The Bible Guide
Overview
A complete, all-in-one journey through the Bible, accessible to all, The Bible Guide is a remarkable achievement. More than seven years of research, writing, and editing have produced a book that is comprehensive in scope yet easy to read and enjoyable to use. No other Bible guide is so comprehensive in scope and yet so clearly geared to the needs of a lay readership.
Here in one volume is a detailed and illuminating guide to every book of the Bible. Written by one author, the guide has a continuity of approach not found in multi-contributor books. Throughout its colorful pages The Bible Guide explores, explains, and brings to life the history, stories, culture, and message of the world's most influential book.
...is easy to read and practical to use. It makes an excellent gift or addition to one's library.
—Baptists Today, May 2002
For anyone who’s ever wanted to come to grips with the content, meaning and relevance of the books of the Bible, this book is the ideal place to start. Easy to read and practical to use, this is the must-have guide for those who want an effortless introduction that still leaves nothing out.
For each book of the Bible there is a summary of what, in essence, the book is all about and how it fits into the overall themes of the Bible. The main events and characters are set out, along with the well-known stories. Then the book is unpacked with a helpful commentary (for narrative books); or (for non-narrative books) the main significance and cultural backdrop are explored.
Simple, lively, contemporary and thoughtful, it is a wonderful introduction to the Bible for new Christians. It is also a fertile seed-bed of ideas for preachers.
—Rev Dr Paul Beasley-Murray, Baptist pastor and former Principal of Spurgeon’s College
Top Highlights
“He pretends he is God laying siege to Jerusalem—390 days for the sins of Israel and forty days for the sins of Judah” (Page 326)
“The Benjaminites have had their moment as a royal tribe, and their present descendants can take pride in their pedigree. There is some further detail of Saul’s descendants at the end of chapter 9.” (Page 173)
“Genesis is a source book for three of the world’s great religions. Jews, Muslims and Christians all look back to Abraham as their ancestor.” (Page 21)
“Christian freedom isn’t permission to do whatever we like. Christian freedom is the freedom to do what God wants, and to put the needs and feelings of others before our own.” (Page 584)
“The apostle has every reason to be frustrated and angry. Precious years of his life have been lost through the lies, cowardice and incompetence of other people. His great vision of taking the gospel to other lands and cultures has been thwarted—certainly delayed and perhaps abandoned altogether. And yet Paul is able to assure his friends that what has happened to him has actually helped to spread the gospel!” (Page 626)
Praise for the Print Edition
In this impressive new book Andrew Knowles has provided a marvellous resource, which I hope many will use. It has my warm commendation.
—Dr George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
It is VERY good – an amazing achievement. This is an amazing book. Andrew Knowles has given us a readable and helpful text that opens up the sweeps and stories of the Bible. To have done this for the whole Bible is a momentous achievement. Lion has backed this by presenting the book attractively and imaginatively. They have, if anything, surpassed their usual high standards.
—Rt Rev Gavin Reid OBE, former Bishop of Maidstone
Andrew Knowles must be a master of disguise! For this erudite canon theologian has written a delightful Bible guide which is truly accessible to all. Simple, lively, contemporary and thoughtful, it is a wonderful introduction to the Bible for new Christians. It is also a fertile seed-bed of ideas for preachers. Like every Lion publication the material is beautifully presented. The book stands head and shoulders above any other comparable Bible guide or commentary and therefore deserves the warmest of welcomes.
—Rev Dr Paul Beasley-Murray, Baptist pastor and former Principal of Spurgeon’s College
I am pleased to commend strongly The Bible Guide. In a culture which has largely lost the Christian story, the Bible Guide is a fantastic resource in making the Bible accessible to those previously unfamiliar with its teaching.
—Mike Hill
...a brilliant tool for all ages and levels of understanding... It is shot through with gems on every book of the Bible which immediately helps you to grasp the context... The author's writing style is also helpful with each sentence standing on its own, meaning that wherever you start to read you will immediately connect with what is happening.
—Reform, December 2001
Succeeds in providing a unified and accessible, well-illustrated and attractively presented guide, useful both for quick reference and sustained study.
—Methodist Recorder, Margaret Daniels, 14th February 2002
The main attraction of this volume is the fact that it is written by a single author, giving a continuity not found in multi-contributor handbooks.
—Christian Marketplace, Ian Matthews, April 2002
Author's Preface
It was Michael Ramsey, a great archbishop of Canterbury who said, "We must study to be simple." This is what I have tried to do in preparing this companion guide to the Bible.
Many people who need access to the scriptures have little background scholarship or time to read. They are teaching or leading study groups and sometimes require a resource which will quickly give them their bearings and provide some essential information. I hope that my colleagues in ministry—clergy and pastors—will also find this book useful when time for preparation is short and something straightforward and immediate is appropriate.
This book is the product of many hearts and minds and hands. Its roots are in the ministry of my own Bible-class teacher, Gordon Buchanan, who first showed me the labour, reverence and reward of Bible study. It was conceived by a chance remark of my commissioning editor, Becky Winter, late in 1992. It was gestated by the dedicated scholars on whose books and articles I have relied. I have often found myself "on giants' shoulders".
[...]
Andrew Knowles
Chelinsford
Easter 2001
Product Details
- Title: The Bible Guide: An all-in-one introduction to the book of books
- Author: Andrew Knowles
- Publisher: Lion Publishing
- Publication Date: 2001
- Pages: 720
Reviews
7 ratings
Paul
11/5/2023
diederick pütter
9/19/2023
Tim Kuhn
3/8/2022
Do yourself a favor and save your money. This came free with a package I purchased. The description is completely misleading. "Colorful" is used to the author's writing style (as others have shared in their reviews). This is not a handbook with charts and maps. From what I have read of this, it if from a very liberal reading of scripture. I didn't hate it, I just found it note worth the time to read.
Christopher Klein
2/19/2017
I have yet to find a single illustration, map, chart, etc. despite the description which says: "Throughout its colorful pages The Bible Guide explores, explains, and brings to life the history, stories, culture, and message of the world's most influential book." And it is also in black & white.John Sheeley
3/28/2016
Turned off by his commentary on Genesis. Affirms science "proving" the earth is billions of years old so we don't really need to deal with the whole "day" issue. Says it is God's way of dumbing it down for us basically. But then affirms the fall of man and that sin and death came through one man, Adam. You cannot advocate for billions of years (which would have death all along through those years) but then say death came from Adam's sin. Which is it? Either evolution and billions of years are true and the bible is wrong, or the bible is right and there were not billions of years before Adam. One of several areas the author wimped out and took easy positions which ended up in contradicting himself. And no, the Garden of Eden was not just north of the Persian Gulf. Ever see what a localized flood does to terrain? Think Mt St Helens and how millions of acres were changed in a few hours. Now picture the water bursting forth from the deep and months of worldwide cataclysmic flooding. Do you really think the earth looks anything like it did before Genesis 6? Not hardly, trying to use current day rivers 6,000 years and a worldwide destructive flood removed from an event is pointless.
