Friday, October 9, 2015

What's the Big Idea of the Bible?

BLOG
    Friday, October 9, 2015
Jeff Lampl

What is the Big Idea of the Bible?


The “Big Idea” of the Bible is that God created a great world.  It does not say how God did it, rather that God did it.  But that world “went south”.  Human beings whom God created in His own image rebelled and the world has been broken ever since.   Yet, through Jesus God is renewing the world and that renewal (which each of us encounters every day) will culminate in a Coming New World (Isaiah 65;17)  

Genesis 1-11 
God creates a good, vibrant world where human beings, God and nature would flourish together, but human rebellion ruins it with sin and death.  

Genesis 12 through Deuteronomy 
As his means of healing the now broken creation, God forms Israel as his kingdom on Earth, in order to triumph over sin, death and evil and give life to all the peoples of the world.  God covenants/promises to be faithful to Israel forever.  When Israel is unfaithful to God, God remains faithful to Israel.  This is the amazing meaning of God’s covenant with Israel.  

Historical Books (Joshua through Nehemiah) 
God exercises his loving rule in Israel’s history by giving them victory to possess the Promised Land, instituting a human king to govern his reign, centralizing his throne in Jerusalem and granting an eternal dynasty through David, exiling Israel to Babylon in judgment for their persistent rebellion, and restoring his loved people to their  land, all in anticipation of sending his Anointed King (Jesus) into the world.
 

Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) 
God guards his loving relationship with Israel through his messengers, the prophets, by calling his people, Israel, to trust Him, announcing judgment for their unfaithfulness, and proclaiming the coming of his Anointed King to rule in righteousness and glory.  

Poets (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs) 
God reigns over his people with wisdom, as communicated by the Poets, enabling his people to live meaningful and skillful lives in relationship with him.  

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) 
God’s Anointed King, Jesus, displays God’s rule with absolute power and supreme love, through his supernatural birth, his life of teaching and miracles, and his death and resurrection, which triumphs over Satan and the curse of sin and death and gives life to all people who turn to him in faith.  

Acts and New Testament Letters (Romans through Jude) 
The Risen King, Jesus, launches a new kingdom on Earth of Spirit-empowered believers, to represent his loving presence in the world, and advance his life-giving reign among the nations, until he returns to recreate all things  

Revelation 
Jesus, the conquering King, exercises his holy and life-giving rule over a rebellious planet by reigning over the Church, unleashing future, catastrophic judgment, and by returning in majesty to reign in love over his New Creation.


Comment    

For more:   follow on Twitter @jefflampl  

No comments:

Post a Comment