Understanding the Bible: A Journey Through Story and Meaning
Welcome to Sunday School Shorts! I’m Nathan Simmons, and if you’re here, you’re probably curious about the Bible. Whether you’re a lifelong believer, a skeptic, or just someone who wants to know what this best-selling book of all time actually says, you’re in the right place.
Why People Struggle with the Bible
Let’s be honest: just because the Bible is widely owned doesn’t mean it’s widely read. I have multiple copies sitting on my shelf, but even I don’t read it as much as I’d like. And I’m not alone. Many people are confused about what the Bible actually says—either because they don’t read it for themselves or because they don’t know how to read it.
The Bible isn’t like a typical book. It’s a collection of stories, poetry, prophecies, proverbs, and letters. Just like you wouldn’t read Shakespeare the same way you read Treasure Island or Lord of the Rings, different parts of the Bible require different approaches. It’s a big book, it can feel outdated, and it’s sometimes hard to understand. But just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With a little effort and perseverance, we can begin to unlock its meaning.
The Goal of Sunday School Shorts
My goal is simple: to help you understand and know the Bible better. I’m not here to preach at you or hit you over the head with Scripture. While I personally believe in the Bible’s truth and importance, this format doesn’t allow for deep, personal relationships to develop. I don’t know your story, your background, or what you’ve been through—I’m just a guy on the internet typing away at a keyboard. But I do hope to provide an engaging and educational experience.
We’re going to open the Bible, see what it actually says, and explore its historical context to understand what it might mean for us today. Even if you don’t identify as a Christian, I think there’s value in reading it. At the very least, it’s worth exploring from a literary standpoint—there’s a lot of fascinating material in its pages.
Has the Bible Been Misused?
Absolutely. Throughout history, people have weaponized, misused, and abused the Bible. But here’s my (admittedly simplified) rebuttal: They weren’t understanding it correctly. The way people manipulate scripture often reveals more about us—our hunger for power, our tendency toward corruption—than it does about the book itself. The Bible calls this human tendency sin. But we’ll get into that more in a couple of weeks.
Starting with the Core Message: The Gospel
For the next several weeks, we’re diving into the core doctrine of Christianity: the Gospel. You’ve probably heard the term before, but if I were to ask you what it means, I’d likely get a variety of answers. Some might say it’s the message that “God loves you.” Others might say it’s “the announcement of God’s kingdom” or “Jesus died for our sins.” And all of those would be correct! But much like a diamond, the Gospel has different facets, different angles from which we can view its beauty.
So, what is this diamond? The Gospel is a proclamation of good news. But what good news? It’s the story of the Bible. While the Bible contains hundreds of individual stories, they all lead to one central event: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Bible as an Epic Story
If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll understand this analogy: Each individual Marvel movie tells its own story, but together they build up to a much bigger narrative—culminating in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. The Bible works in a similar way. The 39 books of the Old Testament contain many characters and events, but they all lead up to the arrival of Jesus.
Instead of working through the Bible from beginning to end, we’re going to start with the Gospel and then explore how other biblical stories fit into the larger picture.
Two Perspectives on the Gospel
Over the next few videos, we’ll examine the Gospel from two different angles:
The cosmic perspective – How does the Gospel affect the entire world and creation itself?
The personal perspective – How do we, as individuals, fit into this story?
We’ll start unpacking those next time, but for now, here are some questions to chew on:
What makes a good story?
Why do you enjoy the books or movies that you do?
What elements, themes, or story arcs make a story compelling?
Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment (respectfully!) below. If you’re enjoying this content and want to support it, sharing this post and subscribing to Sunday School Shorts would really help me out. Thanks for being here—I can’t wait to continue this journey with you!
Have a wonderful day!
