• “There are no random personalities, events, or circumstances. There are no
unexpected situations. None of the actions recorded in the Bible caught
God by surprise. Each word of Scripture is designed to move the plan
forward in a way that glorifies God and points to Christ.” Chapter 1, Page
4
zz zz zz zz -This is an interesting thought. It shows the overall depth of the Biblical
narrative and the fact that God never does anything by accident. It also speaks to the
overall narrative of the Bible and God's end goal, which is humanities reunion with
him through Jesus Christ.
• “There is little contemplation about the theological significance of his
sinless life. Instead, any focus on Christ’s life is directed to his teachings,
his miracles, and the parables he told. When we dive into each of these
elements, it is only to mine them for practical significance or personal
spiritual success. Thus we fail to realize the theological significance of the
sinless life of Christ.” Chapter 1, Page 6
zz zz zz zz -I think that people sometimes get caught up in Christ's actions and his
miracles, that we forget the enormity of his very existence. Yes he did all of these
amazing things, and yes he rose from the dead, but before that he was entirely
without sin, and its not as if he was incapable of sinning, the exact opposite. His
human nature made him susceptible to sin, and his being tempted by the devil proves
that. zz I think we get so caught up in the ministry of Christ that we forget to think
about the personhood of Christ, of God becoming man, and of Christ being the
spotless sacrificial lamb.
• “Preexilic prophetic books include Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,
Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Exilic prophetic books
include Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Postexilic prophetic
books include Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The closing of the Old
Testament and the beginning of the New Testament are divided by 400
years of silence.’ Chapter 2, Page 13
zz zz zz -This excerpt speaks to the contextual basis of Biblical study. It is important to
look at the historical circumstances surrounding each of the prophetic books as it
helps to better understand some of the points the prophets are making. This can be
difficult because the books themselves are out of order in most Bibles, at least in all
of the Bibles that I own. However it is interesting to note that the historical
circumstances of the prophetic books does not always correlate to the prophecies
themselves, Isaiah for example talks at great length about the coming Messiah even
though the book was written before the exile in Babylon.
• “Galatians and both Thessalonian letters were written during Paul’s second
missionary journey. The Corinthian letters and Romans were written during
his third missionary journey. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and
Philemon (also known as the Prison Epistles) were written during his
imprisonment.” Chapter 2, Page 15
zz zz zz zz -Even though I've read through the Pauline letters, I have never really put much
thought as to when in Paul's ministry they were written. I was uncertain as to which
letters were written whilst Paul was in captivity, probably due to my not-so-close
reading of the texts. It makes you realize that He wasn't just sitting in an office
pumping out letters to the Churches, he was writing some of them while he was on
the move. This gives you an idea of the Church being on the move, and shows how
often the Apostles were moving around and also trying to stay in touch with other
Churches.
• “The Greek word for gospel (euangelion) means “good news.” The word is
not unique to the Bible. It was often used in ancient times to announce
military victories”. Chapter 3, Page 18
zz zz zz -I knew that the word Gospel was not one that was created by Christians and
had other uses. However I was unaware that it was used to announce military
victories, I thought the word was somewhat synonymous with the words manifesto or
treatise. It is interesting to think of the Gospels as an announcement of a military
victory, but they are precisely that. The Gospels announce the good news of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and part of that good news is his defeat of sin and death. Arguably the
most important military victory in human history is the resurrection and ascension of
Jesus Christ. zz
• “If Christ is the central figure of the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit is
the central figure of Acts. If Luke’s Gospel was a record of the work of
Christ that made the church possible, Acts is a record of the inception of
Christ’s church through the work of the Holy Spirit.” Chapter 3, Page 20
zz zz -While I knew that St. Luke was the author of the Gospel that bears his name,
and also the Book of Acts, I never thought to consider the latter a continuation of
the former. Probably an odd oversight to some, it simply never occurred to me, but
it makes sense as Acts picks up right where the Gospels leave off. I also never
thought of Acts as being a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit. I always
thought of the Holy Spirit as being an overlooked aspect of the Trinity as all of the
focus is usually on the Father and the Son, however looking at Acts in this new
light proves me wrong.
• “Finally, as with all of God’s Word, it is important to read the Proverbs
together. In other words, while proverbial wisdom makes for excellent
kitchen wall plaques, isolating these statements away from their larger
context allows for various kinds of misinterpretation and misapplication.”
Chapter 4, Page 26
zz zz zz zz - I think this speaks to a disheartening phenomenon across the Church, and that
is the cherry-picking of verses to try and support individual conclusions. Our
detractors also use this against us by pulling out specific verses to throw in our faces
in an attempt to discredit the word of God. The books and passages of the Bible
must be understood in their proper contexts otherwise one can bend and twist the
words and verses to say whatever they want.
• “First, while all of the Bible is equally God’s Word, not all of the Bible
is equal. Each genre dictates how it ought to be interpreted, and the
student of God’s Word must not read it flatly as if it is all the same.
Second, improving your understanding of the various genres of the Bible
will set appropriate expectations and boundaries as you work toward
correct interpretation and appropriate application.” Chapter 4, Page 27
zz zz zz - A lot of people, myself included, have a hard time differentiating between the
genre and style of the various books. It can be difficult to remember that different
books are saying different things in different contexts, and you can't read Isaiah the
same way you read Ecclesiastes as you read the Psalms. You have to take into
account the historical contexts of the different books, and change the lens through
which you read them.
• “Often people talk about the Bible as if it were a road map for life. They
envision the Bible providing crystal clear instructions on every detail about
everyday life. Many believe that Scripture is written solely for this
practical purpose of successfully navigating the rough terrain of life.”
Chapter 5, Page 29
zz zz - While the Bible does have recommendations and rules for how to live a good
and Godly life, this is not its purpose. The purpose of the book is to tell God's story
and the glorify God. By looking at it as some sort of road map, it dilutes the Bible
to a sort of "to-do" list and it removes the importance of God and of Christ. This
speaks to a problem talked about in Chapter 1, and that is making oneself the main
character of the story and reducing God to a supporting role. This way of looking at
the Bible makes the entire thing about the person and not about God.
• “One who has embraced this perspective will often limit the Bible in
status to a handbook, guidebook, or instruction manual. He may even use
the illustration of reading an owner’s manual to understand how a product
works. In his estimation, the Bible is simply another manual that will help
him understand how life should work. If he follows the manual, things
will not break or go wrong.” Chapter 5, Page 30
zz zz - The Bible is not a self-help book, and it being seen as such is one of many
problems facing the modern Church. As stated above, the purpose of the Bible is to
glorify God and tell his story. It is not to validate the actions of any one person, nor
is it a field guide for life. It does talk about how to live a Godly life, but if one
professes themselves a Christian, then they must understand that no matter how
faithfully one lives according to the Bible, they cannot be saved without faith in
Jesus Christ as savior.
1. "The Bible is first and foremost the story of God. He is the author and main
character." (Cartwright, pg. 3)
My life is my own story, from the time I was born until now. I have grown and
experienced so many things over my life such as playing sports, graduating high
school, obtaining my associate degree, and spending time with friends and family. I
have had great experiences and have many plans for my future, and I feel as if I
can relate to this message because my life is my own story to write from the past to
the present.
2. "However, Jesus Christ can and did live the perfect and sinless life. He is
righteous. In Christ's death, God credits us with Christ's righteous life. In this great
exchange, we inherit his righteousness, and he takes our sin." (Cartwright, pg. 6)
I can relate to this text because it is a reassurance that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life
for mine. I have a friend and a forgiver all in one when life gets complicated and
turns upside down. With Jesus Christ I know that I can try to be the best I can be,
but I can never be as perfect as him no matter how hard I try.
3. "If you know the history of this story, you can understand the circumstances that
brought Daniel the Israelite to Babylon and how difficult it was for Daniel to choose
to honor God in a hostile environment." (Cartwright, pg. 8)
This text applies to me because I have been put in plenty of situations that have
made me doubt myself, along with others. When struggling with uncertain
environments, I try to seek the best solution and help by asking others and thinking
before I act. With Jesus Christ, he's always present in difficult times of life, and he
has helped me understand and conquer many obstacles.
4. "Yes, the Bible is all equally God's Word, but the books of the Bible include a
variety of types, or genres, or literature. Understanding these different genres is
critical to good Bible study." (Cartwright, pg. 18)
When I interact with other people such as co-workers, classmates, and peers I listen
and try to understand everyone's opinions and comments. It is important to respect
everyone's opinion whether you agree or not because respect is a big characteristic to
me. Also, when studying for classes and trying to learn new things I try to get a
good understanding from many different resources.
5. "We learn about many of Christ's disciples turning away from him because of his
difficult teaching?" (Cartwright, pg. 19-20)
This text applies to me because as I have gotten older, I have had many different
views than others. Christ spoke the truth and wanted many to believe that he was the
truth, but many refused and turned away from him. There are many different things
in life that we have learned, and many are difficult, so many people, including
myself sometimes don't want to adapt or learn. Some people have different views
which leads to difficult teaching.
6. “There are some common mistakes that readers of the Old Testament make. The
first mistake is to approach the stories as primarily about us in the twenty-first
century” (Cartwright, pg. 23)
I can relate to this example because I make common mistakes when it comes to
learning new things. Also, I live in the twenty-first century, so some things are a bit
more challenging than others. One way that I have learned to help myself learn new
things is to get a clear understanding of what I am doing and what needs to be
done. I feel as if text is relatable because sometimes misinterpreting things happens
and sometimes I should slow down to make sure I have a proper understanding of
what is going on.
7. “Vertically, the Old Testament law guided the people of Israel on the proper way
to a relationship with and worship of their God. Horizontally, the Old Testament law
governed the way people were to be in relationship with each other.” (Cartwright, pg.
24)
This context is relatable to me because in my lifetime I have met many different
people and have created friendships and partnerships. Relationships are important to
me because sometimes we need help with things or sometimes, we need to get out
and enjoy ourselves. My relationships with family and friends have helped me out
with many different things. Respect, compassion, and honesty are the things I value
when it comes to relationships with others. zz
8. “Another important aspect of wisdom statements in Proverbs is that they are not
intended to be complete and exhaustive. In other words, the statements of wisdom
point you in the direction of truth without exploring every nuance of the subject
matter.” (Cartwright, pg. 26)
Wisdom to me is someone who has experienced and gone through many different
things. I feel as if Jesus Christ is my true pathway to wisdom as he lived a special,
sinless, and righteous life. He is the one who will continue to lead me in the right
direction for my life. Also, I receive wisdom from people here on Earth and by that,
I mean people who tell me and show me how they believe certain things should be
done so I can continue to become a good and respectful person.
9. “To be sure, the Bible does contain rules and instructions from God. Each of
these commands serves to warn us of danger if we neglect them.” (Cartwright, pg.
30)
The Bible has helped me understand the way of life and how God wants me to live.
He has set forth laws and commands to help me become the best I can be through
my entire life through proper morals and belief, but he also warns me that there is
punishment and judgement. Laws have been set by the government and if broken
there is punishment. I abide by the laws. I may get away with a few things such as
speeding in a 55 but these things can be forgiven here on Earth and with Jesus our
sins and mistakes are forgiven through him for eternity. zz
10. "Some characters set forth a negative example. When I read and study them, I
ought to identify the negative example as well as the steps I can take to avoid
making the same mistake. Other characters, however, offer a positive example."
(Cartwright, pg. 31)
I can relate to this text because I have learned many things from both negative
examples and positive examples. Negative examples have helped me learn not to
repeat the same mistake and positive examples have helped teach me the right ways
of doing things. I try to lead by positive example because in a world full of many
different things positivity can promote change. I try to turn negative examples into
positive examples because sometimes bad examples help teach and help me grow into
the person I want to become.
1. God’s plan is to fix what was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed
God’s instruction. (pg 4)
As a child, I was always taught humans were God’s greatest and worst creation. He
wants to have that relationship with us, but we often choose to worship other things.
Knowing this statement, that all God wants is to restore that relationship with His
children, makes waking up and choosing to deepen the relationship with the Father,
easier.
2. He does not rescue and redeem us, simply to leave us on our own (pg 5 )
I grew up in a church that did not teach a lot about the Holy Spirit, so this is still
a new concept for me. I was told that God lived within me but the actual
understanding that He is there at all times was never fully explained. This statement
resonated with me because it further emphasizes the importance of this lesson.
3. Deuteronomy means “second law” (pg 11)
Over the past few months, I have been working on reading the entire bible in
chronological order via a reading plan on the Youversion app. Even though I have
already read Deuteronomy, I did not know the meaning of the word. I will definitely
be looking into the meaning of other names of book sin the Bible.
4. “..reestablishment of the Sabbath” (pg 13)
This quote is made within the paragraph that is summarizing Nehemiah. One of the
commandments that I believe is the most forgotten about commandment is “keeping
the Sabbath holy”. Knowing that even in the Old Testament, when the Israelites had
a different kind of faith than we do now, they still needed to be reminded on the
sabbath.
5. “Acts is part two to Luke’s Gospel” ( pg 14)
This is just one of those statements that I was never taught even with growing up in
the church. I am currently reading through the Bible and I am excited to get to the
New Testament and be able to read Acts in a new way. There are a lot of little
nuggets of knowledge that I did not know about before reading this section.
6. “This word is not unique to the Bible. It was often used in ancient time
to announce military victories” ( pg 18)
The word that is mentioned here is Gospel, which means “good news”. Anytime I
hear this word in day to day conversations, I automatically assume they are talking
about the Bible, not the military. This gives a new meaning to how important the
Gospels were to the people of Biblical times.
7. “… it is better to grasp the main idea of the parable” ( pg 19)
We often get caught up in the fine details when it comes to biblical stories and
relating them to the culture of those times. However, we miss the point of the
parables when we “zoom in” too much. This same concept is used throughout the
Old Testament as well.
8. “Christ’s visible authority to heal the sick validates his invisible authority
to forgive sin” (pg 19)
We live in a society where we “have to see it to believe it” and so when faith is
believe it without seeing, it can be difficult for us to comprehend. I believe that
Jesus walked with the authority to heal people to help us to have faith that our sins
are truly forgiven and that we can be clean. This also shows that we can be healed
from sickness that is invisible to the eye, such as addiction and mental health.
9. “Determine where the story fits in the landscape of Old Testament history
and how God worked directly with Israel.” ( pg 24)
This goes with the statement #7. It is important to not get caught in the fine details
when looking at the lessons in the Old Testament. When I first started studying the
Old Testament, I was surprised at how much mercy God had with the Israelites
versus what I had been taught as a child.
10. “Most notably, the New Testament restates the two greatest commands that
relate to the primary purpose for the law: love God (vertical relationship
between God and his followers) and love your neighbor (horizontal
interrelationships among people)” ( pg 25)
When you look at the original 10 commandments in Exodus, you can split them into
2 groups. Those that have to deal with your relationship with God and those that
have to deal with your relationship with others. zz Many people think that Jesus came
to get rid of the law but this shows that He came to fulfill the law, not get rid of it.
