"A tremendous resource for those wanting to study and teach the Bible with an understanding of how the gospel is woven throughout Scripture." ―Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God’s Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) “Gospel Glimpses” highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) “Whole-Bible Connections” show how any given passage connects to the Bible’s overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) “Theological Soundings” identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God’s grace on every page of the Bible. The book of Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, and to every human life. Genesis tells us who God is, who we are, how things went wrong, and the plan that God has put in place to return the earth to the way it was meant to be. This guide helps us see how the storyline of Genesis foreshadows and connects to the good news about Jesus, and offers penetrating exegetical insights for those of us seeking to better understand God’s plan to bring blessing to all nations.
I would strongly recommend supplementing this study with additional reading material, as the guide itself doesn't provide too much insight into the Genesis narrative. Also, I did this with a friend and we both struggled with some of the questions, which just didn't seem clear as to what answers they were looking for. It wasn't bad as studies go but wasn't brilliant either.
It’s tough to cover Genesis in just 12 studies. This book does an admirable job, but the reader should be aware of its inherent limitations. I’d suggest combining it with the ESV study Bible (also from Crossway) for the best experience. I used this as the basis for teaching a weekly Bible study and found that I needed more prep time than usual to make the most of it.
I like the format, and it made me think at times. Sometimes the questions were strange and didnt know what the author was trying to get me to see. 3.5 but I rounded down because I hoped for a bit better. I would try other books in the series.
Of all the bible study style books I've ever done this is the best format I've come across. The questions are deep and make you think hard about what's in the text. It also provide some helpful nuggets of information along the way and encourages general reflection at the end. It's probably ideally read alongside the esv study bible or another commentary (just because genesis is so loaded and it's easy to miss things) but in a group context would probably be fine.
This was alright. I was looking for something more in depth. This would be good for a casual study through the book though. Jen Wilkin’s book is next on my list as a study resource through Genesis. After perusing it, it looks much more in depth than this one.