The Whole Bible Story: Everything That Happens in the Bible in Plain English (A Chronological Recap for Understanding the Bible―Stories of the Bible and Bible Study for Adults)

Good book, nicely written.

You know how we watch previews before we see a movie, to get an idea of what it's about? Well, that's mostly what this book attempts to do with the Bible. Each book of the Bible is told in a summarized English narrative, covering the salient points of each story in each book. This is helpful for new believers, and even older believers who don't already have a deep understanding of the scriptures and are looking for a way to get the "big picture" of the Bible. That's really the best way to describe this--it gives you a big picture of each book in the Bible, foregoing some detail in the process by necessity, but carefully attempting to remain true to the message conveyed in each story. And if that's too much, there's a summary at the end of each chapter so you can, for instance, cover the exodus and 40 years of wandering in the desert in just a couple pages.If I could go back in time to when I first started exploring the Bible, I'd bring this book, give it to my younger self and tell me to start here. Like the movie preview, it's important to establish the context of each story before experiencing it in its entirety. Sunday school probably covers this ground for most children and young adults, but as the child of an atheist I had to find my own opportunities to go to church and often didn't, so I didn't get that big picture. When I tried to read the Bible as a teenager it was like trying to drink from a fire hydrant, without that firm foundation to keep my studies grounded. For instance, I'd hear from pastors that Jesus "died for my sins," but had no idea what that meant. Why did he have to die? Without understanding the commandment from God in Leviticus 17:17, that there be a blood sacrifice for sin, Jesus' death seems like nothing more than martyrdom. This book sometimes relates stories in one book to events in other books, which is helpful when the connections aren't obvious.

This one is easy to understand, fits nicely in my purse.

Dr. William H. Marty's book The Whole Bible Story attempts to provide a summary of the historical elements of the Bible, from Creation through the end of the book of Acts. Some things, like Levitical law, the Old Testament poetry, and the New Testament letters were left out, since the book is not a summary of the Bible, but a summary of everything that happens in the Bible. Think of it as a kind of like a detailed plot synopsis.The book was easy to read and it didn't take long to get through some of the more... drawn out sections of Scripture (there are are no begats). Since the book looks at the Bible historically instead of book by book, Kings and Chronicles was combined, as were the four gospels. For people unfamiliar with the events occurring between King David and the end of the captivity, that section would be extremely helpful in developing a chronological understanding of the Bible, kind of like what a harmony of the Gospels does for the New Testament.The book itself was very detailed, including much of the story and leaving little out. I do some chronological Bible storying as a discipleship tool and we frequently discuss what was left out in the telling. Here very little was left out, although the book gets more and less detailed in various sections.I was surprised to see that Job was absent from the book. This is the one biggest absence in the book. I know Job is poetry and reads like an epic, but most people would agree that Job actually existed before or during the time of Abraham. Its absence leaves a significant hole in what would otherwise be a complete summary of the Bible. Other content that was missing include: * the story of Judah and Tamar, in Genesis; * Aaron's sons, and the death they suffered for offering "strange fire" to God; * Shimei, who cursed David when Absalom attempted a coup, was not mentioned until he was killed by Solomon; * though the events of the book of Ezra were mentioned, Ezra himself was missing until he comes back again (with a minor role) in the book of Nehemiah; * Ezekiel wasn't mentioned at all, and few of the other prophets (besides Jonah and Daniel) were mentioned at any length. Most received a sentence pointing out that they served during the reign of King so-and-so.Here is a general summary of the book's level of detail: * Genesis through Judges was covered in significant detail (with that one exception noted above). * Starting in Samuel and going on through the time of the Kings, the story became much less detailed compared to the first section. A few stories were covered in more detail, like the ministry of Jonah. * Starting in the exile, the prophet Daniel and his life was very detailed. It even included a summary of his visions and prophecies. Esther and Nehemiah were likewise detailed. * The Gospels and Acts were covered in detail much like the book of Genesis. Some of the parables were left out, but when you consider that the book is primarily historical, this is understandable. Once the author got to the New Testament he began quoting Old Testament prophecies and some New Testament passages verbatim, which was a change in style compared to his treatment of the Old Testament.Though he is a professor at Moody, Marty didn't add his own interpretation to the passages. I was bothered that he said some people consider the flood to have been localized instead of global. I wasn't sure why he felt the need to bring it up since he didn't mention anything that typically goes along with creation (e.g. evolution, young-earth, day-age theory, etc.).There were two errors I saw in the book: * Marty erroneously mentions that Jesus is flogged twice. * There is an error in geography where he mentions Paul stopping in a city in mainland Greece, when in actuality it was in Italy.Overall, the book, as I said above, is an excellent chronological summary of the Bible. For new believers, or even seasoned believers who could use a little clarification of the events as they unfolded, this would be an excellent tool to use in small groups or even one-on-one discipleship.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BethanyHouse Publishers as part of the blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Great format

Written in a story format, this book is easy to read and follow and follows the Chronological layout of the Bible.Have bought several for gifts and would definitely buy it again.

I read this book and loved it. As someone who has studied the bible for years I found this a great tool to putting the full story together in order. I ordered three more to give as gifts, They were delivered during a storm and the packaging was opened so they were messed up. They are making it right so I didnt change the rating. If it was just for me I would have kept them but I didn't want to give damaged books. I have recommended this book to several people as well.

If you are looking for the books of the Bible set into correct chronological order, this is not that book.If you are looking for a summary of each book of the Bible, this is not that book.If you are looking for an explanation of what the Bible means in history, this is not that book.However, if you are looking for a paraphrase (summary) of the story of the Bible set into historical order, this might be that book. For lovers of the Old Testament stories, Dr. Marty has produced a fine and concise work, but if you are looking for anything more in-depth than a cursory glance, you will probably not be satisfied with the author's brief stories and usage of traditional Evangelical interpretations (as he does not refer to current research in the historical Jesus, which more often than not emphasizes his Middle-Eastern qualities and culture). However, this book is a great addition to any library if you are looking for understanding in modern Evangelical/fundamental interpretation and want to adopt a balanced and/or un-biased view, to supplement your own.However, this is not an alternative to the Bible itself. This book should be read side-by-side, and read with a critical eye.

Excellent explanation of biblical stories

Great gift

For any Bible student or anyone wanting to gain some knowledge of Bible history and how things developed it is well written. Unfortunately, there are Bible errors and they could be because the NIV bible was used.

Like a lot of people I have difficulty trying to understand the Bible. After reading a couple of chapters in this book, things started to make more sense and I was able to go back to the bible and read with more understanding. So I will read this alongside my bible. This book is exactly what I've been looking for.

As might be expected this is a long book so can only comment on the bits I have read. I think it is very good. I note some comments about it not being referenced to "chapter and verse" - but the whole point was NOT do that but tell the whole of the Bible story in historical order.