Ch. 5 Bible Overview

This is an expanded version of Chapter 5 from the First Edition of the book A Deeper Relationship with Jesus. The purpose of the entire Bible is to lead people to salvation in Jesus Christ

John 5:39–40 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

As you study the Bible, the following diagram provides a way to group the 66 books of the Bible into important sections. It will help you begin to understand how the various books of the Bible fit together. The following diagram is based on the Introduction to the Scofield Reference Bible.

The first table conveys that many verses from ANY book of the Old Testament point to Christ; we find news of the manifestation of Christ most predominantly in the Gospels. There are many Old Testament books referenced in Matthew, many referenced in Mark, many in Luke and many in the Gospel of John. Then we find the record of the propagation (spread) of the gospel to all the nations most predominantly in the book of Acts. We can read the Epistles to gain a deeper understanding of what was prophesied in the Old Testament and proclaimed as having happened in the Gospels and was being spread to all the nations in the book of Acts. To help us better understand the meaning of the manifestation of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as proclaimed in the Gospels, just one of many possible examples in the Epistles tells us:

Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

The above verse is just one example, ANY of the Epistles provide a deeper understanding of the significance of God manifesting in human flesh as proclaimed in the Gospels. Finally, we find out how God’s wise plan comes to a climax or consummation, in the book of Revelation. Many of the other books of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments point to the book of Revelation; for example, Daniel and Ezekiel in the Old Testament point to the book of Revelation in many ways.

The second table shows an example of how the crucifixion of Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament in Psalms and Genesis, proclaimed as having happened in the Gospels, how that was propagated to all the nations, how we get a deeper understanding of what the crucifixion means in the Epistles, just one of many possible examples is 1 Corinthians 1:23, and finally, in the book of Revelation, we see the consummation of the crucifixion as Jesus returns to judge the unfaithful, including those who pierced Him (crucified Him). So, in the second and third tables I provide just a few of many possible examples of how you can trace a theme horizontally all the way through the Bible to gain a better understanding of God’s wise and beautiful plan for humanity.

God has infinite wisdom. He has a wise plan which covers the beginning, middle, and end of everything. God’s word, the Bible, lays out his wise plan. All of the pieces of his plan are like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle or a beautiful mosaic.

In the Old Testament, God promised to defeat eternal death; in the New Testament, he explained how he did it through the sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is God in human flesh.

The entire Old Testament prepares us for the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said:

The Gospels tell us God the Son was manifest in the flesh as Jesus Christ.

The book of Acts tells us how the good news of the sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is what “gospel” means, was taken to all nations.

The epistles, which simply means the letters, give us a deeper explanation of what was accomplished through the manifestation of God in human flesh.

The book of Revelation, and yes it is the book of Revelation (singular) and not the book of Revelations (plural), tells us about the consummation of history; it tells us where the faithful who trust in Jesus Christ’s work go for eternity (New Heaven and New Earth) and where the unfaithful who trust in their own works go (Lake of Fire).

The following tables. just a small sample of verses, show how the Bible lays out God’s wise plan for humanity. There are many more examples but, hopefully, this will encourage you to see how each of the sections of the Bible fit together to accomplish God’s purpose for your eternal life through the work of Jesus and not through your own works.

The above three tables give you a simple overview or roadmap showing how God’s wise plan is laid out in His Word, the Bible. Truly, all of the pieces of His plan are like the pieces of a beautiful mosaic.