The problem most of us have with the Bible is we never got the big picture. Master the Bible by looking at only a manageable amount of information. In 30 days, you’ll have a complete understanding of the story of the Bible and the core teachings or doctrines that Christians have held onto throughout the centuries, presented in bite-sized pieces.
If you want to understand the Bible, start by focusing on the big picture, and save the details for later. First, we will learn how the Bible is put together. The Old Testament contains only three types of books: historical, poetical, and prophetical. Geographically, most of the action in the Bible takes place within an area the size of Texas. The Bible's historical books cover twelve eras of the biblical story.
By nature, humans desire something they cannot have: total freedom. The people of Israel wanted total freedom. They wanted the freedom to ignore the directives that God had given. As a result, the early history of Israel tended to be a turbulent time, with many ups and downs. Their story reminds us that miracles are not a necessary element for building faith. The Israelites of Moses' generation saw more miracles than anyone, yet they still rebelled against God.
God will forgive whoever comes to Him for repentance. But as the later history of Israel reveals, this doesn't change the fact that sin has consequences. If Israel had trusted God and obeyed Him, God would have richly blessed them. But since they rejected Him, the Lord responded with discipline.
Humanity's link with God had been severed through sin. but Jesus, as God incarnate, chose to accommodate us and provide a means for the relationship to be restored. His birth into the world split history like a thunderbolt on a hot July evening. His death on the cross in payment for our sin forever changed history, for we now have the offer of eternal life with Him.
The Bible is more than history. So, if we want to truly understand the Bible, we have to go beyond the historical study of people, places, and events and learn about its teachings. Taking the plunge is not easy, and it's difficult to get two people to agree on all points of doctrine. However, there is a basic body of doctrine on which all Christians historically have agreed.
In the previous session, we covered five of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. In this session, we look at five more key doctrines in the Bible on which we all can agree — and all need to know.