THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE BIBLE
By Peter C. Cay-ohen
Many books have a central figure around which the story is woven. The Bible too has a central person in both the Old and New Testament scriptures around which the story revolves.
THEME OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
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What is the theme of the writtings of apostle John?
John 20: 30, 31 “…But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life…”
1 John 1:1-3 “That…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life…That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
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What is the theme of the writtings of Luke?
Acts 1:1, 2 “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:”
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What is the theme of the writtings of Paul?
Hebrews 8: 1, 2 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. 3:1 – Jesus is that high priest.
1 Corinthians 2: 2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Romans 1:1-4 “Paul…, separated unto the gospel of God… Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord…And declared to be the Son of God with power…”
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What Is the theme of the book of Revelation?
Revelation 1: 1, 2 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
THEME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
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Of whom does Christ Himself tell us that the Old Testament Scriptures speak about?
John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
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About whom did Moses and the Old Testament prophets write?
John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
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Who revealed beforehand the death and resurrection of Christ?
Luke 24:25, 26 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”
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Do all the Old Testament Scriptures testify about Jesus?
Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He (Christ) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
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Where in the Bible is the first promise of the Redeemer?
Genesis 3:14, 15 “…And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
“The message proclaimed by the angel flying in the midst of heaven is the everlasting gospel, the same gospel that was declared in Eden when God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed…” (Genesis 3:15). Here was the first promise of a Saviour who would stand on the field of battle to contest the power of Satan and prevail against him.” 2 SM 106.2
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How was the prophecy about the coming seed repeated to Abraham?
Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Gen. 22:18. (See Gen. 26:4; 28:14.)
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To whom did this promise seed refer?
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
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Who was the spiritual Rock (God) that provided food and drink and guided Israel to the Promised Land?
Exodus 17:5, 6 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people…Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink…”
Deut. 32:3, 4 “Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock… a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
1 Corinthians 10:4 “And did all drink…for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”.
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Which Scripture mentioned the place where Jesus was to be born?
Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Matt. 2: 1-6 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem…When Herod the king had heard these things…he demanded of them (the priest and scribes) where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet.”
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Which book of the Old Testament Scriptures foretold of the life, suffering, and death of Christ for our sins?
Isaiah 53: 2- 12 “He (Jesus) is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…Surely he (Jesus) hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows… smitten of God, and afflicted. But he (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions…and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted…He was taken from prison and from judgment; and…he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And …Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him…he hath poured out his soul unto death….”
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Which passage of Scripture foretold the price of Christ’s betrayal?
Zechariah 11:12 “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:15 “they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”)
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Which book fortold of Christ’s dying words, his resurrection, and his second coming?
- His dying words
Psalms 22:1 “…My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” . (Matthew 27:46 “Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”).
Psalms 31:5 “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” (Luke 23:46 “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus…”)
- His resurrection
Psalms 16:10 “For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10. (Acts 2:27-31 “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption….let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David…being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up…”)
- His second coming
Psalms 50:3 “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above… that he may judge his people.” (cf 1 Thess. 4:13-17)
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How did the book of Daniel describe Christ’s receiving of His kingdom?
Daniel 7:13, 14 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people…should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion…and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13,14. (See also Luke 1:32,33; 19:11,12; Revelation 11:15.)
THE THEME OF THE WHOLE BIBLE
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What did the Spirit of prophecy say about the theme of the whole Bible?
“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God… the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme,–man’s uplifting, the power of God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we behold the Majesty of heaven, as He humbled Himself to become our Substitute and Surety, to cope single-handed with the powers of darkness, and to gain the victory in our behalf. A reverent contemplation of such themes as these can not fail to soften, purify, and ennoble the heart, and, at the same time, to inspire the mind with new strength and vigor.
“The science of redemption is the science of all sciences; the science that is the study of the angels, and of all the intelligencies of the unfallen worlds; the science that engages the attention of our Lord and Saviour; the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite,–“kept in silence through times eternal;” the science that will be the study of God’s redeemed throughout the endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it will quicken the mind, and uplift the soul.
“Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures,–and how much more is it true of the New,–“They are they which testify of Me,” the Redeemer, Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ. From the first record of Creation–“for without Him was not anything made that was made”–to the closing promise, “Behold, I come quickly,” we are reading of His works, and listening to His voice. If you would become better acquainted with the Saviour, study the Scriptures.” Signs of the Times, April 18, 1906
Conclusion:
While there have been many men who claim to be the Christ of God, the promised deliverer from sin, there was but one true Christ that fulfilled all the specifications of prophecy and that was Jesus, born to Mary in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, founded the Christian religion, crucified by the Romans at Calvary in 31 A.D., was resurrected on the third day very early on a Sunday morning, and ascended to heaven forty days later. It is in the name of this Jesus alone that we can find salvation. All other Jesus, and all other Christ that came later could not give us forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
What should then be the central them of our preaching?
“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.”
“I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption,—the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse.” Our Father Cares, p. 33.