The Bible consists of separate books written by multiple authors over hundreds of years, yet it conveys a single concept.

Dr. Chris Bruno (@chrisbruno1) has written The Whole Message of the Bible in 16 Words (Crossway, 2017) to help readers grasp the overarching message of Scripture: God saving his people through their promised Messiah. The book traces the development of 16 key themes—creation, covenant, kingdom, temple, judgment, and more—from Genesis to Revelation, showing how both the Old and New Testaments come together to declare a single unified message.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses: An Interview with Chris Bruno]

In the video above, Dr. Bruno discusses his book with Justin Taylor, senior vice president and publisher for books at Crossway. Video interview timestamps are as follows:

• 0:00 – What were you trying to do in the first book you wrote: The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses?
• 1:37 – What are you doing differently in your new book, The Whole Message of the Bible in 16 Words?
• 3:30 – Why did you begin with eschatology—the study of the end things—in your book?
• 6:15 – Why are the themes of creation, covenant, and kingdom foundational for understanding the overall message of Scripture?
• 8:30 – Knowing this is a book on the Bible’s whole message, can you discuss the length and format of your book?
• 11:21 – How do you hope a book like this will be used?

The Whole Message of the Bible in 16 Words highlights the following (together with their connecting verses) 16 key biblical themes that are pivotal in the Bible’s story line:

1. The End
        Old Testament: Genesis 3:15
        New Testament: Revelation 21:3–5
2. God
        Old Testament: Psalm 50:9–12
        New Testament: Romans 11:36
3. Creation
        Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17
        New Testament: Revelation 21:1–5
4. Covenant
        Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:31–34
        New Testament: Hebrews 9:13–15
5. Kingdom
        Old Testament: Zechariah 14:9
        New Testament: Matthew 6:10
6. Temple
        Old Testament: Exodus 29:46
        New Testament: Revelation 21:3
7. Messiah
        Old Testament: Genesis 17:7
        New Testament: Galatians 3:16
8. Israel
        Old Testament: Exodus 19:6
        New Testament: 1 Peter 2:9
9. Land
        Old Testament: Joshua 21:44
        New Testament: Hebrews 4:11
10. Idols
        Old Testament: Leviticus 19:4
        New Testament: 1 John 5:21
11. Judgment
        Old Testament: Exodus 7:4
        New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5:21
12. Exodus
        Old Testament: Exodus 6:6
        New Testament: Luke 9:31
13. Wisdom
        Old Testament: Proverbs 1:7
        New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1:24
14. Law
        Old Testament: Deuteronomy 28:15
        New Testament: Romans 8:3–4
15. Spirit
        Old Testament: Numbers 11:29
        New Testament: Acts 2:17
16. Mission
        Old Testament: Isaiah 66:19
        New Testament: Matthew 28:18–20

Bio: Chris Bruno (PhD, Wheaton College) is assistant professor of New Testament and Greek at Bethlehem College & Seminary, Minneapolis, MN. He has served at Northland International University, Cedarville University, and Trinity Christian School in Kailua, HI. Before that, he was pastor of discipleship and training at Harbor Church in Honolulu, HI. He’s written numerous articles and reviews. Along with being the author of The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses, he’s the coauthor (with Matt Dirks) of Churches Partnering Together (Crossway, 2014).

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