Seven Tests of Abraham

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Test 1 : Gen 12 - Promise (land). Passed
Test 2 : Gen 12 - Produce (famine). Failed
Test 3 : Gen 13 - Plenty (riches). Passed
Test 4 : Gen 14 - Power (Melchizedek). Passed
Test 5 : Gen 16 - Patience (son). Failed
Test 6 : Gen 21 - Pain (Ishmael/Hagar). Passed
Test 7 : Gen 22 - Posterity (love). Passed

Those instances Abraham compromised when he deviated from God's will were not counted.

The Temptation of Christ

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Only recorded in Matthew and Luke.
Not recorded in Mark because the perfect Servant is immune to temptation.
Not recorded in John because the pre-existent Son of God cannot be tempted.

Matthew's Perspective
(A) Turn stones to bread in the wilderness
(B) Cast Thyself down at the pinnacle of the temple
(C) Worship Satan at an exceeding high mountain

Luke's Perspective
(A) Turn stones to bread in the wilderness
(C) Worship Satan at an exceeding high mountain
(B) Cast Thyself down at the pinnacle of the temple

Matthew's account of the temptation is based on the historical order. Each temptation by Satan is recorded chronologically. This is evidenced by the words "then" and "again" in Matt 4:1,5,8,10,11.

Notice that in Luke's account, the order of the second and third temptations has been reversed. This is because Luke took a moral perspective of the temptation that is parallel to what is described in Genesis 3:6 and 1 John 2:16.
(A) The lust of the flesh - the tree was good for food
(C) The lust of the eyes -
it was pleasant to the eyes
(B) The pride of life - a tree to be desired to make one wise

Reader, you do well to note that all temptations you face come in the above form.

Here are some outlines
(A) Satisfy yourself (Appetite) - Body, misuse of sustenance
(B) Show yourself (Adventure) - Soul, misuse of scripture
(C) Spare yourself (Ambition) - Spirit, misuse of service

1Thess. 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Cross in the Pentateuch

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There is a key chapter of each book in the Pentateuch which foreshadows the suffering of Christ on the cross.

Genesis 22 : Substitution (Ram) - Delights of God
Exodus 12 : Redemption (Lamb) - Deliverance of His People
Leviticus 16 : Atonement (Bull, Goats) - Dwelling of God
Numbers 19 : Purification (Red Heifer) - Defilement of His People
Deuteronomy 21 : Expiation (Heifer) - Dealing with Sins

Outlines of Genesis

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Generation - Chapters 1- 2
Degeneration - Chapters 3 - 11
Regeneration - Chapters 12 - 50
by Campbell Morgan

Primeval History (Chapters 1-11) Four Main Events
* Creation
* Fall
* Flood
* Babel
Patriarchal History (Chapters 12-50) Four Main Persons
* Abraham
* Isaac
* Jacob
* Joseph
by Sidlow Baxter

The Poetical Books

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The Poetical Books of the Bible are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs.

Job - Suffering
Psalms - Sanctuary
Proverbs - Sonship
Ecclesiastes - under the Sun
Song of Songs - under His Shadow

Job - Reward
Psalms - Righteousness
Proverbs - Rules
Ecclesiastes - Regrets
Song of Songs - Romance

Job - Patience
Psalms - Praise
Proverbs - Precepts
Ecclesiastes - Pleasures of the World
Song of Songs - Passion for Christ

Job - Waiting
Psalms - Worship
Proverbs - Wisdom
Ecclesiastes - Weariness
Song of Songs - Wedding

Job - Debate
Psalms - Devotion
Proverbs - Discretion
Ecclesiastes - Disappointment
Song of Songs - Desire

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9.

Good Scripture Outlines Books

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Sometimes, Amazon is a good source to get very affordable out-of-print used books.








Nine Final Titles of the Lord Jesus Christ

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Rev. 22:12-21
1. Alpha and Omega : His ministerial title (perception) v13
2. The beginning and the end : His creatorial title (power) v13
3. The first and the last : His mediatorial title (presence) v13
4. Jesus : His human name (perfection) v16
5. I am : His divine name (possibilities) v16
6. The root and the offspring of David : His messianic (kingdom) title (promises) v16
7. The bright and morning star : His advent (church) title (prophecies) v16
8. Lord Jesus : His exalted title (prominence) v20
9. Lord Jesus Christ : His anointed and glorified title (pre-eminence) v21

Biblical Imaginations

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I coined the term "Biblical Imaginations" to describe the creative prowess some readers demonstrate in astonishing interpretations of Scripture. There is a possibility such may be right as secondary applications of the passage at hand ... sometimes i'm guilty of such far-fetched flights of fancy. Here is an example:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-35)
- Jerusalem : Heaven
- Jericho : Hell
- Robbers : Powers of evil
- Priest and Levite : Inadequacy of the Law
- Samaritan : Christ
- Beast : Evangelists
- Inn : Church
- Host : Pastors and Teachers
- Two pence : Two ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Updated 26 January 2009

Perfections in Ephesians

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Eph 1 - Blessing, no diminution (outline)
Eph 2 - Building, no defect (outline)
Eph 3 - Bounty, no dimension (outline)
Eph 4 - Body, no division (outline)
Eph 5 - Bride, no divorce (outline)
Eph 6 - Battle, no defeat (outline)

Read Brief Outline of Ephesians, Togetherness in Ephesians.

Recommended Books

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If you like good outlines with alliterations, you will enjoy reading the following two books by John Phillips
* The View from Mount Calvary: 24 Portraits of the Cross Throughout Scripture
* Jesus Our Lord: 24 Portraits of Christ Throughout Scripture


Forgive, Give, Out-give

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Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

Forgive
(past) - The Sacrifice; think of what it cost God to give His Son to die on the cross so that we can receive forgiveness of our sins. Nothing we give God can be too big a sacrifice.

Give (present) - The Source; God is the source of all the blessings that we enjoy in this world. We are just giving back what originally belongs to Him.

Out-give (future) - The Satisfaction; whatever we give to God, He will reward us with something better, greater and eternal. We can never out-give God.

Reader, what are you doing with your life? Are you giving your life back to God?

Brief Outline of Hebrews

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I like the following outline because it uses scriptural phrases from the book itself.
Chapter 1 - 4 : "Thou art My Son" 1:5 - The Pre-eminence of the Son
Chapter 5 - 8 : "Thou art a Priest" 5:6 - The Priesthood of the Sovereign
Chapter 9 - 10 : "This is the Blood" 9:20 - The Propitiation by the Sacrifice
Chapter 11 - 13 : "These all, having obtained a Good Report" 11:39 - The Pattern of the Saints

Brief Outline of John's Gospel

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Chapter 1-12 : Public ministry - Christ as Soul Winner
Chapter 13-16 : Private ministry - Christ as School Teacher
Chapter 17 : Priestly ministry - Christ as Supplicator
Chapter 18-19 : Passion ministry - Christ as Sufferer
Chapter 20-12 : Post-resurrection ministry - Christ as Shepherd

Life - Chapter 1-7
Light - Chapter 8-12
Love - Chapter 13-17

The Advent of Christ

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1. Virgin Birth
2. Virtuous Life
3. Voluntary Baptism
4. Vicious Temptation
5. Vital Transfiguration
6. Vicarious Death
7. Victorious Resurrection
8. Valedictory Ascension
9. Valuable Presence
10. Valid Advocacy
11. Visible Return
12. Vigorous Reign

Significance of Numerals in the Scripture

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One - unique, unity, exclusivity, supremacy, first
Two - division, confirmation, sufficiency
Three - divine perfection, completeness, God
Four - universality
Five - grace, responsibility to fellow men
Six - creation, man
Seven - spiritual perfection
Eight - a new beginning, resurrection, Christ
Nine - finality, Holy Spirit
Ten - law, responsibility to God
Eleven - election
Twelve - administration, government
Thirteen - sin
Fourteen - perfection of manifestation
Seventeen - security in view of God's salvation
Eighteen - insecurity in view of God's judgment
Forty - testing, temptation, trial, probation
Forty-two - failure
Fifty - rest
Seventy - service
Four Hundred - testimony

Christ Portrayed by the Gospels

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Matthew - Supremacy of Christ (Sovereign King)
Mark - Service of Christ (Servant)
Luke - Sympathy of Christ (Son of Man)
John - Sufficiency of Christ (Son of God)

Matthew - Christ is Lordly
Mark - Christ is Lowly
Luke - Christ is Lovely
John - Christ is Lofty

Matthew - His authority
Mark - His activities
Luke - His affection
John - His attraction

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Themes in Pentateuch

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Genesis - Ruin through sin and folly of man
Exodus - Redemption by blood and power
Leviticus - Realized communion by atonement
Numbers - Reliable direction during pilgrimage
Deuteronomy - Renewed instruction for promised land

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Characteristics of the Gospels

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Matthew - prophetical
Mark - practical
Luke - parabolical
John - perfective

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8.

Please understand the classifications in this series of posts with regard to the characteristics of the Gospel accounts are not "water-tight compartments".  None of the description is confined to a Gospel alone but is also applicable to other Gospels to a lesser extent.

Patriarchs in Genesis

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It is interesting to observe the occurrence of the number FOUR (4) in Genesis, the book of the beginnings. Three (Trinity) + One = Four which signifies creation, something universal as denotes by the expression "four corners of the earth".

Four Main Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Four Altars of Abraham - Spiritual Worship
* Gen 12:7 - Place of Pardon (Conversion)
* Gen 12:8 - Place of Prayer (Communion)
* Gen 13:18 - Place of Praise (Covenant)
* Gen 22:9 - Place of Provision (Consecration)

Four Wells of Isaac - Spiritual Wellness
* Gen 26:20 (Esek) - Engagement of the Word, Acts 4:18,29, 5:18,42
* Gen 26:21 (Sitnah) - Enmity of the Word, Acts 6:10, 7:54,57
* Gen 26:22 (Rehoboth) - Enlargement of the Word, Acts 8:4, 12:24, 19:20
* Gen 26:33 (Shebah) - Establishment of the Word, Acts 20:32

Four Pillars of Jacob - Spiritual Watch
* Gen 28:18,22, 31:13 - Revelations of God
* Gen 31:45,51.52 - Responsibility to the brethren
* Gen 35:14 - Re-commitment to the Lord
* Gen 35:20 - Remembrance of Relationship

Four Garments of Joseph - Spiritual Walk
* Gen 37:3 - Relationship of the Son - pleasing
* Gen 39:12 - Refusal of the Servant - prosperous
* Gen 41:14 - Reproach of the Sufferer - patient
* Gen 41:42 - Rewards of the Sovereign - powerful

Four Arks

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Ark of Noah - God's provision in Christ
Ark of Joseph - God's promise in Christ
Ark of Moses - God's preservation in Christ
Ark of Tabernacle - God's presence in Christ

Pitch in Noah's Ark - Suffering of Christ - Our Salvation
Gold in God's Ark - Glorification of Christ - Our Satisfaction

The Spirit of Christ "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow". 1 Peter 1:11

Christ in Colossians

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Chapter 1 - Majesty of Christ
Chapter 2 - Mastery of Christ
Chapter 3 - Manifestation of Christ
Chapter 4 - Mystery of Christ

Parable of the Sower

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 One kind of seed, four kinds of soils

1. Wayside - Careless, Hard-hearted
2. Stoney ground - Casual, Hollow-hearted
3. Thorny ground - Carnal, Half-hearted
4. Good ground - Cautious, Honest-hearted

Matthew - Hundred, sixty, thirty - Jewish perspective : decreasing acceptance of preaching
Mark - Thirty, sixty, hundred - Gentile perspective : increasing acceptance of preaching
Luke - Hundredfold - Saviour's perspective : constant fullness of preaching

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

The Man in Romans

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Romans 1 - The corrupt man
Romans 2 - The inexcusable man
Romans 3 - The guilty man
Romans 4 - The forgiven man
Romans 5 - The justified man
Romans 6 - The sanctified man
Romans 7 - The wretched man
Romans 8 - The liberated man

Christ in Philippians

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Phil 1 - Christ our Purpose of Life : Live for Christ
Phil 2 - Christ our Pattern of Life : Learn of Christ
Phil 3 - Christ our Prospect of Life : Look to Christ
Phil 4 - Christ our Power of Life : Lean on Christ

The Faithful Christ in Hebrews

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Faithful Apostle - Partakers of flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14, 3:1-2)
Faithful High Priest - Propitiation for sins (Heb. 2:17, 3:1-2)
Faithful Son - Perfect through sufferings (Heb. 2:10)

The Will of God

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His Pleasure (Sovereign Will) - Submit
His Purity (Moral Will) - Obey
His Providence (Providential Will) - Observe
His Permission (Permissive Will) - Avoid
His Preference (Specific Will) - Discern

When discerning the Will of God, consider the following factors
* Commanding Scriptures
* Compelling Spirit
* Counsels of Saints
* Circumstantial Signs
* Common Sense
* Consequences

Christ in all the Scriptures

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"...All things must be fullfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me." Luke 24:44

Law - Foreshadows of Christ
Prophets - Foretellings of Christ
Psalms - Feelings of Christ
Gospel - Facts of Christ
Acts - Foundation of Christ
Epistles - Fullness of Christ
Revelation - Finality of Christ

Welcome & Introduction

I created this blog to share outlines and lists from the Holy Bible (Scripture) which I enjoy and find helpful. Many of these outlines and lists are taken from books or jotted down from talks. Some are authored by myself and many others are so commonly used that it is quite impossible to trace the original authors. As far as possible, I will try to acknowledge the source. Most of these outlines and lists have some kind of alliteration. Enjoy!