Bible Summary for Beginners

Bible Summary for Beginners

Old Testament

Genesis – “oral history” beginning with creation through the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to just before Israel became slaves in Egypt

Exodus – the story of Moses being sent to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt – the giving of the 10 Commandments in God’s own voice at Mt. Sinai – the corrupt nature of the Israelites prompting God to give a conditional covenant to Israel through Moses with laws for government, religious practice, civil laws etc.

Leviticus – Israelite religious practices

Numbers – counting the Israelites and tracing part of the 40 years spent in the “wilderness”

Deuteronomy – Moses retelling the story of the Exodus, the 10 Commandments and restating the “law of Moses”

Joshua – conquering Palestine/Canaan

Judges – Israel without human kings

I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, I & II Samuel – history of the nation of Israel through the split into the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel and their downfall into captivity

Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes – Biblical philosophy

Psalms – poetry and music from Israel

Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel – prophecies of the demise of Israel as a nation

The “minor prophets” (Daniel through Malachi) – more prophecies of the future of Israel

Ezra and Nehemiah – the return of the people of the Kingdom of Judah to Canaan to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple

New Testament

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – stories of the life of Jesus and His teaching

Acts – stories of the early church

The epistles (letters) of Paul and others – teaching and comforting the early Christians; explaining the New Covenant; particular attention to the more difficult parts of being a Christian and explanation of the expansion of the Covenant from Israel to all people everywhere

Revelation: letters to churches; description of the return of Jesus to establish His kingdom

Clayton Willis 09/01/2019