Base Bible Study is a collection of videos (about 20-25 min each) and associated materials that together provide a general and accessible overview of the Bible. Base assumes no knowledge of the Bible and is designed for anyone interested in learning more about Scripture. Rather than focusing on reading Scripture, Base complements traditional studies by stepping back to provide the broad background and context of the texts. Some of the principal questions Base addresses are these:
- Where did the Bible come from?
- Who wrote it, where, and when?
- What kinds of literature are in the Bible?
- How do we approach and read the texts?
- What is the overall message of Scripture?
For Pastors and Small Group Leaders
These materials are free to use without restriction in a variety of settings including individual study, Sunday School, supporting small group studies, or accompanying sermon series. You can also sequence them on their own to create seasonal or short term studies. Click below to see sample schedules and lesson plans.
Session List
Each session contains a video, a PDF handout, and associated commentary and Bible Labs.
Introduction: What is Base Bible Study?
5 min: A short introduction to the series of videos summarizing their goals, purpose, and perspective.
Old Testament
Session 1: What is the Bible?
25 min: We review the variety of literary texts found in the Bible, when they were written, and how they were passed down to us.
Session 2: What is the Old Testament Story?
21 min: We chart the great arc of the Exodus to Exile story of the Old Testament and the theological principles that form its core.
Session 3: Who were the Prophets?
24 min: We first discuss what Hebrew prophecy is (and what it isn’t) and place the prophets in the context of the kings of Israel and Judah. Finally, we use the sermons of Amos as an illustration of the prophets’ central message.
Session 4: What are the Psalms?
17 min: The emphasis of this session is on how the psalms can be a guide for personal prayer, and we spend time reviewing the tremendous emotional breadth of these ancient hymns of Israel.
Session 5: What is Wisdom?
24 min: We trace the evolution of Hebrew thought about the great questions of justice, morality, and suffering from the early philosophies found in some Psalms to the more nuanced and challenging texts in the Prophets, Ecclesiastes, Job, and Jonah.
New Testament
Session 6: What was the Early Church?
26 min: After setting the cultural and political context of the early 1st Century, we trace the development of early Christianity through the 30s and 40s up to the pivotal and world-changing Jerusalem Council.
Session 7: What are Paul’s Letters?
23 min: Here we follow Paul’s missionary career to the Gentile world as he founded churches, nurtured them, and wrote letters back to them when he moved on. We end by summarizing the central principles of Paul’s preaching and his enduring legacy.
Session 8: What are the Synoptic Gospels?
22 min: Meaning “seeing together”, we introduce the three “synoptic” Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and discuss the basis of their many similarities while also exploring how each evangelist provides a unique witness and perspective to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Session 9: What is the Gospel of John?
18 min: Who is Jesus? This simple question saturates one of the most beautiful and symbolically complex books in Scripture, and from the grand Prologue to the “I Am” sayings to the multidimensional story of a man born blind, we enter John’s late 1st Century world to find our own intensely personal journey of faith and discovery.
Session 10: What is the Book of Revelation?
23 min: Of all the books in Scripture, perhaps the magnificent Apocalypse at the end of the collection is the most mysterious, daunting, and often controversial book in the Bible. But if we regard it for what it is—a 1st Century apocalyptic work infused with a myriad of symbols from the Old Testament—its message becomes one of resounding clarity, a shining reflection of how the entire story started. Hallelujah indeed!
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