R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 38

Get a Basic Overview of the Bible

Virtually every Christian at some point has resolved to read the entire Bible. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God, it's natural not to want to miss a word of it. If God delivered a letter to your mailbox, I am sure you would read it. But the Bible is a pretty big letter, and its sheer bulk is somewhat daunting, even to the person with the best of intentions. Therefore, few Christians actually keep a resolution to read through the Bible.

At seminars, I often ask for a show of hands indicating how many people have read the entire Bible. Rarely do even 50 percent of the people answer "yes." I ask, "How many of you have read the book of Genesis?" Almost everyone raises his hand. Then I say, "Keep your hand up if you've also read Exodus." Only a few hands are lowered. "Leviticus?" That's when hands start dropping quickly. With Numbers it's even worse.

Why do many Christians struggle to read the entire Bible?

Reading Genesis is almost like reading a novel. It is mostly narrative history and biography. It tells of important events in the lives of important people such as Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. Exodus is likewise gripping, as it tells the poignant story of Israel's enslavement in Egypt and of its liberation under the leadership of Moses. The contest with Pharaoh is exciting. But when we get to Leviticus, everything changes. It's difficult reading about the ceremonies, the sacrifices, and the cleansing rituals because they are foreign to us today. We lack a road map to help us through these difficult portions of the Bible.

Begin with an overview of the Bible

Here's my recommendation: begin with an overview of the Bible. Get the basic framework first. If possible, enroll in a Ligonier Connect course online that will give you such an overview. We have also produced an audio and video series titled Dust to Glory. It gives the basic structure of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It does not go into details, but it covers the high points of redemptive history. In addition to this series, I collaborated with Robert Wolgemuth to produce What's in the Bible? The goal of this book is to help the person who has never had a simple introduction to the Bible. In 1977, I published a book titled Knowing Scripture, which is designed to help people master the basic rules of biblical interpretation. I frankly think this book is one of the most important helps that I've ever been able to provide for people in studying the Bible, because it provides basic, foundational principles of biblical interpretation to keep people from falling into errors that would lead to distortions of the teaching of Scripture.

Once you understand the basic framework, you are much better equipped to read the Bible. Here is a pattern I recommend for people who have never read the Bible.

The Old Testament overview:

Genesis (the history of Creation, the fall, and God's covenantal dealings with the patriarchs)
Exodus (the history of Israel's liberation and formation as a nation)
Joshua (the history of the military conquest of the Promised Land)
Judges (Israel's transition from a tribal federation to a monarchy)
1 Samuel (Israel's emerging monarchy under Saul and David)
2 Samuel (David's reign)
1 Kings (Solomon and the divided kingdom)
2 Kings (the fall of Israel)
Ezra (the Israelites' return from exile)
Nehemiah (the restoration of Jerusalem)
Amos and Hosea (examples of minor prophets)
Jeremiah (an example of a major prophet)
Ecclesiastes (Wisdom Literature)
Psalms and Proverbs (Hebrew poetry)

The New Testament overview:

The Gospel of Luke (the life of Jesus)
Acts (the early church)
Ephesians (an introduction to the teaching of Paul)
1 Corinthians (life in the church)
1 Peter (an introduction to Peter)
1 Timothy (an introduction to the Pastoral Epistles)
Hebrews (Christology)
Romans (Paul's theology)

By reading these books, a student can get a basic feel for and understanding of the scope of the Bible without getting bogged down in the more difficult sections. From there, he or she can fill in the gaps to complete the reading of the entire Bible.

We have compiled a thorough list of various Bible reading plans to help you develop a regular habit of reading through the Bible.

This excerpt is taken from Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow by R.C. Sproul.

$5 Friday (And More): Prayer, Christian Living, & Faith

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as prayer, Christian living, faith, theology, William Tyndale, and more.

Plus, several bonus resources are also available for more than $5. These have been significantly discounted from their original price. This week’s bonus resources include:

Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation by Anthony Carter, Paperback book $12 $9.60
The Prayer of the Lord by R.C. Sproul, Paperback book $10 $8.00
The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul, Paperback book $15 $12.00
A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Papacy by Leonardo De Chirico, Paperback book $8 $6.40
A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin, Paperback book $8 $6.40
Sola Scriptura: The Protestant Position on the Bible , Paperback book $12 $9.60
Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul, Hardcover book $17 $13.60
Everyone’s a Theologian by R.C. Sproul, Audiobook CD $25 $20
And More

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m.–11:59 p.m. Friday ET.

View today’s $5 Friday sale items.

Bring the Biblical Teaching You Enjoy to More People in 2021

You can help ensure that Ligonier begins its fiftieth year of ministry on firm footing. Please give tonight so that more people can receive trusted teaching from God’s Word in 2021.

Following the mission that Dr. R.C. Sproul mapped out for this teaching fellowship, Ligonier is committed to proclaiming the holiness of God and serving as a theological lifeline for growing Christians around the world. In the Lord’s providence, your gift today can help bring the biblical teaching that you enjoy to more people in 2021.

This gospel outreach must increase because theological famine is on the rise globally. Billions of people have never heard of the salvation that is received by faith alone in Christ alone. Many churches and Christians lack resources to aid them in the work of making disciples. In some regions where the church held significant influence in the past, secularism and false teaching are advancing at an astonishing pace. The truth is urgently needed, and the consequences of meeting this need are eternal. By God’s grace, you and I can help.

As the Lord presents Ligonier with vast new opportunities for outreach in service to the church, will you help us finish this year well and begin the next fifty years of ministry in a position of strength?

Your support makes it possible to proclaim the Word of God through broadcasts, publications, in-person and online events, and more, helping Christians to grow in the Lord so that they may serve Him faithfully and live for His glory. This outreach is not inexpensive, but by God’s grace, it is effective—and needed now more than ever.

Every online gift we receive by 11:30 p.m. ET tonight positions Ligonier to reach even more people in our fiftieth year. Can we count on your help at this time?

Donate Now

 

In Jesus Christ, We Are Reconciled to God

May Christians never forget where they came from, lest they lose sight of the glorious reality of the new creation in Christ. In this brief clip, Sinclair Ferguson reminds us of the privileges that are richly bestowed on all who are united to the Lord Jesus.

Transcript:

You ever sing that great hymn, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me?" Remember that very moving line in it, "Not the labors of my hands can fulfill Your law's demands." Then, this line, "Could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone." If you wept for your sins for all eternity, that could not atone for them. Why could it not atone for them? Because it couldn't remove them. All your tears throughout eternity would be no compensation for the fact that you were living in rebellion against God. And so, what he wants us to understand is the distortion of the original creation and therefore the distortion of our own lives, and it's against that background that this restoration, this new creation in Christ, is such a glorious reality. Friends, we must never forget where we came from. If we forget where we came from, we begin to take the grace of God very lightly. There is still enough of the old family atmosphere in us to end up congratulating ourselves because we were worthy of the grace of God, and of course God would choose people like us. So, we must never lose sight of the back-cloth of the distortion of our lives through the fall, but by the same token, and for some of us this is an even more important word, we must never lose sight of the glory of the new creation in Christ. And some of us fall off one side, some of us fall off the other. Pastors often have to spend a great deal of time dragging people out of the overwhelming sense they have of their failure, the overwhelming sense they have of the damage that has been done to them because of their past life and need to say to them again and again, "But now you are in Christ." And by the same token, some of us take it for granted, and we need to be told, "Remember the pit from which you were dug in order that you may catch a fresh sense of the privileges that are yours in your restoration in Jesus Christ." And the word he uses here is this, what does it mean to be united to Christ? It means that in Jesus Christ we are reconciled to God. In Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to God.

Send Trusted Teaching around the World

Dr. R.C. Sproul founded Ligonier Ministries to proclaim the holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible. Our president, Chris Larson, wrote earlier this month to highlight some of the ways your support has helped advance this mission. Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, our chairman, also wrote to remind us that, in the face of real difficulties, the church has remained faithful to consistently and unashamedly teach the whole counsel of God to the nations. We’re grateful for those of you who have prayed for and financially supported this outreach this year. As a result, millions of people in many languages were reached every single month with opportunities to grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness.

Consider how the Lord is transforming the lives of individuals around the world. Before he was a missionary in the Middle East, Josh was an inmate in a Texas prison who was converted and then discipled using resources from Dr. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries. Yee relies on Ligonier to study God’s Word deeper, as smaller towns in Malaysia lack seminary-trained pastors. During the time of their lockdown, Katie found herself stranded in Europe, unable to leave the house, so she spent that time watching Ligonier teaching series. Bill is using Ligonier resources to disciple college students in India. Josh, Yee, Katie, and Bill are a few of the countless lives being impacted through the outreach you enable.

Your gift of any amount by 11:30 p.m. ET on December 31 will help fuel further ministry and reach even more people in more places in the coming year. Every gift, large or small, makes a lasting impact.

God is using you to renew minds and transform lives around the world. Thank you.

 

Why Should Christians Study the Bible?

Many people believe that theological study holds little value. They say, "I don't need theology; I just need to know Jesus." Yet theology is unavoidable for every Christian. It is our attempt to understand the truth that God has revealed to us—something every Christian does. So it is not a question of whether we are going to engage in theology; it is a question of whether our theology is sound or unsound. It is important to study and learn because God has taken great pains to reveal Himself to His people. He gave us a book, one that is not meant to sit on a shelf pressing dried flowers, but to be read, searched, digested, studied, and chiefly to be understood.

An important text in the writings of the Apostle Paul is found in his second letter to Timothy: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16–17). That text should put an end to claims that we do not need doctrine or that doctrine has no value. There is profit from a careful study of the Bible. Because the Bible is inspired by almighty God, it gives us a valuable and profitable asset, and that asset is doctrine.

The Bible is profitable also for reproof. The academic world devotes much energy to biblical criticism, sometimes called higher criticism, which is an analytical critique of Scripture. However, the biblical criticism in which we ought to engage renders us the object rather than the subject of the criticism. In other words, the Bible criticizes us. When we come to the Word of God, the Word of God exposes our sin. The biblical doctrine of man includes us, as does the biblical doctrine of sin, and we are reproved for our sinfulness when we come to the text of Scripture. We may not listen to the criticism of our peers, but we are wise to heed the criticism of God as it comes to us in sacred Scripture.

Scripture is also profitable for correction from both false living and false belief. Some time ago, at the request of a friend, I read a New York Times best seller about how to become a medium and communicate with the dead. I got about halfway through the book and had to stop reading. There was so much spiritual filth in that book, so much falsehood, that those with even a simple understanding of the law of God in the Old Testament would have been able to detect the lies. Such is the profit of correction from false teaching and false living that we can gain from Scripture.

Finally, Scripture is profitable "for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." The purpose of theology is not to tickle our intellects but to instruct us in the ways of God, so that we can grow up into maturity and fullness of obedience to Him. That is why we engage in theology.

Looking to read more of the Bible in 2021? For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from. Whatever it is you’re looking for in a reading plan, you should find it here.

This excerpt is adpated from Everyone's a Theologian by R.C. Sproul.

Can Our Prayers Change God's Will? If Not, Why Pray?

Do our prayers have the power to change God’s mind or redirect His will? From one of our Ask R.C. events, R.C. Sproul explains why we should bring our petitions before the sovereign Lord.

When you have biblical and theological questions, just ask Ligonier.

Read the Transcript

New Podcast: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

In all the noise of everyday life, how do you focus on what really matters? Where do you go to regain perspective?

Subscribe today to our newest podcast, Ultimately with R.C. Sproul. Drawn from a lifetime of Bible study and reflections on the nature of truth, including content never before released, this podcast features unique moments of insight to help you understand what you believe and why you believe it. Each episode is only a few minutes, filled with biblical teaching and theological wisdom from Dr. Sproul to help you renew your mind, make sense of the world around you, and grow in your knowledge of who God is.

Subscribe today to listen to the trailer, and look for the first episode on January 4. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to set your mind on what matters most—what matters ultimately.

SUBSCRIBE TO HEAR THE TRAILER

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, or TuneIn. Coming soon on RefNet and iHeartRadio.

 

2021 Bible Reading Plans

R.C. Sproul reminded us that “The Scriptures are absolutely key in the process by which the Spirit gives—and strengthens—the faith of Christians.”

The beginning of a new year is a time when many Christians evaluate their Scripture reading habits and begin or change a Bible reading plan. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of effective Bible reading plans for you to choose from. Whether you are looking to complete the Bible in a year or focus on different books and themes, we hope these plans will be of great help to you, your family, and your church.

5 Day Bible Reading Program

Read through the Bible in a year with readings five days a week.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

52 Week Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in a year with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: epistles, the law, history, Psalms, poetry, prophecy, and Gospels.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

5x5x5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan

Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you’re new to a daily discipline of Bible reading.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

A Bible Reading Chart

Read through the Bible at your own pace. Use this minimalistic yet beautifully designed chart to track your reading throughout the year.

Duration: Flexible | Download: PDF

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings beginning in Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Acts.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Discipleship Journal Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan

Two daily readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Complete an entire book in each testament before moving on.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings taken from four lists: Psalms and wisdom literature, Pentateuch and history of Israel, Chronicles and prophets, and Gospels and epistles.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Every Word in the Bible

Read through the Bible one chapter at a time. Readings alternate between the Old and New Testaments.

Duration: Three years | Download: PDF

Historical Bible Reading Plan

The Old Testament readings are similar to Israel’s Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament readings are an attempt to follow the order in which the books were authored.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

An In Depth Study of Matthew

A year-long study in the Gospel of Matthew from Tabletalk magazine and R.C. Sproul.

Duration: One year | App: Accessible on YouVersion. Download the app.

Bible In A Year

This plan takes you through the entire Bible with two readings each day: one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Duration: One year | App: Accessible on YouVersion. Download the app.

Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System

Reading ten chapters a day, in the course of a year you’ll read the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters four to five times, the Old Testament wisdom literature six times, the Psalms at least twice, Proverbs and Acts a dozen times, and the Old Testament history and prophetic books about one and a half times.

Duration: Ongoing | Download: PDF

Robert Murray M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Read the New Testament and Psalms twice and the Old Testament once.

Duration: One or two years | Download: Website

Straight Through the Bible Reading Plan

Read straight through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Tabletalk Bible Reading Plan

Two readings each day, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Legacy Reading Plan

This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month and a set number of Proverbs and Psalms for each week. It aims to give you more flexibility while grounding you in specific books of the Bible.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Two-Year Bible Reading Plan

Read the Old and New Testaments once and Psalms and Proverbs four times.

Duration: Two years | Download: PDF

Have you struggled to read through the entire Bible? R.C. Sproul's basic overview of the Bible may help you.

In addition to your daily Bible reading, consider reading Tabletalk magazine for daily Bible studies to help you understand the Bible and apply it to daily living. Sign up for a free 3-month trial.

 

Your Year-End Gift Is Crucial for Ministry

With your help, Ligonier Ministries can press on in helping the church reach the world with the gospel. Your year-end gift to Ligonier is vital for ministry in this decade and beyond.

As a church historian, I’ve been able to study the work of God and His people in many different eras. The pandemic, political upheaval, financial turbulence, and other issues we’ve experienced in 2020 might be new to many of us, but the church has had to deal with such things before. And the church has always been most effective in dealing with these problems when it has remained faithful to its mission of making disciples of Christ, teaching them everything He has commanded (see Matt. 28:18–20).

This was true in the Apostolic period, in the era of the church fathers, during the Reformation, and beyond. It will be proven true in our era as well. If the Lord should tarry, when historians look back on the twenty-first century, they will identify the faithful church as the one that, in the face of real difficulties, consistently and unashamedly taught the whole counsel of God to all people.

I am thrilled to serve as the chairman of Ligonier’s board of directors because Ligonier is assisting the church in teaching everything that our Lord has commanded. Dr. R.C. Sproul founded Ligonier for that purpose, and by God’s grace, Ligonier has continued in this mission for five decades. This has been true in 2020 as well, as Chris Larson, Ligonier’s president and CEO, recently wrote to you.

In a year when many Christian organizations had to pull back on their outreach, Ligonier has been able to expand our ministry and come into contact with more people than ever before. Ligonier’s translation projects, global partnerships, teaching resources production, teaching distribution, and other initiatives continue to increase even in this challenging moment.

The year 2021 marks fifty years of Ligonier Ministries, and your gift is vital for continuing this mission of proclaiming the truth of God’s Word to the world. If you have already given, thank you. If not, please prayerfully consider how your gift of any amount will help meet the rising demand for Ligonier’s Bible teaching as we move into 2021.

I believe that the Lord has great things in store for the outreach of Ligonier. Your gift will make ministry happen and will go a long way toward meeting our year-end funding needs. Thank you for standing with Ligonier in proclaiming the whole counsel of God.

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