How To Get Connected To The Bible In 30 Days

Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

Introduction:

Today's post aims to be an encouragement and a challenge to readers. The encouragement part has to do with presenting a feasible way of getting into a daily habit of Bible reading for the next 30 days. The challenge to the reader is to simply do it. 

What is the plan? In the book of Psalms we have a handful of psalms that Bible teachers call "Torah Psalms". These "Torah Psalms" are psalms dedicated to unfolding the value of God's Word to one's walk with God. The plan entails taking the verses in Psalm 19:7-14 and the 22 sections of Psalm 119 (eight psalms each) and sectioning these all up into a 30 day reading pattern. The plan for getting connected with the Bible in 30 days would go something like the following:

Day 1 - Psalm 19:7
Day 2 - Psalm 19:8
Day 3 - Psalm 19:9
Day 4 - Psalm 19:10
Day 5 - Psalm 19:11
Day 6 - Psalm 19:12
Day 7 - Psalm 19:13
Day 8 - Psalm 19:14

The first eight days would involve reading one verse-a-day from Psalm 19:8-14. On the ninth day, the reader would "kick-it-up-a-notch" to reading eight verses a day, beginning with Psalm 119:1-8. The reason being is because Psalm 119 is divided into 22 portions of eight verses. In the original Hebrew, Psalm 119 has each of its eight verse sections start each verse with a corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This would had enabled people to memorize the entire Psalm (imagine that!). In many English Bibles, the sections of Psalm 119 still include the Hebrew name of their alphabetic sections (for instance, Psalm 119:1-8 is called "aleph", Psalm 119:9-16 is called "beth" and so on). Anyway, we could begin Psalm 119 on day 9 and move through its 22 sections until we reach the 30th day. Thus, for example....

Day 9 - Psalm 119:1-8 or "aleph"
Day 10 - Psalm 119:9-16 or "beth"
Day 11 - Psalm 119:17-24 or "gimel"
Day 12 - Psalm 119:25-32 or "daleth"
Day 13 - Psalm 119:33-40 or "he"
Day 14 - Psalm 119:41-48 or "Vau"
Day 15 - Psalm 119:49-56 or "Zain"
Day 16 - Psalm 119:57-64 or "Cheth"
Day 17 - Psalm 119:65-72 or "Theth"
Day 18 - Psalm 119:73-80 or "Jod"
Day 19 - Psalm 119:81-88 or "Caph"
Day 20 - Psalm 119:89-96 or "Lamed"
Day 21 - Psalm 119:97-104 or "Mem"
Day 22 - Psalm 119:105-112 or "Nun"
Day 23 - Ps 119:113-120 or "Samech"
Day 24 - Ps 119:121-128 or "Ain"
Day 25 - Ps 119:129-136 or "Pe"
Day 26 - Ps 119:137-144 or "Tzaddi"
Day 27 - Ps 119:145-152 or "Koph"
Day 28 - Ps 119:153-160 or "Resh"
Day 29 - Ps 119:161-168 or "Schin"
Day 30 - Ps 119:169-176 or "Tau"

By the end of 30 days, the reader will had covered quite a bit of Biblical text, all expounding on the Bible itself. I commend this plan to anyone desiring to get a fresh start in a regular diet of reading God's Word. 

How to take the meaning of the Bible back then and relate it to today

Isaiah 9:1-3 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Introduction

It is amazing to think about how old some of the portions of the Bible really are. The above prophecy composed by Isaiah the prophet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit dates back over 2700 years. When we read the above text, we are reminded of the truth conveyed by 2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." All scripture is - in the words of 2 Timothy - profitable, useful, beneficial. Our responsibility as Christians is to grasp the meaning of the scripture and apply it to our lives. The question is: "how do I take a text written over 2700 years ago and apply it to my life today?"

Consider what is referred to as "The Fallen Condition Focus"

Dr. Bryan Chapell is a homiletics professor at Covenant Theological Seminary that teaches young men to preach the Word of God. In his book "Christ-Centered Preaching", Dr. Chapell uses a key idea that helps preachers and people in the pew in applying God's Word. His method involves what he has termed "The Fallen Condition Focus". The "Fallen Condition Focus" is defined by Chapell as follows: "The Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those for or by whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage to manifest God's glory in his people."

According to Dr. Chapell, we must ask three questions when approaching a given text of scripture: what is the meaning of this text? what particular problem or issue motivated the writing of this text? what over-arching concerns are shared between the audience of that day and us living in today's world? With these questions comes the awareness of the tension resident in the text in our lives. To put it another way, the people in Isaiah's time were under the threat of a foreign king ravaging their land. Moreover, they had become so compromised in their spiritual condition that they seemed beyond all remedy. I'm sure you and I have felt that way at one time or another - or perhaps that characterizes your circumstances today. 

This tension must be felt and experienced in order for us to appreciate the light of God's grace. The brokenness of the nation of Judah and the failure of her leadership to heed Isaiah's prophecies is nestled in between two great prophecies of Jesus' first coming. The first of these mighty prophecies speaks of His virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14. The second of these great prophecies concerns not only Messiah's birth and first coming, but also His future second coming and kingdom. The mighty grace of God was needed to shine light in an otherwise hopeless and dark situation. In Isaiah's day of 734 b.c, the failures of a nation and its leadership led to ruin, darkness and hopelessness. That was in Isaiah's day. 

How the New Testament takes Isaiah's prophecy and connects it with the beginning of Jesus' ministry

So with this "fallen condition focus", we are concerned with the mutual human condition shared by us and the people of the Bible that requires God's grace to intervene. Isaiah's prophecies were written in 734 b.c. The Gospel of Matthew (50's A.D) takes Isaiah 9:1-3 and applies it to the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 4:12-17 - "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Taking the meaning of the Bible back then and applying it today

Now when we consider the similarities of circumstances facing the audience of the first century versus the audience of the seventh century b.c, we can easily take the following questions and apply them to our lives in the 21st century:

1. What is the meaning of the text? Isaiah's prophecy dealt with a people (Judah) who were frightened by a foreign power (Assyria) and who had experienced the spiritual failure of their leadership and themselves. Times were dark and only God could intervene. In Jesus' time we see the nation of Israel frightened by a foreign power (Rome) and whom were led by leadership who failed spiritually. 

2. What is the prevailing problem or circumstance? 

The people in the first century were in a state of desperation. No new word from God had shone in the land for 400 years. Then, suddenly, Jesus bursts on the scene as God-incarnate, preaching and doing miracles. Amazingly, the prophecy speaks of the general ministry location of Jesus. Think about those times when you and I have felt like we are between a rock and a hard place. Maybe the circumstance was of our own doing, maybe it wasn't. What we need to do in addressing a problem too big for men to handle is to get God involved.

3. What over-arching concerns are shared by the audiences of Isaiah, Matthew and our own?

All three contexts have this tension of being in an impossible situation wherein man can offer no remedy. Jesus is the only answer. We must make sure we're asking the right questions. Both Isaiah 9:1-7 and Matthew 4:12-17 guide us in asking those questions and pointing us to Jesus. Henceforth, when the tide has turned against us, and it seems as if we're going to drown, the circumstances are ripe for God to show up and for us to be ready for His arrival. 

This type of exercise is illustrated for us within the scripture. Thus, we have a method for application. I would urge the reader to get into their Bibles (begin with one of Paul's letters or the Epistle of James) and walk through the method of application we did here today. May the Lord richly bless you the reader.

Suggested ways to get people back into the Bible

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

Introduction:
Throughout our nation the overwhelming need of our churches is to "get back to the Bible". This writer would take it a step further: lets "get into the Bible" so that we can "get back to the Bible". So here are a few questions to open up today's post: how does one begin reading the Bible when they have never really read it?  where do you begin? what suggested books or sections of the Bible should you read?  I have been asked questions like these and believe there are some helpful ways to "jumpstart" getting back into consistent reading and study of God's Word. 

Scripture reading and study occupy the cornerstones of sustained growth in Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:15 urges the following: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  Below are some methods that either I have used or have heard from others in cultivating a consistent, daily time in the scriptures.

1. Read a Proverb a day. There are 31 chapters or Proverbs in the book of Proverbs.  Are you looking for wisdom in life or a greater effectiveness in your walk with the Lord?  Read Proverbs.  By reading one chapter a day for five minutes, you should be able to cover Proverbs in one month.  Once you have read through Proverbs in that first month of reading, read it again the second month - a chapter a day.  Then do it again.  I have done this and discovered something new and insightful from the Lord everytime I read.

2. Read 1 John in one week.  1 John is all about the Christian life and assurance of salvation.  There are some seventy statements in 1 John that give you assurance of knowing who you are and Whose you are as a Christian.  There are five chapters, which means if you were to read a chapter a day, you could read 1 John six times in one month.  Make it your goal to read 1 John once a week, and watch your Christian life begin to soar as you discover more of who you are and Whose you are in Christ

3. Read five Psalms a day for a month.   As you read God's Word more, you'll find yourself wanting to read more of God's Word.  There are 150 Psalms.  Five a day for a month will get you through the book.  The Psalms speak to the personal and experiential side of your walk with God, and His thoughts toward you.

4. Read a chapter in each of the four Gospels per day.  The four Gospels introduce you to the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The following four-month reading plan might be suggested: Matthew has 28 chapters, so read a chapter a day and you'll get through Matthew in the first month. In the second month read Mark twice, since it has 16 chapters. Luke would be your third month's reading, with the first 24 days spent reading each chapter and the last several days spent re-reading the crucifixion and resurrection accounts (Luke 19-24). Finally, John;s Gospel would round out your fourth month of reading. Imagine how well you would get to know Jesus in just four months - or even one? It is well worth the time! 

Closing thoughts
Whenever you and I intentionally read and think on God's Word every day, growth and strength in faith will be on the way.  

P2 - Eight Awesome New Testament Generals

Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."

Introduction:

Yesterday we began exploring the eight General Epistles of the New Testament. The goal is to not be detailed but very brief in order to increase interest in this somewhat neglected part of the New Testament. Now why are Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John and Jude deemed the "General Epistles"? As noted yesterday, unlike Paul's Epistles, which are written to specific churches or unlike John's seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation, these 8 epistles are written to "general" groups of Christians spread over a wide area. Another pattern we noted about this collection of epistles or letters is that they are authored by all the headlining apostles: John, Peter and Paul (if we take him as author of Hebrews).1 

A further interesting pattern about these 8 books of the Bible is that two of them (James and Jude) were composed by two of Jesus' half-brothers according to the flesh. We considered the first two (Hebrews and James) in yesterday's post. Today we will round out this short survey of the General Epistles by considering the remaining six of the eight general epistles, their key points and verses and then close with a final exhortation to explore them further.

Epistle of 1 Peter

Peter the Apostle and one of the original twelve disciples dictated this letter through Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12) under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Peter's intentions was to encourage his readers to stand firm in the grace of God. (1 Peter 5:12)

Epistle of 2 Peter

If Peter's first epistle was all about standing firm in God's grace, then his 2nd letter is concerned about growing in God's grace, with 2 Peter 3:18 being the chief verse. Peter most likely directly composed this Epistle without the aid of a secretary (called in the Greek world an amanuensis). Peter's goal in his second letter is to warn his readers to be prepared for and to live in light of Jesus' return. 

Epistle of 1 John

The Apostle John composed this letter and the two others bearing his name. John's purpose was to write a letter that encouraged new believers on matters about their faith and urged unbelievers to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The purpose and key verse of 1 John is found in 5:13.

Epistle of 2 John

This stands as the second shortest of all the Bible books and was written by the Apostle John to encourage readers to walk out their faith. The whole emphasis of this little 245 word letter is about the Christian walk, and the suggested golden verse is 2 John 1:6.

Epistle of 3 John

This short little letter, also written by the Apostle John, urges readers to maintain the health of their Christian walk. Though it is the shortest book of the Bible (219 words), 3 John is long on richness and themes. We could recognize 3 John 2 as the key or golden text of 3 John.

Epistle of Jude

This final general epistle was composed by Jesus' other half-brother according to the flesh - Jude. The key point of Jude's writing was to urge his readers to contend for their faith. (Jude 1:3)

The importance of the General Epistles to understanding the rest of the New Testament

The great late commentator A.T. Robertson who noted the following about the importance of the General Epistles: "Without them we should be deprived of much concerning three outstanding personalities in early Christianity. We should know much less of James, and Cephas, and John, they were reputed to be pillars" (Gal 2:9). We should know less also of the Judaic (not Judaizing) form of Christianity seen in the Epistle of James and Jude in contrast with, though not opposed to, the Pauline type. In Peter's Epistles we see, indeed, a mediating position without compromise of principle, for Peter in the Jerusalem Conference loyally supported Paul and Barnabas even if he flicker for a moment later in Antioch. In the Johannine Epistles we see the great Eagle soar as in his Gospel in calm serenity in spite of conflict with the Gnostics who struck at the very life of Christianity itself. 'The only opposition which remains worthy of a Christian's consideration is that between light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate, God and the world, Christ and AntiChrist, life and death'. So we can be grateful for the preservation of these little Epistles which reveal differences in the development of the great Christian leaders and the adaptation of the Gospel message to changing world conditions then and now."2

Final thoughts 
Well that concludes today's post. I would encourage readers to take a closer look at these eight books of the Bible. You will find them to be very edifying to your faith. 

Endnotes:
1. I wanted to make a quick note about the Book of Hebrews, being that some classify it among Paul's letters and others classify it as a General Epistle. In the course of history the authorship of Hebrews has been discussed and debated. To this day we do not know the author with 100% certainty, although this writer personally believes Paul or perhaps less likely Apollos was the author. We know from some ancient copies of the New Testament that Hebrews was at times placed before, following or in the midst of Paul's 13 other letters. Either way, the one thing that is not in doubt is the authority the book of Hebrews possesses as a Divinely inspired book of the Bible. For today's post I will include Hebrews among the collection of what are called "The General Epistles" since a majority (not all) classify Hebrews as such.

2. J. A.T Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament. Volume VI. Introduction xiii. 

P1 - Eight Awesome New Testament Generals

Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."

Introduction:

When I refer to "eight awesome New Testament generals", I am speaking of the eight letters or Epistles commonly referred to as the General Epistles. The goal is to not be detailed but very brief in order to increase interest in this somewhat neglected part of the New Testament. Now why are Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John and Jude deemed the "General Epistles"? Unlike Paul's Epistles, which are written to specific churches or unlike John's seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation, these 8 epistles are written to "general" groups of Christians spread over a wide area. Another pattern we can note about this collection of epistles or letters is that they are authored by all the headlining apostles (John, Peter and Paul (if we take him as author of Hebrews). A further interesting pattern about these 8 books of the Bible is that two of them (James and Jude) were composed by two of Jesus' half-brothers according to the flesh. We could mention more interesting tid-bits, but for sake of brevity we will move forward. Below we will list out the first two of the eight general epistles and their key points and verses.   

1. The Epistle to the Hebrews

This letter (written by Paul, maybe Apollos or someone else) aims to show how the Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The theme of "better" or "more excellent" weaves its way through the letter. Suggested key verse is Hebrews 10:19-22

2. Epistle of James

This letter, composed by Jesus' half-brother according to the flesh, was written to provide practical instruction in wisdom. Often nicknamed "The Proverbs of the New Testament", James was perhaps the earliest book written in the New Testament. James' Epistle is all about spelling out in detail the pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God. (James 1:26-27)

More next time.....

How Scripture is its own best interpreter

Colossians 3:18-19 "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them."

Ephesians 5:22-25 "Wives, be subject to your own husbands,as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."

In today's post I wanted the reader to see a tried and true principle of Bible study in action - namely, that the Bible is its own best intepreter. Called by the older title: "analogy of faith", the principle essentially teaches that when reading any Biblical text, seek out other passages that speak on that same topic and which provide fuller and clearer information. A shorter way of stating this principle is: "use easier to understand scripture to shed light on harder to understand scripture."

As the student of scripture regularly applies this principle, whole worlds of understanding begin to come forth. A great example is found in two sections of scripture from two New Testament books that were written by the same author, around the same time and about the same set of topics. 

The Apostle Paul had ended up under house arrest in Rome and spent the better part of two years preaching the Gospel from his rented quarters, chained to a Roman Soldier. During that time he ended up writing a total of four "prison letters" (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon). Two of those letters, Ephesians and Colossians, end in a remarkably similar manner and contain near the same wording. Such similarities are explained by the fact that Paul was the author, he was writing both roughly at the same time and was addressing identical topics at the end of each letter. 

The above verses represent portions of the two sections of Ephesians and Colossians that we will be looking at in this post: Ephesians 5:22-6:18 and Colossians 3:18-4:6. The aim is to simply demonstrate to the reader how the Ephesians texts sheds light and provides commentary upon the Colossians letter. Hopefully by the end of this post, the reader will conclude that indeed, scripture is its own best interpreter by comparing scripture with scripture (again, also called the analogy of faith). 

1. Colossians 3:18  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the 

Lord.

Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, be subject to your own husbands,as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

So in looking at this first section, we can see the command given to wives in Colossians 3:18. The command is simple and straight forward. However we then ask the question: in what manner is the wife to submit? Colossians 3:18 gives a boundary: "as is fitting in the Lord". So clearly to voluntarily submit would be done except in cases where the wife is expected to do something that is not honoring to Christ. However more light is needed, and that is where Ephesians 5:22-24 comes in to give specific instruction by way of analogy. Paul employs the imagery of Christ's relationship to his church. In reading through the Ephesians passage, one sees the logic of mutual submission - namely that if a husband is loving his wife as Christ loves the church, then why wouldn't any wife not want to find the security, the protection and encouragement that comes to voluntarily yielding oneself to her husband. The more husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church, the more such submission will make sense. In all reality then, the "ball of burden" is clearly in the husband's court to make sure he loves his wife!

Now as the reader can see, Ephesians 5:22-24 shed immense light on Colossians 3:18. We won't comment on the remaining parallel sections of Ephesians and Colossians like we did above. However I will simply list those parallel sections by verse reference only and then close with some final remarks.

2. Colossians 3:19 & Ephesians 2:24-33

3. Colossians 3:20 and Ephesians 6:1-3

4. Colossians 3:21 and Ephesians 6:4

5. Colossians 3:22-25 and Ephesians 6:5-8

6. Colossians 4:1 and Ephesians 6:9

7. Colossians 4:2-4 and Ephesians 6:10-18

Closing thoughts

We aimed today to demonstrate the principle of "analogy of faith" or "comparing scripture with scripture". We utilized Ephesians 5:22-6:18 and Colossians 3:18-4:6 to demonstrate the fact that scripture is its own best interpreter. When comparing scripture with other scripture, the reader needs to be sure that both passages (or additional ones) are speaking about the same subject and that the additional passage's context is considered. Such a Bible study tool can prove invaluable when attempting to understand God's Word. 

Free great websites on resources for studying the Bible at all levels

Acts 8:34 “The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” (NASB)


Introduction:
Whenever you begin to study the scriptures, resources are important. Not only must the student of scripture have access to good resources, but also know where to look to find them. Often when it comes to purchasing Bible study tools such as commentaries, concordances, Bible Dictionaries and Bible Encyclopedias, the cost can be high and at times out of reach. Whether you are a faithful Bible student, a Sunday School Teacher, a Pastor, a Bible translator or a scholar of the original languages, today’s post is about alerting you to a few of the great websites and resources on the web that are excellent, reliable, accurate and free!

1. http://www.biblegateway.com/

This website contains numerous English translations, original language texts, commentaries and Bible dictionaries. If you are a Sunday School teacher or Pastor, this is the website for you.

2. http://biblehub.com/

This site is much like biblegateway, only it includes numerous church history resources, more study tools, more original language resources and more English translations. This is a wonderful site for all students of the Bible, teachers, pastors and scholars alike.

3. http://www.biblia.com/

This site is an excellent one because you can download free resources onto your computer and smart phone.   It includes among other things the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge – the most comprehensive cross referencing tool available.

4. https://www.logos.com/

The Logos software has been a standard for years in the world of electronic resources for the study of the scriptures. Whenever you go in this site you can download a free app for your smart phone or computer that will link both together. Other resources are available for free or at reduced cost. This site and biblia.com are interconnected and compatible with one another.  The numerous English translations, commentaries and Bible study helps make this site hard to beat!


5. http://biblewebapp.com/study/
and http://www.stepbible.org/#!__/0/passage/0/SBLG/Mat/GU/__/1/passage/0/ESV/Mat 1/NHVUG


These two sites are amazing in how they are able to get the Bible student into contact with either the original languages of the Bible or cross references. Whenever you pull up either site, you will see the original language of the scriptures on the one side and the English text on the other. Brushing the cursor over any word will show you where that word is found in either the original language text or the English text.  Even if you are not interested in the original languages, the cross references and available commentaries make these two websites well worth your time.




Closing thoughts:
I know there may be other sites that I did not mention (such as You Version, Cadre Bible) that can be equally as valuable, however the goal of today's post was to alert readers to the possibilities. You as a reader have the choice in determining which Bible software fits your needs. I always caution people when using online material to double check their sources, being that whatever the computer gives you is only as good as what was put into it (the old adage "garbage in/garbage out). However the above sites have been found by this blogger and others to be very reliable. I hope you find those sites to be helpful in your study of God’s Word. They are a blessing to me and in today’s information age, quite edifying!

The New Testament Books in Chronological order

2 Timothy 2:15  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Today's post is all about summarizing the chronological order of the 27 New Testament books.  Knowing such an order can be useful for those who may want to read the New Testament in the order that God revealed His words to the New Testament apostles.  Credit for the dating goes to Dr. Richard Fairman, a wonderful New Testament Professor that I had in Bible College years ago.  May the reader find the following list both useful and informative.

James = 45 A.D

Matthew = Written between 45-50 A.D

Galatians = 52 A.D

1 & 2 Thessalonians = 52 A.D

1 & 2 Corinthians = 56 A.D

Romans  = 57 A.D

Mark = Written between 60-69 A.D

Luke  = Written 59 or 60 A.D

Acts = Written very shortly after Luke. 

Ephesians = 60 A.D

Colossians & Philemon = 61 A.D

Philippians = 62 A.D

1 Timothy & Titus = 62 A.D

1 Peter = 63 A.D

Hebrews = 64 A.D

2 Timothy  = 64 A.D

2 Peter = 66 A.D

Jude = 75 A.D

1,2 & 3 John = Written between 85-95 A.D

Revelation = 96 A.D

P4 Key Golden Verse to the Book of Revelation

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself 
approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  

In today's post we will conclude our series of presenting key verses to each of the New Testament Books.  Years ago Bible teachers used to refer to "The Golden Verse" as a means of finding one key verse that summarizes a given Bible book.  This approach can prove helpful when attempting to grab hold of the overall message of each Bible book or the Bible as a whole.  Yesterday's post featured "golden key verses" to the General letters of the New Testament: Hebrews - Jude.   In today's post we will consider the Golden verse to the final book of the New Testament and the Bible: Revelation.  In this post we will also mention some general features of the book to aid the reader in a deeper appreciation of the book.  My hope is that this study has been edifying to you in your faith-walk.  To God be the glory!

Suggested Key Golden verse to the Book of Revelation

Revelation 1:19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

This verse has been cited for years as a golden key verse due to the three-fold way in which Revelation can be outlined around it's statements:

1. "things which you have seen" Revelation 1

2. "things which are" Revelation1-3 (including 4-5)

3. "things which will take place" (also including 4-5, 6-18)

Revelation 4-5 is included in both "the things which are" and the "things which are to come" due to the fact that the throne room is the very throne room of God the Father and the Son. Being that God sees from His point of view all things as they are and all things being already complete, then past, present and future are going on simultaneously. (compare Psalm 90, 102, 139, Romans 11:33-36, Hebrews 1)  This observation is why I see overlap in Revelation 4-5.

As we look at the book of Revelation from Revelation 1:19, we can say that the book generally progresses from past, present to future.  Though this be the case, the way in which the events of the future (Revelation 6-22) unfold are more in the manner of re-telling a sequence of events in a repeated, "winding staircase fashion".  Simply put, the Apostle John is presenting a sequence of future events in a repeated fashion to give the reader greater and greater detail and to unfold major themes that will culminate at Christ's return (Revelation 19); Christ's Reign (Revelation 20) and Christ's Renewal of all things (Revelation 21-22).  

Truly and significantly the entire Book of Revelation is about showing the Priority and Preeminence of Jesus Christ in the fullness of His being and glory, as well as revealing details of His soon return that give hope in the present and prepares his church for the future.  

P3 Golden Key Verses to the New Testament General Letters

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself 
approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  

In today's post we continue our study of presenting key verses to each of the New Testament Books.  Years ago Bible teachers used to refer to "The Golden Verse" as a means of finding one key verse that summarizes a given Bible book.  This approach can prove helpful when attempting to grab hold of the overall message of each Bible book or the Bible as a whole.  Yesterday's post featured "golden key verses" to the letters or Epistles of Paul in the New Testament.  In today's post we will consider the Golden verses to what is often termed "The General Epistles" or "General Letters".  May this list prove edifying to you in your faith-walk.  To God be the glory!

Suggested Key Golden verses to the General Letters

Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."

James 2:26 "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."

1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."

2 John 6 "And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it."

3 John 11 "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God."

Jude 3 "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." 

These seven letters are called "General" due to the fact they are written not so much to specific churches as they are written to Christians in regions where churches or groups of Christians live.1  Among these eight letters we find common themes such as suffering, the need for perseverance, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and the need to defend the faith.  In tomorrow's post we will consider the Golden key verse and some general features of the last book of the Bible: The Book of Revelation.

Endnotes_________________

1. These letters in times past have been called "The Catholic Epistles" (from a Greek word "katholikos" meaning "general").  

Golden Key Verses to Paul's letters

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself 
approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  

In today's post I want to present
key verses to each of the New Testament Book that I have found helpful in unlocking their meaning and aim.  Years ago Bible teachers used to refer to "The Golden Verse" as a means of finding one key verse that summarizes a given Bible book.  This approach can prove helpful when attempting to grab hold of the overall message of each Bible book or the Bible as a whole.  Yesterday's post featured "golden key verses" to the Gospels and the Book of Acts.  In today's post we will consider the Golden verses to Paul's Epistles or letters.  May this list prove edifying to you in your faith-walk.  To God be the glory!

Suggested Key Golden verses to Paul's Letters

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Galatians 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of God.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him

1 Timothy 3:15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness

Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Philemon 15-16 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

These verses are suggested key verses for all of Paul's letters.  Depending upon one's viewpoint, the Book of Hebrews could be included in this post, since some tend to believe Paul as the author of that letter.  For the purpose of this series, we will let that issue be for another time and include Hebrews in tomorrow's post, when we consider Golden Key Verses to the General Letters.