Epub on sale for $2.99 through Jan 4!
Have you thought yet about your annual Bible reading plan? Each year, I tend to use the same plan, but occasionally I try new ones. This year, a new, unique book is available for you to consider as your Bible reading plan.
The Story behind Scripture Storyline
Scripture Storyline has been about a decade in the making and was born out of practical ministry concerns. Todd Chipman has been a teaching pastor for twenty years. Through his preaching of the Old Testament, he saw the need to help others learn how the entire Bible fits together as a grand narrative of God’s redemptive work. So he divided Scripture in 313 sections, which allows you to read through the entire Bible in one year, reading six days per week. He then composed brief commentary on all 313 sections to help the reader see how that section of Scripture fits into the whole.
For many years, the online version of Scripture Storyline has proven itself as a unique Scripture reading plan for Chipman’s congregation and friends. In 2020, Chipman published a print edition of Scripture Storyline with Fontes Press. The print edition contains condensed and updated commentary that spans 500 pages. The back of the book contains nine pages of recommended books for those who want to learn more about biblical theology and reading the Bible as a united narrative.
How It Works
To use Scripture Storyline, you will need only the book and your Bible. Each section heading states the reading for that day. Many of the Old Testament sections include Psalms and Proverbs, so the first reading is “Genesis 1; Psalms 33, 136, 148.” After reading those chapters in your Bible, you can then read Chipman’s concise commentary that will briefly explain the passages and then connect them to the rest of the Bible’s storyline.
The commentary in each section is short enough not to turn your devotional time into an academic study period – as you can see from the section on John 15-16 pictured below. However, the commentary also provides numerous verses that connect across the testaments, and one could use these for further study if desired.
Use It for Bible Studies
Another way to use Scripture Storyline is as a guide for a group Bible study. Let’s say you decide to study Galatians. Chipman divides it into three readings: chapters 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. This makes a three-week Bible study where you survey the book’s message, its use of and relation to the Old Testament, and discuss its application for your lives. Since New Testament epistles are shorter, you will read and discuss larger sections, but that is ok. This method will encourage greater biblical literacy and will enable your people to better read Scripture’s parts in light of the whole.
Maybe you want to study Exodus. Chipman divides it into ten readings, and a good Bible study wouldn’t want to break it up into too many more units than that anyway (especially once you’re in chs. 25-40). He also intersperses some psalms, including sections of Ps 119 when reading about the Book of the Covenant (the law). With the group reading the Scripture sections and Chipman’s commentary before meeting, they would be set up for a fruitful and a biblically-centered discussion of Exodus.
Prepare for the New Year
Whether you will use Scripture Storyline as your annual Bible reading plan or for Bible studies, grab a copy now and start planning ahead.
Amazon: Paperback ($39.95) | Hardback ($54.95 | Kindle ($26.99)
FontesPress.com: Paperback ($35.95) | Hardback ($51.95) | Epub ($2.99) Limited time deal through Jan 4
