The Bible's theme in a nutshell?
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If that's too big a nutshell:
God is love.
We messed up, but He made a way to save us.
If we want in on it, we need to figure out the whole "God is love" stuff. It's not just a requirement for getting into Heaven, it's what makes it all work.
God is love.
We messed up, but He made a way to save us.
If we want in on it, we need to figure out the whole "God is love" stuff. It's not just a requirement for getting into Heaven, it's what makes it all work.
So then it not about anything other than Christ. The whole history of Israel terminates in Christ. The whole history of mankind also terminates in Christ. Everything else is peripherical and secondary. If we cannot see this we have missed the theme of the Bible.
What are people saved from? Is there only one theme in the bible? What does the Saviour save people from?
Of course, it is our LOST condition from which God LOVED us in order to rescue through Jesus' LOVING actions so that we can lead LOVING lives. Someone on this forum suggested that we need to insert the word "LANDED" in between "LOVED" and "LOVING." I think that it's a good suggestion, since God has "GROUNDED" us on the Rock that is Jesus. My summary emphasizes our relationships with God and others, which in turn is what the old and new covenant is all about.
When I formulated my summary, I wanted it to be memorable, that is, so that when I preached and taught, the listeners would remember it beyond the church's doors. Obviously, Jesus is at the center of all the words, because he is God with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the one God who does all of it except causing our lost condition.
True, but God is involved in all of the parts of my summary except causing our LOST condition; we did that ourselves.
You are right about that. Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the ONE true God created and LAUNCHED humans; LOVED us enough to rescue us by sending Jesus, the God-man; and gave us the power to live LOVING lives. Such is my explanation of my summary, which is only that, a summary that needs explaining, of course.
Dude. The thread title asked a question.
Everybody who tries to give an answer, you keep explaining why your answer is superior to everything else.
Did you WANT us to answer, or did you just want us to marvel at how perfect your answer is?
There has been different messages for different times and people.
God sent prophets and warned people about the coming events.
John the Baptist and Elijah for example,
The basic theme hasn't changed, God's love and the controversy between good and evil.
But for today, the end time, we have a special message.
Rev 14:6-12
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
God sent prophets and warned people about the coming events.
John the Baptist and Elijah for example,
The basic theme hasn't changed, God's love and the controversy between good and evil.
But for today, the end time, we have a special message.
Rev 14:6-12
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb 1:1-3)
Did you notice that? It does not matter about the prophets or anything else. The Bible is all about the Son of God, who is an exact replica of God, and who paid for the sins of the whole world. He is the one who is seated at the right hand of God.
And the prophets did not merely warn about coming events, but spoke about Jesus the Son of God.
No, one of the members suggested an addition to it by adding LANDED before LOVING. Your response gave me a chuckle just because I tried to show how mine might be a little better as a preaching and teaching tool to help people remember it.
That passage beginning Hebrews does not deny the importance of the Old Testament but does say God spoke through the prophets. Read it carefully. The prophets also warned Israel about where their disobedience would lead, just the way the history does.
Since these three are God's gifts to us, how do they deal with his creativity in creating everything and everyone, human sin, and Jesus rescue?
You're correct, but I'm trying to summarize the whole Bible, not just Jesus' redemption.
The "all-things" would be given to perfected believers when we live on the new earth.