A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Bible

Every Bible student needs a working knowledge of the Bible

All Bible students should have a fundamental grasp of the Bible from start to finish. You must have a comprehensive understanding of how the Bible is interconnected. Understanding the entire Bible allows you to see how it's linked and how the later stories, like in the New Testament, expand upon the earlier ones. A working knowledge takes the overall picture and assist in interpreting passages and illuminating the wider biblical message. If you rely on the Bible as a guide for life and faith, it's essential to comprehend it fully. This knowledge will help you develop a relationship with God, deepen your beliefs, and guide your ethical and moral choices. Additionally, Understanding the Bible is necessary for addressing questions about your faith and defending it against critics.

There are numerous ways to study the entire Bible in chronological order. The method that suited me best was taught by Allan Parr, a Bible teacher, author, and speaker. With over 25 years of experience in ministering God's word, a master's degree in Theology, and a Bible teaching ministry on YouTube, he was very relatable to me. He made studying the Bible enjoyable and easy to grasp, emphasizing that Bible study is for everyone, not just a select few. He also encouraged us to share his teaching methods with others, which is what I feel called to do. Just like the Bible, let's kick things off right at the beginning—no spoilers here!

This is known as the S12 method. It consists of 12 "S" words that effortlessly arrange the entire Bible in chronological order.

1. Sin: In Genesis, God created everything. Man rebelled by eating the forbidden fruit. This introduced sin and death into the human race.

2. Separation: In Genesis, consuming the fruit of sin led to blame, shame, guilt, separation (of Adam and Eve from God), fear, and self-atonement, which is the attempt to reconcile oneself with God.

3. Sacrifice: in Genesis 3:21 The Lord made clothing from animal skins for Adam and Eve, marking the first instance of substitutionary atonement. Rather than imposing death for their sin, God sacrificed an innocent animal to cover Adam and Eve's transgression. In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the final and ultimate sacrifice.

4. Solution: God foresaw humanity's rebellion and had already prepared a solution to redeem and restore His relationship with people.

   1. It began with Abraham, followed by his son Isaac, then Isaac's son Jacob, and finally Jacob's son Joseph. This marks the conclusion of the book of Genesis.

   2. Exodus: begins 400 years after the conclusion of Genesis. Moses guides God's people to the Promised Land. During this time, Moses receives the law, and the Tabernacle is built.

   3. Numbers: The journey involved wandering in the wilderness for 40 years until Joshua and Caleb were accepted. This was a result of disobedience, a lack of faith, and frequent complaining.

   4. Leviticus: is about God leading the people out of Egypt and then removing the influence of Egypt from them. To achieve this, God gave them 613 laws to follow. Can you believe it? But by providing these laws, He aimed to demonstrate their need for a Savior.

   5. Deuteronomy: is referred to as the second law. Moses must convey the law to the younger generation a second time before they enter the Promised Land. This marks the conclusion of the Pentateuch, also known as the Torah.

   6. Joshua: After Moses' death, Joshua takes over as the new leader, and the land is divided among the 12 tribes.

   7. Judges: The people of Israel went through the same cycle seven times due to sin. The cycle: Israel serves, falls into sin, becomes enslaved, cries out to God, a judge is raised up, they receive deliverance, and repeat. In the book of Judges, everyone acted according to their own judgment. The prophets Elijah, then Elisha enter.

   8. 1 & 2 Samuel, The people demanded a king, even though it wasn't God's will. Saul becomes the first king of Israel, and David is chosen and anointed. As Saul declines, David rises.

   9. 1 Kings: Solomon ascends to the throne, the temple is built, Solomon passes away, and the kingdom is split. The northern part becomes Israel, while the southern part is Judah.

5. Seers: God sent the Prophets to convey His will to the people. The prophetic books focused on revealing their sinful behaviors, such as sacrificing children, marrying into other nations, committing adultery, and idol worship. They warned the people of impending judgment and urged them to repent.

   1. 2 Kings: All the kings of Israel are wicked. God sends prophet after prophet: Elisha, Elijah (Prophet Elijah ascends to Heaven, and Elisha carries on the prophetic mission), Jonah, Hosea, and Amos. Despite receiving prophetic warnings about their idolatry and refusal to repent, Assyria conquers Israel and deports many of its people. Only the tribe of Judah is left.

   2. Judah experienced a mix of both good and bad kings. However, they also strayed from God. Babylon eventually conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and exiled the people.

   3. Judah is captive in Babylon for 70 years! Prophets Jeremiah Isaiah, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Micah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Daniel. 3 primary Prophets are sent to communicate to he people to encourage and comfort them. They are Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

   4. There are two categories of prophets: non-writing and writing. Elijah and Elisha, for instance, are non-writing prophets, which means they do not have books attributed to them, yet they hold equal significance..

6. Settled: 70 years in captivity. God permits the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem to restore the land. This occurs in three separate instances with small groups of people.

   1. Zerubbabel led the first group to rebuild the temple.

   2. Ezra led the second group to rebuild the people.

   3. Nehemiah led the third group to rebuild the walls.

   4. After the people returned to their homeland, they soon began to backslide. As a result, God sent Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

   5. Not all Jews returned; many stayed in Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther.

7. Silence: The Old Testament ends with the book of Esther. There is a 400-year gap between the Old and New Testaments, referred to as the Intertestamental period.

   1. During this period, there were no prophetic writings that God deemed necessary to include in the Bible. The next prophetic voice we encounter is John the Baptist.

   2. The Old Testament concludes with Persia as the dominant world power, which is later conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greeks.

   3. The Greeks introduced their culture and language, which is why the New Testament was translated in Greek. The Old Testament, originally written in Hebrew, was translated into Greek and became known as the Septuagint. This translation was created to allow Greek-speaking Jews get the most value out of the teachings of the Old Testament.

   4. Following the Greeks, the Romans came to power. The Romans were in control during the time of Jesus' birth.

8. Stories: The Gospels, meaning Good News, illustrate how Jesus can save our lives. Each Gospel was authored by a different individual, addressed to a distinct audience, and intended for a specific purpose. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels due to their similar content and structure. In contrast, 90% of the content in John's Gospel is unique and does not appear in the other Gospels, and it also was composed at a later time.

   1. During the rule of the Romans, Religious groups like the Pharisees and Sadducees emerged during this period.

   2. The Pharisees incorporated their own interpretations into the Jewish Old Testament and frequently found themselves at odds with Jesus' teachings of love and grace. Jesus emphasized the internal (heart), while the Pharisees concentrated on the external.

9. Spokesmen: The Book of Acts follows the Gospel of Luke and is the sole historical book in the New Testament. In this book, God appointed specific spokesmen, leaders, and influential individuals to deliver His message to His people.

10. Spreading: This is where the Gospels began to spread their message throughout the known world. This is done through the Epistles and Revelations.

    1. There were 21 Epistles (fancy word for letters) Paul wrote 13 Epistles . They are Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Titus, and Philemon. These are letters addressed to churches and individuals, some of which were established by Paul, while others were under his pastoral care. The remaining eight epistles, known as the General Epistles—Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, and Jude—are sometimes attributed to Paul or occasionally to Apollos, Barnabas, or others.

11. Suffering: The General Epistles discuss the hardships Christians face due to their faith.

12. Savior: This is the Book of Revelation, authored by the apostle John. It is the sole prophetic text that will unfold at the end of times. It describes events such as the rise of the Antichrist, the tribulation, the judgments, the second coming of Jesus, the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ, the defeat of Satan, and our eternal state, all known as the end of times.

There you have it, everyone—a chronological summary of the Bible in 12 words starting with S. This is just a starting point; each book deserves its own study There are books I haven't mentioned and much more to explore in the Bible, but this serves as an excellent introduction. I hope it sparks your interest in learning more. Once you begin reading the Bible, I promise you won't want to stop!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessing of Your Word. Every inspired word provides us with insight into Your greater plan for our lives. While there is much we may not grasp and might never completely understand here on earth, it shows how everything was thoughtfully planned and carried out through Your love for us. Please lead those who do not perceive it this way. Help those of us who do understand to teach those who do not. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen!