Bible Topics
Bible Topics -
Details of topics from the Bible
Common Terms
Righteousness: What It Means for a New Christian.
The short version
In the Bible, righteousness means being right with God: living in a way that matches who God is and what he asks of us. The surprising good news of Christianity is that you don’t earn it by being perfect. God gives it to you as a gift through Jesus.
12 Tribes of Israel
Peter’s Brother
- He was also a fisherman.
- the first disciple Jesus called (Book of John) and brought Peter to Jesus, but
- he told Peter Jesus was the Messiah.
Kings of Israel
James’ Brother.
- third disciple considered to be part of Jesus’ “inner circle” with his brother James and Peter.
- John was also previously a fisherman.
- Credited with writing the Books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation.
Twelve ideas that hold the whole Bible together
New to the Bible? Start here. These twelve topics, in four groups, trace the main story from who God is to where history is heading. Read them in order, or jump to the group you need.
God and his word
Everything starts with who God is, how he has spoken, and what he made.
1God
There is one God, eternal, holy, and loving. Christians believe he exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Key passages
- Deuteronomy 6:4
- Isaiah 6:1–8
- Matthew 28:19
- 1 John 4:7–12
Go deeper
The Bible presents God as the one Creator, separate from his creation, all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good. The Trinity means one God in three persons, not three gods. Scripture holds together his holiness and his love without letting go of either.
How does knowing God is both holy and loving change the way you come to him?
2The Bible
Sixty-six books, written by about forty authors over roughly 1,500 years, telling one connected story.
Key passages
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17
- 2 Peter 1:20–21
- Psalm 119:105
- Hebrews 4:12
Go deeper
The Old Testament (39 books) looks forward to a rescuer; the New Testament (27 books) shows him arriving and explains what follows. The books include law, history, poetry, prophecy, Gospels, and letters, and each type is read a little differently. Christians hold that God inspired the writers, so the Bible is both fully human and fully his word.
Which kind of book (story, poetry, letter) do you find easiest to start with?
3Creation
God made everything out of nothing, and he called it good.
Key passages
- Genesis 1–2
- Psalm 19:1–4
- John 1:1–3
- Colossians 1:16–17
Go deeper
The world is neither an accident nor divine itself. It reflects the power, order, and generosity of its Maker, and it belongs to him. Humans are given the job of caring for it.
What in the natural world most makes you think of its Maker?
Read about the days of creationPeople, sin, and promise
Who we are, what went wrong, and how God began to set it right.
4Humanity
Every person is made in God’s image, to know him and to care for the world.
Key passages
- Genesis 1:26–28
- Genesis 2:7, 18–25
- Psalm 8
- Psalm 139:13–16
Go deeper
Being made in God’s image gives every human being dignity and worth, whatever their age, ability, or background. People were made for relationship with God and with each other, and for meaningful work.
How would it change daily life to treat every person as an image-bearer of God?
5Sin and the fall
People chose their own way over God’s, and that choice broke our relationship with him and with each other.
Key passages
- Genesis 3
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 5:12
- Isaiah 59:1–2
Go deeper
Sin is more than a list of bad actions. It is a turning away from God that brings shame, conflict, suffering, and death into the world. Even so, God goes looking for Adam and Eve in the garden and promises that evil will not have the last word (Genesis 3:9, 15).
Why does the Bible treat sin as a broken relationship, not just broken rules?
6Covenant
God made binding promises to Abraham, Israel, and David that pointed toward a coming rescuer.
Key passages
- Genesis 12:1–3
- Exodus 19:3–6
- 2 Samuel 7:12–16
- Jeremiah 31:31–34
Go deeper
A covenant is a committed relationship with promises attached. These covenants give the Bible its structure: the law shows God’s holiness and how his people should live, and the prophets keep pointing ahead to a new covenant, which the New Testament says Jesus brought.
What does it say about God that he makes promises and keeps them?
Jesus and salvation
The center of the Bible: who Jesus is, what he did, and how people receive new life.
7Jesus Christ
God the Son became human. He is fully God and fully man, and the promised Messiah.
Key passages
- John 1:1–14
- Luke 24:44–47
- Philippians 2:5–11
- Colossians 1:15–20
Go deeper
“Christ” means “anointed one,” the Greek word for Messiah. The Gospels show Jesus teaching with authority, healing, forgiving sins, and claiming to fulfill what the Old Testament promised. Christians confess that in him God came to live among us.
What do you notice about Jesus when you read one of the Gospel accounts slowly?
8The cross and resurrection
Jesus died in the place of sinners and rose again, defeating sin and death.
Key passages
- Isaiah 53
- Mark 10:45
- Romans 5:6–8
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–8
Go deeper
The cross is where God’s justice and love meet: Jesus takes the penalty sin deserves. The resurrection shows that his sacrifice was accepted and that death is not final. Paul calls the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the heart of the gospel message.
Why does the Bible say the resurrection matters as much as the cross?
9Salvation by grace
Forgiveness and new life are a gift from God, received through faith and not earned by good works.
Key passages
- John 3:16–18
- Romans 3:21–26
- Ephesians 2:8–10
- Titus 3:4–7
Go deeper
Grace means undeserved favor. Faith is trusting Jesus to do for you what you cannot do for yourself, and repentance is turning from sin toward God. The Bible describes the results as being forgiven, declared righteous, and adopted into God’s family. Good works follow as the fruit of this new life.
What is the difference between earning a gift and receiving one?
Life in God’s family
How believers live now, together, and what they hope for.
10The Holy Spirit
God’s own presence with believers, giving new life, understanding, and power to change.
Key passages
- John 14:15–27
- Acts 2:1–21
- Romans 8:1–17
- Galatians 5:22–25
Go deeper
The Spirit is a person, not a force. He helps believers understand Scripture, pray, and grow in character, which the Bible describes as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, and more. He also gives gifts to serve others.
Which of the fruit of the Spirit would you most like to grow in?
11The church
God’s people, gathered to worship, learn, serve, pray, and share the good news.
Key passages
- Acts 2:42–47
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–27
- Ephesians 4:11–16
- Matthew 28:18–20
Go deeper
The church is a people before it is a building. The New Testament describes believers meeting to teach, pray, share meals, and care for one another, each contributing their part like the parts of a body. Many traditions also practice baptism and the Lord’s Supper as signs of belonging to Christ.
What would it look like to take part in a community of believers near you?
12Hope and eternity
Jesus will return, the dead will be raised, and God will make all things new.
Key passages
- John 14:1–3
- 1 Corinthians 15:50–58
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
- Revelation 21:1–5
Go deeper
The Bible ends where it began: with God living among his people in a restored creation. Christians differ on the order of end-time events, but agree on the core: Christ will return, there will be a resurrection and judgment, and evil, suffering, and death will end.
How does a sure hope for the future change the way you face today?