Blessed to Bless

Tim Sean Youmans

Description

A guide aimed at teens to bring greater understanding of the historical context behind biblical stories
Many Christians are vaguely familiar with numerous Bible stories but do not know their context in the literary or historical arc of the Bible. Blessed to Bless gives meaningful organization to the multitude of Bible stories covered in over 1500 years of religious history. Primarily for teenagers, this book can be a resource for any individual or study group wanting a basic, yet comprehensive introduction to the Bible.

The themes, interpretations, genres, and philosophical framework of Holy Scripture are offered to the reader, organized into four historical “arcs.” Each chapter offers scripture, accompanying commentary, and questions for reflection or discussion. Bible vocabulary concepts are highlighted throughout the book, making it a perfect tool for youth group study, a biblical literature curriculum, or a personal challenge (for instance, to read the Bible in a year). A Leader Guide is available for free download on the Church Publishing website for classroom usage.

Introduction

Unit One: The Book of Genesis
Section One Genesis 1-11: The Creation and the Fall
Chapter 1 The Creation Story(s)
Chapter 2 The Second Creation Story
Chapter 3 The Fall of Humanity
Chapter 4 The Consequences of Sin
Chapter 5 Cain and Abel
Chapter 6 The Long Ages
Chapter 7 Noah and the Great Flood
Chapter 8 Sloppy Drunk Noah
Chapter 9 Tower of Babel
Chapter 10 Is All of This Literal?
Section Two Genesis 12-50: God Conceives a Blessing Culture
Chapter 11 The Call of Abram and Sarai
Chapter 12 Abram and Sarai's Undulating Faith
Chapter 13 Circumcision and the Three Visitors
Chapter 14 The Testing of Abraham
Chapter 15 Isaac Marries His Cousin Rebekah
Chapter 16 Jacob, Esau, and Tribal Leadership
Chapter 17 Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah
Chapter 18 Jacob Wrestles with a Man? an Angel? God?
Chapter 19 Joseph and Promises Fulfilled
Chapter 20 Abraham's Family is the Foundation

Unit Two: Exodus, Wilderness, Conquest, and the Judges
Section One The Exodus: Forty Years in the Wilderness and the Halacha
Chapter 21 Reviewing Genesis
Chapter 22 Escape from Egypt
Chapter 23 "Hangry" and Scared
Chapter 24 The Ten Commandments
Chapter 25 The Golden Calf and the Presence of God
Chapter 26 The Tabernacle, Ark, and Priesthood
Chapter 27 The Pathway of God: Halacha
Chapter 28 More of the Halacha and the People Complain
Chapter 29 Shema, Blessings, and Curses
Chapter 30 A Bronze Snake and Balaam's Ass
Chapter 31 The "Voice of God"
Section Two Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan, the Dark Period of the Judges, and the Call of Samuel
Chapter 32 Canaan as a Symbolic Abstraction
Chapter 33 Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan
Chapter 34 The Period of the Judges
Chapter 35 Canaanite Religion and Biblical Interpretation
Chapter 36 Gideon, Jephthah, and Shibboleth
Chapter 37 Samson the Anti-Hero
Chapter 38 Ruth and the Stages of Israel's Life
Chapter 39 Job, the Man from Uz
Chapter 40 Job's Three (Four) Friends
Chapter 41 God Answers Job
Chapter 42 The Call of Samuel
Chapter 43 The Philistines

Unit Three: United Monarchy, Divided Monarchy, the Prophets
Section One The Rise and Fall of Saul, the Rise and Fall of David
Chapter 44 Israel Demands a King
Chapter 45 Things Fall Apart
Chapter 46 God Anoints David
Chapter 47 Saul Chases after David
Chapter 48 David Rises to the Throne
Chapter 49 David Builds Unity
Chapter 50 David and Bathsheba
Chapter 51 David's House Falls Apart
Chapter 52 The Parents Eat Sour Grapes: Three-Fold Interpretation
Chapter 53 Biblical Inspiration
Section Two The Reign of Solomon, the Temple, the Divided Kingdom, and the Prophets
Chapter 54 Abishag the Shunammite
Chapter 55 Wisdom
Chapter 56 Downfall of Solomon
Chapter 57 Fertility Religions and the Prophet Elijah
Chapter 58 Elisha the Miracle Worker
Chapter 59 Assyria Attacks from the North: Isaiah, Hosea, Amos
Chapter 60 The Babylonian Conquest: Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet
Chapter 61 Ezekiel the Street Artist and Daniel the Slave
Chapter 62 The Valley of Dry Bones and Daniel, Part 2
Chapter 63 Freedom from Persia: Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah
Chapter 64 The Chronicles and the Stages of Israel, Part 2

Unit Four: Christianity Emerges Out of Judaism
Section One Messiah, Healer, Teacher, Divinity
Chapter 65 The Chronicles
Chapter 66 Messianic Expectations
Chapter 67 John the Baptizer
Chapter 68 Jesus the Healer, Part 1
Chapter 69 Jesus the Healer, Part 2
Chapter 70 The Divinity of Jesus: God and Human
Chapter 71 Divinity Continued
Chapter 72 Jesus the Rabbi
Chapter 73 Temple Sacrifice and Synagogue Teaching
Chapter 74 The Parables of Jesus
Chapter 75 The Practice of Abstraction
Section Two The Disciples, Passion, Atonement and Resurrection, The Church
Chapter 76 The Passion and Resurrection of Christ
Chapter 77 Atonement of the Cross
Chapter 78 Blood and Non-blood Atonements
Chapter 79 Jonah and Blessed to Bless
Chapter 80 Jesus and the Canaanite Woman
Chapter 81 The Great Commission and Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 82 The Conversion of Paul for the Gentiles
Chapter 83 Disciples and Apostles
Chapter 84 The Twelve Apostles: Go Give God to Everybody
Chapter 85 Paul Continued...
Chapter 86 The Epistles and The Revelation to John

Epilogue Jesus is the Way of Love
Acknowledgements
Appendix
A. Bible Vocabulary Concepts
B. Books of the Bible Song

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Bible Study Guides
• Biblical Studies
• Philosophie et théologie
• Bible study
• Bible

Informations

• Publié par: Church Publishing Incorporated
• Date de parution: 17 avril 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781640652477
• Langue: English

Extrait

Copyright 2020 by Tim Sean Youmans
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from the Common English Bible , CEB Copyright 2010, 2011 by Common English Bible.TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The CEB and Common English Bible trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Common English Bible. Use of either trademark requires the permission of the Common English Bible.
Scriptures marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All Bible Project content is free and can be accessed as suggested throughout this book. You do not need a license to play any of their content at your event or gathering. You can download the content from their website or stream it from our official channels. The Bible Project www.thebibleproject.com
Church Publishing 19 East 34th Street New York, NY 10016 www.churchpublishing.org
Cover design by Jennifer Kopec, 2Pug Design Typeset by Rose Design
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Youmans, Tim Sean, author.
Title: Blessed to bless : an introduction to the Bible / Tim Sean Youmans.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019048944 (print) LCCN 2019048945 (ebook) ISBN 9781640652460 (paperback) ISBN 9781640652477 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Bible--Introductions.
Classification: LCC BS475.3 .Y68 2020 (print) LCC BS475.3 (ebook) DDC 220.6/1--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019048944
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019048945
for Succor Hill
Contents
Introduction
SECTION ONE
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
Unit One : The Creation and the Fall
1. The Creation Story(s)
2. The Second Creation Story
3. The Fall of Humanity
4. The Consequences of Sin
5. Cain and Abel
6. The Long Ages
7. Noah and the Great Flood
8. Sloppy Drunk Noah
9. Tower of Babel
10. Is All of This Literal?
Unit Two : God Conceives a Blessing Culture
11. The Call of Abram and Sarai
12. Abram and Sarai s Undulating Faith
13. Circumcision and the Three Visitors
14. The Testing of Abraham
15. Isaac Marries His Cousin Rebekah
16. Jacob, Esau, and Tribal Leadership
17. Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah
18. Jacob Wrestles with a Man? an Angel? God?
19. Joseph and Promises Fulfilled
20. Abraham s Family Is the Foundation
SECTION TWO
EXODUS, WILDERNESS, CONQUEST, AND THE JUDGES
Unit One : The Exodus: Forty Years in the Wilderness and the Halacha
21. Reviewing Genesis
22. Escape from Egypt
23. Hangry and Scared
24. The Ten Commandments
25. The Golden Calf and the Presence of God
26. The Tabernacle, Ark, and Priesthood
27. The Pathway of God: Halacha
28. More of the Halacha and the People Complain
29. Shema, Blessings, and Curses
30. A Bronze Snake and Balaam s Ass
31. The Voice of God
Unit Two : Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan, the Dark Period of the Judges, and the Call of Samuel
32. Canaan as a Symbolic Abstraction
33. Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan
34. The Period of the Judges
35. Canaanite Religion and Biblical Interpretation
36. Gideon, Jephthah, and Shibboleth
37. Samson the Antihero
38. Ruth and the Stages of Israel s Life
39. Job, the Man from Uz
40. Job s Three (Four) Friends
41.God Answers Job
42. The Call of Samuel
43. The Philistines
SECTION THREE
UNITED MONARCHY, DIVIDED MONARCHY, THE PROPHETS
Unit One : The Rise and Fall of Saul, the Rise and Fall of David
44. Israel Demands a King
45. Things Fall Apart
46. God Anoints David
47. Saul Chases after David
48. David Rises to the Throne
49. David Builds Unity
50. David and Bathsheba
51. David s House Falls Apart
52. The Parents Eat Sour Grapes: Three-Fold Interpretation
53. Biblical Inspiration
Unit Two : The Reign of Solomon, the Temple, the Divided Kingdom, and the Prophets
54. Abishag the Shunammite
55. Wisdom
56. Downfall of Solomon
57. Fertility Religions and the Prophet Elijah
58. Elisha the Miracle Worker
59. Assyria Attacks from the North: Isaiah, Hosea, Amos
60. The Babylonian Conquest: Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet
61. Ezekiel the Street Artist and Daniel the Slave
62. The Valley of Dry Bones and Daniel, Part 2
63. Freedom from Persia: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
64. The Chronicles and the Stages of Israel, Part 2
SECTION FOUR
CHRISTIANITY EMERGES OUT OF JUDAISM
Unit One : Messiah, Healer, Teacher, Divinity
65. The Chronicles
66. Messianic Expectations
67. John the Baptizer
68. Jesus the Healer, Part 1
69. Jesus the Healer, Part 2
70. The Divinity of Jesus: God and Human
71. Divinity Continued
72. Jesus the Rabbi
73. Temple Sacrifice and Synagogue Teaching
74. The Parables of Jesus
75. The Practice of Abstraction
Unit Two : The Passion, Atonement, Resurrection, The Church, and Apostles
76. The Passion and Resurrection of Christ
77. Atonement of the Cross
78. Blood and Nonblood Atonements
79. Jonah and Blessed to Bless
80. Jesus and the Canaanite Woman
81. The Great Commission and Acts of the Apostles
82. The Conversion of Paul for the Gentiles
83. Disciples and Apostles
84. The Twelve Apostles: Go Give God to Everybody
85. Paul Continued
86. The Epistles and The Revelation to John
Epilogue: Jesus is the Way of Love
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: Bible Vocabulary Concepts
Appendix B: Books of the Bible Songs
. . . all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you. (Gen. 12:3)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Look, I myself with be with you every day until the end of this present age. (Matt. 28:19-20)
Introduction
M any people revere and respect the Bible, but very few people have actually read it. This is because the Bible can be very intimidating. It s a gargantuan collection of books, written long ago by over forty different authors. People disagree about how it should be read and what the stories mean. Blessed to Bless is a basic introduction to the Bible and those complexities.
What you read here is the result of an invitation given to the parents of fifth through eighth graders at Casady School in Oklahoma City, a pre-K through twelfth grade Episcopal preparatory day school. Middle school students at Casady move through a four-year survey of the Bible, studying the Hebrew Scriptures (what Christians call the Old Testament) in the first three years and then they do an introduction of the Christian Scriptures (or the New Testament) in the fourth year. Parents are invited to read through the Bible during the school year following the same pace as their child. When we began, I expected fifteen or so to be interested. I was surprised when over ninety parents showed interest A website was set up in which I posted the same reading assignments the students were given in class along with commentary. These have become the chapters of this book.
I often tell my students that religion (and in this case the Bible) is like baseball. It can be as complicated as you want it to be (with all the variables of pitcher and batter statistics, superstitions, and the like) or it can be simple (a bunch of folks playing catch). This introduction tries to be simple and basic, but at times will point out the potential complexities of certain stories and ideas within the Bible. It is far from a comprehensive explanation of the Bible, but it will serve you as a foundation for deeper study.
Does this book have a religious agenda? Yes and no. Casady School, like many Episcopal day schools, has students from a wide range of religious backgrounds. The school s population is comprised of Evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian families, as well as Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist families. We also have a number of nonreligious families, including intentionally science-driven secular families. Our school loves and respects these families; we do not aggressively attempt to proselytize our students.
On the other hand, because we respect our students and families, I m honest about my own faith and understanding of the scriptures. I am an Episcopal priest who was raised in a Baptist, evangelical home. I do think God is at work in the world, present in the day-to-day lives of people, and that the essence of those interactions and hopes are expressed within the Bible. That is why I ve entitled this book, Blessed to Bless . God blesses the entire world through the life of Jesus Christ and then invites us to join in this relational equation. Ultimately, I will be pointing this out to you as you move through the Bible, but it is done with respect for my diverse audience. I share Jesus, but I do so in the same way I sense Jesus shared himself: honestly, generously, and nonanxiously. As I walk you through the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, it is my hope that you will sense this at work.
This book is for people like these students and their parents. If you are a Christian and you want a basic introduction to the Bible, this book is for you. If you are not religious but you want to have a sense of what the Bible contains and what it means to Christians, this book is also for you. It can be read together as parent and child; it can be used with a group of parents reading the Bible together with their children, and it can be used for a Sunday school class for teens or adults. It s for all types of beginners as well as those who want a refresher of the scope of our salvation story.
How to Use This Book
Each chapter begins w