The timeline of the Bible

We are off and going this new year and I am so thankful for the people that God has brought into my life. As for our Bible Institute class on the foundations of the faith, I want to assure each and every student that this class can change your life. Anytime that God is involved in granting us wisdom and we react in trust and obedience lives will change.

One thing I want to stress is to understand that the Bible is not just another holy book or a book of great wisdom but the Bible is Jesus Christ as stated in the gospel of John.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

This must be settled in your mind and spirit or you will never treat God as your Lord but just as another advisor. You will never grow in His grace until this is settled...if you want the CD on apologetics I am making it available to you...just request it. You can also go to sites like:

http://www.leestrobel.com/
http://www.carm.org/

One thing I thought might be helpful as we are rightly dividing the word is a chronology or timeline of the Bible. I remember one zealous student in a past class saying that Abraham should have know better with Hagar because of the 10 commandments (Moses was born 430 years after Abraham). The books of the Bible are not in chronological order so the timeline is helpful when studying your Bible. Click the link below to get a free pdf of a relatively good timeline.

http://www.creation-science-prophecy.com/timeline5.pdf
or
http://www.carm.org/bible/chronologyot.htm
http://www.carm.org/bible/chronologynt.htm

Also, it is good to have an overall understanding of a book and its context as you are reading it. Hermeneutics, which is the art and science of biblical interpretation, helps us to rightly divide the word and not get into doctrinal problems. Here is another source that breaks up the bible into what types of books there are and a brief overview of the book. Print these and have them handy when you are going through you bible.

http://www.carm.org/bible/bib_ot_books.htm
http://www.carm.org/bible/bib_nt_books.htm
http://www.carm.org/bible/biblewhen.htm

Please email me with any question or insights and remember to pray continually.

"No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack." E.M. Bounds