How Does the Bible Tell its Story?
Every book of the library we call the Bible contributes to the telling of one expansive story.
The Bible is not a book. It’s a library of sixty-six books telling one big story. You can read about the five acts of that story here. Now, here’s a helpful overview of how each book within the Bible contributes to the telling of that story:
As we read the Bible, it's helpful to identify how the book we're reading fits in this larger narrative. Here's a breakdown of how each book contributes to the five acts of the Bible's big story:
Act 1: Creation
• Genesis 1-2: God creates a good world and appoints humans to manage it.
Act 2: Choice
• Genesis 3-11: Humans reject God’s way and experience tragic consequences.
Act 3: Israel
• Genesis 12-50: God forms a partnership with Abraham’s family to bless all nations.
• Exodus - Deuteronomy: God frees Israel from slavery, renews His partnership with them, and gives them instruction.
• Joshua: Israel enters the Promised Land, but struggles to remain faithful to God.
• Judges: Israel struggles to be faithful, repeatedly cycling from sin to chaos to rescue.
• Ruth: God works through ordinary people to bring about His purposes, setting the stage for King David.
• 1 Samuel - 2 Chronicles: Chronicles the rise and fall of Israel’s kings, showing both their successes and failures.
• Ezra - Nehemiah: After exile, Israel returns to rebuild Jerusalem, but something is missing.
• Esther: God protects His people, even in exile.
• Job - Song of Songs: These wisdom books explore life’s big questions about suffering, love, and God’s role in it all.
• Isaiah - Malachi: The prophets call Israel back to God, warning of judgment but also pointing to a future hope—a coming good King.
Act 4: Jesus
• Matthew - John: Jesus is depicted as the promised King who overcomes evil and brings a new way of life through His death and resurrection.
• Acts: The Holy Spirit empowers the early church to continue Jesus’ mission, spreading the good news about Him everywhere.
Act 5: New Creation
• Romans - Jude: Early Christians are taught to faithfully practice the way of Jesus together.
•Revelation: God’s final victory over evil and the renewal of all things.
And that’s how every book in the library we call the Bible tells its part of the one big story of Scripture.
