Bible Study Notes and Outlines
For Each Book of the Bible
The Notes and Outlines on each book of the Bible were prepared by Dr. J. Vernon McGee to assist listeners who wanted an even deeper and more thorough understanding of the Word of God. Free Adobe Acrobat is required to view.
Divided into 4 Main Sections
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7 Main Points Testify to It’s Unity
1) From the Book of Genesis the Bible bears witness to one God. Wherever he speaks or acts he is consistent with himself, and with the total revelation of who He is.
2) The Bible forms one continuous story — the story of how humanity relates to God.
3) The Bible makes the most unlikely predictions concerning the future, and, when the centuries have brought round the appointed time, records their fulfillment.
4) The Bible is a progressive unfolding of truth. Nothing is told all at once. The law is, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn.” Without the possibility of collusion, often with centuries between, one writer of Scripture takes up an earlier revelation, adds to it, lays down the pen, and in due time another man moved by the Holy Spirit, and another, and another, add new details till the whole is complete.
5) From beginning to end the Bible testifies to one redemption.
6) From beginning to end the Bible has one great theme — the person and work of the Christ.
7) And, finally, these writers, some forty in number, writing through fifteen centuries, have produced a perfect harmony of doctrine in progressive unfolding. This is, to every candid mind, the unanswerable proof of the divine inspiration of the Bible.
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There are 5 Great Divisions with Christ at the Center
Speaking broadly there are five great divisions in the Scriptures, Christ being the one great theme (Luke 24:25-27).
In other words, the Old Testament is the preparation for Christ.
In the Gospels he is manifested to the world.
In the Acts he is preached.
In the Epistles his Gospel is explained.
In the Book of Revelation all the purposes of God in and through Christ are consummated.
These Major Groups Also Fall into Sub-groups
This is especially true of the Old Testament, where there are four well defined groups:
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REDEMPTION
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
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ORGANIZATION
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
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POETRY
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
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SERMONS
Lamentations, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Redemption – Genesis is the book of beginnings, and explains the origin of Israel.
Exodus tells the story of the deliverance of Israel.
Leviticus of the worship of Israel as delivered people.
Numbers the wanderings and failures of the delivered people.
Deuteronomy warns and instructs that people in view of their approaching entrance upon their inheritance.
Organization – The Books of Organization tell of Israel’s development from 12 nomadic Tribes into an established Nation with a fully functioning governmental system of Laws and a cohesive societal structure.
A true force among the Gentile Nations with a God to be feared who protected and defended them in times of crises.
Poetry – The Poetical books record the spiritual experiences of the redeemed people in the varied scenes and events through which the providence of God led them.
Sermons – The prophets were inspired preachers, and the prophetical books consist of sermons with brief connecting and explanatory passages. Two prophetical books, Ezekiel and Daniel, have a different character and are apocalyptic, largely.
Beginning with the creation of the earth and man, the story of the first human pair continues through the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
With the twelfth chapter begins the history of Abraham and of the nation of which Abraham was the ancestor. It is that nation, Israel, with which the Bible narrative is mainly concerned with from the eleventh chapter of Genesis to the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
The Gentiles are mentioned, but only in connection with Israel. But it is made increasingly clear that Israel fills the scene only because they are entrusted with the accomplishment of great world-wide purposes (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
1) To be a witness to the unity of God in the midst of idolatry (Deuteronomy 6:5 ; Isaiah 43:10)
2) To illustrate to the nations the greater blessedness of serving the one true living God
(Deuteronomy 33:26-29 ; 1st Chronicles 17:20-21 ; Psalms 102:15
3) To receive and preserve the Divine revelation (Romans 3:1-2)
4) To produce the Messiah, earth’s Savior and Lord (Romans 9:4). The prophets foretell a glorious future for Israel under the reign of Christ.
It is Jesus Christ — “God manifest in the flesh” (1st Timothy 3:16) — his sacrificial death, and his resurrection, which make up the Gospel.
All earlier Scripture points forward to Him – All later Scriptures point back at Him.
The Gospel is preached in the book of Acts and explained in the Epistles.
Christ, the Son of God, Son of man, Son of Abraham and Son of David, thus binds the many books into One Book.
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As the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) he is the ultimate destroyer of Satan and his works.
As Abraham’s Seed he is the Blesser of the world.
As the Seed of David he is Israel’s King. The “Desire of all Nations.”
He is exalted to the right hand of God and is head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.
Meanwhile the Church looks for the fulfillment of his special promise: “I will come again and receive you unto myself” (John 14:1-3)
Thus we have an overview of the Bible the divinely inspired word of God!
