Telling God's Story: The Biblical Narrative from Beginning to End

by Preben Vang, Terry G. Carter

Overview

Telling God’s Story looks closely at the Bible from its beginning in Genesis to its conclusion in Revelation. By approaching Scripture as one purposefully flowing narrative, emphasizing the inter-connectedness of the text, veteran college professors Preben Vang and Terry G. Carter reinforce the Bible’s greatest teachings and help readers in their own ability to share God’s story effectively with others.

Updated to include more interaction with biblical theology and a new section on the intertestamental period, this third edition of Telling God's Story is ideal for Christians seeking to grow in their understanding of God’s Word.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781535991582
Publisher:	B&H Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/01/2021
Edition description:	Third Edition, New Edition
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Preben Vang (PhD, SWBTS) is professor of Christian Scriptures and director of the Doctor of Ministry program at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University.

Terry G. Carter (PhD, SWBTS) is associate dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies, W. O. Vaught professor of Christian history and ministry, and chair of the department of Christian ministry at Ouachita Baptist University.
 

Table of Contents

List of Maps xiii

Icon Key xiv

Preface to the Third Edition xv

The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Bible Story: One Story from Genesis to Revelation 1

Background to the Bible Story 11

Episode 1 Creation 21

Act 1 The Story Begins 23

Act 2 Humans Reject God's Plan 33

Episode 2 The Plan Of Redemption 41

Act 1 The Covenant and Promise 43

Act 2 Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph 51

Episode 3 The Forming of a Nation God's People and the Law 63

Act 1 Moses and the Deliverance 65

Act 2 The Sinai Experience 77

Act 3 The Wilderness Experience 87

Episode 4 The Promised Land and Sin's Power 95

Act 1 The Conquest 97

Act 2 The Period of the Judges 109

Episode 5 Israel Gets A King 119

Act 1 Samuel and Saul 121

Act 2 David the King 129

Episode 6 Rebellion, Judgment, and Future Hope 139

Act 1 Solomon and the Demise of the Unified Kingdom 141

The Prophets and Their Message 151

Act 2 The Demise of the Northern Kingdom 157

Act 3 The Southern Kingdom Slides 169

Episode 7 Captivity and Return 179

Act 1 The Judgment 181

Act 2 The Captivity 191

Act 3 The Return from Exile and the Rebuilding of the Temple 197

Act 4 Rebuilding Jerusalem 201

Act 5 Wisdom: Finding God's Way 207

Intermission: The Period Between the Two Testaments 215

Episode 8 Unto Us a Child is Born 231

Act 1 God Sends His Promised Messiah 233

Act 2 Incarnation and the Two Natures of Jesus 243

Episode 9 The Ministry of Jesus 251

Act 1 Jesus Begins His Ministry 253

Act 2 Jesus's Message and Methods 265

Act 3 Jesus's Miracles and Ministry 279

Episode 10 "A Prophet Must Die in Jerusalem" 289

Act 1 Jesus's Entry into Jerusalem 291

Act 2 Jesus's Last Supper and His Crucifixion 299

Episode 11 The Grave Could Not Hold Him 315

Act 1 Jesus's Burial and Resurrection 317

Act 2 Jesus's Post-Resurrection Appearances and His Ascension 327

Episode 12 This Gospel Shall Be For All People 335

Act 1 A Sound as of a Rushing Wind 337

Act 2 The Church in Jerusalem and the Early Spread of the Gospel 347

Act 3 Paul's First and Second Missionary Journeys 357

Act 4 Paul's Third Missionary Journey, His Arrest and His Final Days 367

Episode 13 Church Growth and Church Struggles 379

Act 1 Church Struggles and the Examples from I Corinthians 381

Act 2 Church Struggles and Christian Thinking 391

Act 3 Church Struggles and Issues of Faith 399

Episode 14 Looking For a City 409

Act 1 God's Future for His People 411

Act 2 God Brings His Story to Its Climactic End 419

The Meaning of the Story in the Twenty-First Century 431

Notes 437

Subject Index 447

Scripture Index 451

Image Credits 462

Interviews

Vang: Waco, TX
Carter: Arkadelphia, AR

Editorial Reviews

For over a decade I taught a bible survey class, and for over a decade Telling God’s Story was my textbook of choice. As they unpack the narrative of Scripture, veteran professors Preben Vang and Terry Carter adroitly balance the necessary ingredients for each story with the poignant theological implications thereof. Consequently, my students were biblically and theologically informed without being overwhelmed or bored.”
—Joseph R. Dodson, associate professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
 
“Simple but not simplistic. Sweeping without sweeping issues under the rug. A grand introduction for readers who are new to the Bible or have only read the Bible in disconnected Sunday snippets. Like Goldilocks, readers will find this book ‘just right,’ not too much and not too little.”
—Randy Richards, provost and chief academic officer, Palm Beach Atlantic University

“The Bible is a very large book, and it’s easy for readers to miss the forest for the trees. Just as a hiker needs a map to guide them along their way, so Bible readers need ‘terrain maps’ to set each story, law, prophecy, psalm, and letter in its proper context. Telling God’s Story, by Preben Vang and Terry Carter, is a clear, accurate, and engaging guidebook for God’s story. Its readable narrative and helpful photos, maps, and charts will lead readers through the twists and turns of the grand drama—from creation to new creation. In this third and expanded edition, a great book gets even better.”
—Mark Strauss, university professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary

 

From the Publisher