Meet the Bible: A Panorama of God's Word in 366 Daily Readings and Reflections

by Philip Yancey, Brenda Quinn

The story of the Bible starts with the simple statement, "In the beginning, God created . . ." From that first sentence of Genesis, the story of salvation unfolds in strange and wonderful mingling of the commonplace and the miraculous, the human and the transcendent. But if you were born after the baby boom, chances are the Bible seems more like an item of passing interest than a book of depth and meaning for the twenty-first century. If you're not familiar with the Bible, it can be difficult to put into perspective the puzzle of kings and prophets, giants and seven-headed dragons, shepherd boys and itinerant preachers, Old Testament law and New Testament grace. Meet the Bible introduces you to the full, epic sweep of the Bible -- the characters, the places, the times, the stories, and the meanings of this Book of books -- and shows you that even the most obscure passage can hold relevance for your life once you understand what to look for. Award-winning writer Philip Yancey and author Brenda Quinn are your guides on this one-year reading tour of the Bible. Each day's reading includes Scripture, contemporary commentary, and questions for contemplation -- all designed to offer insight into how the passage fits into the overall story of the Bible, and how it can speak to your life today. Meet the Bible takes you through the twists and turns of the Bible's many narratives, the high points and the low points, the good characters and the bad, as well as the eternal thoughts and descriptions of God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Here are stories to remember, images of real people and circumstances closer to your own life than you've ever imagined. By the time you've finished the year's worth of reading, you'll have gained a panoramic view of the whole Bible and a firm understanding of its ideas and teachings. If you've never read the Bible, or hardly know the Bible, or would just like to read the Bible in a fresh new way, Meet the Bible offers an inspiring mix of timeless wisdom and contemporary insight that will cause faith to ignite within you. Direct excerpts from Scripture give readers a panoramic tour of the Bible’s key passages, personalities, events, and ideas as the Old Testament sweeps into the New Testament. Culturally relevant commentary from Quinn and Yancey sheds light on each day’s passage, examining the twists and turns of the Bible’s many narratives, the high points and the low points, the good characters and the bad, as well as the eternal thoughts and descriptions of God and his Son. Reflections every five days provide life application for the week’s Scripture readings.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Religion, Faith, Nonfiction, Devotional, Reference

706 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 1999

About the author

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Philip Yancey earned graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He joined the staff of Campus Life Magazine in 1971, and worked there as Editor and then Publisher. He looks on those years with gratitude, because teenagers are demanding readers, and writing for them taught him a lasting principle: The reader is in control!

In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large.

In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes.

The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains.

Visit Philip online:
https://www.philipyancey.com
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey

Catch his monthly blog:
https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hardback book has 366 mini chapters, undated but numbered so that it can be started at any time of the year. The general format is a chunk of text - often a whole chapter - from the Bible, followed by about a page of commentary, sometimes on the historical background, sometimes on how Christian faith and theology relate to it.

This doesn’t cover every chapter of the Bible; it has something from every one of the 66 books, but while some are covered extensively, others are only touched upon lightly. It’s meant to be a panoramic introduction rather than an in-depth study, however, and it gives a good broad overview of the Bible story from Genesis to Revelation. The order is not always that of the Biblical books, but is roughly chronological.

Every so often there’s what’s called a ‘reflection’: maybe a summary of a book that’s just been completed, or a reminder of some principle or focus that’s been covered in recent days. For those who would like a good overview of the Bible that would be of relevance to any Christians, new or long-standing, I would recommend this.

[Mbgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shall always be a forever fan of Yancey, former editor of C Today. He reminds me of a very scholarly but relevant writer, able to be, like Blue like Jazz, to bring Christ into quotidian life.

Yancey was also the one who brought me to read several pieces on Dr Paul Brand and his seminal work with Hansen’s— aka leprosy.

This super thick devotional is meaty and has expositions on passages from OT and NT . Not every verse is expounded upon, but it took me some time to get through all the pages. Book can double as a weapon, for certain.

My friend’s hub, now partner in some
SValley law firm, doesn’t have time anymore
To read like this. My gain!!!

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally Good but Troubling

Overall, I found this devotional to be good with the right mix of substance and Bible verses. But it was also troubling. There were several racist, misogynistic and culturally-insensitive comments in this book that should have been edited out. They were not based on the Bible, but merely the authors’ musings. I was able to overlook those comments for the most part, and I appreciated the collection of Biblical passages and commentary on those passages. There are also summaries called reflections that provided helpful information for understanding the book of the Bible. Hopefully, they can release a new edition that will reach all people as we are called to do as Christians.

[J Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each day's reading includes a lengthy Bible passage, a brief overview and synopsis of the historical context and a brief devotional thought at the end. The book is truly an overview of the big pictures in the Bible, the ones that are easy to miss when reading straight through the Bible. I like it for that reason. You don’t lose the forest for the trees. A very helpful work in understanding the Bible. A good overview of the Bible.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Yancey and Brenda Quinn collaborated on this excellent book. Both had great insights on the daily Bible passage(s). This book is a survey of the Bible and not intended as a read-through-the-Bible verse by verse. After posting the day's scripture passage, a summary explanation was written. I found the format and material very illuminating. Please use as a devotional book supplementary to the Bible, not as a substitute.

[Ian Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful devotional commentary with thoughts from two superb Christian writers. The book covers much of the bible in a year. I like that the biblical text for each day is provided in full. There is a question at the end of each day - I found some of them a little vague and difficult to relate to. However, this is the best resource of it's type that I've come across.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! As the subtitle indicates, a panorama of readings from every part of the Bible, along with thought-provoking well-written devotionals. We used it for family devotions at mealtimes for a couple of years. Highly recommended! I thank God for Philip Yancey

[Jim Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful View of God’s Creation & Plan for Humanity

Enjoy a year-long journey through the Bible with contemporary daily applications. Refreshingly practical with a deep sense of God’s love and favor that rests upon His people!

[ed chumley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Done

Like reading the whole Bible in a year but in condensed form. Very refreshing and thought provoking. Really helps with understanding and puts it all together

[Aleasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the easy to understand analysis of Bible books and what they mean to contemporary society.

[Phil Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers God’s word in 366 daily readings.

[Asabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read! Helped me to understand the chronology of the Bible. A great read for anyone wanting to study God’s Word!

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great devotional that hits the highlights of the Bible in one year. It was a new experience to read the Bible passages without the numbered verses, which was actually helpful for me.

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a devotional guide that I used along with my read through the Bible in a year. It has some helpful insights into the scripture I was reading that day.

And I have no idea why it says I read it sux times! ☺️

[Amy Schindel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through no fault of its own, it took me 13 years to finish this book. The fact that I kept reading it speaks for how good it is. During that time I had 3 kids, moved to a new town, etc. Returning to this book as I had time helped me grow in my faith and knowledge of the Bible. I also found the reflections and questions very helpful in my faith journey. It has inspired me to read parts of the Bible that I didn't know existed or had previously skipped because I didn't understand or wasn't interested in them. Great read, even if it takes you over a year to get through it! :)

[Piller · Rating 4 out of 5]

a nice blend of scripture and devotional content

[Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle says it all - "A Panorama of God's Word in 366 Daily Readings and Reflections"

Truly educational and inspirational!

[Russ Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent material. Good selection of source material. Helpful commentary.