• “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
yy yy yy -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
yy yy yy -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. yy 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
yy yy yy -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
yy yy yy -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
yy yy yy -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. yy
• “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
yy yy -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
yy yy yy - 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
yy yy yy - 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
yy yy - 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
yy yy - 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. yy
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. yy
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. yy 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.
