Sam Rainer - Understanding the Bible as a Whole: An Accessible Book-by-Book Guide through the Scriptures

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Understanding the Bible as a Whole: An Accessible Book-by-Book Guide through the Scriptures

Copyright 2022 by Church Answers. All rights reserved.

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All the examples and stories in this book are true. Names and some specific details have been modified to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the (NASB) New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-4964-6188-9

Build: 2022-04-07 16:18:33 EPUB 3.0

This book is dedicated to Margaret Bangston, our church grandmother. She loves her Bible. She lives her Bible. We can tell by the way she hugs our children.

W HEN THE SUITCASES were opened in a crowded but secluded room in a Chinese village, everyone responded with excitement. They quickly reached for the contents. One by one, each person picked up one of the new books. Some kissed the cover. Others wept. Their joy was palpable. One young woman, her voice laden with emotion, spoke for everyone in the room: This is what we needed most.

Then a hushed silence asfor the first time everthey opened their own Bibles.

A missionary captured this scene on video in the 1980s, and a YouTube version of it went viral in 2014. It inspired people around the world to cherish their Bibles.

As you read this book, my hope is that learning more about the Bible as a whole will stir a similar kind of awe in you, one that will make you eager to read your Bible each day. Because lets be honestif someone brought a suitcase of Bibles to your church or small group, it probably wouldnt inspire a similar reaction.

Why is that?

Part of the challenge for many of us is that we struggle to connect the dots between the whole of Scripture and the details of our own lives. We might cling to favorite verses when were walking through valleys of defeat and death, but weve never experienced the big picturethe mountain peak of perspective and purpose. Which means we dont understand how the Bible as a whole connects to our livesthat we are part of an epic story as ancient as creation and as limitless as eternity. And yet its my belief that we cannot understand our lives without understanding the Bible. All Scripture is inspired by God, writes the apostle Paul, and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17, italics added).

Every single word in the Bible is powerful, purposeful, and prescient. All of Scripture is for every part of our lives. But we sometimes fail to see the proverbial forest for the trees. We search the Bible thinking the details of Gods plan for us must be buried in obscurity somewhere in the vastness of its pages. We might even fear were missing God because we missed a tiny iota of nuance from the original Hebrew or Greek. But what if the opposite is actually the case? What if what were missing is not the details but the big picture? What if our daily purpose, our next step, our discernment in the moment is plainly visible in a broader understanding of Gods revelation in the Bible? What if our lives begin to make sense only when we grasp Gods Word holisticallywhen we see the forest as well as the trees?

When the Chinese woman said, This is what we needed the most, she spoke of the Bible as a whole. The people in the room wept together as they reverently held the entirety of Gods Word. As we explore the grand themes of the Old and New Testaments, my prayer is that your excitement for the whole of Gods Word will grow and you will begin to reach eagerly for your Bible each day. As you catch a larger vision of Gods epic story, I hope you, too, will say with a full heart, This is what I needed most.

As you read each chapter, my hope is that you will gain more than just knowledge or information about the Bible. My aim is to inspire you to find Gods purpose for your life as you understand the Bible as a whole. A life full of Scripture is always a full life.

The Bible is how we understand Gods true character. Without Gods Word, we wouldnt know how to interact with him. When we know Gods character through the Bible, we are able to honor him by how we live our lives.

Our next steps in life are illuminated through Scripture. Gods Word is a lamp to guide [your] feet and a light for [your] path (Psalm 119:105). As such, Gods Word will assure you that you are living according to Gods will. When you understand Gods Word, you learn how to glorify your Creator and avoid sin. Not only will the Bible give you joy in living, but it will also protect you from the destructive nature of bad decisions. You can live a God-honoring life by diligently applying his Word (2 Timothy 2:15).

Understanding the Bible as a whole is worth the effort. Every word matters because every minute of your life matters. In Lukes Gospel, were told that God numbers the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). God is always involved in every area of our lives.

The lesson is simple: God is active, caring, and present in your life at all times. He wants you to joyfully interact with him by reading, studying, and understanding the Bible. Your life matters, especially in the context of Gods greater story. In the next section, Ill explain why.

The Bible is Gods story of redemptionhow he bought back his creation and the people who had fallen away from him. The first step in understanding the Bible as a whole is realizing that the biblical story is not so much about you as it is for you. The opening words of Genesis are In the beginning God... , not In the beginning you...

God creates. God speaks. God saves. He is not just part of creation or just a power in creation; he is sovereign