1.2 - History Up to Jesus

Synopsis

This lesson provides a quick overview of the Old Testament and Intertestamental period. The church age is a continuation of the story of the people of God

Key Quotes

• "Since the Creation and the Fall take up only the first three chapters of Genesis, it’s helpful to organize God’s work of redemption by the major covenants that God makes with key figures in the Old Testament."
• "The world into which Jesus (and later the church) was born was a world in which new ideas could spread relatively easily with astonishing speed."
• "The only thing that made Jesus’ death remarkable, historically speaking, was what happened next."

Reflection Questions

• What does it mean that Jesus was born in the "fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4)? How would the early days of the church have been different had Jesus been born either before or after the Greco-Roman era?
• We've defined church history as "the story of the spread of the influence of Jesus." What does it add to the story to see it as a continuation of the story of the people of God?
• In what ways does the nation in which you live remind you of its history and your place within that story? In what ways does your church do the same for you as a Kingdom citizen? 

Further Reading

• N.T. Wright, "How Can the Bible Be Authoritative?"