Category: Bibliology and Bible Interpretation (Hermeneutics)

A Plan for Reading the Bible Chronologically in a Year

January

(1) Genesis 1-3; (2) Genesis 4-7;( 3) Genesis 8-11; (4) Job 1-5; (5) Job 6-9; (6) Job 10-13; (7) Job 14-16; (8) Job 17-20; (9) Job 21-23; (10) Job 24-28; (11) Job 29-31; (12) Job 32-34; (13) Job 35-37; (14) Job 38-39; (15) Job 40-42; (16) Genesis 12-15; (17) Genesis 16-18; (18) Genesis 19-21; (19) Genesis 22-24; (20) Genesis 25-26; (21) Genesis 27-29; (22) Genesis 30-31; (23) Genesis 32-34; (24) Genesis 35-37; (25) Genesis 38-40; (26) Genesis 41-42; (27) Genesis 43-45; (28) Genesis 46-47; (29) Genesis 48-50; (30) Exodus 1-3; 31) Exodus 4-6

 February

(1) Exodus 7-9; (2) Exodus 10-12; (3) Exodus 13-15; (4) Exodus 16-18; (5) Exodus 19-21; (6) Exodus 22-24; (7) Exodus 25-27; (8) Exodus 28-29; (9) Exodus 30-32; (10) Exodus 33-35; (11) Exodus 36-38; (12) Exodus 39-40; (13) Leviticus 1-4; (14) Leviticus 5-7; (15) Leviticus 8-10; (16) Leviticus 11-13; (17) Leviticus 14-15; (18) Leviticus 16-18; (19) Leviticus 19-21; (20) Leviticus 22-23; (21) Leviticus 24-25; (22) Leviticus 26-27; (23) Numbers 1-2; (24) Numbers 3-4; (25) Numbers 5-6; (26) Numbers 7; (27) Numbers 8-10; (28) Numbers 11-13.

 March

(1) Numbers 14-15; Psalms 90; (2) Numbers 16-17; (3) Numbers 18-20; (4) Numbers 21-22; (5) Numbers 23-25; (6) Numbers 26-27; (7) Numbers 28-30; (8) Numbers 31-32; (9) Numbers 33-34; (10) Numbers 35-36; (11) Deuteronomy 1-2; (12) Deuteronomy 3-4; (13) Deuteronomy 5-7; (14) Deuteronomy 8-10; (15) Deuteronomy 11-13; (16) Deuteronomy 14-16; (17) Deuteronomy 17-20; (18) Deuteronomy 21-23; (19) Deuteronomy 24-27; (20) Deuteronomy 28-29; (21) Deuteronomy 30-31; (22) Deuteronomy 32-34; Psalms 91; (23) Joshua 1-4; (24) Joshua 5-8; (25) Joshua 9-11; (26) Joshua 12-15; (27) Joshua 16-18; (28) Joshua 19-21; (29) Joshua 22-24; (30) Judges 1-2; (31) Judges 3-5.

 April

1) Judges 6-7; 2) Judges 8-9; 3) Judges 10-12; 4) Judges 13-15; 5) Judges 16-18; 6) Judges 19-21; 7) Ruth; 8) 1 Samuel 1-3; 9) 1 Samuel 4-8; 10) 1 Samuel 9-12; 11) 1 Samuel 13-14; 12) 1 Samuel 15-17; 13) 1 Samuel 18-20; Psalms 11; Psalms 59; 14) 1 Samuel 21-24; 15) Psalms 7; Psalms 27; Psalms 31; Psalms 34; Psalms 52; 16) Psalms 56; Psalms 120; Psalms 140-142; 17) 1 Samuel 25-27; 18) Psalms 17; Psalms 35; Psalms 54; Psalms 63; 19) 1 Samuel 28-31; Psalms 18; 20) Psalms 121; Psalms 123-125; Psalms 128-130; 21) 2 Samuel 1-4; 22) Psalms 6; Psalms 8-10; Psalms 14; Psalms 16; Psalms 19; Psalms 21; 23) 1 Chronicles 1-2; 24) Psalms 43-45; Psalms 49; Psalms 84-85; Psalms 87; 25) 1 Chronicles 3-5; 26) Psalms 73; Psalms 77-78; 27) 1 Chronicles 6; 28) Psalms 81; Psalms 88; Psalms 92-93; 29) 1 Chronicles 7-10; 30) Psalms 102-104.

 May

1) 2 Samuel 5:1-10; 1 Chronicles 11-12; 2) Psalms 133; 3) Psalms 106-107; 4) 2 Samuel 5:11-6:23; 1 Chronicles 13-16; 5) Psalms 1-2; Psalms 15; Psalms 22-24; Psalms 47; Psalms 68; 6) Psalms 89; Psalms 96; Psalms 100; Psalms 101; Psalms 105; Psalms 132; 7) 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; 8) Psalms 25; Psalms 29; Psalms 33; Psalms 36; Psalms 39; 9) 2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18; 10) Psalms 50; Psalms 53; Psalms 60; Psalms 75; 11) 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19; Psalms 20; 12) Psalms 65-67; Psalms 69-70; 13) 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20; 14) Psalms 32; Psalms 51; Psalms 86; Psalms 122; 15) 2 Samuel 13-15; 16) Psalms 3-4; Psalms 12-13; Psalms 28; Psalms 55; 17) 2 Samuel 16-18; 18) Psalms 26; Psalms 40; Psalms 58; Psalms 61-62; Psalms 64; 19) 2 Samuel 19-21; 20) Psalms 5; Psalms 38; Psalms 41-42; 21) 2 Samuel 22-23; Psalms 57; 22) Psalms 95; Psalms 97-99; 23) 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21-22; Psalms 30; 24) Psalms 108-110; 25) 1 Chronicles 23-25; 26) Psalms 131; Psalms 138-139; Psalms 143-145; 27) 1 Chronicles 26-29; Psalms 127; 28) Psalms 111-118; 29) 1 Kings 1-2; Psalms 37; Psalms 71; Psalms 94; 30) Psalms 119:1-88; 31) 1 Kings 3-4; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 72.

 June

1) Psalms 119:89-176; 2) Song of Solomon; 3) Proverbs 1-3; 4) Proverbs 4-6; 5) Proverbs 7-9; 6) Proverbs 10-12; 7) Proverbs 13-15; 8) Proverbs 16-18; 9) Proverbs 19-21; 10) Proverbs 22-24; 11) 1 Kings 5-6; 2 Chronicles 2-3; 12) 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; 13) 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5; 14) 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalms 136; 15) Psalms 134; Psalms 146-150; 16) 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; 17) Proverbs 25-26; 18) Proverbs 27-29; 19) Ecclesiastes 1-6; 20) Ecclesiastes 7-12; 21) 1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9; 22) Proverbs 30-31; 23) 1 Kings 12-14; 24) 2 Chronicles 10-12; 25) 1 Kings 15:1-24; 2 Chronicles 13-16; 26) 1 Kings 15:25-16:34; 2 Chronicles 17; 27) 1 Kings 17-19; 28) 1 Kings 20-21; 29) 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18; 30) 2 Chronicles 19-23.

 July

1) Obadiah; Psalms 82-83; 2) 2 Kings 1-4; 3) 2 Kings 5-8; 4) 2 Kings 9-11; 5) 2 Kings 12-13; 2 Chronicles 24; 6) 2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25; 7) Jonah; 8) 2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26; 9) Isaiah 1-4; 10) Isaiah 5-8; 11) Amos 1-5; 12) Amos 6-9; 13) 2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 9-12; 14) Micah; 15) 2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 16-17; 16) Isaiah 13-17; 17) Isaiah 18-22; 18) Isaiah 23-27; 19) 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29-31; Psalms 48; 20) Hosea 1-7; 21) Hosea 8-14; 22) Isaiah 28-30; 23) Isaiah 31-34; 24) Isaiah 35-36; 25) Isaiah 37-39; Psalms 76; 26) Isaiah 40-43; 27) Isaiah 44-48; 28) 2 Kings 18:9-19:37; Psalms 46; Psalms 80; Psalms 135; 29) Isaiah 49-53; 30) Isaiah 54-58; 31) Isaiah 59-63.

 August

(1) Isaiah 64-66; (2) 2 Kings 20-21; (3) 2 Chronicles 32-33; (4) Nahum; (5) 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35; (6) Zephaniah; (7) Jeremiah 1-3; (8) Jeremiah 4-6; (9) Jeremiah 7-9; (10) Jeremiah 10-13; (11) Jeremiah 14-17; (12) Jeremiah 18-22; (13) Jeremiah 23-25; (14) Jeremiah 26-29; (15) Jeremiah 30-31; (16) Jeremiah 32-34; (17) Jeremiah 35-37; (18) Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74; Psalms 79; (19) 2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36; (20) Habakkuk; (21) Jeremiah 41-45; (22) Jeremiah 46-48; (23) Jeremiah 49-50; (24) Jeremiah 51-52; (25) Lamentations 1:1-3:36; (26) Lamentations 3:37-5:22; (27) Ezekiel 1-4; (28) Ezekiel 5-8; (29) Ezekiel 9-12; (30) Ezekiel 13-15; (31) Ezekiel 16-17.

 September

(1) Ezekiel 18-19; (2) Ezekiel 20-21; (3) Ezekiel 22-23; (4) Ezekiel 24-27; (5) Ezekiel 28-31; (6) Ezekiel 32-34; (7) Ezekiel 35-37; (8) Ezekiel 38-39; (9) Ezekiel 40-41; (10) Ezekiel 42-43; (11) Ezekiel 44-45; (12) Ezekiel 46-48; (13) Joel; (14) Daniel 1-3; (15) Daniel 4-6; (16) Daniel 7-9; (17) Daniel 10-12; (18) Ezra 1-3; (19) Ezra 4-6; Psalms 137; (20) Haggai; (21) Zechariah 1-7; (22) Zechariah 8-14; (23) Esther 1-5; (24) Esther 6-10; (25) Ezra 7-10; (26) Nehemiah 1-5; (27) Nehemiah 6-7; (28) Nehemiah 8-10; (29) Nehemiah 11-13; Psalms 126; (30) Malachi.

 October

(1) Luke 1; John 1:1-14; (2) Matthew 1; Luke 2:1-38; (3) Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52; (4) Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3; (5) Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51; (6) John 2-4; (7) Mark 2; (8) John 5; (9) Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6; (10) Matthew 5-7; (11) Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7; (12) Matthew 11; (13) Matthew 12:22-50; Luke 11; (14) Matthew 13; Luke 8; (15) Matthew 8:14-34; Mark 4-5; (16) Matthew 9-10; (17) Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17; (18) John 6; (19) Matthew 15; Mark 7; (20) Matthew 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27; (21) Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62; (22) Matthew 18; (23) John 7-8; (24) John 9:1-10:21; (25) Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42; (26) Luke 12-13; (27) Luke 14-15; (28) Luke 16-17:10; (29) John 11; (30) Luke 17:11-18:14; (31) Matthew 19; Mark 10.

 November

(1) Matthew 20-21; (2) Luke 18:15-19:48; (3) Mark 11; John 12; (4) Matthew 22; Mark 12; (5) Matthew 23; Luke 20-21; (6) Mark 13; (7) Matthew 24; (8) Matthew 25; (9) Matthew 26; Mark 14; (10) Luke 22; John 13; (11) John 14-17; (12) Matthew 27; Mark 15; (13) Luke 23; John 18-19; (14) Matthew 28; Mark 16; (15) Luke 24; John 20-21; (16) Acts 1-3; (17) Acts 4-6; (18) Acts 7-8; (19) Acts 9-10; (20) Acts 11-12; (21) Acts 13-14; (22) James; (23) Acts 15-16; (24) Galatians 1-3; (25) Galatians 4-6; (26) Acts 17-18:18; (27) 1 Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians; (28) Acts 18:19-19:41; (29) 1 Corinthians 1-4; (30) 1 Corinthians 5-8.

 December

(1) 1 Corinthians 9-11; (2) 1 Corinthians 12-14; (3) 1 Corinthians 15-16; (4) 2 Corinthians 1-4; (5) 2 Corinthians 5-9; (6) 2 Corinthians 10-13; (7) Acts 20:1-3; Romans 1-3; (8) Romans 4-7; (9) Romans 8-10; (10) Romans 11-13; (11) Romans 14-16; (12) Acts 20:4-23:35; (13) Acts 24-26; (14) Acts 27-28; (15) Colossians; Philemon; (16) Ephesians; (17) Philippians; (18) 1 Timothy; (19) Titus; (20) 1 Peter; (21) Hebrews 1-6; (22) Hebrews 7-10; (23) Hebrews 11-13; (24) 2 Timothy; (25) 2 Peter; Jude; (26) 1 John; (27) 2 John; 3 John; (28) Revelation 1-5; (29) Revelation 6-11; (30) Revelation 12-18; (31) Revelation 19-22.

Book Review: Handbook of Basic Bible Texts by John Jefferson Davis

Great Resource for Bible Students – Especially those who Teach God’s Word

John Jefferson Davis, professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has provided a very practical resource for Bible Students who desire to check out what the Bible has to say on the various aspects of Systematic Theology (what the whole Bible has to say on a given topic/doctrine).

Each chapter in the book includes a major subject of the Bible followed by a brief introduction; all the relevant verses on the topic in sequential order; brief theological comments on most of the verses; and recommended resources for each subject at the end of each chapter.

Here are the Subjects Covered in the Book:

1)    Scripture – Verbal inspiration and Inerrancy.

2)    God – His existence; Divine attributes – Metaphysical & Moral; The Trinity, and Election (verses supported by both Calvinists and Arminians).

3)    Creation.

4)    Providence – Nature, World History, and Personal Circumstances.

5)    Person of Christ – Humanity and Divinity; Divine Titles; Divine Attributes or Qualities; Divine Actions and Prerogatives; etc.

6)    Man – Man’s Original State; Aspects of Human Nature (Trichotomy and Dichotomy); Man in the State of Sin (Original Sin; Personal Sin, Manifestations and Consequences of Sin.

7)    Work of Christ – Preaching, Teaching, Miracles; Obedience; Death; Resurrection; and Ascension.

8)    Salvation and the Christian Life – Calling and Regeneration; Repentance and Faith; Justification; Sanctification (Wesleyan, Reformed, Pentecostal Distinctives); Perseverance (Reformed and Wesleyan/Arminian Views).

9)    The Church – Nature of the Church; Government of the Church; Mission of the Church.

10) Sacraments – Baptism (General Texts; Believer’s Baptism; Infant Baptism); Lord’s Supper (General Texts, Lutheran, Reformed, and Zwinglian Views).

11) Individual Eschatology – Death and the Intermediate State

12) General Eschatology – The Second Coming of Christ; Millenial Views (all four major views); The General Resurrection; The Final Judgment; The Eternal State.

As a teacher, preacher, disciple maker, mentor, counselor, and life coach for Christ – I find myself coming to this book over and over again to provide just the right verse/s for my understanding and instruction on a particular topic. I like the fact that Davis allows you to formulate your doctrine based on the Biblical evidence. It is more helpful than a concordance in that theological truths are taught throughout the Bible without using theological words (e.g. “Trinity;” “pre-millennial”; etc.) I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

*John Jefferson Davis is Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1975. He is an ordained Presbyterian pastor.

Book Review of Tim Keller’s “The Prodigal God”

Tim Keller (Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan, N.Y.) is a very gifted thinker and communicator. His book “The Prodigal God” is one I have read 3 times in the last year. The book is based on perhaps the most famous story that Jesus told in the New Testament (Luke 15) – often referred to as the the parable of the “prodigal son.”I have been a Christian for 39 years now (24 of those years in the pastorate), and I have never read a better presentation of the gospel than he presents in this book. Dr. Keller helped me to fall in love with the God of the gospel again. He helped me to realize that the gospel isn’t just about forgiveness for what I’ve done in the past, or for the promise of Christ’s return and the hope of Heaven for the future, but that the gospel is essential for living today. God’s grace through a relationship with Christ is what we need to be reminded of every day in order to basque in the pleasure, peace, and presence of a wonderful God – who loves us despite our tendencies to rebel, or revel in our own righteousness – either way – our sins of thinking we are too bad, or too good keep us at a distance from knowing God the Father through His perfect Son – Our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Out of 5 stars – I would give it a 10. The principles in this book are invaluable and I sum up what I learned from this book here:

1) I am a bigger sinner than I thought I was – I have a tendency to be like the “older brother” in Luke 15 – who sees himself as more righteous than he really is.

2) God is more gracious than I thought He was – He provides forgiveness for both the rebel (the younger brother) and the older brother – who is lost because it is his supposed righteousness that keeps him from having a relationship with his father – he is an idolater becasue he loves his father’s “things” more than the father himself.

3) It has helped me to understand the gospel and explain it better. Religions have a tendency to lead to idolatry – we think we are good – because we follow rules, or do “good works,” but these good works are self serving and make us look down on others.

4) Ultimately, I owe my salvation solely and totally to the goodness, patience, mercy, grace, and provision of God through Christ. He sought me while yet a sinner. He gave me His righteousness in exchange for my sin. He forgave me despite my rebellion and pride, and revealed His love for me in that He sent His one and only sin to die for me on the cross – Romans 5:8.

5) The Prodigal God wants me to go after all people with the good news that He has made provision for their salvation – no matter what separates them from Him. What a mighty and wonderful God we serve!