I’m not sure it’s possible to do this. I heard J. Vernon McGee preaching on the radio today, and he said that if the Holy Spirit had wanted us to have one gospel, harmonized, he would have given it that way instead of giving us the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This summarization of the Bible in ten chapters, although intriguing, sounds like much the same proposition as harmonizing the four gospels.
Anyway, I’ll give it a try. I think that if you read these ten chapters, you’d get a good introduction to the message of the Bible:
Genesis 2-3: Creation and Fall
Exodus 20: The Law
John 1: Emmanuel
Matthew 5: Jesus Teaches
Luke 15: The Loving Father
John 3: For God So Loved the World
John 19-20 Crucifixion and Resurrection
Romans 10: Salvation
So which ten chapters would you choose?
3 thoughts on “Ten Key Chapters”
Hi Sherry,
still in London…too busy to post the past few days (and the wireless network in the rooms went on the blink as well).
After I posted this idea, I realized (horrors) that I had left out John 19-20, as you’ve included in your list. I couldn’t believe it!
I like your list a lot.
Thanks. And yes, I realize this is a strange thing to attempt, but I thought it was interesting to think about.
Blessings of grace.
It’s impossible for me to pick ten chapters. I am constantly changed by some seldom-heard verse or verses and those changes have slowly molded me into the Christian I am today. I know other who feel this way. For instance, my daughter draws her greatest comfort from Isaiah 51:6-8, while my mother always turns to where God answers Job out of the whirlwind. Choosing the best chapters would be like choosing amongst your children – impossible to pick one and leave another.
I agree with J. Vernon McGee. I have always believed that God had the Gospel written four times because each is a different viewpoint. Like four witnesses giving police statements, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us four views of the Messiah. Most people have a preference – mine is Matthew. 🙂
Hi Sherry,
still in London…too busy to post the past few days (and the wireless network in the rooms went on the blink as well).
After I posted this idea, I realized (horrors) that I had left out John 19-20, as you’ve included in your list. I couldn’t believe it!
I like your list a lot.
Thanks. And yes, I realize this is a strange thing to attempt, but I thought it was interesting to think about.
Blessings of grace.
It’s impossible for me to pick ten chapters. I am constantly changed by some seldom-heard verse or verses and those changes have slowly molded me into the Christian I am today. I know other who feel this way. For instance, my daughter draws her greatest comfort from Isaiah 51:6-8, while my mother always turns to where God answers Job out of the whirlwind. Choosing the best chapters would be like choosing amongst your children – impossible to pick one and leave another.
I agree with J. Vernon McGee. I have always believed that God had the Gospel written four times because each is a different viewpoint. Like four witnesses giving police statements, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us four views of the Messiah. Most people have a preference – mine is Matthew. 🙂