General overview:
The Bible addresses the HISTORY of man, and God’s purposes in it, not necessarily a window into the past (pre-mankind) or the future (post-mankind).
The Bible is ONE TRUTH. Truth is consistent throughout Scripture. There are THEMES that are only understood in the context of the whole. New Testament truth must first be understood in the Old Testament. The SEED to all truth is contained in the Torah. (First five books of the Bible.)
My Goal:
I have organized the reading process to lead you through the Bible in a relative chronological process. We will begin in Genesis, and before you are done you will have been exposed to every one of the sixty-six Books in the Bible. There will be detours at appropriate places to highlight THREADS and THEMES that reoccur throughout the entire Scripture. These are introduced along the way, usually at, or close to, firs mention. This is to help you notice as you see it again further along. I have provided a GENERAL historical, and cultural understanding of Hebrew (Jewish) thought.. Occasionally, I will provide Extra-Biblical support where needed to understand Biblical Themes. I have also provided a GENERAL timeline diagrams to give points of reference for Study. My ultimate goal is to create in the student a hunger for the Bible, and a simple framework to aide in understanding and study.
Homework and Participation:
There is no homework or classroom. This is study at your own pace, and based on you desire to learn more. My suggestion is this: Read as much as possible of the book we are discussing in a very easy to read translation. Read for speed and GENERAL information, not an attempt to do detailed study. Seek only to identify major themes and story lines in order to have a grasp of where we are. Make note of questions which you may have wanted to ask regarding the book. I welcome those questions and comments through email as the best means of interaction. Finally, accept that we are all learning. NO QUESTION IS A “DUMB” QUESTION! The goal is to learn. Accept that we don’t know all the answers. You will ask questions to which my answer may simply be, “I don’t know.” Most of the time those are the most exciting questions for me because it offers a new direction to think about. WE WILL LEARN TOGETHER, with the Holy Spirit as our teacher.
Material Credits:
The foundation for MOST of the outlines in this syllabus is modified from Malcolm Smith’s “Study the Bible with Malcolm” Outlines from his monthly publication Covenant Love. From those basic outlines, I have added additional material from my personal study and research over the past 30 years. Personal story: I consider myself a Bible student since the age of twelve. I was taught by one who I still consider to be one of the world’s greatest Bible Scholars and sharpest minds I have ever known, my father. Dad was a walking Bible Encyclopedia and Concordance. One of my favorite activities before dad died was to debate Biblical issues with him. He was a wonderful “sparring partner” and we always had a very high regard for one another. Even so, understanding that the Bible has an overarching Meta-Story required re-thinking everything I thought I knew about the Scripture. I began seeing the things that I am wishing to communicate to you in this study. The content here is really the result of asking myself the question, “What would I have needed to know as a beginning Bible student, in order to speed up the process of understanding for me?” This website is the result of that struggle. Your feedback and insights will help me to improve the site for future students. So, never hesitate to challenge and ask questions.