Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
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the
Old Testament
a narrative summary
by
David Nichols
2008
BookSurge Publishing
PREFACE:
THE BIBLE IS A STORY
The Bible has been called “the world’s least-read best-seller.” In
a lifetime of studying and teaching the Bible, I’ve heard
countless people say they wish they knew what the Bible said.
Some say they were never taught the Bible. Others say they’ve
read the Bible for years, but still feel clueless about much of it.
The fact that the Bible is difficult to understand should not
surprise us. After all, it consists of 66 separate books chronicling
a period of over 2,000 years and reflecting the impact of
Sumerian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman and
other cultures. It is considerably longer than virtually any other
book people might consider reading, and it was originally written
in Hebrew and Greek, with Aramaic showing up in a few places.
No wonder people find the Bible hard to understand no matter
what method they use to read it.
• Some read the Bible sequentially, determined to make
it from beginning to end with a “through-the-Bible-in-
a-year” guide. By the end of January, such readers will
have read Genesis and the first part of Exodus only to
encounter instructions for building a Tabernacle. Next
comes Leviticus with details on burnt sacrifices and
lengthy descriptions of what is to be considered clean
and unclean. Only the most faithful are able to make it
through February.
• Some read the Bible thematically, aided by a Bible
study guide. There are many such books that follow a
common format: every topic has a number of
sentences, each with one or more missing words to be
filled in by looking up a verse of the Bible. Those who
write such studies make sure that students learn from
the Bible exactly what they are supposed to learn.
Little attention is paid to the context of the verse and
the student is rarely encouraged to struggle with the
text or reflect on what it might mean.
10 | UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT
1
New Interpreter’s Bible; Leander A. Keck, editor (Nashville, TN:
Abingdon Press, 1994)
2
The New Testament and the People of God: Christian Origins and the
Question of God; N. T. Wright (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg
Fortress Publishers, 1992)
14 | UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT
what they read. My prayer is that this will happen in the pages
that follow.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments you
have regarding Understanding the Old Testament: A Narrative
Summary. My website is:
www.utotbook.com