66 Chapters of the Bible to Know
66 Chapters of the Bible to Know
Mile Markers Along the Journey of God's Big Story
The other day, I made an off-handed comment that every Christian ought to try to commit the themes of a few key chapters of the Bible to memory. I don’t mean that you would have these chapters memorized; I mean that you would be able to give a sentence or two about their main themes. Or you could come at this in the reverse: When a few topics come up, you would be able to say, “Ah, John 15 talks about that…” Or whatever the case might be.
I think when I made this remark, I might have said that there were twenty-five or so chapters to have in the back of our minds. Well, someone asked me afterwards if I would provide a list.
Now, this is tricky business for a few reasons. For one, we’re talking about the Bible, and all Scripture is inspired by God not just a handful of chapters and verses. We’re meant to read the whole thing, to be swept up in its story. I’m a huge proponent of reading the Bible to enter the Story and to let the Story enter you. I think we’ve done a disservice to discipleship by chunking the Bible up into bits and pieces that are each meant to be vaguely “inspiring” when we read them. Some times the character and will of God only become clear and obvious in the broad strokes of the canvas— when we zoom out and see the whole thing.
And yet. The Story is so large that it is easy to get lost. Or overwhelmed. Or both. And so it can be helpful to have mile-markers for the journey, waypoints that help us know where we are and where we’re going.
So I took up the challenge. And that’s when I realized there are far more than twenty-five. I landed on sixty-six— appropriate considering the number of books in the Bible! But I did mark in bold the chapters I would choose if I could only choose twenty-five. Caveat: I left out the entire book of Psalms because, well, that would be another post in itself!
Genesis 1-2-- God created a good world on purpose and with pleasure, with paired opposites as the pattern, culminating in male and female.
Genesis 3-- Humans chose to attempt being like God instead of being God’s image.
Genesis 12-- God calls Abraham to use one family to bless all families.
Genesis 22-- God tests Abraham’s faith by using a language he understands— the ultimate sacrifice, his son Isaac— but then reveals that He is the God who provides the sacrifice He requires.
Exodus 3-- God meets Moses at the burning bush to call him to be an agent of deliverance.
Exodus 20-- God shows His people how to live like they belong to Him by giving them the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 8-- God restates the law and renews His covenant with His people.
Deuteronomy 28-- God outlines the blessings and curses on obedience and disobedience.
Joshua 1-- God calls Joshua to be strong and courageous as he leads a new generation into the promise.
Joshua 24-- Joshua decides that as for him and his house, they will serve the Lord.
1 Samuel 16-- David trusts God to defend His own name as he faces down Goliath.
1 Kings 8-- God’s fills the temple with glory as Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple.
Ezra-- God’s people return from exile and recover the law.
Nehemiah-- Nehemiah leads families to rebuild the walls.
Isaiah 6-- Isaiah sees the Lord in His glory, cries out, “Woe is me”, and then surrenders by saying, “Here am I, send me.”
Isaiah 40-- God promises that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.
Isaiah 61-- God promises to pour out His Spirit in a way that changes everything.
Isaiah 66-- God gives the hope of a new heavens and new earth.
Jeremiah 1-- God tells the prophet that He knew him in the womb.
Jeremiah 17-- God reminds us that those who trust in the Lord are like a tree planted by a stream.
Jeremiah 29-- God calls us to seek the good of a wicked city while we are in it; God promises plans for a good future beyond punishment.
Jeremiah 33-- God invites us to call to Him and promises to answer.
Micah 6-- God has shown you what He wants from us: to walk humbly, love mercy, and do justly.
Matthew 5-7-- Jesus teaches on what the Kingdom— and its King— are like in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 28-- Jesus charges us with the “Great Commission”.
Luke 4-- Jesus is baptized and reads from Isaiah 61 as being fulfilled in Him.
Luke 10-- Jesus shows us what loving our neighbor is like by being the Good Samaritan.
Luke 15-- Jesus tells three stories with escalating ratios of “lostness” to show that we all need to be found— a lost sheep, lost coin, and lost sons.
Luke 24-- Jesus meets disappointed disciples on the road to Emmaus and opens their eyes by acting like the host when He was welcomed as a guest.
John 1-- Jesus was there in the beginning as the Word, and He became flesh to enter our world.
John 3-- You can be born again because God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
John 4-- Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and shows us how worship in spirit and truth mean new life in Christ and the Spirit.
John 8-- Jesus tells self-righteous people to stop acting like that aren’t sinners; and He tells a sinner caught in the act to go and sin no more.
John 10-- Jesus reveals Himself as the long awaited Good Shepherd of Israel.
John 11-- Jesus comes too late to heal his friend, but meets his sisters in their various expressions of grief, and then does the miracle of raiding Lazarus to life.
John 15-- Jesus calls us to abide in the true vine so that we can bear much fruit.
John 17-- Jesus prays for unity among His followers, and shows us the love of the Father that is now ours.
John 20-21-- Jesus finds Mary, Thomas, and Peter after His resurrection to move them beyond the dead ends of grief, doubt, and shame.
Acts 1-- Jesus ascends to the throne of heaven and promises the empowerment Spirit.
Acts 2-- God pours out the Spirit as the promised presence and power of God for the people of God.
Acts 7-- Stephen recaps salvation history and sees Jesus standing while he is dying.
Acts 9-- Paul is stunned to discover that Jesus is the fulfillment of the God of Israel’s saving work.
Acts 15-- At the Jerusalem council, the Jesus movement officially opened up to all nations.
Romans 1-- There is no need to be ashamed of the Gospel; instead, respond with believing obedience.
Romans 3-- We have all have sinned and fallen short.
Romans 5-- The love of God turned enemies of God into friends of God.
Romans 8-- In Christ, there is no condemnation; you are more than conquerors; and God is working in all things with you.
1 Corinthians 7-- This is how a Christian can think about marriage and singleness.
1 Corinthians 13-- Love looks like this.
1 Corinthians 12,14-- These are the gifts of the Spirit, given to glorify God, edify the church, and witness to the world.
1 Corinthians 15-- Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, your faith is not in vain, and neither will your labor be; one day you will be raised up too.
2 Corinthians 5-- You have become a new creation, now!
Galatians 2-- Remember that you have been crucified with Christ, yet you live by ongoing faith in Him.
Galatians 5-- Walk in the Spirit and you will begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Ephesians 2-- Salvation by grace through faith + reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles = 1 temple filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5-- Keep being filled with the Holy Spirit, and watch how God transforms your human relationships.
Philippians 2-- Jesus emptied Himself; the Father exalted Him; every tongue will confess Him as Lord.
Colossians 1-- Jesus holds all things together.
Hebrews 11-- This is what faith looks like.
James 1-- In every trial, we can count it all joy.
1 Peter 2-- We are a royal priesthood.
1 John 1-- Confess your sin.
1 John 4-- Behold God's lavish love.
Revelation 3-- This is what Jesus would say to the church.
Revelation 5-- This is what heavenly worship looks like.
Revelation 21-- At last, old things will pass away, every tear will be wiped away, and all things will be made new.
What do you think? What would you change?
May you be drawn deeper into God’s Word. May you be caught up in God’s Story. May the Spirit breathe Life into you today.
I would add Romans 12 and 13. Still, great list. Thank you.
Awesome! Well done pastor. (And I was there in class for the remark. : ) Now if there were only 52, then memorizing one per week would be a nice annual tie in for the people in Marketing. Haha. But a 66-month year is close enough. Can't wait to get started.