For the last few months I have undertaken the task of writing a basic Bible handbook, which will one day be used in my ministry to equip pastors and leaders in their personal study, preaching and teaching. Though my plan is that once the writing is complete this handbook will be published and available to anyone, I have been challenged by this project, as it is my goal to always give away the knowledge, wisdom, and gifts which the Lord has given to me. I have always been struck by the verse where Jesus says, “You received without paying; give without pay” (Matthew 10:8), and while I know this is directly in relation to healing the sick and casting out demons, my conscience will not let me withhold my writing gifts as well.

Intent to Publish

With that in mind, my intention is to begin publishing the writings for my Bible handbook here, each Friday, as a way to distribute freely, what God has entrusted to me. Then, once the writing journey is complete, I will make a full, published version available through Amazon and other platforms for those who may want a nice, print copy. That way my conscience is clear, as everything is freely available here, and yet the work of organizing, publishing, and distributing is still rewarded with compensation for those who desire a complete handbook of their own.

Please keep in mind that my free distribution here does NOT imply that these writings are not copyrighted works of which I retain all rights. You may take them and use them as you wish, so long as you are not editing the work or claiming it as your own. Remember, integrity matters, especially for the Christian.

A General Preface

In any undertaking to study the Bible or to learn more about the Bible itself, there is one, underlying truth that must remain front and center in the mind of the believer. That is this: the Bible is one story, and it is all about Jesus. This truth is the foundational understanding of these writings, and my hope is to make this truth evident in every post.

My goal is to provide a resource for all believers that will help them to view the Bible as more than simply a tool for ministry or a series of ancient texts that give good moral guidance. While those things are true, and many more things could be said about what the Bible is, it is primarily God’s revelation of Jesus – the Savior of the world.

In the Old Testament, we see the gospel of Jesus Christ concealed in pictures and stories, that cannot be clearly understood until the gospel is revealed in the New Testament. From Genesis to Malachi, the Bible gives us a clear view of how sin and evil and death are forces which separate man from God, and yet there is always the promise of redemption to come. The New Testament, written 400 years after the Old Testament was completed, begins with the promised Redeemer of the Old Testament coming into the world as a man, and yet God’s own Son. 

Although His life was not what men expected, and His death was completely unforeseen by those looking forward to His coming, Jesus fulfills all the promises of the Old Testament and initiates God’s eternal Kingdom among men in the New Testament.

The Plan

As I share these posts each week, I will begin at the most basic level, to gain an understanding of the Bible as a collection of various writings.

We will start by taking a general look at the entire Bible, it’s books and breakdowns, as well as major themes and highlights in the story. What we will discover is that throughout the entire Old and New Testament, there is one major story that is woven into every smaller tale, and this is the story of Jesus. The whole Bible is about Him.

The Bible is not a single book. It is a library of 66 smaller books, written by more than 40 authors over a period of 1300 years. The Bible is broken down into two main sections: The Old Testament, which contains 39 books, and the New Testament, which contains 27 books. These books are further broken down by categories, such as histories or prophecies, which explain the purpose for which they were written.

As you read these posts, you will get a very general overview of the bible. However, please do not view this as the work of a great scholar or theologian. This is a simple resource, written by a simple man, to help you understand the greatest story ever told, and hopefully, to draw you a little closer to Jesus Christ – the One this story is all about!

The Outline

This page will serve as a “table of contents” for what will come in the future. If you are looking for something particular, this will help guide you as the posts become available. You can always browse the entire series at AnthonyIngram.com/BibleBasics.

• Introduction
• The Books of the Old Testament: Law, History, Poetry, Prophets
• The Books of the New Testament: Gospels, History, Letters, Prophecy
• Timeline of the Bible
• Old Testament Survey (Book by Book)
• New Testament Survey (Book by Book)
• A Brief History of the Bible: Inspiration, Canonization, Translations
• Why We Can Trust The Bible
• Bibliography

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”