What exactly are you reading when you open the Bible—and how can understanding its story, context, and many voices change the way you read it?
The Bible is more than a single book or a collection of instructions. It’s a library of 66 books written across different cultures, languages, time periods, and literary genres, all contributing to a larger story about God, humanity, and His work of redemption and restoration.
In the first episode of The Rooted Podcast, we explore how understanding that bigger story can change the way you approach Scripture. By paying attention to context, culture, genre, and the connections between the Old and New Testaments, you can move beyond simply asking, “What does this passage tell me to do?” and begin asking, “What is this telling me about God, His people, and the bigger story I’m part of?”
Topics we’ll cover:
Resources from this episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: What Is the Bible?
00:50 – The Bible as a Library of 66 Books
02:13 – Understanding the Old Testament
03:26 – Oral Tradition and the Eastern Perspective
06:59 – Eastern and Western Ways of Reading the Bible
08:58 – The Original Languages of the Old Testament
09:54 – How the Old Testament Came Together
10:43 – Understanding the New Testament in Context
13:08 – The Lord of the Rings and the Importance of Backstory
15:15 – Why the Old Testament Matters
16:58 – How the New Testament Was Written and Preserved
18:55 – The Bible’s Different Literary Genres
20:15 – How the Bible Was Written: Divine and Human Partnership
21:42 – The New Testament: Authors, Languages, and Canon
22:55 – Why Literary Genre Matters
24:21 – The Bible Is More Than a Rulebook
25:50 – Understanding Apocalyptic Literature
27:39 – Exploring the Bible’s Major Literary Genres
30:22 – The Major Themes of the Bible
31:24 – Creation, Humanity, and the Image of God
32:34 – Sin, Redemption, and Restoration
34:59 – The Kingdom of God
37:05 – Image-Bearing and Covenant
39:23 – God’s Faithfulness and the Theme of Redemption
40:14 – Going Deeper with God Through Scripture
42:03 – Discovering the Bible’s Cross-References
44:08 – Seeing Scripture as a Connected Story
45:15 – Recommended Resources for Going Deeper
46:32 – How We Got the Bible and The Bible Project
46:59 – What’s Next: How the Bible Was Written and Canonized