Lesson 1: God’s Word is All About Jesus

In this study we will show how, though the Bible was written by about 40 people over about 1,400 years, it is still about a single subject – Jesus. It would have been impossible for these people, over such a long time, and in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) to do this without even one disagreement – and this is one of the reasons we know it is true that the Holy Spirit was the true writer of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).

To understand the Bible, we need to understand the different kinds of writing in it so we can read those books or passages in the way they were intended to be understood. This study will look at each of these types of writings – in fact, the Bible is already arranged in two ways for you:

 

  • The Old Testament and the New Testament
  • Types of Literature
  • Law
  • History
  • Poetry
  • Prophecy
  • Letters

 

The Old and New Testament are broken up by the single most important event in all of human history – God’s entrance into time and space in such a way that we could see and understand Him. So the Old Testament is BEFORE Jesus came, and the New Testament is AFTER He came.

The types of writing are important as well. We do not read, for example, our national constitution or laws the same way we read a book describing the details of the first ocean voyage around the world. And a book of poetry is different from both of the above. Also, a warning about a future event will be written differently from a song of praise to God. So we need to know the type of writing used before we can understand deeply what God is telling us through the Bible.


The following lessons will approach the Bible as it is arranged in it’s current, common form. Each section will list the books in it and how each contributes to the story of Jesus (Description). The second lesson in each pair of lessons will show how to study this particular kind of writing (Discovery) so we can understand exactly how it gives us information about Jesus’ purpose for coming.

As you study these lessons, a very important verse to remember is found in John 18:37. Context is important here, as it is in all of Scripture – Jesus is talking to Pilate as Pilate is trying to decide if he will sentence Jesus to death. Pilate has asked Jesus if He is a king with a kingdom. Jesus has already stated He is indeed a king, but His kingdom is not of this world. John 18:37 - …For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth…
 
 Studying the Bible will always be a search for the truth.