Unlocking the Scriptures

Jeff Lasseigne

Description

With clarity and wit, pastor and Bible teacher provides an easy-to-use guide to the Bible, highlighting its origin, history, trustworthiness, and significance as well as key aspects of every book from Genesis to Revelation.

Sujets

• Christian theology
• Reference work

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 17 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493412457
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2016 by Jeff Lasseigne
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2016
Ebook corrections 01.13.2017, 06.03.2019
Part 2 of this book has been adapted from Highway 66: A Unique Journey through the 66 Books of the Bible . Copyright © 2004, 2014 by Jeff Lasseigne. Published by Harvest Ministries.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-1245-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled AKJV are from the American King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Endorsements
“My friend Jeff has come up with another book that will help many of God’s people enjoy Bible study and make progress in understanding and obeying the Scriptures. In these pages the new believer especially will find helpful information, and the more mature believer will find personal encouragement in Bible study.”
Warren W. Wiersbe , author and former pastor of Moody Church, Chicago
“Even after teaching through the Scriptures for over thirty-five years, I still love to read books about the Bible—its origin, reliability, and message, but Unlocking the Scriptures gives fresh perspective. In his book, Jeff Lasseigne shows us how to approach God’s book, the Bible, with reverence and walk away with a confident understanding. Every generation needs to know these truths and Jeff has done us a great service to this one by helping us see the big picture of God’s redemptive plan.”
Skip Heitzig , pastor and author
“What a terrific book Pastor Jeff has written to help us learn the Bible, even making sense out of some of the more difficult passages. It’s easy to understand, enjoyable, engaging, educational, and humorous. Once I began reading I did not want to put it down. It’s written for anyone wanting to learn more about the Bible, from the Bible student to a seasoned Bible teacher. If you want to understand the Bible and you have a love for God’s Word, you will love this book. I do!”
Tom Hughes , lead pastor of 412 Church, founder of endtimestv.org, and author of America in the New World Order
“I have known and watched Jeff Lasseigne for many years. I have always appreciated Jeff in every aspect of his life and ministry. I’m not surprised that he has written Unlocking the Scriptures . Jeff loves our Lord and he loves His Word. I have watched him live out his calling and gifts for years at Harvest Christian Fellowship. He has pastored alongside Greg Laurie for many years and many have grown under the clear, effective, and anointed way in which he simply ‘unlocks the Bible.’ I assure you that you will be blessed by Jeff and his writing as much as his speaking. May the Lord bless you as you read.”
Don McClure , Calvary Way Ministries, Calvary Chapel Association
“I’ve known Pastor Jeff Lasseigne for decades. His thorough exposition of Scripture is remarkable. This book will prove to be an insightful tool for the new disciple as well as an intelligent resource for the seasoned saint.”
Steve Wilburn , senior pastor, Core Church Los Angeles
Dedication
I dedicate this book to the Harvest Christian Fellowship Midweek Bible Study congregation, whose love for God’s Word inspires me in my study, preparation, and teaching of the Bible.
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Endorsements 4
Dedication 5
Foreword by Greg Laurie 9
Acknowledgments 10
Introduction 11
Part 1: The Big Picture 15
1. How We Got the Bible 17
2. Why We Can Trust the Bible 29
3. Understanding the Old Testament 43
4. The Sounds of Silence 69
5. Understanding the New Testament 86
6. How to Study the Bible 109
7. How to Teach the Bible 124
Part 2: Books of the Bible 159
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Bibliography 311
Notes 313
About the Author 317
Back Ads 318
Back Cover 320
Foreword
I’m pleased to recommend to you this practical and informative book from a truly gifted Bible teacher. Jeff Lasseigne has been my associate for nearly three decades at Harvest Christian Fellowship, where he has faithfully taught God’s Word. God has gifted Jeff with a remarkable ability to examine, explain, and expound the Bible in his signature style: thorough, detailed, and easy to understand. Jeff’s love for God’s Word is evident in both his teaching and his life.
In a day and age where the culture has become, for the most part, biblically illiterate, it seems the average person no longer has even a basic understanding of what the Bible is about, much less its origins, its reliability, or its practical application. This book brings us back to the foundational importance of God’s Word, and Jeff reasonably explains why we can trust it, how we can understand it, what it takes to study it, and even how to teach it.
If you are looking to deepen your understanding of the Bible, I wholeheartedly endorse Unlocking the Scriptures . May God bless you as you read it.
Greg Laurie, senior pastor, Harvest Christian Fellowship; evangelist, Harvest Crusades and Harvest America
Acknowledgments
With a heart filled with gratitude, I would like to thank the following people for their encouragement, support, prayers, and contributions toward bringing this book to fruition: Pastor Greg Laurie, Brian Jackson, Andrew McGovern, Karen Zapico, Pastor Paul Eaton, Diane Jackson, and Pastor Brad Ormonde.
A special thanks to Cathe Laurie for the title.
I would also like to express my appreciation to Chad Allen at Baker Books, along with the great staff there who have made this a pleasant process.
Introduction
A nine-year-old boy named Joey went to his Sunday school class, and the teacher spoke about how God delivered the Hebrew people from the clutches of Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. On the way home from church, Joey’s mother asked him what he had learned that morning. Joey answered, “Our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead Israel out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all of the people walked across safely. Then he used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike when the Egyptians were closing in on them. They sent in bombers to blow up the bridge and destroy the enemy, and all of the Israelites were saved.”
“Now Joey,” his mom said, “is that really what the teacher told you this morning?”
Joey hesitated and said, “Well, not exactly, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you would never believe it!”
Believe it or not, the Bible is the most unique book ever written. The Bible is the world’s all-time bestselling book, and nothing else even comes close. The Bible was the first book ever printed on the printing press, and portions have been translated into nearly two thousand different languages.
And yet, the irony is that it’s also the most ignored book for so many. It is safe to say that the Bible is the most beloved, the most read, the most criticized, and the most neglected book in history. A recent Barna Group research poll reports that 88 percent of Americans own a Bible, and the average household has over four copies. 1
That sounds promising, until we find that the same poll reveals that 59 percent of the people who claim to have no faith, or identify themselves as atheists, own a Bible. Clearly, many of those Bibles are simply collecting dust. That same Barna report reveals that just 13 percent of the people polled stated that they read the Bible every day. I’m one of those 13 percent, and I hope you are as well! The Bible is intended to be our daily bread, not an occasional cupcake.
The report also reveals that four out of ten people claim that they simply don’t have enough time to read the Bible, but my answer has always been that we make time for what’s important to us. Interestingly, more than 50 percent said that when they do make time to read Scripture, they don’t know where to start reading. I’ll address that question later on in this book.
An alarming finding from that report reveals that 47 percent of those surveyed believe that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon all teach the same truth in a different way. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Finally, the percentage of people who