TheBasics
The Basics covers three books from the Greek Scriptures (commonly referred to as the New Testament) and a portion of the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly referred to as the Old Testament):
- Mark
- 1st letter of John1
- Genesis 1-11
- Romans
The Basics: Big Picture Summary
Mark: a fast-paced and vivid account of the life, death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Written by a disciple of Jesus named John Mark.
1st John: the most succinct and eloquent writing in the entire Bible on the loving aspect of our Heavenly Father, the Creator God. Written by John the son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ closest and most beloved disciples.
Genesis 1-11: a big picture summary of creation and the aftermath of mankind’s rebellion against the Creator God. This portion of the Bible forms the foundation for understanding the entire Bible.
Romans: a profound and stunningly clear description of the depravity of mankind and how to be reconciled with the Creator God through faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Written by Paul, the first missionary to Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and Greece.
The Basics Reading Schedule
Week 1:
Day 1: Mark 1-4
Day 2: Mark 5-8
Day 3: Mark 9-12
Day 4: Mark 13-16
Day 5: 1 John 1-3
Day 6: 1 John 4-5
Day 7: Genesis 1-3
Day 1: Mark 1-4
Focus point: Mark 2:1-12 I can tell someone that I forgive them of their sins——all of their sins, mind you, not just the ones they may have committed against me personally. It would be bold and presumptuous of me to make such a claim, but nevertheless, I could still say this to someone and no one could prove one way or the other if my announcement actually worked or not. That is because there isn’t any obvious or visible sign that proves whether or not I actually had the power and ability to remove their sins——they would look just the same as they did before I made my audacious announcement.
Here, Jesus provides the physical evidence to His claim that He (and He alone) has the ability to forgive sins. First, He says to the paralytic that the man’s sins are forgiven, but then Jesus goes on to actually prove it——He connects His words of forgiveness with His words of healing. The paralytic is instantly cured——Jesus used His words to show His power over disease, the man was healed; therefore His words of healing must be true. Jesus used His words to state that He can forgive sins; likewise these words must also be true.
Do you see the striking difference between my claim to have the power to forgive sins (in which I provide no proof), and Jesus’ claim to have the power to forgive sins (in which He provides spectacular proof)?
Day 2: Mark 5-8
Focus point: Mark 8:31-38
This passage introduces a theme that you will see throughout all four gospel accounts——before Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples completely misunderstood the purpose and intent of Jesus’ plan. They thought that Jesus came as a conqueror-king that would deliver the oppressed Israelites out of the hands of the foreign rulers (Rome).
This is why Peter “rebuked” Jesus here——Peter is essentially saying, “Jesus, that’s crazy talk——you’re here to deliver us, not sacrifice yourself——let me remind you of the game plan….” Jesus must correct Peter (and not for the last time!) and remind him of the true game plan——that Jesus came to usher in a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God——a kingdom that looks completely different from our worldly ideas of a kingdom.
Keep this thought in mind as you read through the gospel accounts and it will help you understand a great deal of the “confusing” things that Jesus said to His disciples——it sounds confusing to us because we have the same incorrect mindset that Peter had.
Day 3: Mark 9-12
Focus point: Mark 12:28-34
The modern equivalent to a scribe would be a Bible scholar or Theology professor——one who studies the Scriptures in the original language and knows it inside and out. Isn’t it curious that a scribe is asking Jesus what commandment is the most important? The scribe is referring to the Torah, which is the first five books of the Bible——today we call this the “Law.” In Hebrew, torah simply means “instruction.”
We will get to a study of the Law later, but for the purposes of understanding this passage, there are hundreds of laws and instructions described in the Torah, so the scribe is asking: which of these is most important? It is likely that the scribe was hoping to trip Jesus up and get Him to say something inconsistent or to say something that could easily be proven wrong (after all, he had a Ph.D. in the Scriptures). Instead, Jesus condenses and summarizes all of the Law into two commandments: it’s all about your relationship with God as highest priority, and your relationship with fellow humans as second priority. Everything else——all the detailed rules that you read about in the Law——fall naturally into place if you have these two commandments in the right priority.
You can see the transforming power of Jesus right here in this passage——the scribe had hoped to trick Jesus, but instead was completely convinced and changed by Jesus’ answer to his question.
Day 4: Mark 13-16
Focus point: Mark 14:53-65
The religious leaders were looking for a way to lawfully have Jesus put to death and rid themselves of Jesus’ meddling in their territory, so to speak. In verse 58, an accusation is made that Jesus used magic or sorcery as His source of power, which was an act punishable by death according to the Law. But the accusation didn’t stick because of conflicting testimony. The chief priest must then “ratchet” things up a notch, and hopes to trap Jesus in blasphemy——claiming to be God or equal to God——an act also punishable by death. Now, instead of the conflicting testimony of the false witnesses, Jesus Himself answers the chief priest’s question (much to the delight of the chief priest, for this is exactly the claim he was hoping Jesus would make)——Jesus confirms that He is the Messiah. This sealed Jesus’ fate, for now the council had the “legal” basis for imposing the death penalty. At that time, since Israel was under the control of Rome, criminals convicted of capital punishment had to first have the approval of the regional Roman leader before the sentence could be carried out.
Stop and think about it for a moment: if Jesus were just an ordinary man (as the council thought), then good riddance——just another crazy person claiming to be a Messiah (people still claim this today); but the difference is that Jesus wasn’t just another crazy person, He rose from the dead, proving that He was indeed the Messiah. No false Messiah has ever done that, they are still in the grave.
Day 5: 1 John 1-3
Focus point: 1st John 3:1-10
Many people find it unusual or strange that the Bible uses familial language so often. Many people have an idea that God is a distant, incomprehensible figure. When we reflect on the scope and size of creation, it is easy to get this feeling about the Being who brought forth the entire universe. Yet, John wants to make it clear, using language that we can easily understand and relate to, that God is like a wonderful father who pours His love out on us.
As you read this section, try imagining that you are God’s “favorite” child (for the purpose of emphasizing the point John is making in verse 1) and see what a difference it makes in your understanding of God’s loving character. But also be mindful of the other point that John is making here——this lavish love is only for God’s children. And just who are God’s children? We find that out in the next chapter.
Day 6: 1 John 4-5
Focus point: 1st John 4:7-16
This is perhaps one of the finest explanations in the entire Bible about the nature of the relationship that we can have with our loving Heavenly Father——and the basis of that relationship is love.
At first glance, it may sound similar to what many other philosophies and religions say, that one has to intentionally express love to God and to others and once you do that, you are a loving person and God is pleased with you. But re-read verse 10 and notice the striking difference between John’s explanation and that of the “world’s” explanation: it is not by us expressing love to God that brings us into a relationship with Him——it’s the other way around! God expresses His love to us, and that is how we become His children. Most people believe that the “work” has to be done on our side in order to make us pleasing and acceptable to God. Not so. Isn’t it wonderful that the “work” is done by God and not us——this is one of the reasons why the gospel, that is, the “Good News” (for that is what the Greek word gospel means in English) really is good news.
Now look at verse 15. This verse answers the question raised yesterday——who are the children of God? Do you now see how to enter into a relationship with our loving Creator God? It is only by believing in Jesus Christ, our wonderful Savior!
Day 7: Genesis 1-3
Focus point: Genesis 3:1-13
I can’t overemphasize the importance of this chapter in understanding the rest of the Bible. There are few chapters in the whole Bible that are as critical. Rather than comment very much on it, I recommend that you read and re-read this chapter frequently during The Basics and Dig Deeper studies——there are many other passages in Scripture that will shed more light and color on what we commonly refer to as “The Fall”——that is, the fall of mankind from a state of perfection and grace. We, as descendants of Adam and Eve, no longer have this perfect fellowship with the Creator God. The rest of the Bible is God’s wonderful plan to bring us back into that fellowship with Him. But as you will discover, the rest of the Bible also shows how mankind, sadly, repeatedly rejects God’s wonderful plan, even to this day.
Week 2:
Day 8: Genesis 4-5
Day 9: Genesis 6-8
Day 10: Genesis 9-11
Day 11: Romans 1-4
Day 12: Romans 5-8
Day 13: Romans 9-12
Day 14: Romans 13-16
Day 8: Genesis 4-5
Focus point: Genesis 4:1-12
This passage tells the account of the first murder in the history of mankind. It is implied, but not explicitly stated, that the reason that Cain’s sacrifice was not pleasing to the Lord is because Cain didn’t give the very best of his harvest but held the best portions back for himself; whereas Abel gave the choicest portion of his offering. In other words, in Cain’s heart, he didn’t put God as the first and highest priority. Today it is no different——we too hold back the best for ourselves——it is in our very nature.
Day 9: Genesis 6-8
Focus point: Genesis 6:5-8
The depravity of mankind only further deteriorated since the days of Cain and Abel, until it was in such a state that God was grieved to the heart——not that God has a heart like we do, but the author here (tradition states it was Moses) is using imagery that we can relate to in order to understand how God felt. Stop and think of that for a moment——God has feelings and emotion, such as grief and pain. That is an astonishing thought for most people, but it is true. This passage introduces the account of Noah, who found favor with God and through whom God would remake the world and re-establish the human race through a catastrophic flood.
Day 10: Genesis 9-11
Focus point: Genesis 11:1-4
The important thing to take note in this passage is how quickly mankind is back to its self-centered, self-sufficient ways. In verse 3, notice how industrious and hard-working the people are here and that their goals are self-aggrandizement (“make a name for ourselves”). Sadly, there is little difference between the people today and those described here. Like them, we feel that we don’t need God, we can do it ourselves.
It may sound strange or counter-intuitive, but it was actually an act of mercy that God dispersed the people and confused the languages——had the people been allowed to continue on in their quest for independence, no one would have been left who even remembered God. By dispersing the people, God was able to isolate a particular man from which He was going to build a whole nation of people that would tell the rest of the world about the wonderful Creator God.
We will return to this point in history in the Dig Deeper lesson, but first, we need to get additional background material to make better sense of this special people.
Day 11: Romans 1-4
Focus point: Romans 1:18-20
Paul is saying here that it’s no use to plead ignorance——you can’t show up before the throne of God and say, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you existed… you should have made yourself more obvious.” God has left all of creation as a testimony to His existence.
Re-read verse 18 to see what Paul says about people that attempt to feign ignorance——he says that someone who does this is a wicked person who suppresses the truth. Have you ever known someone that failed to see something about themselves but it was obvious to everyone else? Maybe it was a problem they had, some compulsion such as overspending, overeating, alcohol addiction or repeatedly making bad relationship decisions. Don’t you feel a little bit of pity for them——they can’t or won’t see something that is plain to everyone else around them. Now amplify that ignorance——actually, it’s not true ignorance but a suppression of reality——on a much grander scale. Let say, the size of the universe——for that is how large of a witness there is to the Creator God——how foolish would it seem for a person to continue to deny the existence of God? Paul would say that it would be foolishness to the point of wickedness.
Day 12: Romans 5-8
Focus point: Romans 8:1-4
This section of Romans contains one of the most lucid and sobering descriptions of mankind’s disposition towards evil. As we read through chapters 5-7, we are struck to the heart because we feel that Paul is not describing himself but instead has somehow gotten into our heads and discovered the deepest secrets about ourselves that we have kept hidden from everyone else.
Try this exercise, re-read Romans 7:7-25. At the end of verse 25, stop and breathe a heavy sigh of relief——imagine that you’ve just finishing running a marathon and are so glad and relieved that it is over. Then immediately read Romans 8:1-4. This passage is a breath of fresh air——imagine it, the heaviness of sin (like a grueling marathon), and then the lightness and freedom of being done with it——forever! That is how you should feel as you read through Romans 8, light as a feather through your new-found freedom in Jesus Christ.
Day 13: Romans 9-12
Focus point: Romans 10:9-13
Re-read Romans 10:13 and let the words sink into your ears, your heart, your very being. Isn’t it wonderful to know that this is a promise from God that we can bank on and trust in? This is an excellent passage to memorize so that you can recall it anytime you need a burst of wonder at the amazing promises that our Creator God has given to us.
But just who is the “Lord” that Paul is referring to in this passage? In today’s culture, it is very common to say or believe that there are many ways to “call on the name of the Lord” and that in essence, all the various religions are just different ways to the same God. But are they really? Is the Lord that Paul is describing here the same that our pluralistic society today defines? For the answer, we have to go back a couple sentences to verses 9-11. Here in these verses, who does Paul say is the “Lord” that is able to deliver on the promise given in verse 13? With that answer in mind, you may also want to memorize these verses as well.
Day 14: Romans 13-16
Focus point: Romans 13:8-14
In Romans, you have heard Paul refer to the “Law” on many occasions. Just what is this Law that he keeps referring to? To answer that question will require more background reading in the Bible——in fact, we won’t get to a detailed study of the Law until after we finish the Dig Deeper section. But for purposes of getting a big picture overview of the Law, this section of Romans provides one of the best summaries in the entire Bible. Keep this overview of the Law in mind as you continue your study through the Bible, so that when you finally do read about the Law (which is quite comprehensive), you will not “get lost” or mired in the details of the Law. You can refer back here to Paul’s summary in order to keep you grounded in understanding the true and underlying intention of God when He gave the Law to the Israelites. In Paul’s masterful way of expressing ideas, he introduces, or rather reminds us that the ultimate purpose of the Law is to lead us into love, which should sound very familiar to what you just recently read in the 1st Letter of John.
The Basics: Stop and Take a Look Back
Even though we’ve only read a little over three books of the Bible (out of a total of 66), you should already be getting the sense that the Bible “answers itself.” That is, the various books of the Bible, even though they are written by many different authors in many different places and time periods, are harmonious and complementary to one another. Or perhaps a better way to put it is that the Bible contains the answers to many of the perplexing questions we have about life——if we are willing to invest the time to search for the answers and be open to listening to what God is saying to us through the words of the Bible. This is one of the main goals of the first section of this course——recognizing that when questions “come up” as we read through the Bible, the answers are ultimately found in other passages of the Bible itself. This is why we said at the beginning of this course that we can understand the Bible better and better as we are reading it.
As you continue your journey through the Dig Deeper study, keep this in mind——in fact, knowing that the answers to your questions might be “just around the corner” makes it very exciting to read through the Bible and you will find yourself not wanting to put it down!
DigDeeper — Click here to continue to the next section.
Not to be confused with the Gospel of John; the 1st letter of John is located near the end of the Bible ↩︎
