Transcript Chapter 3: The Bible’s Big Picture

The Big Picture

 The big picture of God’s
plan for us as revealed in
the Bible is called salvation
history.
 Salvation history shows
how God has worked within
the people and events of
history to achieve restoring
our relationship with Him.
 We all play an active role in
God’s plan – the question is
will we work with His plan
or against it?
Primeval History

 Refers to first 11 chapters of the
Book of Genesis
 “primeval” because the events
recorded happened before
recorded history
 It the beginning, all of God’s
creations were in harmony with
one another and with Him.
 Because of their sin, Adam and
Even destroyed their relationship
with God and one another.
 This condition of Original Sin
was inherited by all human
beings and made it difficult to
choose God and avoid evil.
Primeval History con’t

 The story of Cain and Abel, Noah
and the Flood, and the Tower of
Babel teach us that without God’s
help sin spreads, which results in
death and destruction.
 God begins the process of
restoring our relationship with
Him:
 First when He scolded the serpent
and after the flood. Second
 He made a covenant with Noah
and the whole human race to
never destroy the world again by
flood.
The Patriarchs

 God begins to form a special
relationship with a chosen
race of people – Hebrews.
 God enters a covenant with
Abraham and promised him
descendants who will be “as
numerous as the stars in the
sky.”
 God remains consistently
faithful to the Hebrews even
in the midst of crisis (Isaac,
Jacob, and Jacob’s sons)
Egypt and Exodus

 The Israelites (descendant’s of Jacob’s
children) are in slavery in Egypt.
 God calls Moses to deliver the Israelites
from slavery; God reveals His name as
Yahweh.
 The Israelites journey towards the Promise
Land (Exodus).
 They stopped at Mt. Sinai were God
establishes a new covenant with the
Israelites, marked by the Law summed up
in the Ten Commandments.
 They wandered 40 years in the desert
because of their lack of trust in God and
complaining.
Settling the Promised
Land

 Joshua leads the Israelites to the
Promise Land, in which with
they conquered the Land of
Canaan.
 The land was divided amongst
the 12 Tribes of Israel.
 The Israelites were often
unfaithful to God, but God
always remained faithful and
sent them special leaders and
warriors to defend and rescue
them.
The Kingdoms of Judah
and Israel

 The Israelites wanted to have a king like
other kingdoms. God reluctantly grants
their request.
 Samuel anoints Saul as the first King.
 After Saul was killed, David becomes
king and unites the 12 tribes into one
kingdom.
 Solomon succeeded David and he became
well known for expanding the kingdom
and building the Temple in Jerusalem.
 Even though both accomplished great
things, they were guilty of giving-in to
violence, adultery, and idolatry.

After Solomon

 After Solomon dies
the kingdom splits
into the northern
kingdom (Israel) and
the southern
kingdom (Judah).
After Solomon

 During this period the prophets
Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah called
on the kings and people to stop
worshipping false gods.
 Despite the warnings and
reforms, God allowed the two
kingdoms to be overthrown.
 Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721
BC and Judah fell to the
Babylonians in 587 BC.
 Jerusalem and the Temple was
completely destroyed by the
Babylonians.
The Exile and Return

 The Israelites/Jews were exiled into Babylon for 50 years.
They were eventually allowed to go back to Israel to
rebuild Israel and the Temple.
 After Alexander the Great conquers the known world,
many Greeks settled throughout the empire, including
Israel.
 The spread of Greek culture led to the placing of Greek
gods in the Temple.
 The Maccabean family led a successful revolt against the
Greeks and gained their independence (c.a. 150 AD).

Brief Independence

 Israel hoped for a Messiah to make them great again.
 New Jewish groups developed – the Essenes,
Pharisees, and Sadducees.
Pax Romana

 After a period of
independence, the
Romans conquered
Israel and was ruled by
Roman puppet-kings
such as King Herod
(Galilee) and Pontius
Pilate (Judea).
 “Roman Peace” was
finally brought into the
world and it was
during this time that
the Jesus was born.
 It was also during this
time that the Gospel
was spread.
The Early Church

 Jesus instructs the
Apostles to spread the
Good News of
salvation.
 After His Ascension,
the Holy Spirit was
sent down to the
Apostles, with Mary to
give them courage to
spread the Good News
(Pentecost).
St. Paul and his Missions

 St. Paul, who persecuted Christians
and then converted to Christianity,
had a vision of the resurrected Christ
– who told him that he would be His
Apostle to the Gentiles.
 Paul began to preach the Gospel
throughout the Roman Empire – all
the way to Rome.
 He was accompanied and assisted by
other missionaries. Both Paul and
these missionaries wrote letters
(epistles) of instruction, correction,
and encouragement. Some of them
became part of the New Testament.
Notebook Test Checklist
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Chapter 2 Notes
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Chapter 1 and 2 Study Guide
Chapter 3 Notes
The Bible Scavenger Hunt worksheet
The Old Testament and the Gospel of Matthew worksheet
Start Your Journey Today article
Test #1
Homework

 Monday, October 20– Notebook Test #2
 Monday, October 20 – Scripture passage
 Wednesday, October 29 -- Test on Chapter 3 and 4
The Last Things

 Jesus talked about the time of
tribulation (time of trial) prior to the
end of time.
 Until then, Christians have the
obligation to spread the Gospel
through words and actions.
 Whenever we live out our Christian
life, we make God’s Kingdom present
among us.
 Jesus tells us that at the end of time,
the dead will be resurrected, and Jesus
will come again where there will be a
Final Judgment and the righteous will
join Him in heaven and the
unrighteous will be condemned to
eternal separation from God (Hell) -Paraousia
The Book of Revelation

 Also known as the Book of the Apocalypse,
it is written in symbolic language filled
with disasters, terrible beasts, creatures,
visions of heaven.
 They reflect the experience/persecutions of
the early Christians, but also they are also a
reminder of what Christians will continue
experience in history.
 The Book of Revelation is a book of hope –
reminding us that ultimately God will
triumph over evil and Satan will be
banished. There will be a New Heaven and
a New Earth/
Organization of the
Bible
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 Page 42 of your text