We thought it would be helpful to identify where in Scripture you can quickly read major stories of the Bible’s grand narrative. Click each one’s Bible reference link to read more about it.

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50 Major Events in the Bible Storyline

• Creation — Genesis 1
• The Fall (Adam and Eve) — Genesis 3
• Noah and the Flood — Genesis 6
• The Tower of Babel — Genesis 11
• The Call of Abram — Genesis 12
• God makes promises to Abraham — Genesis 15
• The Birth of Isaac — Genesis 21
• Abraham tested — Genesis 22
• Isaac and Rebekah — Genesis 24
• Jacob and Esau — Genesis 25
• Jacob’s children — Genesis 29
• Joseph sold by his brothers — Genesis 37
• Joseph in Egypt — Genesis 39
• Israel in slavery in Egypt — Exodus 1
• The birth of Moses — Exodus 2
• Moses and the Burning Bush — Exodus 3
• The Ten Plagues — Exodus 7
• God rescues Israel from Egypt — Exodus 12
• God gives the Ten Commandments — Exodus 20
• Israel enters the Promised Land (Joshua) — Joshua 1
• Israel ruled by judges (Gideon, Deborah, Samson, etc.) — Judges 1
• Israel gets its first king (Saul) — 1 Samuel 9
• David is anointed king — 1 Samuel 16
• David and Goliath — 1 Samuel 17
• David becomes king — 2 Samuel 5
• Solomon becomes king — 1 Kings 1
• Israel is divided: Israel and Judah — 1 Kings 12
• Kings rule (mostly bad) for 345 years — 1 Kings 13 and following
• Prophets warn Israel of God’s coming punishment on the nation (while also promising a glorious future beyond judgment) — Chart of Israel’s and Judah’s Kings and Prophets
• Exile, part one: Israel (the northern half), conquered by Assyria — 2 Kings 17
• Exile, part two: Judah (the southern half), conquered by Babylon — 2 Kings 25
• Many Israelites return to Israel to rebuild the demolished land and temple — Ezra 1
• The completion of the new temple — Ezra 6
• Lots of waiting for the “new covenant,” which the prophets promised — Isaiah to Malachi
• Jesus is born — Matthew 1 and Luke 2
• Baptism of Jesus — Matthew 3; Mark 1; and Luke 3
• Temptation of Jesus — Matthew 4; Mark 1; and Luke 4
• Sermon on the Mount — Matthew 5
• The Transfiguration — Matthew 17; Mark 9; and Luke 9
• Jesus Affirms he is the Son of God — John 9
• The Triumphal Entry — Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; and John 12
• The Last Supper — Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; and John 13
• Jesus’ Betrayal, Trial, Crucifixion — Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; and John 18
• Jesus’ Resurrection — Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; and John 20
• The Ascension — Acts 1
• The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost — Acts 2
• The church’s first martyr — Acts 6
• Saul’s Conversion — Acts 9
• The growth of the church — The book of Acts
• John’s Revelation on Patmos— The book of Revelation

Portions of the above list were excerpted from A Doubter’s Guide to the Bible: Inside History’s Bestseller for Believers and Skeptics (Zondervan, 2014) by John Dickson, p.14. His latest book is A Doubter’s Guide to the Ten Commandments: How, for Better or Worse, Our Ideas about the Good Life Come from Moses and Jesus (Zondervan, 2016)

Also see our Blog posts,
A Guide for Bible Skeptics: An Interview with John Dickson
and
Challenge for Skeptics: Read 100 Pages of the Bible.