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Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ
Fully grasp how every part of Scripture fits together to point to and reveal the glory of Christ Jesus.
From beginning to end, the Bible reveals the glory of Jesus. But for many Bible readers, it doesn't seem that simple. We're often unsure how the Bible's many stories, characters, events relate together and connect to Jesus. Some are tempted to force the pieces of the Bible together, making superficial jumps to him. Others give up trying to understand the Bible altogether.
Christ from Beginning to End is written to help Christians understand just how the different stories and parts of Scripture fits together to reveal the glory of Christ Jesus. In Part 1, Wellum and Hunter reintroduce us to the Bible—what it is, how it comes to us, and what it's centrally about. Then, in Part 2, they walk from one side of the Bible's story to the other, carefully tracing its storyline from Genesis to Revelation.
As readers see how our triune God's plan unfolds through his covenants, they will be equipped for a lifetime of seeing Christ's glory in Scripture. From this book, you'll learn how
Read the Bible according to the three biblical contexts: the immediate context, the context of the unfolding story, and the context of the whole story centered in Christ.Recognize how different parts of the Bible connect together as part of a unified story. Embrace the story of the Bible as our own, to live this story out, and to share this story with our neighbors and the nations.You will also see the Bible's multi-layered story and how it is held together by the one plan of God to glorify himself in salvation. You'll come away with a greater awareness of our need as sinners, of the triune God in all of his grace, and of Jesus as the incarnate Son in all of his glory.
From beginning to end, the Bible reveals the glory of Jesus. But for many Bible readers, it doesn't seem that simple. We're often unsure how the Bible's many stories, characters, events relate together and connect to Jesus. Some are tempted to force the pieces of the Bible together, making superficial jumps to him. Others give up trying to understand the Bible altogether.
Christ from Beginning to End is written to help Christians understand just how the different stories and parts of Scripture fits together to reveal the glory of Christ Jesus. In Part 1, Wellum and Hunter reintroduce us to the Bible—what it is, how it comes to us, and what it's centrally about. Then, in Part 2, they walk from one side of the Bible's story to the other, carefully tracing its storyline from Genesis to Revelation.
As readers see how our triune God's plan unfolds through his covenants, they will be equipped for a lifetime of seeing Christ's glory in Scripture. From this book, you'll learn how
Read the Bible according to the three biblical contexts: the immediate context, the context of the unfolding story, and the context of the whole story centered in Christ.Recognize how different parts of the Bible connect together as part of a unified story. Embrace the story of the Bible as our own, to live this story out, and to share this story with our neighbors and the nations.You will also see the Bible's multi-layered story and how it is held together by the one plan of God to glorify himself in salvation. You'll come away with a greater awareness of our need as sinners, of the triune God in all of his grace, and of Jesus as the incarnate Son in all of his glory.
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Published November 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
September 13, 2021
This work is what I'd call middle-range biblical theology. It's too long to be an introduction and too short to be very useful for someone who is already somewhat familiar with biblical theology. Nonetheless, Wellum and Hunter help the reader to see Christ clearly in the Scriptures, and they equip us with handlebars for connecting His storyline. If you're new to biblical theology, I might recommend another work (see “Introduction to Scripture” by Emerson), but if you want a bit more depth than an introduction, this one's for you.
May 10, 2020
Talks that correlate with the book:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... (or here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/ar...)
https://youtu.be/SUxektAsdgw
Part 1: http://www.ptstn.org/2019Conference/M...
Part 2: http://www.ptstn.org/2019Conference/M...
Interviews here:
http://servantsofgrace.org/episode-89...
https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/201...
Related article here:
https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PD...
Blog posts here:
Part 1: https://credomag.com/2018/08/christ-f...
Part 2: https://credomag.com/2018/08/on-its-o...
Part 3: https://credomag.com/2018/09/on-its-o...
http://equip.sbts.edu/publications/to...
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/je...
Some quotes from the book here:
https://davidschrock.com/2018/09/18/f...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... (or here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/ar...)
https://youtu.be/SUxektAsdgw
Part 1: http://www.ptstn.org/2019Conference/M...
Part 2: http://www.ptstn.org/2019Conference/M...
Interviews here:
http://servantsofgrace.org/episode-89...
https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/201...
Related article here:
https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PD...
Blog posts here:
Part 1: https://credomag.com/2018/08/christ-f...
Part 2: https://credomag.com/2018/08/on-its-o...
Part 3: https://credomag.com/2018/09/on-its-o...
http://equip.sbts.edu/publications/to...
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/je...
Some quotes from the book here:
https://davidschrock.com/2018/09/18/f...
March 23, 2021
Helpful and accessible. A great resource to put into the hands of young Christians intimidated by the Bible--especially the OT (or, really, the hands of any Christian a little intimidated by the OT). Wellum and Hunter provide good structure, and walk through different stages of redemptive history to help the read see how it all leads to and flows from Christ.
A great tool for learning to read the Bible better, and for teaching Christians to find devotional encouragement from the Bible's rich unity.
A great tool for learning to read the Bible better, and for teaching Christians to find devotional encouragement from the Bible's rich unity.
September 26, 2025
Really glad I read this book. It flows from the core conviction that the Bible is a united story, about Jesus Christ. Biblical Theology 101, and really helpful for getting the big picture, and has already proven a really helpful reference book to get my bearings when I find myself in a specific passage. We should always be looking for the highways to Christ, and this book does a really good job at mapping them out for us.
January 28, 2022
Wow this book was phenomenal. It is simply a summary of the covenants in the Bible, and how all of these point to Christ. I throughly enjoyed how they talked about typology in the book and how each covenant head was a pointer to Christ. This book is for the new Christian and those who have been following Christ for years, it was a great back to the basics type of book and how Christ is in all of scripture. If you have a hard time understanding the OT then this is a phenomenal book to get the closet in order.
Praise God for good books.
Praise God for good books.
February 11, 2024
Every christian should read this.
"Here's the reason there are so many pages between the problem and the solution: God is providing for our instruction, endurance, encouragement, and, ultimately, our hope. As we see how God unfolds his glorious plan of redemption in Christ and how he keeps all of his promises, we learn to trust, love, and obey him. The Bible is long and layered for a reason. It prepares us to see and receive Jesus as the only solution to our problem and the only Savior from our sin."
"We can say to one another, "As there is nothing between us and God, so there is nothing between us." In Christ, the church is a new, reconciled humanity."
"In each covenant that God makes, we eventually find that no human partner loves and obeys God perfectly. What hope can there be for us? The only hope is that God keeps his own promise to redeem us through the provision of his Son, who does perfectly keep his promises."
"Here's the reason there are so many pages between the problem and the solution: God is providing for our instruction, endurance, encouragement, and, ultimately, our hope. As we see how God unfolds his glorious plan of redemption in Christ and how he keeps all of his promises, we learn to trust, love, and obey him. The Bible is long and layered for a reason. It prepares us to see and receive Jesus as the only solution to our problem and the only Savior from our sin."
"We can say to one another, "As there is nothing between us and God, so there is nothing between us." In Christ, the church is a new, reconciled humanity."
"In each covenant that God makes, we eventually find that no human partner loves and obeys God perfectly. What hope can there be for us? The only hope is that God keeps his own promise to redeem us through the provision of his Son, who does perfectly keep his promises."
January 19, 2022
Fantastic break-down of how each section of the bible points so clearly to Christ and the fulfilment of righteousness
November 16, 2021
A solid overview of the Biblical storyline. Decently accessible to the lay reader and will benefit those who are not familiar with Biblical Theology. Deals with the covenants well and has breaks the story down in some helpful ways. A good resource that deals with the theological themes of the Bible.
October 29, 2018
If God has spoken (which he has), then it's imperative that we understand what he has said.
Hunter's and Wellum's new book will help both new believers and older saints understand the Bible afresh. The first four chapters of Christ from Beginning to End provide Bible readers essential tools for reading God's big story. Many people, myself included, have approached God's word with intimidation and confusion. Using the tools presented in this book makes the Bible both approachable and clear in its message. After the first four chapters, Hunter and Wellum venture to tell the whole story of Scripture chapter by chapter. As the title reveals, this book shows just how important Christ is to God's word.
Believers will be encouraged by this volume, and non-believers will be shown:
-How holy and good God is
-How rebellious and sinful man is
-How good Christ and his sacrifice is, and
-How one can be saved by turning from sin and trusting Christ
I fully recommend reading Christ from Beginning to End.
Hunter's and Wellum's new book will help both new believers and older saints understand the Bible afresh. The first four chapters of Christ from Beginning to End provide Bible readers essential tools for reading God's big story. Many people, myself included, have approached God's word with intimidation and confusion. Using the tools presented in this book makes the Bible both approachable and clear in its message. After the first four chapters, Hunter and Wellum venture to tell the whole story of Scripture chapter by chapter. As the title reveals, this book shows just how important Christ is to God's word.
Believers will be encouraged by this volume, and non-believers will be shown:
-How holy and good God is
-How rebellious and sinful man is
-How good Christ and his sacrifice is, and
-How one can be saved by turning from sin and trusting Christ
I fully recommend reading Christ from Beginning to End.
January 7, 2021
2021 reads: 02/52
Rating: 4 stars
Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum have provided a wonderful introductory overview of the narrative of scripture. This volume, whilst not brief, is very accessible and easy to follow. Besides offering a ‘biblical theology’, the authors also provide a substantial introduction on how to read Scripture. They propose a three-fold context: the close, the continuing, and the complete. If someone is grappling with how the single biblical narrative fits together this is a great place to start. My only real critique would these two aspects: 1) the lack of emphasis on the mission of God as central to the Bible’s storyline; 2) not enough explanation of what the Christian life looks like in light of Christ. They seemed to emphasize ‘waiting’ for the return of Jesus but so much more could and should have been said. Overall, though, an encouraging and accessible read.
Rating: 4 stars
Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum have provided a wonderful introductory overview of the narrative of scripture. This volume, whilst not brief, is very accessible and easy to follow. Besides offering a ‘biblical theology’, the authors also provide a substantial introduction on how to read Scripture. They propose a three-fold context: the close, the continuing, and the complete. If someone is grappling with how the single biblical narrative fits together this is a great place to start. My only real critique would these two aspects: 1) the lack of emphasis on the mission of God as central to the Bible’s storyline; 2) not enough explanation of what the Christian life looks like in light of Christ. They seemed to emphasize ‘waiting’ for the return of Jesus but so much more could and should have been said. Overall, though, an encouraging and accessible read.
May 30, 2020
A well-written one-stop biblical theology.
September 11, 2024
If someone asked me what the best book was for the overarching story of the Bible I would say this one. This was super engaging and a great read. Now to write a paper on it…
March 13, 2019
Hunter and Wellum have done a service to the church by providing a winsome book that introduces biblical theology. I enjoyed the OT summaries and some of the connections made. I agree with their overall premise: "Like a puzzle, the pieces of the bible - the various books, letters, characters, and stories - do fit together. The Bible contains mysteries, but its meaning is not intended to be mysterious or hidden from us, especially in its central teaching. God does not try to hide the truth from us, especially in its central teaching. God does not try to hide truth fur us; he reveals it. The Bible reveals more than a picture for us to enjoy. It reveals a person for us to know. Jesus is that person" (28).
I agree God is not trying to hide the truth and has an intention (Authorial intent). However, the authors pit the human author and the divine author against each other. After citing 1Peter 1:10-12 they write, "according to Peter, the prophets operated in the 'dark.' They knew that what they did served a greater purpose, but they didn't know all the details. Given the Bible's view of inspiration, this isn't a problem for us. It just means that every text means something specific because of the author's intent, but the full significance of what was written and the text's ultimate referent becomes clearer only as the Bible's story unfolds. While the human author had a clear intent, as God's plan unfolded, God's ultimate intention becomes clearer, reaching its fullness in Christ" (40).
What they are saying is that the prophets were in the dark, ignorant of what they were writing. But is that what Peter is saying? No. Peter is saying what the prophets didn't know are "the time and circumstances" - two things. The prophets knew they were writing about Messiah. They knew who He was but unsure of the time and circumstance.
Their fundamental premise is hard to accept when you ask the question of "what did the author mean when they wrote the Bible book?" The prophets were not ignorant but knew exactly what they were writing and making connections to Christ must be valid exegetically rather than thematically, theologically, or worse subjectively.
I still gave this book 4 stars because of its impact. Even though I disagreed with their approach and their premise, I was so compelled to search for valid connections by the authors. They wrote in such a winsome way with excitement compared to other biblical theology books.
I agree God is not trying to hide the truth and has an intention (Authorial intent). However, the authors pit the human author and the divine author against each other. After citing 1Peter 1:10-12 they write, "according to Peter, the prophets operated in the 'dark.' They knew that what they did served a greater purpose, but they didn't know all the details. Given the Bible's view of inspiration, this isn't a problem for us. It just means that every text means something specific because of the author's intent, but the full significance of what was written and the text's ultimate referent becomes clearer only as the Bible's story unfolds. While the human author had a clear intent, as God's plan unfolded, God's ultimate intention becomes clearer, reaching its fullness in Christ" (40).
What they are saying is that the prophets were in the dark, ignorant of what they were writing. But is that what Peter is saying? No. Peter is saying what the prophets didn't know are "the time and circumstances" - two things. The prophets knew they were writing about Messiah. They knew who He was but unsure of the time and circumstance.
Their fundamental premise is hard to accept when you ask the question of "what did the author mean when they wrote the Bible book?" The prophets were not ignorant but knew exactly what they were writing and making connections to Christ must be valid exegetically rather than thematically, theologically, or worse subjectively.
I still gave this book 4 stars because of its impact. Even though I disagreed with their approach and their premise, I was so compelled to search for valid connections by the authors. They wrote in such a winsome way with excitement compared to other biblical theology books.
January 11, 2019
Very good introduction to biblical theology. It is simple, but helpful to understand the way God relates to his people through covenants. Each section of the book correlated to a re-establishment of the covenant with a new person/group:
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses (The Law/Old Covenant)
David
The Prophets
Jesus
The Church
New Creation
Recommend to anyone curious to see how the whole Bible fits together and points to Jesus. It is accessible and simple, but profound insights to understanding the biblical storyline
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses (The Law/Old Covenant)
David
The Prophets
Jesus
The Church
New Creation
Recommend to anyone curious to see how the whole Bible fits together and points to Jesus. It is accessible and simple, but profound insights to understanding the biblical storyline
August 12, 2022
This was a wonderful Biblical Theology of how the entire Bible tells one story of God redeeming His people through and for the glory of Christ. This book wonderfully shows the glory of God in His covenants towards His people throughout the ages, and how they all pointed to the new covenant in Christ.
February 17, 2024
First seminary book ✅
Probably closer to 3.5 stars, but that’s only because I felt as though it repeated truths I had already heard.
“There has never been any competition in His heart for us, and in this consummated age, there won’t be any competition in ours,” (259).
Probably closer to 3.5 stars, but that’s only because I felt as though it repeated truths I had already heard.
“There has never been any competition in His heart for us, and in this consummated age, there won’t be any competition in ours,” (259).
June 7, 2024
I thought this was a helpful tool to understand the big picture of the Bible. Not earth shattering, but helpful to establish a solid redemptive historical framework. Would recommend for discipleship settings or for anyone who wants to better understand the metanarrative of scripture.
April 10, 2025
I have read many "beginner's" texts when it comes to the Bible. I am always open to hearing a new way to explain the Gospel, maybe something a little more clear or particularly interesting. This particular one was dry and I felt the author didn't do a great job explaining the different things he covered.
April 23, 2019
So clearly written, granting clarity and insight into Scripture!
May 11, 2020
I highly suggest reading this book. It’s accessible, transformative, and will (hopefully) lead to you into a greater desire to see how the Bible’s storyline is centered upon Jesus. Tolle Lege!
November 23, 2021
Excellent primer on biblical theology!
January 18, 2022
Mostly helpful. Not sure why there isn't a chapter on the wisdom literature.
June 4, 2022
Through the lens of covenants and typology, Hunter and Wellum show how every text of Scripture points to Jesus. Christ from Beginning to End is an excellent primer for understanding the “big picture” of the Bible (canonical level of interpretation) without losing readers in theological jargon. I recommend this work for laypersons curious about the Bible’s structure and unity as well as the nascent theologian seeking a framework for biblical interpretation. Those seeking a highly academic exegesis of covenant theology may not find the level of detail satisfactory.
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June 25, 2024See my review here. https://oldoriginalthoughts.blogspot....
August 16, 2024
Excellent overview of the Bible from beginning to end with the covenants.
November 23, 2025
Good introduction to reading the Bible as one cohesive story. This is a great resource for anyone trying to wrap their head around the story of the Bible.
April 19, 2023
Very helpful look at weaving the Messiah and Savior Jesus Christ throughout the whole of God's Word. Christ is the beginning and the end of our faith!
April 2, 2020
This book was a bit of a mixed bag, though it have for interesting discussions in a small reading group. The authors are Reformed and believe in a refurbished earth. They also hold to an Adamic Covenant. I thought there worst chapter would be on The Fall, but the worst chair was chapter 3 where an overview of the Of Testament is provided along with an introduction to Covenants, and an overwhelming presentation of Reformed (Calvinistic) Theology on salvation.
The redeeming part of the book was chapter 10 on Moses. The authors did a great job of presenting the Exodus and the giving of the Law while also introducing the concepts of Jesus as the New/Greater Moses and the New Exodus. This chapter was probably the single best introduction to these topics that I have read. Everyone enjoyed it and had a "lightbulb" moment, which was fun and exciting to see.
Overall I was a bit disappointed and will keep searching for a book along these lines that has less baggage.
The redeeming part of the book was chapter 10 on Moses. The authors did a great job of presenting the Exodus and the giving of the Law while also introducing the concepts of Jesus as the New/Greater Moses and the New Exodus. This chapter was probably the single best introduction to these topics that I have read. Everyone enjoyed it and had a "lightbulb" moment, which was fun and exciting to see.
Overall I was a bit disappointed and will keep searching for a book along these lines that has less baggage.
September 5, 2018
This short book provides a solid introduction to biblical theology. Beginning with the importance of Scripture and providing a brief background on hermeneutics, the remainder of the book provides essentially a book review of the Bible, highlighting key themes. Most notable of these themes is the progressive unfolding of God’s covenants. Not essential reading for a mature believer, but useful for those seeking to gain a better understanding of the big picture of Scripture.
July 2, 2019
This book forever changed the way I will read the Bible. I was raised with so much false teaching that reading the Bible became painful and even stressful to me. Even after leaving the cult-like denomination I was raised in, I've had trouble reading and understanding how the whole of scripture fits together. This book helped me see the links that hold the Old and New testaments together, how it all pivots around Christ. I cannot overstate how deeply this book has changed my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews