Introduction to The Series

by Stephen Gillespie

Introduction to The Series

This series provides an overview of the whole Bible. As such, this series does not go into absolute detail. The aim is to provide a view of the whole, the broad landscape of the Bible, identifying key points, characters, major events and lessons that can be learned and applied.

The Bible is the world's most printed book, the most influential and life-changing book in human history. It contains God's revelation to humanity, offering wisdom, guidance, and the promise of salvation. This series is not a Bible commentary it simply states the salient facts on a book-by-book basis. It is the responsibility of the Bible student to engage in detailed personal study, which may be approached by topic, theme, character, history, word studies, and so on.

So, what is the Bible?

The Christian Bible is not just a single book. The word Bible comes from the plural word biblia, meaning books. In reality, the Bible is a library of 66 books divided into the Old and New Testaments, 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. However, although the Bible is composed of many books recorded by some 40 or so writers over a period of about 1500 years, the overall message presents us with a remarkable unity of purpose and consistency. Importantly, the Bible itself states that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God …” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The word inspiration literally means “God-breathed”. The same way that breath is a sign of life, the Bible is the living word of God, the active word of our Creator and Sustainer of all things.

The Big Picture – A Launchpad of Discovery

Looking at the Bible as a whole is important as it lays the foundation for further targeted study. Seeing the big picture reveals the whole purpose. Like a jigsaw of a landscape, we need to see the picture on the box to guide us on where to fit the appropriate pieces to complete the scene. A sound strategy is firstly to build the frame of border, then to populate the inner parts to build the entire scene. As another example, to understand the details and function of a piston in an automobile engine requires an understanding of the purpose and function of an automobile itself as a whole. Then one needs to know the purpose and function of the engine before focusing in more detail on the individual component parts and making the right connections. So, conducting a survey of the whole Bible provides us with a panoramic view, a launchpad to discover ever-increasing detail that builds increasing understanding, and with that understanding, confidence in God's living and sovereign Word in our daily lives.

The series progresses as follows…

After this introduction, we provide a first-pass overview of the structure of the Bible, with a rapid breakdown of the 66 books in terms of their respective headline content and themes. After this, each book of the Bible is presented in a format that enables you to grasp the core message. For each book, we provide the following …

  • A brief explanation of the book's purpose, message, and historical context.
  • The main theme. A concise statement summarizing the book's central message.
  • Where the book fits in the biblical timeline and its literary category, whether it's the law, poetry, prophets, gospels, etc.
  • The authorship and date. The traditional or scholarly understanding of who wrote the book and when.
  • Key people. Important figures featured in the book.
  • The major doctrinal and spiritual ideas emphasized in the book.
  • A breakdown of the most important happenings within the book, making it easy to track biblical history.
  • A look at significant metaphors and imagery that deepen the message of the book.
  • How the teachings of the book apply to our daily lives and spiritual growth.

Making the Connections

As you study each book, you will begin to see the divine connections woven throughout scripture. it's recommended that you start by going through the first pass overview of the structure of the Bible. Then follow the series in sequence at least once, book by book, starting at Genesis and working through to Revelation.

The Bible Journey

The essence of the Bible message is about taking us on a journey from our earthly, mortal life through to the heavenly and immortal. A journey marked by unifying themes and connections with the central principal figure being Jesus Christ, the Messiah. We find that the Old Testament anticipates the coming of Christ, the Gospels reveal Christ's life, death and resurrection, the Epistles explain how to live as followers of Christ, and the Revelation points to Christ's return and the fulfilment of God's plan. As we progress from Genesis to Revelation, God's redemptive plan unfolds, demonstrating His faithfulness, love, and ultimate victory over sin and death.

Personal Commitment

Having surveyed the Bible on a progressive book-by-book basis, the relevant parts of the series can then be used as a quick reference to information contained in the individual books to support thematic study. Nevertheless, it is vital that the individual commits to prayer, reads and meditates on the full text of the Bible to gain proper contextual understanding and identify key takeaways. important that personal notes are taken along the way to establish and systematically record key principles and facts committing such to memory.

The Living Word

The Bible is a living book that speaks into every aspect of life. Whether we're seeking wisdom, comfort, instruction, or encouragement, God's Word has the answers. Approach your study with an open heart and a desire to grow and you will experience the transformative power of Scripture in your life. It remains now to pray that you approach your study with full commitment to the Bible as the Word of God, which is “able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

May God bless you in opening the good treasure of his Word as you endeavour to ever increase in the knowledge of him and his almighty power.