The Bible gives God's story and shows how our history is really part of His Story. In the Bible, we read the progression in history from Creation to Crisis, then God's chosen people to Christ, and now His Church to the future Culmination of God's story.
For more on how to read the Bible, click here.
Macaulay, AD (2024) - A Biblical Theology.pdf
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm that God's word achieves God's will. God's word does not fail to achieve what God intends ['infallible' means without failure], so in Isaiah we read: "‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’" (Isaiah 55:8-11, NIV*), and "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth" (James 1:18).
When God speaks his word, it happens. So we read, "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) This is repeated throughout the Bible, for example, when the Lord separated the waters of the Red Sea: "Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." Moses obeyed and this actually happened, just as God had said: "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." (Exodus 14:15, 21-22, NIV*)
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
We know that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16) and that "no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Paul's words are Spirit-taught words, as he wrote "These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:13)
Psalms are songs addressed to God: "Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal." (Ps 119:89, 160, NIV*)
Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, said to him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)
Peter later wrote, "you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23, NIV*)
Isaiah wrote, "All people are like grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for ever." (Isaiah 40:6, 8, NIV*)
The Lord Jesus Christ speaks as God's word in flesh ['incarnate' means 'to become flesh']: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14, NIV*)
Jesus taught that every letter of God's written word is necessary ['inerrant' means without any errors and incapable of being wrong]: "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:18, NIV*)
Jesus said, "Scripture cannot be broken," in the sense of being shown to be in error and so all Scriptures are without errors and cannot be altered. (John 10:35)
Jesus also stated "Your word is truth" referring to God's word (John 17:17), and truth cannot contain errors, otherwise it would be false.
As we read God's written word, we are instructed and equipped to do God's work, as it says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV*)
We are instructed: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2, NIV*) So our minds can be transformed and renewed as we read God's written word, so that we can know and do God's will for us each.
The gospel is not only for the Jewish nation, as we read in Acts 13:48-49 (NIV): "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region."
Paul told the Thessalonian Christians that it is by God's word that they accepted the gospel ['good news of salvation'] "when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13, NIV*)
Indeed, Jesus fulfils Scriptures, as he said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them." (Matthew 5:17, NIV*)
The gospel is the great news of salvation for those who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus, and we read about the life of Jesus in the Bible. John wrote: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31, NIV*)
King David declared: "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue." (2 Samuel 23:2)
Jesus said: "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit" and "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life." (John 3:34; 6:63, NIV*)
Paul wrote: "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words," "our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." (1 Corinthians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:5, NIV*)
Christians are to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17)
Peter affirmed: "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" and "this is the word that was preached to you." (1 Peter 1:23, 25, NIV*)
As we read Scriptures, we hear God's living word speaking to us now, as we find in Hebrews 12:5-6 (NIV*), "Have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says [present tense], ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ [Proverbs 3:11-12]"
‘Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the Lord. ‘These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. (Isaiah 66:2, NIV*)
"And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
"the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken." (Psalm 33:11, NLT#)
God says: "I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass" (Isaiah 46:9-10, NLT#)
"Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live." (Galatians 1:4, NLT#)
"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT#)
"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:9, NLT#)
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1)
(1) PHYSICS - Day 1 Light and darkness separated
"And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:4)
"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command" (Hebrews 11:3, NIV*)
(2) CHEMISTRY - Day 2 Water above and water below separated
"So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so." (Genesis 1:7, NET***)
Water is made from the elements hydrogen and oxygen. Chemical elements were created by God and can be destroyed by God, as we read: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat" (2 Peter 3:10)
(3) GEOLOGY - Day 3 Land and sea separated
"God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:10, NET***)
"For behold, He who forms mountains, And creates the wind ... The Lord God of hosts is His name." (Amos 4:13)
(4) ASTRONOMY - Day 4 Light and darkness filled with Sun, Moon and stars
"Then God made two great lights: the greater light [Sun] to rule the day, and the lesser light [Moon] to rule the night. He made the stars also." (Genesis 1:16)
"He [God] counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name." (Psalm 147:4)
(5) BIOLOGY - Day 5 Water above and water below filled with birds and fish
"So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the waters teem, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:21)
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Tell this to your masters: with my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it’" (Jeremiah 27:4-5, NIV*)
(6) SOCIOLOGY - Day 6 Land filled with animals and humans
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)
".. for in God’s image God has made humankind." (Genesis 9:6, NET***)
(7) THEOLOGY - Day 7 An invitation to enjoy being at rest in a good relationship with God
"And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done." (Genesis 2:3, NIV*)
"So there is still a Sabbath rest for God’s people. God rested from his work. Those who enjoy God’s rest also rest from their works." (Hebrews 4:9-10, NIRV**)
"That is what Scripture means where it says, ‘Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.’ (Genesis 15:6) And that’s not all. God called Abraham his friend." (James 2:23, NIRV**)
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3)
"Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’" (Matthew 4:17)
Jesus said: "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" and "unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Matthew 9:13; Luke 13:3)
Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’" (Acts 2:38, NIV*)
"Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us" (Psalm 100:3)
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (NLT#)
Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined [cling] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 2:15-17 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:17 [The Lord God commanded the man, saying,] “... of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:6 and he ate.
Genesis 3:13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
Genesis 4:10 And He [God] said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”
Jesus said: “those who have done good, come forth to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, come forth to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29).
Genesis 6:5 "But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time." (NET***)
Genesis 11:4 [The people planned to make a tower for their own glory, saying,] “Let us make a name for ourselves.”
Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-29).
Romans 8:5-6 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally [or fleshly] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Genesis 6:5 “But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time” (NET***).
This contrasts with God’s evaluation of His creative work in Genesis 1, when He saw that everything was very good. The crisis of sinful actions and sinful attitudes affects all people.
“God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29, NLT#)
Paul wrote: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Paul also wrote: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 The Lord said to the descendants of Abraham (the Israelites):
"For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure" (NLT#).
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.”
King Solomon prayed: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses” (1 Kings 8:56).
Psalm 105:42 “He [God] remembered the holy promise he had made to his servant Abraham” (NIRV**).
Here is a great promise in the Old Testament from the prophet Jeremiah:
‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.’ (Jeremiah 33:14-16, NIV*)
Christ (= “King”) Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
That's why Christ Jesus can forgive sins, as he said to a paralysed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:5).
That's also why He commanded a woman who had been sinning and who wanted to turn away from wrong, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
Luke 10:2-3 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.”
We read in John's account about Jesus, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18, NLT#).
The apostle Paul wrote that Christ “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
In Hebrews 1:3 (NIV*), we read that “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word..”
Jesus Himself affirmed this when He stated, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30, NLT#).
Paul wrote: “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5, NLT#).
In the letter to the Hebrews, we read that “after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever” (7:28, NLT#) and later in the same letter we read that “Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15, NIV*).
Peter wrote about the perfect Mediator: “Christ also suffered once for sins. The one who did what is right suffered for those who don’t do right. He suffered to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life” (1 Peter 3.18, NIRV**), and Christ Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree [cross], that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes [wounds] you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [forgiveness] of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 20:21 [Paul had been] testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:8-10 Paul wrote: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel [= “great news for those who accept and are saved”].”
Peter wrote: “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
Paul wrote: "Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Again: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4).
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.
Acts 2.42, 47 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine [teaching] and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers ... And the Lord added daily those who were being saved.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:8 [Jesus said:] “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Ephesians 6: 15 “Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace.” (NIrV)
Christians are “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” to tell others the gospel (James 1:1).
Acts 1:16 Peter spoke: “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
Revelation 5:9 is a new song sung to the risen Lord Jesus: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain [on the cross], and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
Genesis 50:20 Joseph told his brothers: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” This is one of many examples of how God brings about his purposes.
Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts human beings plan their lives. But the Lord decides where their steps will take them” (NIRV**).
Revelation 17:17 “For God has put it into their hearts to fulfil His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”
Romans 5:14-15 Paul wrote: “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (NLT#)
Revelation 21:1-4 John wrote about what God had showed him in a vision. We read this in the last book of the Bible (NLT#):
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
