One of the books that PTI regularly recommends is, like God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts, a Bible Overview. In the case of Steve Levy (a pastor) and Paul Blackham (a theologian), that is also the title!
As Richard Bewes writes in his foreword, Bible Overview “helps us get to grips with the structure and the meaning of God’s Word”. Bible Overview is a bit longer than God’s Big Picture, but this is to it’s credit, as we get to enjoy a great deal of additional material. Indeed, alongside the more narrative look at the whole story of the Bible (echoing but longer than GBP), Bible Overview begins with a helpful look at what the Bible is all about. This introduction makes the book very valuable for new believers, or for those who have perhaps been Christians for a while, but with limited Bible teaching and understanding.
Another helpful benefit of this book’s length are some very practical appendices:
Frequently Asked Questions by Paul Blackham
Quotes from church history
Bible readings and questions
Old Testament quotations in the New Testament
These four appendices round out the value of this book – tying our study of the Bible into other questions, the wider church, and encouraging us to connect every part of the Bible to Jesus, rather than isolated stories! Bible Overview is published by Christian Focus, and you can buy it direct from them.
