Stephen M. Miller - How to Get Into the Bible

Copyright 1998 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Printed in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Contemporary English Version (CEV), copyright 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Scripture quotations contained herein from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible are copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked RSV are taken from the Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, second edition, copyright 1946, 1951, 1972 by the Division of Christian Education of the NCCCUSA.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version, copyright 1978 by the New York International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781418549169

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Previously cataloged as follows: 9780785211358

Miller, Steve, 1952

How to get into the Bible / Steve Miller

p. cm.

ISBN 0-7852-1135-7

1. BibleIntroductions. I. Title

BS475.2.M55 1997

220.61dc21

97-7843

CIP

Printed in the United States of America

12 13 14 15 16 [QG] 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

How to Use This Book

Highlights and Headliners

Welcome to How to Get Into the Bible.

When I have a choice, I dont venture into unfamiliar territory without taking some kind of guidebook or mapusually one or more of both. At the moment, my family is about ready to go on a two-week vacation to places weve never been. Youd need a yardstick to measure the pile of travel guides, brochures, maps, and travel articles weve collected in getting ready for the trip.

Why such bother? We want to get the most out of our experience. We want to see everything worth seeing and do everything worth doingthat is, everything within the energy level and bank account of a Ford-driving, middle-aged man.

For the masses of people whove never read the Bible, cracking it open and getting started can be a daunting challenge. Its one huge book. Where do you begin?

How about starting with the big picture? Scan the biggest scenes of the Bible. Introduce yourself to some of the starring characters. Familiarize yourself with the terrain. That done, turn to individual books within the Bible and do the same.

Weve created How to Get Into the Bible to help Bible newcomers do just that. For the millions of people still unfamiliar with the worlds all-time best-seller, weve provided a guidebook. Actually, its perhaps more like the printed program youd get before watching a play. It will help you get your bearings as you sit back and begin to enjoy one of the most wonderful journeys youll ever takea journey into the mind and heart of God.

A few friends.

Id like to express my deep gratitude to the following people:

Linda Annalisa Miller, my wife, frontline proofreader, articulate critic, persistent encourager.

Joseph Coleson, gentle spirit, Old Testament professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary, and one of 90 scholars who produced the New Living Translation. He offered me his Old Testament insights. And I gladly, quickly snatched them up and included them in this book.

Mark E. Roberts, editor, and a doctoral candidate in New Testament studies. He guided this project down its circuitous path to publication, and provided New Testament background that I would have otherwise missed.

Dana Long, art coordinator, who handled more than 250 pieces of original art in helping produce this book. Her attention to detail gave the book its attractive appearance.

Paul Gross, who created all of those drawings, ranging from Creation to the New Jerusalem, with just a few notes of guidance. His research into ancient cultures made each illustration more accurate.

Lee Hollaway, contract editor turned reference editor, who handled the nuts and bolts of making the various elements of this book fit together.

God bless them, every one.

And God bless you as you read this book, and more importantly as you read His Book.

Steve Miller

As you turn the pages of this book, heres what youll find, and why.

How We Got Our Bible. This is a fast-paced article that traces the story of the Bible from the days before it was writtenwhen eyewitnesses told astonished listeners what they sawto the computer age, when we can again see video recreations of the Bible events. Its astonishing to discover how God has preserved his message throughout the ages.

Highlights and Headliners. Here youll catch a sneak peak at the 30 biggest scenes in the Bible, and a concise biography of a dozen leading characters.

Genesis through Revelation. From the first Bible book to the last, youll get a thorough preview preparing you to read each book for all its worth.

Famous Lines from each bookquotes youve probably heard, but never knew where they came from.

Starring Roles, briefly identifying each of the main characters in the book.

What to Look For, pointing out insights you might otherwise zoom right past.

Timeline, helping you picture where the book fits into other events going on in the Bible lands and beyond.

Did You Know? intriguing nuggets of information about each book.

Author and Date, evidence about who wrote the book and when. (Most Bible books were written anonymously, but clues in the text and in other ancient writings often suggest possible writers.)

On Location, maps of key sites.

Big Scenesthe heart of How to Get Into the Bible quickly acquaints you with the main events and teachings in each book, using illustrations and captions.

Reviews, a section that lets you listen in on what the critics are saying about the book. You encounter both affirmations and challenging perspectives.

Encore, pointing you to related books in the Bible. If you like the book of Ruth, for example, youll also enjoy the dramatic story of another heroine: Esther.

GETTING STARTED

You dont have to read this book from cover to cover before opening your Bible. Our hope is that youll read the two together.

Heres one approach you might consider.

First, read How We Got Our Bible, then Highlights and Headliners. These will pique your curiosity, which you should follow as surely as you follow your nose. If you find yourself drawn to the story of Jesus, for example, you can turn to the Gospel of Mark the shortest and most action-packed of the four Gospels. Read the overview of Mark that we offer in How to Get Into the Bible, then grab your Bible and read the complete story with enriched insight.

There are dozens of Bible translations you can choose from. Or you might select one of the paraphrases of the Bible, which seek to convey the key ideas in the Scripture without sticking to the Hebrew or Greek words used in the passage. A few versions deliberately choose to use only a limited vocabulary to tell the Bibles story. We especially like the Contemporary English Version because of its readability and accurate translation. In fact, unless we indicate otherwise, its the version we use throughout