The Most Important Stories Of The Bible

Most of us are familiar with the exciting adventures of David and Goliath, Noah, or Daniel in the lions' den, but we don't always understand how they fit together. We lack context, and so we sometimes miss the point. The Most Important Stories of the Bible will give you a working knowledge of the key events in Scripture and how they flow into one big story. The book's 75 stories are compact, easy to read, and enjoyable. Each chapter includes a brief introduction that gives historical context to help you grasp the overall narrative of the Bible, and concludes with an explanation of why that story matters in our lives. There's a reason most of the Bible is made up of stories. They speak to us in a deep way, helping us internalize God's message. And in the end, understanding the stories of God's Word will help us connect more closely to Jesus, the greatest storyteller of all.

The Bible is one continuous story, from the story of creation to the story of Jesus' future return at the end of time. And yet there are smaller, pivotal stories that make up the basic structure of the one big story. This class is designed for those wanting an overview of the Old and New Testaments, but prefer to learn through story.

The Bible: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the Bible as both a sacred text, central to the faith of millions, and a classic work of Western literature, containing a tapestry of genres, voices, perspectives and images. This guide skilfully addresses both aspects of the Bible’s character by exploring: the rich variety of literary forms, from poetry to prophecy and epistles to apocalypses the historical, geographic and social context of the Bible contemporary attitudes to the Bible held by believers and non-believers the status of biblical interpretation today The second edition has been updated throughout and includes: maps and detailed suggestions for further reading. This is an ideal starting point for people of any faith or none who are studying the Bible in any setting or simply want to know more about the best-selling book of all time.

Are You Sure You Know What Your Favorite Bible Stories Mean? A surprising number of popular Bible stories are commonly misused or misunderstood, even by well-intentioned Christians. In this concise yet thorough book, Eric J. Bargerhuff helps you fully understand the meaning of David and Goliath, Jonah and the Big Fish, the Woman Caught in Adultery, and other well-known Bible stories. Providing fascinating historical and scriptural insights, Bargerhuff helps you sort through modern-day distortions of fourteen well-known Bible stories and grasp their original meaning and purpose for us today.

These stories are often a child's first glimpse of God, and the simple way they're told is great for little minds. But since we never hear the rest of the story, they are soon relegated to the status of fairy tales and fables. Yet they are not only logical and rational, they are actual events that recount God's earliest revelation of Himself to man. Here's the rest of the story, complete with all the details and references necessary to gain the full understanding of these remarkable events. For example: - Why do Jewish days begin at sunset? - Why did Samson lose his strength when Delilah cut his hair? - Why did David pick up five stones when one was enough to defeat Goliath? Find the answers to these and many other questions as you read the adult version of the Bible's Children's Stories.

A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.

This easy-to-read full color handbook gives a big-picture view of the Bible to set readers up for a lifetime of Bible learning. Readers and Bible students of all levels will quickly get a firm grasp of key Bible foundations with this accessible guide. Discover Bible history and culture, people and characters in the Bible, major themes of every book, sections on seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, and on how to apply biblical truths to today's world. Includes over 200 color time lines, maps, and illustrations. In just 9 illustrated chapters, explore a quick overview and timeline of Bible history, essential people and characters, eight major themes of the Bible, and more.