Welcome to A Look at the Book, a collection of Bible study resources by Ralph Porter. Each book includes a handout, teaching notes, and audio lessons to help you study God's Word.
Pentateuch
Genesis
Genesis is the book of beginnings. Moses is the traditional author. It covers creation, the fall, the flood, and the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The book traces God's plan from the beginning of the world through the establishment of the covenant people.
Exodus
Exodus recounts the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Moses is the author. The book covers the plagues, the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Law at Sinai, establishing Israel as God's covenant people.
Leviticus
Leviticus contains the laws and rituals given to Israel through Moses, covering offerings, priesthood, purity, and the Day of Atonement. It establishes the holiness code that set God's people apart.
Numbers
Numbers traces Israel's wilderness wanderings. From Egypt to the border of the Promised Land, an 11-day journey stretched into 40 years because of unbelief. The book records the census, rebellions, and God's faithfulness despite Israel's failures.
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is Moses' farewell address to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. The book clearly indicates Mosaic authorship and restates the Law for a new generation, calling them to covenant faithfulness.
Historical Books
Joshua
Joshua was called to fill the shoes of Moses, the greatest leader in Israel's history. The book covers the conquest and division of the Promised Land, showing God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to His people.
Judges
Judges covers a dark period in Israel's history, a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The book shows what happens when everyone does what is right in their own eyes, and God raises up judges to rescue His people.
Ruth
Ruth is a story of God's providence and redemption. Set during the time of the judges, it follows a Moabite woman who chooses the God of Israel, becoming an ancestor of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ.
Samuel
Samuel covers Israel's transition from judges to kings. It tells the story of Samuel, Saul, and David—the king after God's own heart. It explores what it means to seek a leader after God's heart rather than man's.
Kings
Kings chronicles the reigns of Israel's and Judah's kings, from Solomon's glory to the fall of both kingdoms. It shows the consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness to God's covenant.
Chronicles
Chronicles retells Israel's history from a priestly perspective, emphasizing the temple, worship, and the Davidic covenant. It calls the post-exilic community to faithfulness and reminds them of God's promises.
Ezra
Ezra tells the story of the restoration of God's people after the Babylonian exile. Though the author is not identified, the book records the return from captivity and the rebuilding of the temple, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His promises.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah tells the story of the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The book combines personal memoir with historical narrative, showing how one person's prayerful leadership can accomplish great things for God.
Esther
Esther tells how God keeps His covenant even when His name is never mentioned. Set in the Persian court, it shows God's providential care for His people through the courage of a young Jewish woman who risked her life to save her people.
Wisdom Literature
Job
Job addresses the question of why righteous people suffer. It challenges simplistic answers and reveals that God's ways are beyond human understanding, calling us to trust Him even in the darkest times.
Psalms
Psalms is Israel's hymnbook, expressing the full range of human emotion before God—praise, lament, thanksgiving, and confession. It teaches that the Lord knows the way of the righteous while the way of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs
Proverbs offers wisdom for living, mostly written by Solomon. It provides practical guidance for daily life, showing that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes explores the futility of life under the sun. The Teacher examines pleasure, work, wisdom, and wealth, concluding that everything is meaningless apart from God, and that our chief duty is to fear Him and keep His commandments.
Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon offers godly counsel about love and romance. Internal claims attribute it to Solomon. It celebrates the beauty of marital love and provides wisdom about relationships within God's design.
Major Prophets
Prophets
This overview covers the historical events related to the prophets, from the establishment of the United Kingdom in 1050 BC through the division of the kingdom, the destruction of Israel in 722 BC, and the fall of Judah. It provides essential context for understanding the prophetic books.
Isaiah
Isaiah is considered the most majestic literary work in the Old Testament. It brings comfort to God's people, containing profound prophecies about the coming Messiah and God's ultimate plan of redemption for all nations.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah delivers God's warning of judgment to a nation that refused to listen. The book shows how a person raised as a "good Christian" can still miss God's heart, and emphasizes that an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure when it comes to spiritual faithfulness.
Lamentations
Lamentations expresses grief over the destruction of Jerusalem. The book asks how a child reacts when being punished by a loving parent, and ultimately affirms trust in God's faithfulness even in the midst of devastating judgment.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel proclaims "You shall know that I am the Lord!" The book addresses spiritual apathy and calls God's people to recognize His sovereignty. It contains vivid visions, symbolic acts, and promises of restoration.
Daniel
Daniel shows that the faithful ultimately triumph. The book covers Daniel's personal history in Babylon, the stories of the fiery furnace and lions' den, and prophetic visions of future kingdoms. It demonstrates God's sovereignty over the nations.
Minor Prophets
Hosea
Hosea presents Yahweh's loyal love facing Israel's unfaithfulness. God commands Hosea to marry an unfaithful wife as a living parable of His relationship with Israel, demonstrating the depth of divine love and the pain of betrayal.
Joel
Joel proclaims the Day of the Lord. Little is known about Joel beyond his father's name, Pethuel. The book calls for repentance in the face of a devastating locust plague, which serves as a preview of God's coming judgment.
Amos
Amos delivers the just judgment of God. Like an alarm clock at the end of the school year, Amos wakes up a complacent nation. He calls for justice and righteousness, warning that privilege without responsibility brings judgment.
Obadiah
Obadiah warns that your deeds will come back on your head. The shortest book in the Old Testament pronounces judgment on Edom for their violence against their brother Jacob, demonstrating God's justice against pride and cruelty.
Jonah
Jonah reveals the greatness of God's mercy. It seems hard to believe that one of God's chosen spokesmen would run from his calling, but Jonah's story shows that God's compassion extends even to Israel's enemies.
Micah
Micah was born in Moresheth, near Gath, about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. He served as a prophet during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The book calls for justice, mercy, and humble walking with God.
Nahum
Nahum deals with depravity and the judgment of God. The book asks how God can allow people He loves to suffer at the hands of the wicked, and answers that God will indeed bring justice against those who oppress His people.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk explores how the righteous live by faith. The prophet's background is not known, but his bold questions to God and God's answers teach us that we can trust God's justice even when His methods perplex us.
Zephaniah
Zephaniah served as a prophet during the reign of Josiah. The book promises that God will bring His people home, calling for repentance while offering hope of restoration and renewal for those who seek the Lord.
Haggai
Haggai is the first of the post-exilic prophetic books, written to encourage the returned exiles to rebuild the temple. The book calls God's people to prioritize His work over their own comfort, reminding them that a time to rebuild is always now.
Zechariah
Zechariah reminds us that God remembers. The book contains vivid visions and messianic prophecies, encouraging the post-exilic community to continue rebuilding. It points forward to the coming King who will bring ultimate salvation.
Malachi
Malachi declares that a loving God requires obedience. Many people today resist any thought of commitment, but Malachi calls God's people to faithful worship, tithing, and covenant keeping, promising that the Lord will return to His temple.
Gospels
Matthew
Matthew answers the question: What happened to God's plan? The announcement of the birth of a king is always a significant event. Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and King, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy and establishing God's kingdom.
Mark
Mark presents the question: What will you do with Jesus? Tradition points to Mark as the author, possibly writing from Rome. It is the shortest and most action-packed gospel, emphasizing Jesus as the suffering Servant who came to give His life as a ransom for many.
Luke
Luke explains why God started the church. Tradition clearly supports Lucan authorship. As a physician and careful historian, Luke provides the most detailed account of Jesus' life, emphasizing His compassion for the outcast and the universal scope of salvation.
John
John was written that you might believe. External and internal evidence combine in support of the apostle John as author. This gospel presents Jesus as the eternal Word of God, emphasizing His deity and the necessity of faith in Him for eternal life.
Acts
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Pauline Epistles
Romans
Romans presents the theme that the just shall live by faith. Paul systematically explains the Gospel, answering what it is, how a person can please God, and how believers should live. It is the most comprehensive theological treatise in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians addresses the church that had everything—except love. Paul confronts divisions, immorality, and misuse of spiritual gifts, calling the Corinthian believers to unity, purity, and the supremacy of love as the greatest virtue.
2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians explores the privilege of ministry. External and internal evidence confirm Pauline authorship. Paul defends his apostolic authority, shares his suffering and comfort, and calls the church to generous giving and reconciliation.
Galatians
Galatians proclaims that we are really free in Christ. Paul asks whether our relationship with Christ has made us free or whether we've fallen back into legalism. The letter fiercely defends justification by faith alone and the freedom we have in Christ.
Ephesians
Ephesians calls believers to walk in unity. Pauline authorship is thoroughly supported by external and internal evidence. The book explores the church as the body of Christ and calls believers to live worthy of their calling in love and holiness.
Philippians
Philippians urges us to rejoice in the Lord always. External and internal testimony support Pauline authorship. Written from prison, this joyful letter emphasizes contentment in all circumstances, the humility of Christ, and pressing on toward the goal.
Colossians
Colossians declares we are complete in Christ. Evidence for Pauline authorship is overwhelming. The letter confronts false philosophy and empty deception, affirming the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ in all things.
1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians addresses the hard questions of life. Young people ask what they should major in, who they should marry, and what the future holds. Paul encourages believers to live holy lives and gives comfort regarding the return of Christ and those who have died.
2 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians offers comfort in the midst of suffering. The connection with 1 Thessalonians is clear, and Paul corrects misunderstandings about the day of the Lord, urging believers to stand firm and keep working while awaiting Christ's return.
1 Timothy
1 Timothy charges its reader to "guard what has been entrusted to you." For stylistic and historical reasons, Pauline authorship is widely accepted. Paul gives instructions on church order, leadership qualifications, and sound doctrine.
2 Timothy
2 Timothy is Paul's final letter, written from a Roman dungeon. He reflects on his life and ministry, urging Timothy to remain faithful, endure hardship, and preach the word. It is a deeply personal charge to pass on the faith to the next generation.
Titus
Titus was written after Paul visited Crete. He had been there earlier and left Titus to set in order what was left unfinished. The letter provides instructions for appointing elders, teaching sound doctrine, and doing good works.
Philemon
Philemon claims to have been written by Paul, and significant proof supports this. It is a deeply personal letter asking a slave owner to receive his runaway slave Onesimus back as a brother in Christ, demonstrating the transforming power of the gospel.
General Epistles
Hebrews
Hebrews proclaims that Jesus is the best! Have you ever been pressured to give in or compromise, to ease your way by going along with the crowd? This letter shows the supremacy of Christ over angels, Moses, the priesthood, and the old covenant.
James
James teaches that living faith produces fruit. The book claims to have been written by James, the brother of Jesus. It is intensely practical, emphasizing that genuine faith is demonstrated through actions, controlling the tongue, and caring for the needy.
1 Peter
1 Peter was written by the apostle Peter. The letter encourages believers facing suffering and persecution, calling them to live holy lives as exiles and strangers in a hostile world, following the example of Christ who suffered for them.
2 Peter
2 Peter makes a clear claim to have been written by the apostle Peter. The letter urges believers to concentrate on growing in grace and knowledge, warning against false teachers and affirming the certainty of Christ's return.
1 John
1 John asks the question: Can two walk together unless they be agreed? The letter addresses assurance of salvation, the nature of God as light and love, and the tests of genuine fellowship with God through obedience and love for one another.
2 John
2 John addresses walking in truth and love. There are no clear indications as to when or from where it was written, but the letter warns against deceivers and false teachers, urging believers to hold fast to the truth while showing genuine love.
3 John
3 John commends those who walk in truth. Although the letter itself does not name the recipient's location, it contrasts the godly hospitality of Gaius with the domineering behavior of Diotrephes, encouraging believers to support those who serve the truth.
Jude
Jude calls believers to fight for the truth. The author describes himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. The letter warns against false teachers who have slipped into the church and urges believers to contend earnestly for the faith.
