Who Came First? Teaching the Bible Chronologically

Quick—who came first? Moses or Abraham? Was the Tower of Babel or the account of Joseph in Egypt first? During which period of Israel’s history did Daniel live?

Many Christians have a difficult time answering questions such as these because they’ve only been taught scattered Bible “stories.” They don’t understand how Scripture fits together as a cohesive whole, with one meta-story (the gospel!) from beginning to end. But understanding the events in Scripture chronologically can be the difference between the Bible seeming disconnected and difficult to understand and the Bible springing to life.

Teaching the events in Scripture in the order they actually happened helps the Bible’s history make sense.

That’s why our Sunday school curriculum, Answers Bible Curriculum (ABC), is chronological. Teaching the events in Scripture in the order they actually happened helps the Bible’s history make sense. It explains the overall “big picture” of what’s happening and why, and points toward the work of Christ and what he came to do. The Bible is much easier to understand when you know where each person fits and the cultural climate he or she was living in.

We don’t believe in simply teaching Bible “stories” with moral lessons, because the Bible is so much more than that! We teach the events in Scripture as historical accounts because that’s what they are—events that actually happened! And we dive into what these events teach us about God, his character, and how we can apply the lessons we glean from Scripture to the world around us today. The Bible is relevant to the issues we’re facing, and it’s vital that our young people especially understand that.

Consider using ABC in your church. Try a month of lessons for free to see how it works—you won’t be disappointed.