24— Den of lions.

Daniel 7:13,14— Ancient of days.

Hosea

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, I will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

Joel “And it shall come to pass

that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.” Joel 2:32

Amos

“Can two walk together unless they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Amos 3:3,4

Obadiah “But you should not have gazed

on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity: nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress.” Obadiah 1:12

Edom’s doom.

Jonah “So they picked up Jonah and

threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:15-17

Micah

“He has shown you O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Nahum “Your shepherds slumber, O

King of Assyria; your nobles rest in dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them. Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?” Nahum 3:18,19

Habakkuk

“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 3:17-19—Trust in God’s salvation!

Zephaniah

“For then I will restore the peoples a pure language, that they may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.” Zephaniah 3:9

The faithful remnant returns from captivity.

Haggai “For thus says the Lord of

hosts: once more (it is a little while) I will shake the heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the desire of all nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of host.” Haggai 2:6,7

Latter temple greater than the former.

Zechariah “For the seed shall be

prosperous, … the ground shall give her increase… I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing…” Zechariah 6:12,13

Malachi “Behold I will send you

Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5,6

The New-Testament Message Our Savior Has

Come

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30,31

The GospelsMatthew - John

Matthew 1 and 2—Virgin birth. Mark 9:1—Some would not die

before the power came. Luke 19:10—He came to seek

and save the lost. John 4:24—Worship must be

in spirit and truth. Matthew 16:18,19—The promise

to build the church. Matthew 28:18-20—

The Great Commission.

Acts Acts 2—The church begins. Acts 9—Saul’s conversion. Acts 10—The first Gentile

conversion (Cornelius). Acts 12:2—James is

martyred. Acts 15—Discussion of the

first problem. Paul’s three preaching

journeys—spread of the gospel.

Romans “For I am not ashamed of the

gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16,17

1 Corinthians “Now I plead with you,

brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

– 1 Corinthians 1:10

2 Corinthians “Now I rejoice, not that you

were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:9,10

Galatians “But even if we, or an angel

from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” – Galatians 1:8,9

Ephesians

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” – Ephesians 4:4-6

Philippians

“Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:2-4

Colossians

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”– Colossians 3:1,2

1 Thessalonians

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

2 Thessalonians “… among those who perish,

because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

1 Timothy

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”– 1 Timothy 6:12

2 Timothy

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15

Titus “For the grace of God that

brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” – Titus 2:11.12

Philemon

“Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.”–Philemon 21

Hebrews “For though by this time you

ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food… But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” – Hebrews 5:12-14

James

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” – James 3:8-10

1 Peter

“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:2

2 Peter “But also for this very reason,

giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” – 2 Peter 1:5-7

1 John

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:15,16

2 John “Whoever transgresses and

does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” – 2 John 9-11

3 John

“Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well.” – 3 John 5,6

Jude “Beloved, while I was very

diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”– Jude 3

Revelation

1:1,2—Christ’s revelation to the apostle John.

1:3—They are blessed who READ and KEEP these words. Things which must SHORTLY come to pass.

1:4—Addressed to the seven churches in Asia.

Revelation

1:9—John was in the KINGDOM.

22:18,19—Nothing should be added or subtracted.

This book must be understood in the proper context—it is a book of COMFORT!

God’s Plan Hearing—Romans 10:17 Faith—Hebrews 11:6 Repentance—Acts 17:30 Confession—Romans

10:9,10 Baptism—Colossians 2:11-

13 The Bible’s message CAN BE

understood!