Bible101 English eBook v3

INTRODUCTION
Have you ever tried to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the
picture on the front of the box? You could probably figure out
how to connect a few of the pieces, but it would be very difficult
to put together the entire puzzle! For many people, this describes
their knowledge of the Bible and spiritual things: they have some
understanding, but it is often disconnected and disorganized.
Let’s face it, the Bible can be an intimidating book. It’s very long and
difficult to understand at times, especially if you are reading an older
translation. As a result, many people never read the entire Bible
and most of their understanding of it comes from conversations
with friends, preaching they hear at church, and even movies and
television. They are left with small fragments of truth, like puzzle
pieces, but never really understand how the pieces fit together to
form the big picture.
The purpose of this course is to show you how the pieces of the
puzzle fit together. Each lesson is designed to be about one hour
long. When finished, you will have a much greater understanding
of the Bible and spiritual things. Make sure you have your Bible, a
pen, and this book with you for each lesson. Remember, when you
see the Bible icon B read the verses indicated in your Bible. Before
starting, let us pray this simple prayer together:
Father, thank you for the opportunity to study

your Word today. Our hearts are open and our
minds are alert. We humbly ask you to open
our eyes that we may understand the message
you have sent to us, and give us a heart to obey
it to the best of our ability. In Jesus’ name we
pray, amen.
BIBLE 101 | Understanding God’s message to you in the Bible
THE
Understanding
God’s message
to you in the
Bible.
© 2017-2020 James R. Davis
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013,
2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
For teaching resources, go to www.thebible101.org
Email the author at jrdavis@thebible101.org
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE ....................................... 6
In the prologue we will briefly examine the evidence for God’s
existence and the tools we have to determine what is true.
LESSON 1: THE PROBLEM .......... 9

In lesson one, we will examine the Bible as a reliable source
of information and seek to understand why the human race
needs a Saviour.
LESSON 2: THE PLAN .................... 23

In lesson two, we will explore how God revealed His plan to
save the human race through the ancient nation of Israel.
LESSON 3: THE SOLUTION ....... 35

In lesson three, we will study how God sent Jesus Christ as
the solution to the problem and what we must do to take part
in it.
LESSON 4: THE JOURNEY ......... 45

In lesson four, we will learn about the life God wants us to live
and being part of a community of believers.
APPENDIX: BIBLE TIMELINE ...... 58

BIBLE READING PLAN .................. 61
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THE
PROLOGUE
DOES GOD EXIST?
Is there a logical reason to believe God exists without proof?
The Bible teaches God is a spirit. Our human minds cannot fully
understand what a spirit is. The Bible compares a spirit to air or
wind. On a windy day, when you walk outside, you can’t actually see
the wind, but you know it exists because you can see and feel its
effects. So it is with God—we can’t actually see Him because He is
a spirit, but we can perceive His attributes in the world around us.
These four examples provide strong evidence of His existence:
1. Nature. The order, balance, and complexity of nature

indicate the existence of God. The strongest example
is found in a strand of DNA. Every cell in your body
contains a microscopic piece of code that is a blueprint
of you. Each strand of DNA contains a sequence of four
different chemicals that is over 3 billion sequences long!
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome
Project, stated, “It is humbling for me and awe inspiring
to realize that we have caught the first glimpse of our
own instruction book, previously known only to God.”
Dr. Collins described DNA as “...an instructional script,
a software program, sitting in the nucleus of the cell.”
Microsoft founder Bill Gates wrote, “DNA is like a
computer program but far, far more advanced than any
software ever created.”
2. Testimony. There are millions that can testify to the

life changing power of the Christian faith. Stories
of changed lives, broken addictions, forgiveness,
healing, and restored relationships are common among
Christians today. There is a good reason why so many
still believe: It’s real and it produces results.
3. The Bible. The historical and prophetic accuracy of

the Bible is astonishing. Many of the people, places,
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PROLOGUE
and events in the Bible have been verified by historical

writers and archeological evidence. The examples are
too numerous to list in this book.
4. Israel. In 70 AD, Israel was conquered by the Romans

and ceased to exist as a nation. The Jewish people were
dispersed among the nations of the world for almost
2,000 years, yet they held on to their unique faith and
identity. They were hated by people in many of the
countries they lived in because God prospered them.
This hatred came to a climax during the Holocaust
of Nazi Germany, where six million Jews were
exterminated in Europe. Just a few years later in 1948,
Israel became a nation again. They were immediately
attacked by five surrounding Arab nations with fully
equipped armies. God miraculously gave them victory
and they survived. The nation of Israel stands today as
an enduring witness of God’s promises.
DOES GOD REQUIRE BLIND FAITH?

No. God knows we have a process of determining what is true, and
He has provided us with the capacity to make an intelligent decision
using the following tests:
1. Experience: Things you have experienced or

observed personally form your most basic
understanding of truth.
2. Knowledge: Information that is accepted as the

experience or observation of others.
3. Conscience: The inner sense that allows us to judge

what is right and wrong. God gave us our conscience
to point us toward Him.
God wants to draw us to Him through all three of these sources: Our
conscience makes us aware of God, the Bible gives us knowledge of
God, and when we respond to His plan, we experience the results
in our lives.
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THE PROBLEM | LESSON 1
LESSON 1: THE PROBLEM

Before we can understand the Bible, we must first understand why
we even need a Bible. This lesson will cover the book of Genesis.
IS THE BIBLE TRUE?

In this life it can be very difficult to know what is true. There are
many voices in the world that give us conflicting advice about how
to live our lives; unfortunately, the result is often confusion. This is
especially true spiritually. We hear lots of conflicting teaching and
preaching about what God expects of us in this life. There are many
different religions in the world, and within those religions there are
many variations in doctrine and practice. The pursuit of truth leaves
many frustrated and confused, and they often give up.
In this course, we will examine the Bible as God’s true message

to mankind. Many today believe the Bible is flawed and has been
changed over the centuries from its original meaning. This is simply
not true. If God exists, then it is logical that He has the ability to
deliver and preserve a message to us that is true. In order to be a
disciple of Christ, we must first accept the Bible is true and it is
God’s message to us today.
If you are skeptical, don’t worry. Skepticism is a natural reaction to

things we cannot observe. In this course, we will examine the Bible
in its entirety, and then you must decide whether to accept it or
reject it as truth. This is a decision we all must make as we search for
truth in this life.
WHERE DID THE BIBLE COME FROM?

First, let’s examine the origins and history of the Bible. The Bible
as we know it was written over a period of about 1600 years
starting at 1500 B.C. and ending at 96 A.D. The Bible is divided into
two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word
Testament means a “covenant” or “agreement.” The Bible contains
66 individual books and was written by 44 different writers. These
writers wrote under the inspiration of God:
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You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and
they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is
useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong
in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do
what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do
every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15–17
Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came
from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative.
No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke
from God. 2 Peter 1:20–21
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come
from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by
the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
1 Corinthians 2:13
Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the

gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.
I received my message from no human source, and no one taught
me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:11–12
In ancient Israel, people were very serious about serving God. In

those days, the writings God delivered through the prophets
were deemed sacred and holy. The writings that were considered
scripture were carefully preserved and copied from generation to
generation by scribes. Their job was to meticulously copy important
documents. The result was a body of ancient manuscripts that were
preserved with great accuracy.
From this body of manuscripts, the early Church fathers were able
to discern the canon, or “sacred collection” of writings, that make up
the Bible. This was relatively easy in regards to the Old Testament;
it had already been in existence for quite some time and the Jewish
priests had already determined which books were considered
divinely inspired. This was not the case for the New Testament; it
was new at that time. By 400 A.D., the early church councils were
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in agreement on the 27 books of New Testament scripture. This was

the criteria they used to determine if a book was indeed scripture:
• Was the author an Apostle or someone closely

associated with an Apostle?
• Was the book accepted by the church at large as

scripture?
• Does the book contradict existing scripture?
It is important to understand that

these early manuscripts that were
preserved and copied from generation
The Dead Sea
to generation were not written in the Scrolls were
English language. The Old Testament was discovered
written mostly in Hebrew, and the New
Testament was written in Greek. There
in 1948 and
were three major obstacles at the time contained
that prevented ordinary people from copies of
being able to read the Bible:
manuscripts as
• Illiteracy or lack of Translations: old as 200 B.C.
If you couldn’t read Hebrew,
Greek, or later, Latin, you were
not able to read the Bible.
• Scarcity: Before printing presses and digital media,

copies of the Bible were made by scribes and
therefore were costly and less accessible.
• Institutional Control: The Roman Catholic church

wanted to control the study and distribution of the
scriptures for political and financial reasons.
The Bible was translated into the Latin language for about 1,000 years
from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. This version of the Bible was known as
the Latin Vulgate. During this time, also known as the middle ages,
Latin was the primary language used by educated people. It wasn’t
until the 1500s that brave men such as John Wycliffe, John Hus,
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THE
William Tyndale, and Martin Luther began translating the Bible into
other languages. Technology also began to change around 1450
when John Gutenberg invented the printing press. The Bible was
the first book published! This was a monumental development in
history because it opened the door for millions to personally own
and read the Bible in their native language.
In 1611, the King James Version of the Bible was completed. This
is the predecessor of the modern Bible. It took seven years to
translate it from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts! King
James I of England commissioned the translation. The King James
Version (KJV) has been the most widely used version of the Bible
in the past 500 years. Unfortunately, because it was written 500
years ago, it contains the old English dialect which can be very
difficult for us to understand today. Recently, the Bible has been
translated into several modern English translations such as the NIV,
ESV, and NLT. It is very important to use a translation of the Bible
you can understand and is translated accurately.
When you consider the historical evidence, it is reasonable to

believe the Bible is an accurate translation of the original writings,
and it has been preserved virtually unchanged through the ages of
history.
WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE BIBLE?

Despite having 66 books and 44 different writers, the Bible is one
story. The story contains many characters and many plots and sub-
plots, but the message of the Bible, in its simplest form, is this: Jesus
is the Son of God who came and died for our sins so we can receive
eternal life if we follow Him.
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life. John 3:16
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others
and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
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DEFINITIONS
These definitions will give you a basic understanding of spiritual
concepts found in the Bible:
God: The creator of the universe, who exists as a spirit that is all-
powerful and all-knowing. Also referred to as the Father, Jehovah,
Lord, and Yahweh.
Jesus Christ: God in the form of a human being. Also referred to as

the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Lamb.
The Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Jesus Christ that lives inside of a born-
again believer and gives them power to live the Christian life.
Angels: Spiritual beings that serve God and have various functions
and responsibilities in the spirit dimension.
Satan: A powerful angel that rebelled against God due to the sin
of pride. He now exists as the enemy of God and His people. Also
referred to as Lucifer, the Devil, and the enemy.
Demons: Former angels that rebelled against God with Satan.
Heaven: The place where God dwells. It is also a place of comfort

and reward for the righteous in the afterlife.
Hell: A place of torment for the unrighteous dead, also referred to

as the Grave, Hades, or Sheol.
Lake of Fire: The final place of punishment for those who have not
received salvation through Jesus Christ. Also known as Gahenna.
THE SIN PROBLEM

The very first book of the Bible, Genesis, describes in detail how God
created the universe in six days. On the sixth day of creation, God
created a human being named Adam:
Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground.
He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man
became a living person. Genesis 2:7
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This gives us a vital clue to who we are as human beings. We are

made up of three distinct parts that are interconnected:
• Body: Physical human flesh containing bone, muscle,

organs, blood, and skin.
• Soul: The thoughts, emotions, and will. Your heart.
• Spirit: The spiritual energy from God that gives you

life and will exist eternally.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every

way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be
kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Adam was created in a sinless, immortal state. In fact, he was able to

see and interact with God in the Garden of Eden. God also created
a woman named Eve to serve as a companion for Adam. God told
Adam he could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except for
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam was warned the
punishment for disobedience was death:
But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of
every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16–17
After that, we see the first appearance of Satan in the Bible. Satan,
in the form of a serpent, tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying
God by eating the forbidden fruit. This is an event of huge spiritual
significance and is referred to as the Fall of Man. After man sinned
against God, he no longer enjoyed the wonderful, immortal life he
once had. Instead, death and decay entered into the human race
and everything mankind had authority over:
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But
with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it
will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
Romans 8:20–21
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WHAT IS SIN?
Sin is any disobedience to God’s law or falling short of His
righteousness. People have become indifferent to the seriousness
of sin because of spiritual ignorance. This is a grave mistake because
the Bible clearly teaches that God will bring all sinners into judgment
and final punishment. Because of sin, Adam and Eve and all their
descendants were separated from God and doomed to death and
eternal judgment. This is our “sin problem.” There are two types of
sin we deal with:
• Inherited sin: This is our sinful nature we inherited

from our great ancestor Adam. (Psalm 51:5)
• Committed sin: This is the sin we have actually

done ourselves as a result of our sinful nature.
(Romans 3:23)
Sin is the root cause of all the problems in the world today. The entire
“story” of the Bible is the answer to this problem: The punishment
for sin is death.
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought
death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people
sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin
because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—
from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did
not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did.
Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet

to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and
God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought
death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his
gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the
result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation,
but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even
though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man,
Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s
wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive
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THE
it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man,
Jesus Christ.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but

Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with
God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed
God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed
God, many will be made righteous. God’s law was given so that
all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned
more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now
God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with
God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12–21
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first
of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death
came into the world through a man, now
the resurrection from the dead has begun God’s
through another man. Just as everyone dies ultimate plan
because we all belong to Adam, everyone
who belongs to Christ will be given new life. was to send
1 Corinthians 15:20–22 his Son, Jesus
Christ, to die
GOD’S PLAN as a substitute
After Adam and Eve sinned, they were
separated from fellowship with God and
for our death.
they began the process of aging and dying.
But God already had a plan to save mankind from sin before they
even fell. God’s ultimate plan was to send his Son, Jesus Christ, to
die as a substitute for our death. God immediately started to enact
His plan to save mankind. His first step was to establish the right to
bless and protect mankind through righteousness by faith.
B Read Hebrews 11:1–16
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MEN COUNTED RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH

After the fall, we find Able offering sacrifices God accepted. His
brother Cain, offered the wrong sacrifices and was not accepted. In
his anger, Cain killed his brother Able. This is the first example of the
struggle between good and evil in this world. God is immediately
establishing a pattern of worship and sacrifice that pointed to the
future sacrifice of Christ.
Later in Genesis, we find that the Earth became completely corrupt

with sin and violence. The situation was so bad, it threatened God’s
plan to establish righteousness. God decided to cleanse the Earth
of this wickedness by sending a great flood. God still had a plan to
preserve and protect the righteous through
the flood. God told Noah to build a large Noah’s Ark
wooden boat called an ark to save his family is a picture
and the animal species of the Earth. This of Jews and
is also a vivid picture of the Jews and non-
Jews (Gentiles) both receiving salvation in Gentiles both
the future. receiving
About 400 years after the flood, God salvation in
found a man of faith on the Earth named the future.
Abraham. God’s plan was to use Abraham to
start a nation of people He could bless and protect. God would use
this nation to teach all the other nations how to worship and serve
Him. God would also use this nation as a host to send His son, Jesus
Christ in the future. Jesus would have a special plan and purpose to
fulfill, and this could not be done in a sinful environment.
COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

God told Abraham to leave his hometown of Haran and to go to
a new area that would be a place of blessing and protection. This
is similar to how God calls us to come out from the world and be
separated so He can bless and protect us. Abraham obeyed God by
faith, and moved to Canaan, an area now known as Israel. Faith is
the key to living the Christian life. Faith is when we trust what God’s
word says even when it doesn’t appear to be possible, or we don’t
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THE
fully understand it. God entered into an agreement with Abraham

to provide blessing and protection to his descendants (Genesis
17:1–14). The agreement was contingent on Abraham’s obedience
to God’s requirements. At one point, God told Abraham to sacrifice
his only son Isaac. This was a test of Abraham’s obedience. Abraham
obeyed what God said and attempted to sacrifice his son. At the
last second, God sent an angel to stop him and provided a ram as a
substitute sacrifice. This is the first clue we have about God’s plan
to send His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.
Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel

said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for
Faith is
now I know that you truly fear God. You
have not withheld from me even your son,
the key to
your only son.” Then Abraham looked
up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a
living the
thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed
it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Christian
Genesis 22:12–13
life.
Abraham’s son, Isaac, had twin sons: Jacob
and Esau. Esau was the firstborn and Jacob was the second born.
In ancient middle eastern culture, the firstborn son had a higher
ranking and status in the family. This story is unusual because Jacob
ends up surpassing his brother, Esau. This story is representative of
Adam and Jesus. The “firstborn,” Adam, gave up his rightful place
by sinning against God. The “second-born,” Jesus, received God’s
favor by being obedient even unto death. This is perfectly stated in
this verse:
For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But
even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to
many through this other man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Israel then had twelve sons
who became the foundation for the nation of Israel. One of Israel’s
sons that God used in a special way was Joseph. Joseph had a dream
that all the world would bow down to him. This angered his older
brothers and they decided to fake his death and sell him as a slave to
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Egypt. Joseph went through many trials and tests in Egypt, but he
stayed true to God in spite of great difficulty and injustice.
God rewarded Joseph with the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph

used this gift to interpret a dream for the king and he was promoted
to second in command of all Egypt. In this role, Joseph was able to
save Egypt and the surrounding people from a great famine because
he knew it was coming and prepared for it by storing surplus food.
This also explains how the nation of Israel moved from Canaan to
the land of Egypt. This concludes the book of Genesis.
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THE
LESSON 1 REVIEW
SECTION 1: THE BIBLE
1. In order to be a _____________ of Christ, we must believe
the Bible is ________ and it is God’s message to us today.
2. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by 44

writers under the _______________ of God.
3. Ancient sacred writings were carefully and accurately

copied by ______________ .
4. The Old Testament was written in ____________, and the

New Testament in ___________.
5. The invention of the ____________ _________ and

translation into common ________________ made the
Bible accessible to millions.
6. It is important that you use a Bible translation you can

_______________ and is ______________ accurately.
7. Considering the historical ___________________ , it is

reasonable to believe the Bible is an _________________
translation of the original writings and has been
preserved through the ages of history.
8. The Bible contains one story: Jesus is the _____ of

_____ who came and died for our sins so we can receive
____________ _________ if we follow Him.
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SECTION 2: THE SIN PROBLEM

9. Human beings are made up of three distinct parts:
______ , ________ , and ___________ .
10. Through Adam’s sin, _________ and __________ entered

into the human race and all creation.
11. Sin is any __________________ to God’s law or falling

short of His _____________________, and the punishment
for all sin is ___________.
12. God’s plan was to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as a
________________ for our death.
SECTION 3: GOD’S PLAN

13. God established the right to protect and bless men
through __________________ by __________.
14. God planned to create a nation from Abraham that would

bless and teach other nations how to ____________ and
___________ God.
15. __________ is the key to living the Christian life.
16. God made a __________________ covenant with

Abraham to provide ____________ and _____________ to
his descendants.
(Answer key below and on page 60)
16. conditional, blessing, protection
12. substitute 13. righteousness, faith 14. worship, serve 15. faith
spirit 10. death, decay 11. disobedience, righteousness, death
7. evidence, accurate 8. Son, God, eternal life 9. body, soul,
Greek 5. printing press, languages 6. understand, translated
Answers: 1. disciple, true 2. inspiration 3. scribes 4. Hebrew,
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THE
MAP OF
EXODUS
1. Passover
2. Leave Egypt
3. Red Sea Crossing
4. The Law at Mt. Sinai
5. The Tabernacle
6. Spies Sent Out

ND
7. Wandered for 40 Years
LA
8. Entered the Promised Land

ED
A
DEAD SE
MIS
8
PRO
THE
EGY
PT 7
THE
PAS
SO
1
S WI
VE
LD
DU
R
ER
XO 2 NE
S
E
5
A
S
RED SE
Mt. Sinai
* Map is approximate. Actual Exodus route is unknown.
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THE PLAN | LESSON 2
LESSON 2: THE PLAN

In lesson two, we will explore how God revealed His plan to save
the human race through the ancient nation of Israel. This lesson will
cover the book of Exodus through Malachi.
FREEDOM FROM EGYPT

The book of Exodus begins 215 years after Genesis. Joseph and his
brothers are gone, but their family has grown into a nation of over
two million people while in Egypt. The Egyptians feared them and
oppressed them with hard labor. God’s plan was to bring them back
to the land He promised to Abraham in
the beginning. God raised up Moses to To this day,
lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt and
back to the “promised land” of Canaan.
religious Jews
This journey is a pattern and example of all over the
God’s plan for salvation in our lives.
world still
Through Moses, God sent ten plagues on observe the
the Egyptians before they would release
the Israelites to leave. The final plague Passover feast.
was the death of the firstborn. Every
firstborn child in Egypt died unless their family followed special
instructions God gave to Moses. These special instructions were
to kill a lamb and apply the blood of the lamb to the door post of
their home. These special instructions were another clue to help us
understand the mission of Jesus Christ. He would be the “Lamb”
slain and His blood would be the payment for our sins. The Jews still
observe this tradition today: It’s called the Passover.
Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

1 Corinthians 5:7
The Israelites left Egypt that night. This is an example of how we

must turn away from our sinful lives and decide to follow the plan
of God. This is called repentance, which means to “change your
thinking.” After they left Egypt, God led them to an area in the
desert next to the Red Sea. At that same time, the King of Egypt
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THE
decided to chase after them with his army to bring them back to
Egypt. God told Moses to raise his staff and hand over the sea and
the waters parted so they could cross the Red Sea and escape the
Egyptian army. The army tried to follow them, but the water fell on
them and they drowned. This is a picture of baptism in our life as a
Christian. When we are baptized, all the sins we have committed
are washed away and we start a new life. (Romans 6:4, Acts 22:16)
The nation of Israel was free, but they were not yet in the promised
land. God wanted to lead them there immediately, but because they
did not have faith in God, they had to wander in the wilderness for
40 years. God protected and cared for Israel in many miraculous
ways during this time. This is a picture of our life as Christians in
this world being led by the Holy Spirit. We have come out of Egypt
(sin), but we have not yet entered into the promised land (Heaven).
The wilderness of this life is very difficult at times, but we must
trust that God is leading and guiding us to a better place He has
promised: Heaven.
THE LAW
A very important thing happened in the wilderness. God gave special
instructions to Moses on how the nation of Israel was to serve Him
in their new land. God needed to expand the covenant He had made
with Abraham and his descendants: the Covenant would now cover
an entire nation! The Covenant God gave to Moses was called the
Law. The Law included the first five books of the Bible. The Jews
call this the Torah. The Law specified the ten commandments, the
tabernacle plan, the Ark of the Covenant, and the various rules and
regulations for worship and everyday life. God wanted to create a
nation of righteousness that would be an example to all the nations
of the world. At that time, idol worship had infiltrated the nations of
the world, and this was a great sin against God.
WHY DON’T CHRISTIANS KEEP THE LAW?

A common attack on the scriptures is to point out some of the
unusual or harsh verses from the Law in order to discredit the
24
THE PLAN | LESSON 2
entire Bible. Sometimes, we struggle to see God in strange dietary

restrictions, punishment by stoning, and sacrificing of animals.
The important thing to remember is that the Law was designed to
govern an entire nation and combined three different types of law:
ceremonial, moral, and civil. The Law had to be strict to keep order
and instill discipline in a very dangerous time. Christians today are
not required to keep the Law because we are under a new covenant.
The New Testament will help us understand how Christ fulfilled the
Law of Moses, and under the new covenant, God is inside of us,
writing His commandments on our hearts. (Hebrews 10:16)
MAP OF THE
TABERNACLE
MOST
HOLY
PLACE
ARK OF THE COVENANT
ALTAR OF Resurrection
INCENSE
HOLY TABLE OF
BREAD
PLACE
GOLDEN
LAMPSTAND
BRONZE
POOL FOR
WASHING Burial
OUTER
COURT
BRONZE
ALTAR OF
SACRIFICE Death
THE
Priest PATTERN
25
THE
THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS

A very important part of the Law was the tabernacle in the
wilderness. The tabernacle was a portable temple that was used
to worship God in the desert. The tabernacle contained the same
pattern God established before, but in even greater detail. (See
diagram on previous page.) Here is the pattern:
• Death: An altar where offerings of animals, grains,

and liquids were sacrificed and consumed by fire.
• Burial: A pool of water to wash away impurities.
• Resurrection: A Holy place where the spirit of God

dwelled.
Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place and
sprinkle the blood of a goat on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant.
This act would atone for the sins of the entire nation for one year.
This ritual was a temporary solution, and it pointed to the sacrifice
of Christ, which would be the final payment for sin.
B Read Hebrews 10:1–18

JOSHUA LEADS ISRAEL INTO CANAAN
After 40 years in the desert, the Israelites were now spiritually
ready to re-enter Canaan, the land God promised to Abraham
and his descendants. God needed a people who would fully trust
in Him and understand keeping the terms of the covenant (Law)
were critical to their success in possessing Canaan. The area was not
vacant; there were several nations living there and many fortified
cities they would have to conquer. Military leadership would be
critical. Due to a spiritual error Moses made, God did not permit
him to lead the Israelites into Canaan. God raised up Joshua, Moses’
successor, to lead them there.
Joshua was a type or reflection of Christ. God brought great victory

to the Israelites under Joshua. The most famous battle Joshua led
them in was the battle for the city of Jericho. Jericho was a heavily
26
THE PLAN | LESSON 2
fortified city that was defeated miraculously by obedience to

God and worship. This was a clear sign that God was fighting the
battles for the nation of Israel. Shortly after that, they suffered a
humbling defeat. God revealed one of the Israelites had disobeyed
His command and taken plunder from Jericho. This caused the army
to be defeated in a battle. So it is in our Christian life—if we practice
willful sin, we remove ourselves from the protection of God’s
covenant and become vulnerable to the attack of Satan.
In the end, Joshua led the Israelites to victory and they possessed
the promised land. Unfortunately, they failed to conquer and drive
out all the nations living there. In the future, this would result in
attacks and raids from those nations as well as an ungodly cultural
influence caused by intermarriage and idol worship.
The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to
the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I
swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my
covenant with you. For your part, you were not to make any
covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were
to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did
you do this? So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the
people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and
their gods will be a constant temptation to you.” Judges 2:1–3
ISRAEL RULED BY JUDGES

In the years after they possessed the promised land, the nation
of Israel still had no king. They observed the Law as a governing
document, and had prophets and priests as spiritual leaders.
Unfortunately, people began to do whatever they thought was right
instead of obeying the Law. The result was oppression from their
enemies. God’s response was to raise up powerful leaders, called
judges, to defeat their enemies (Judges 2:16). The most well known
judge of this time was Sampson. Sampson was able to inflict great
losses to the Philistines who were Israel’s biggest enemy. The people
didn’t like this leadership model and eventually wanted a king like the
other nations around them. God reluctantly granted their wish and
27
THE
gave them a king named Saul. Saul started out as a good king, but he
eventually started disobeying God. The results were disastrous for
the nation. King Saul represents man’s rebellious nature. The next
king, David, would represent God’s righteous nature.
KING DAVID THE RIGHTEOUS KING

King David had tremendous power from God (also called
“anointing”) to lead Israel to victory in battle. David is well known
for slaying the giant Goliath, but that is only the beginning of his
list of victories. David finished the job Joshua started and defeated
Israel’s enemies. In David, we also see a message of God’s coming
grace. David sinned greatly by committing adultery and murder, but
he repented and received forgiveness even though he was under
the Law. As Christians, we also receive mercy and forgiveness under
God’s grace.
SOLOMON BUILDS THE FIRST TEMPLE

When David died, his son, Solomon became king. God’s purpose for
Solomon was to build a temple for Him to dwell in. Since the time
they were in the wilderness, the tabernacle was still being used for
the priestly rituals. Solomon had great wealth and was able to build
a permanent temple in Jerusalem. That was the first temple. The
temple was built in Jerusalem on the site of the modern day Dome
of the Rock. Solomon’s reign over Israel was marked by peace,
prosperity, and prestige. It was truly the “golden era” of ancient
Israel.
PSALMS AND PROVERBS: WORSHIP AND

WISDOM
King David was also a highly skilled musician and songwriter. He
contributed greatly to the book of Psalms, a book of lyrics that give
praise to God and described the struggle between the righteous
and the wicked. David understood the secret to spiritual victory:
praise and worship. As Christians we should also realize that worship
and thanksgiving are an important part of our devotion to God.
28
THE PLAN | LESSON 2
King Solomon was the author of the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is

a book of practical wisdom for everyday life. God gifted Solomon
with supernatural wisdom. King Solomon also wrote Song of Songs,
which is a beautiful book of poetry, and Ecclesiastes, a book that
teaches us the meaning of life:
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God
and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge
us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether
good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
ISRAEL DECLINES AS A NATION

After King Solomon died, Israel began to decline as a nation. Several
different kings came and went. Some were good and followed
righteousness, but many were evil and followed after false gods. This
may seem difficult for us to understand if idol worship is not a part
of our culture. Consider this: the things we are passionate about
and sacrifice our time and effort to are our “idols.” In our culture,
technology, sports, possessions, pleasure, and entertainment have
become the objects of our thoughts and passions. The Israelites
found themselves in the same predicament. They began to follow
after false gods and idols instead of keeping the requirements of
the Law that was given to Moses. God sent many prophets such
as Elijah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah to warn the people to turn from
their wicked ways, but they did not obey and often killed God’s
messengers. They also suffered from political strife and as a result,
the nation was divided into two kingdoms: Judah in the south, and
Israel in the north.
ISRAEL DEFEATED AND TAKEN CAPTIVE

Eventually, God used other nations to punish Israel for their
disobedience. At that time, the Babylonians were the superpower
on the Earth. They conquered Israel and Judah and carried the
people off to Babylon as captives. This was a time of great sorrow
and mourning, because the first temple and the city of Jerusalem
were destroyed. Jerusalem is a very special city, because it is the
place on Earth God has chosen for His name to be honored.
29
THE
God was with the Israelites even while they were in captivity in
Babylon. In fact, God gave special favor to some of them. Here are
a few examples:
• God used Esther to save the Jewish people from

extermination.
• God saved the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego from being burned alive.
• God made Daniel an authority

and saved him from death Today, the
by lions. He also gave Daniel Temple
prophetic revelations about the
nation of Israel and the last days. Mount is also
considered the
ISRAEL RETURNS AND second holiest
REBUILDS site in another
When the seventy years of exile were
complete, God sent Zerubbabel and Ezra
religion: Islam.
back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple
and resume worship. This was called the second temple. This is the
same temple that would be in existence during the life of Christ,
many years later. God also sent Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of
the walls of Jerusalem. This was a very difficult task, because they
were opposed by other nations and groups of people in the area. The
work was very strenuous and dangerous. After the city was rebuilt,
the exiled Jews were able to begin returning to their homeland.
WHY DIDN’T THE LAW WORK?

Israel’s struggle with obedience to the Law was a great
disappointment to God. Fortunately, God never intended for the
Law to be a permanent solution to the sin problem. It was only a
temporary solution. In fact, the Law had some serious limitations:
• It was very difficult to keep.
• It made people want to sin more.

30
THE PLAN | LESSON 2
• It addressed the symptoms of sin (behavior), but not

the cause (the heart).
• People who were good at keeping the law thought

they were superior to others.
God’s permanent solution to the sin problem was just on the horizon:
Jesus Christ. The books of the prophets contain many predictions
of His coming. The apostle Matthew used these scriptures as proof
Jesus was the promised Messiah. Here are some examples:
• The virgin birth was prophesied by Isaiah.

(Matthew 1:22-23—Isaiah 7:14)
• Jesus’ birthplace was prophesied by the prophet

Micah. (Matthew 2:4-6—Micah 5:2)
• John the Baptist was prophesied by Isaiah.

(Matthew 3:3—Isaiah 40:3)
• Jesus’ home town of Nazareth was also prophesied

by Isaiah. (Matthew 4:12-16—Isaiah 9:1-2)
• The purpose of Jesus’ ministry was prophesied by

Isaiah. (Luke 4:16-19—Isaiah 61:1-2)
WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE OLD AND

NEW TESTAMENT?
Between the Old and New Testament, there is a period of 400
years of silence in the scriptures. This period of time was predicted
by the prophet Daniel. During that time the world changed and
two new nations became world powers: First the Greeks, then the
Romans. By the time Jesus Christ was born, Israel had a king named
Herod, but they were under the rule of the Roman Empire. Many
Israelites were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the prophesied
Messiah to deliver them from the oppression of Rome. This political
and religious scenario soon became the backdrop of the life and
ministry of Jesus Christ.
31
THE
LESSON 2 REVIEW
SECTION 1: FROM EGYPT TO THE PROMISED
LAND
1. The journey of Israel from _________ to the Promised
Land is a pattern for our __________________.
2. Leaving Egypt is a picture of _________________ which

means to ____________ your thinking.
3. The ______ ______ crossing is a picture of baptism.
4. The _________________ journey is a picture of our ______

on Earth as Christians.
5. The _______ was God’s expanded _______________ with

the nation of Israel.
6. The ___________________ was a portable temple that

contained God’s pattern for salvation: _________ ,
___________ , and ______________________.
7. In the Promised Land, Israel was successful as long as they

______________ the terms of the Law.
SECTION 2: THE RIGHTEOUS KINGDOM

8. God sent ___________ to defeat Israel’s enemies in the
Promised Land.
9. King Saul was a symbol of man’s ______________ nature.
10. God gave ________ ___________ tremendous power to

defeat the enemies of Israel.
32
THE PLAN | LESSON 2
11. King Solomon built the first _________ in Jerusalem,

replacing the ___________________.
12. Psalms is a book of ____________ that gives praise

to God and describes the struggle between the
__________________ and the ___________________.
SECTION 3: ISRAEL TURNS AWAY FROM GOD

13. Israel began to worship _________ and eventually split
into two separate ________________.
14. God punished Israel by allowing the ______________ to

destroy the Temple and take them into _______________.
15. After _____ years in Babylon, the Israelites returned and

rebuilt __________________ and the Temple.
16. The Law was not intended to be a __________________

solution to the sin problem.
17. The Old Testament prophets _________________ the

coming of __________ ____________.
18. There is a period of ______ years of silence between the

______ and ______ ___________________ .
New Testament
16. permanent 17. predicted, Jesus Christ 18. 400, Old,
13. idols, kingdoms 14. Babylonians, captivity 15. 70, Jerusalem
King David 11. temple, tabernacle 12. lyrics, righteous, wicked
burial, resurrection 7. obeyed 8. Judges 9. rebellious 10.
Sea 4. wilderness, life 5. Law, covenent 6. tabernacle, death,
Answers: 1. Egypt, salvation 2. repentance, change 3. Red
33
THE
34
THE SOLUTION | LESSON 3
LESSON 3: THE SOLUTION

In lesson three, we will study how God sent Jesus Christ as the
solution to the problem, and what we must do to take part in it. This
lesson will cover the books of Matthew through Acts.
WHAT ARE THE GOSPELS?

The first four books of the New Testament are eyewitness accounts
of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, referred to as Gospels.
The four books are very similar, yet each one has its own unique
perspective:
1. Matthew portrays Jesus as the predicted Messiah and

King of the Jewish people. It was written by Matthew,
an Apostle and former tax collector.
2. Mark portrays Jesus as a humble servant and is

thought to be written by Mark, a close associate of
the Apostle Peter.
3. Luke portrays Jesus’ humanity and was written by

Luke, a gentile and a close companion to the Apostle
Paul. The book of Acts is part two of this gospel.
4. John emphasizes the deity of Jesus and was written

by the Apostle John.
HOW WAS JESUS BORN?

The events leading up to the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph are
written in detail. Mary, who was a virgin, was impregnated with
a child by the Holy Spirit. Of course, her husband to be, Joseph,
was shocked and confused by the situation. An angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph and assured him that Mary’s child was conceived
by God, not another man.
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him

in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be
afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was
35
THE
conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you
are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20–21
Jesus was born in Bethlehem with many signs and wonders. His
family immediately moved to Egypt to avoid being killed by Herod.
Later, they returned to Judea and settled in a town called Nazareth.
WHO WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST?

John the Baptist was a prophet and his purpose was to prepare the
way for Jesus’ ministry. His ministry and lifestyle were very unusual.
He lived in the wilderness and preached repentance and judgment.
He was known for baptizing his disciples in water. When John saw
Jesus, he immediately recognized Him as the Messiah:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
Immediately after being baptized by John, Jesus was led into the
wilderness for forty days and nights to fast and be tempted by
Satan. This reminds us again of the Israelites, who crossed the Red
Sea and immediately were tested in the wilderness for 40 years.
When Jesus emerged from this time of testing, He was fully ready
to begin His ministry and mission.
WHAT DID JESUS DO?

Jesus’ ministry consisted of teaching, healing, and performing
miracles. Jesus spent much of His time training the twelve disciples.
All but one of these men later became leaders of the Christian
church. Jesus also healed many people of sickness, disease, and
disabilities such as the blind, lame, deaf, and dumb. Jesus taught in
public and was often challenged and persecuted by the religious
leaders of the Jewish community.
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the

synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom.
And he healed every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 4:23
36
WHO WAS JESUS?

Jesus Christ was God manifested as a human being. This is why
Jesus was referred to as the Son of God. Let’s examine the words
and actions of Jesus as proof that He was God in a human body:
• He performed supernatural miracles.
• He had control over nature.
• He never committed sin.
• He made statements only God could make.
• He accepted worship.
• He fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah.
• He rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven.
It is of utmost importance we understand His identity: Jesus Christ,

the Son of the living God. He was God manifested in a fleshly body
like ours.
All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his

prophet:“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is
with us.’” Matthew 1:22–23
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his

disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Well, they
replied, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say
Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then he asked them, But
who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah,
the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, You are blessed, Simon son
of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You
did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:13–17
Then the high priest said to him, I demand in the name of the
living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus
replied, You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of
Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming
on the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:63–64
37
THE
WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?

Jesus’ primary mission in life was to die as a sacrifice for our sins. This
was God’s plan all along to fix the sin problem. In the Old Testament,
each Hebrew family sacrificed a lamb, roasted it, and prepared a
special meal to celebrate the Passover every year. Jesus became
the final Lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of all mankind. The
crucifixion actually took place on the same day as the Passover.
Jesus’ death fulfilled His mission to save human beings from death
and judgment! God poured out all of the punishment for our sin and
shame on Jesus. The prophet Isaiah wrote about this in great detail
over 700 years before Christ was even born:
B Read Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and Psalm 22

The Roman crucifixion was the most excruciating, shameful, and
cruel death imaginable. Yet, in the midst of His suffering, Jesus
prayed this prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do.” (Luke 23:34) Then Jesus cried “It is finished!” and gave up
His spirit and died. This was the most important event in the history
of the world, because it made a way for us to be saved. Christians
today practice the rite of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, to honor
and remember the tremendous pain and suffering Jesus endured
for us.
WHY DID GOD WANT TO SAVE US?

God wanted to save us because He loves us. In fact, the primary
characteristic of God is love:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life. John 3:16
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for
us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is
love. 1 John 4:8
38
God is a perfect balance of love and justice. His justice required

that sinners be punished, but His love required Him to send Christ
to die in our place. The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s love was too
great for us to fully comprehend:
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from
his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner
strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in
your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into
God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to
understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how
high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of
Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be
made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes
from God. Ephesians 3:14–19
THE RESURRECTION
Jesus’ death as a sinless sacrifice is the most important thing that
has ever happened in the history of the world. It was inconceivable
even to the angels and demons that such a thing was even possible,
but it happened. The best part is that Jesus’ sacrifice gave Him
authority over death and the grave. Death could not legally hold
Jesus and it cannot hold those who belong to Him. Jesus went down
to the grave and released those who had died in righteousness
and took them to Heaven; then He returned to Earth to visit His
followers again.
Jesus appeared to His disciples and others after His death. He

encouraged them and gave them final instructions before ascending
into Heaven. His final instructions were:
• To wait for a special baptism of the Holy Spirit

(Luke 24:49)
• To establish the church by making disciples.

(Matthew 28:19-20)
39
THE
WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED?

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross does not automatically apply to
everyone. In order for the blood of Jesus to be applied to our life,
we must believe in Him and be born again.
Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you
cannot see the Kingdom of God. What do you mean? exclaimed
Nicodemus. How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb
and be born again? Jesus replied, I assure you, no one can enter
the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives
birth to spiritual life. John 3:3–6
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this
Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s
words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other
apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of
you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:36–38
In Acts chapter 2, the Apostle Peter gave us the blueprint for the
process of being born again:
• Repent: Make a decision to turn away from

practicing sin and pursue righteousness, or right
living which is pleasing to God.
• Water Baptism: Baptism is a declaration of

repentance and belief in Jesus Christ followed by
immersion in water. This rite symbolizes the death
and burial of your old way of living and the beginning
of your new life in Christ. All your sins are forgiven.
• Spirit Baptism: As you seek God in prayer and

worship, He will fill you with the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit empowers you to overcome sin and tell
others about God. The supernatural ability to speak in
tongues (unknown languages) was often associated
40
with the impartation of this gift, and it has been

experienced by millions today.
Being born again spiritually puts us in the family of God. Our spirit
which was dead because of Adam’s sin is now alive because we
belong to Christ. This is yet another fulfillment of the pattern that
is the main theme of God’s plan: death, burial, and resurrection.
Unfortunately, not all Christians agree about what you must do to

be born again. It is important to remember that God is the final
judge of who is saved. Our responsibility is to obey the plan of God
revealed in scripture with our whole heart. If you have not been
born again you should prayerfully consider doing so if you believe
this message is true.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

The church is a community of Christians working together to build
the Kingdom of God. The book of Acts also gives a detailed history
of the formation of the church. There were many miracles and
wonders that helped establish the church:
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,

and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s
Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and
the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And
all the believers met together in one place and shared everything
they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared
the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the
Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared
their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising
God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day
the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
Persecution forced the Christians to spread out all over the world,
bringing the Gospel with them. There was also a notable conversion
of a Jewish religious leader to Christianity: the Apostle Paul.
41
THE
LESSON 3 REVIEW
SECTION 1: JESUS CHRIST
1. The ______________ are four different accounts of the
life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
2. Mary was a ___________ who was impregnated by the

________ ___________ with a child.
3. ________ the ______________ was a ______________ and

his purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry.
4. Jesus began His ministry with 40 days of ___________

and _____________ and was ________________ by the
devil.
5. Jesus’ ministry consisted of ________________, healing,

and performing ________________.
6. Jesus Christ was ______ manifested as a __________

__________.
7. Jesus’ primary ______________ in life was to ______ for

our ________.
8. God poured out all the ____________________ for our sin

and __________ on Jesus.
SECTION 2: SALVATION
9. God wanted to ________ us because He ____________ us.
10. Jesus’ death on the cross gave Him authority over

__________ and the ___________ .
42
11. In order for Christ’s sacrifice to apply to us, we must be

________ ___________ .
12. Being born again is a process of ____________________,

_______________, and being filled with the ________
____________ .
13. When we are born again, our ____________ is no longer

dead, but __________ spiritually because we belong to
Christ.
14. The church is a __________________ of believers working

together to build the ______________ of God.
15. ______________________ forced the early Christians to

spread out all over the world and share the ____________.
13. spirit, alive 14. community, Kingdom 15. Persecution, gospel

10. death, grave 11. born again 12. repentance, baptism, Holy Spirit
being 7. mission, die, sins 8. punishment, shame 9. save, loves
4. fasting, prayer, tempted 5. teaching, miracles 6. God, human
Answers: 1. Gospels 2. virgin, Holy Spirit 3. John, Baptist, prophet
43
THE
MAP OF
SALVATION
1. The Cross
2. Repentance
3. Baptism
4. The Word of God Protects
5. The Spirit Leads
6. Faith is Tested
7. Trust is Learned
ACE
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8. Physical Death
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44
THE JOURNEY | LESSON 4
LESSON 4: THE JOURNEY

Just as the nation of Israel had to journey through the wilderness
to the Promised Land, we also must journey through the tests of
this life before we reach Heaven. (See map on page 44.) God has
prepared instructions to help us, just as He did for the Israelites.
This lesson will cover the book of Romans through Revelation.
GROWING AS A CHRISTIAN
The epistles are letters that were written to the churches by the
Apostles and early church fathers. These letters contained teaching
on the process of becoming a mature Christian. This is called
spiritual growth.
The key to spiritual growth is understanding what happens when

you are born again and your new identity as a child of God (page
46). Early in this course we learned that man consisted of three
parts: body, soul, and spirit. When Adam sinned, his body, soul, and
spirit became corrupted by sin and were cursed to die. This also
applied to all of us, his descendants. When we are born again, our
spirit is no longer dead, it is reborn! Our body is still under the curse
of sin though, because it has not yet been renewed. Our soul can
go either way: If we obey the Spirit, our soul will be renewed. If we
follow the desires of our physical body, our soul will be corrupted.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ

Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving
Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The
law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our
sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his
own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that
body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son
as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement
of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our
sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful
things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about
45
THE
GOD INNOCENT MAN

This diagram is a picture of
Adam and Eve at creation.
Their spirit was alive,
SPIRIT connected to God, and
Input
Will innocent of sin. This also
Emotions
SEE Mind
depicts Jesus Christ, who
HEAR SOUL Output
FEEL
was sinless. Man was not
WORDS
TASTE
BODY ACTIONS
created to experience death
SMELL or aging.
FALLEN MAN
GOD
This is a picture of Adam and
all the human race after he
sinned. Our spirit is dead
and separated from God. We
SPIRIT cannot perceive the spirit, so
SIN Will our sinful body is our master.
Input
SEE
Emotions Mind Our ultimate fate is to grow
HEAR SOUL Output old and die, both physically
FEEL
SIN SIN WORDS and spiritually.
TASTE
BODY ACTIONS
SMELL
GOD BORN AGAIN MAN

When we are born again,
our spirit is alive again and
JESUS
HOLY
connected to God through
SPIRIT Jesus Christ and the Holy
SPIRIT
Will
Spirit. Our body is still sinful,
FAITH
Input since it has not yet been
Emotions Mind
SEE
HEAR SOUL Output renewed. The body and spirit
FEEL
SIN SIN WORDS fight for control. Faith is the
TASTE
SMELL
BODY ACTIONS gate to receiving from the
Spirit.
46
things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control
your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind
leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to
God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why
those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can
never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature.
You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living
in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of
Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives
within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the
Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.
And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life
to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do

what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its
dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put
to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who
are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:1–14
Our mission in life as disciples is to seek after spiritual things, and

put aside the sinful things our bodies desire. There are three basic
things our flesh desires:
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a

craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and
possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
1 John 2:16
As disciples, there are several ways we walk in the spirit:
• Thoughts: Thinking about God and our identity and

purpose in Him: We are His masterpiece, created for
good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
• Prayer: Talking and listening to God.
• Worship: Singing, praising and thanking God.
47
THE
• Study: Reading and learning the scriptures.
• Fasting: A set time of abstinence from food and

focus on God.
• Giving: Supporting the work of God financially.
• Serving: Doing things to help others for free.
Remember the tabernacle in the wilderness from lesson two?

Under the new covenant, God now dwells inside of us and our body
becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit as we see in the diagram
below (1 Corinthians 6:19–20):
MAP OF THE
NEW COVENANT
SPIRIT
New Covenant-
Salvation
ARK OF THE COVENANT
INNER MAN
ALTAR OF Worship, Prayer
INCENSE and Fasting
SOUL TABLE OF Word of God-

BREAD
The Bible
GOLDEN Holy Spirit-
LAMPSTAND
Power and Light
OUTER MAN
BRONZE
POOL FOR Washing-
WASHING
BODY Confession of Sins
BRONZE
ALTAR OF Death-
SACRIFICE
Self Denial
ACTS
Thanksgiving and Praise PATTERN
48
If we are faithful to seek after spiritual things, we will grow in

maturity. As we grow in faith and maturity, we are able to help other
Christians do the same. This is called ministry.
God has also given us the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry

of reconciliation helps us lead people back into right relationship
with God. (2 Corinthians 5:18–21) Ministry may include teaching,
praying, serving, or encouraging other Christians. The Holy Spirit
also enables us to share God’s message with sinners.
WHAT ABOUT SIN?

One of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life is dealing
with sin. There is a conflict between our sinful body and the Spirit
of God that is in us. Our flesh is still corrupted by sin and desires
sinful things because our bodies have not yet been renewed. This
creates a great conflict with our spirit, which is alive and desires
to please God. This conflict takes place in our soul, which contains
our thoughts, emotions, and will. Many Christians are frustrated
that they still struggle with sin after becoming a Christian. The
good news is that God is aware of this, and He made provision for it
through grace:
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not

sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our
case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly
righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and
not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 2:1–2
Grace is the undeserved favor of God. Grace helps us overcome

sin and covers and protects us when we do sin. Some Christians
get confused and believe grace is a license to sin. This could not
be further from the truth! Those that use grace as an excuse to
willfully sin are deceived. God’s expectation is that we discipline our
bodies to not sin. When we fail, God’s grace is available to cover our
weaknesses and get us back on track again.
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they
were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace
49
THE
became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and
brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead,
giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20–21
God has also filled us with His spirit of holiness. The Holy Spirit
creates in us a deep desire to be holy, in order to please God. The
Holy Spirit also gives us supernatural power to overcome and deny
the desires of our sinful bodies. The Holy Spirit works through
prayer, worship, and studying the Word of God. This process of
overcoming and becoming mature in Christ takes time and effort. It
is wise for us to be patient with ourselves and others as we grow and
overcome our weaknesses and sins through the Spirit.
When we grow as a Christian, the Holy Spirit will begin to produce

results in our life. These results are known as the “fruit” of the Spirit:
• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22–23)
It is important to understand that we are not saved as a result of

the good works we do. If that were possible, Jesus Christ would
not have needed to die as a sacrifice for our sins. Our good works
are actually a result of the work of salvation He has done in us. This
can be confusing to some if they believe salvation in the afterlife
is attained by living a good life on Earth. That is not true—salvation
can only be attained through Jesus Christ and our obedience to His
plan:
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take
credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for
the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8–9
The bottom line is this: salvation is a condition of your heart. God is

able to see our true intentions and motives. He knows when we are
really trying or when we’re just faking it. We can fool other people
sometimes, but we can never fool God. We need to be serious about
50
our walk with God and make pleasing Him our priority in this life.
God’s desire is to be our passion and our purpose here on Earth.
God is not impressed with those who simply fulfill a religious duty
to appear right to others:
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with

you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work
hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep
reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire
and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12–13
While it is true we cannot earn salvation, we should be very

concerned about showing the results of our salvation: good works.
THE CHURCH: A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

Have you ever wondered why Christ left after the resurrection? He
could have stayed here and continued His ministry but He didn’t.
Instead, He chose to send His Spirit to fill each believer. (John 16:7-
8) When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we do the work of Jesus
on this Earth. That is why the church is referred to as the “Body of
Christ.” Corporately, the church was designed to possess all the
attributes of Jesus. There are five different ministry functions the
church is given:
• Apostles: Provide foundational doctrine and regional

leadership.
• Prophets: Provide spiritual guidance and insight.
• Evangelists: Provide outreach to the lost.
• Pastors: Provide personal care and local leadership.
• Teachers: Provide local instruction on doctrine.
B Read Ephesians 4
51
THE
There are also many different spiritual gifts God gives to individual
believers. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given to an
individual to help the church. Here are some of those gifts:
• Word of wisdom • Prophecy
• Word of • Discerning of
knowledge spirits
• Gift of faith • Different kinds of

tongues
• Gift of healing
• Interpretation of
• Working of tongues
miracles
It is important that we prayerfully seek to be used in these gifts.
B Read 1 Corinthians 12:1–11

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT
CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS?
One of the problems that has existed since the beginning of the
church is false doctrine. This is very similar to the struggles Israel
had with idol worship:
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about

the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about
something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has
entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because
some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches,
saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.
The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they
have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3–4
Satan will always try very hard to corrupt the plan and purpose
of God. That is why it is important for us to carefully examine the
scriptures to make sure we know the truth. False teachings and
error have been introduced to the church over the years. This has
52
resulted in many different denominations and variations within the

church. Here are some examples of false doctrine:
• Unscriptural teachings and traditions of men.
• Salvation earned by works, not grace.
• Sin is permissible under grace.
• Everyone will be saved, regardless of whether they

obey the gospel.
We must be vigilant and alert at all times and work to stay balanced
in spirit and truth. The Bible teaches God will allow false Christians to
remain until they are identified and separated at the final judgment.
(Matthew 13:24–30)
THE FUTURE
The Bible also has much to say about the future of the world. This
is referred to as prophecy. The book of Revelation is the most
well known book containing prophecy, but there are many other
prophetic scriptures throughout the Bible. (Matthew 24, Daniel 9)
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE?

We are presently in a 2,000 year period of God’s grace and favor
known as the Church Age. At the end of the Church Age, there will
be a seven year period of trouble known as the Tribulation. At some
point during this time, Christ will gather all the true believers who
are alive and also those who have died. He will bring us up to Heaven
in an event known as the Rapture, or the first resurrection. At this
time all believers will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and
receive their reward according to what they did as Christians here
on Earth. (Revelation 20:4–6, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)
The tribulation will be a terrible time of suffering and punishment.

The entire world will be deceived and follow a political leader known
as the Antichrist. At the very end, he and his armies will set out to
defeat Israel in battle. Christ will return and defeat the Antichrist
53
THE
in the Battle of Armageddon. Then there will be a period of 1,000

years of righteousness. At the end of this period, Satan will rise up
and try to defeat God again. This time, Satan will be defeated for
good, and God will cast him into the Lake of Fire. God will also judge
everyone who has died in their sins at the White Throne Judgment.
This is the second resurrection.
B Read Matthew 24
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE AFTERLIFE?
Being aware of the afterlife and preparing for it is the most
important thing you will ever do. The Bible speaks very plainly about
the afterlife. Those who have been born again will enjoy eternal
life in Heaven with God and will have a new body to go with their
renewed spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) Those who have rejected the
Gospel will go to Hell or the “grave” immediately after they die.
Hell is a place of torment and regret. Their souls will be there until
the second resurrection of the dead. After that, every human being
that has ever lived will be judged by God, except those who have
obeyed the Gospel. After the judgment, they will be cast into the
lake of fire, along with the devil and his demons.
And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth
and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I
saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne.
And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the
dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded
in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave
gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This
lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not
found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of
fire. Revelation 20:11–15
54
YOUR DECISION
At the beginning of this Bible study, we discussed the question
of what truth is. Sometimes the truth is difficult to accept. Many
people are uncomfortable discussing the afterlife because it scares
them. Think of it this way: If there was a terrible storm headed your
way, wouldn’t you want to know so you could take action to save
yourself and your family from disaster? It would be foolish to ignore
the warnings because it made you feel uncomfortable or afraid.
The good news is that we are still living in the time of God’s grace
and favor! God warned us about the coming disaster and He has
mercifully provided a way for us to escape the judgment that is
coming to this world and all who sin. What will your response be to
God’s plan? Will you accept it as truth or will you reject it?
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The
highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who
choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the
road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Matthew 7:13–14
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people
think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want
anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. Peter 3:9
YOUR RESPONSE
If you are deciding now to become a Christian, your next step is
to follow God’s plan and be born again (see page 40). Ask your
teacher for assistance. They will pray with you and help you take the
next step. Welcome to the family!
If you have already decided to follow Christ, I hope this Bible

study has helped you understand God’s plan for your life and what
happened to you when you were born again. Stay dedicated to
spiritual growth and sharing this message with others.
If you still aren’t sure you believe this message, you should continue
studying and praying earnestly for God’s direction in your search
for truth. Ask your teacher to help you with any questions that you
need to work through before making a decision.
55
THE
LESSON 4 REVIEW
SECTION 1: GROWING AS A CHRISTIAN
1. _________________ ______________ is the process of
becoming a _____________ Christian.
2. We walk in the spirit through our ________________,

prayer, worship, study, fasting, and giving.
3. There is a ________________ between our sinful body

and the Spirit of God that is in us.
4. The Holy Spirit creates in us a deep desire to ___________

God and gives us power to ________________ sin.
5. The process of ______________ to be a mature Christian

takes ________ and effort.
6. Salvation is not attained by __________, but through

Jesus Christ and __________________ to His plan.
7. We need to be serious about our walk with God and make

pleasing Him a ________________.
SECTION 2: THE CHURCH: A COMMUNITY OF

BELIEVERS
8. The church is described as the ________ of ____________
on Earth.
9. God gives spiritual __________ to individual believers to

_________ the church.
10. Satan uses __________ ________________ to try to

corrupt and defeat the church.
56
SECTION 3: THE FUTURE

11. We are currently in a time of God’s __________ and
___________ known as the Church Age.
12. Those that are born again will take part in the __________
resurrection and be judged by God for what they did in
His _______________ .
13. Those who reject God will take part in the ____________
resurrection and be judged at the __________
____________ Judgment.
14. The final destination of those that obey the gospel is

_____________ , a place of reward.
15. The final destination for those who reject the

Gospel is the ________ of _________ , a place of
____________________ and torment.
15. Lake, Fire, punishment

favor 12. first, kingdom 13. second, White Throne 14. Heaven
7. priority 8. body, Christ 9. gifts, help 10. false doctrine 11. grace,
4. please, overcome 5. growing, time 6. works, obedience
Answers: 1. Spiritual, growth, mature 2. thoughts 3. conflict
57
THE
OLD TESTAMENT Timeline (BC)*

* Dates based on the research of Archbishop James Ussher in Annals of the World, published in 1654.
Genesis
Creation 4004 BC, The Fall of Man Adam dies 3074 BC

Men Worship God
4000 BC 3500 BC 3000 BC
Genesis
Noah born The Great Flood

2948 BC 2349 BC Tower of Babel,
Earth Corrupted nations dispersed
2242 BC
3000 BC 2500 BC 2000 BC
Kings
Chronicles
Leviticus Psalms
Numbers Joshua Ruth Proverbs
Genesis Job Exodus Deuteronomy Judges Samuel Ecclesiastes
Egyptian Bondage The Old Covenant

Abraham’s Covenant Temple built 1005 BC
1921 BC The Exodus 1491 BC Moses given the Law King
Isaac
Jacob Israel settles in Israel enters the David’s
Egypt 1706 BC Promised Land reign
Joseph 1048 BC
1451 BC
2000 BC 1500 BC 1000 BC
Nahum Ezekiel Haggai

Amos Micah Obadiah Daniel Zechariah
Joel Isaiah Habbakuk Jeremiah Ezra Malachi
Hosea
400 Years of Silence
Jonah Zephaniah Lamentations Esther Nehemiah
Medo-Persian Greek Roman

Israel’s Decline Babylonian Captivity Empire Empire Empire
Split kingdom Temple Temple rebuilt 515 BC Jesus born
70
975 BC destroyed 5 BC
yrs. Dead Sea Scrolls Written
588 BC
1000 BC 500 BC 0
58
BIBLE TIMELINE
NEW TESTAMENT Timeline (AD)

Matthew Acts-
Mark Revelation
Luke
John
The New Covenant Byzantine Empire

Temple destroyed Roman Catholic Islam founded
70 AD Church founded 610 AD
Crucifixion 33 AD 380 AD
Roman Empire falls
Early Church 476 AD The Dark Ages
0 500 AD 1000 AD
Ottoman Empire British Empire Nation of

King Israel
Protestant Reformation
The Crusades Columbus voyage James Restored
to America United Stated founded 1948 AD
Bible
1492 AD 1776 AD World
The Middle Ages 1611 AD
Wars
1000 AD 1500 AD 2000 AD
Daniel
Revelation
Present The Future

The White Throne
day Second coming
Judgment
?
of Christ 1000 Years of Peace
2000 AD 2500 AD AD3000 AD
Note: Use this timeline to understand the chronology of the Bible in the
context of world history. The black fields above the timeline indicate the
books of the Bible that correlate to the events below. The dates on the
Old Testament timeline are calculated based on Biblical genealogies
(e.g., Genesis 5), time intervals (e.g., 1 Kings 6:1), and known historical
dates. These dates should be considered approximate. Our current
Calendar Era is based on the birth of Christ and was created in 525 AD.
59
THE
REVIEW QUESTION KEY

LESSON 1
1. disciple, true 2. inspiration 3. scribes 4. Hebrew, Greek
5. printing press, languages 6. understand, translated 7. evidence,
accurate 8. Son, God, eternal life 9. body, soul, spirit 10. death,
decay 11. disobedience, righteousness, death 12. substitute
13. righteousness, faith 14. worship, serve 15. faith 16. conditional,
blessing, protection
LESSON 2
1. Egypt, salvation 2. repentance, change 3. Red Sea
4. wilderness, life 5. Law, covenent 6. tabernacle, death,
burial, resurrection 7. obeyed 8. Judges 9. rebellious 10.
King David 11. temple, tabernacle 12. lyrics, righteous, wicked
13. idols, kingdoms 14. Babylonians, captivity 15. 70, Jerusalem
16. permanent 17. predicted, Jesus Christ 18. 400, Old,
New Testament
LESSON 3
1. Gospels 2. virgin, Holy Spirit 3. John, Baptist, prophet 4. fasting,
prayer, tempted 5. teaching, miracles 6. God, human being
7. mission, die, sins 8. punishment, shame 9. save, loves 10. death,
grave 11. born again 12. repentance, baptism, Holy Spirit 13. spirit,
alive 14. community, Kingdom 15. Persecution, gospel
LESSON 4
1. Spiritual, growth, mature 2. thoughts 3. conflict 4. please,
overcome 5. growing, time 6. works, obedience 7. priority
8. body, Christ 9. gifts, help 10. false doctrine 11. grace, favor
12. first, kingdom 13. second, White Throne 14. Heaven 15. Lake,
Fire, punishment
60
READY FOR MORE? BIBLE 101
THE
READING PLAN
Now that you know the story
of the Bible, take the next THE OLD TES TAMEN T
step and read it for yourself.
Cut out this bookmark with o Genesis
scissors and keep it in your o Exodus
Bible to check off each book o Leviticus
as you read them at your o Numbers
own pace. o Deuteronomy
o Joshua
o Judges
o Ruth
o 1 Samuel
o 2 Samuel
o 1 Kings
o 2 Kings
o 1 Chronicles
o 2 Chronicles
o Ezra
o Nehemiah
o Esther
CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE
o Job
o Psalms
o Proverbs
o Ecclesiastes
o Song of Songs
o Isaiah
o Jeremiah
o Lamentations
o Ezekiel
✁
o Daniel
o Hosea
o Joel
o Amos
o Obadiah
o Jonah
o Micah
o Nahum
o Habakkuk
o Zephaniah
o Haggai
o Zechariah
o Malachi
THE
BIBLE 101
READING PLAN
T H E N E W T ESTAMENT
o Matthew
o Mark
o Luke
o John
o Acts
o Romans
o 1 Corinthians
o 2 Corinthians
o Galatians
o Ephesians
o Philippians
o Colossians
o 1 Thessalonians
o 2 Thessalonians
o 1 Timothy
o 2 Timothy
o Titus
o Philemon
o Hebrews
o James
o 1 Peter
o 2 Peter
o 1 John
o 2 John
o 3 John
o Jude
o Revelation
GOD’S
PATTERN ...Abraham believed in the God who brings the

dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Romans 4:17
DEATH BURIAL LIFE

In
Exodus
Exodus 12, 14, 19
John 1:29
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Acts 7:38
Passover Cross Red Sea Mt. Sinai
In the
Tabernacle
Exodus 25-27
Hebrews 8:5
Hebrews 10:19-22
Altar Pool of Water Holy Place
In
Christ
John 19,20
Matthew 27, 28
Acts 13:26-31
Crucifixion Tomb Resurrection
In New
Birth
Acts 2:38-39
Hebrews 6:1
Acts 1:8
Romans 6:4
Repent Baptism Holy Spirit
In Spiritual
Growth
Romans 12:1-2
Ephesians 5:25-27
Titus 3:4-5
Deny Self Confess & Renew Walk in Spirit

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INTRODUCTION

Father, thank you for the opportunity to study

© 2017-2020 James R. Davis

For teaching resources, go to www.thebible101.org

Email the author at jrdavis@thebible101.org

LESSON 1: THE PROBLEM .......... 9

LESSON 2: THE PLAN .................... 23

LESSON 3: THE SOLUTION ....... 35

LESSON 4: THE JOURNEY ......... 45

APPENDIX: BIBLE TIMELINE ...... 58

1. Nature. The order, balance, and complexity of nature

2. Testimony. There are millions that can testify to the

3. The Bible. The historical and prophetic accuracy of

and events in the Bible have been verified by historical

4. Israel. In 70 AD, Israel was conquered by the Romans

DOES GOD REQUIRE BLIND FAITH?

1. Experience: Things you have experienced or

2. Knowledge: Information that is accepted as the

3. Conscience: The inner sense that allows us to judge

LESSON 1: THE PROBLEM

IS THE BIBLE TRUE?

In this course, we will examine the Bible as God’s true message

If you are skeptical, don’t worry. Skepticism is a natural reaction to

WHERE DID THE BIBLE COME FROM?

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the

In ancient Israel, people were very serious about serving God. In

in agreement on the 27 books of New Testament scripture. This was

• Was the author an Apostle or someone closely

• Was the book accepted by the church at large as

• Does the book contradict existing scripture?

It is important to understand that

• Scarcity: Before printing presses and digital media,

• Institutional Control: The Roman Catholic church

When you consider the historical evidence, it is reasonable to

WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE BIBLE?

Jesus Christ: God in the form of a human being. Also referred to as

Demons: Former angels that rebelled against God with Satan.

Heaven: The place where God dwells. It is also a place of comfort

Hell: A place of torment for the unrighteous dead, also referred to

THE SIN PROBLEM

This gives us a vital clue to who we are as human beings. We are

• Body: Physical human flesh containing bone, muscle,

• Soul: The thoughts, emotions, and will. Your heart.

• Spirit: The spiritual energy from God that gives you

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every

Adam was created in a sinless, immortal state. In fact, he was able to

• Inherited sin: This is our sinful nature we inherited

• Committed sin: This is the sin we have actually

Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but

B Read Hebrews 11:1–16

MEN COUNTED RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH

Later in Genesis, we find that the Earth became completely corrupt

COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

fully understand it. God entered into an agreement with Abraham

Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel

God rewarded Joseph with the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph

2. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by 44

3. Ancient sacred writings were carefully and accurately

4. The Old Testament was written in ____________, and the

5. The invention of the ____ _ and

10. Through Adam’s sin, _ and __ entered

3. The crossing is a picture of baptism.

4. The ___________ journey is a picture of our

5. The _ was God’s expanded _________ with

10. God gave ___ tremendous power to