Bible Outline

Old Testament

Genesis (50)

  Creation (1)

  Temptation and fall of man (2-3)

  Flood and Noah’s ark (6-9)

  Tower of Babel (11)

  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers (12-50)

Exodus (40)

  Birth of Moses (2)

  Burning bush (3)

  First nine plagues (7-10)

  Passover; Pharaoh lets children of Israel go (11-12)

  Crossing the Red Sea; Pharaoh and his army destroyed (14)

  Ten commandments (20)

  Tabernacle, ark of the covenant

  Golden Calf (32)

  Many other laws

Leviticus (27)

  Laws of sacrifice, religious ceremonies, feasts, clean and unclean meats; many other practical laws

  Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire and die (10)

Numbers (36)

  Actual counting of the tribes of Israel

  Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses (12)

  Spies sent into Canaan (13-14)

  Wilderness wanderings

Deuteronomy (34) (187 Pentateuch)

  Second giving of the law, just before entering Canaan

  Death of Moses

Joshua (24)

  Crossing of Jordan

  Fall of Jericho

  Sin of Achan

  Possessing Canaan

Judges (21)

  Death of Joshua

  Cycle of faithfulness under judge, judge dies, sin, judgment, raise up new judge, deliverance, faithfulness until judge dies.

  Deborah (Barak, Sisera, Jael)

  Gideon

  Jephthah

  Samson

  Near annihilation of tribe of Benjamin

Ruth (4)

  Moabite woman becomes great-grandmother of David

I Samuel (31)

  Hannah prays for a son; gives Samuel to the Lord (1)

  Eli’s evil sons, prophet pronouncement of judgment to come (2)

  Samuel hears from the Lord (3)

  Ark of the covenant lost in battle, Ichabod (4)

  Samuel’s evil sons; Israel asks for king (8)

  Saul made king; Saul’s early reign and disobedience (9-15)

  Anointing of David (16)

     Goliath (17)

     Jonathan

     Ministering to Saul

     Running from Saul

  Death of Saul

II Samuel (24)

  Reign of David

  Bathsheba

  Absalom

I Kings (22)

  Solomon

     Temple

  Rehoboam

     Dividing of Israel from Judah, Jeroboam king of Israel

        Ahab and Jezebel

        Elijah and prophets of Ba’al

        Through death of Ahab, Amaziah as king of Israel

        Elijah’s ministry continues into II Kings

  Through death of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram as king in Judah

II Kings (25) 

  Elijah, Elisha, remaining kings of Israel and Judah to captivity

I & II Chronicles (29 & 36)

  Additional information on period of monarchy

Ezra (10), Nehemiah (13)

  Return from exile; building walls and second temple

Esther (10)

Job (42)

Psalms (150)

  Shortest chapter in Bible Psalm 117

  Longest chapter in Bible Psalm 119

Proverbs (31)

Ecclesiastes (12)

Song of Solomon (8)

Isaiah (66)

  Overview and warnings (1-5)

  Isaiah’s call (6)

  Sign to Ahaz: a virgin shall conceive (7)

  For unto us a child is born (9)

  Assyrian, rod of mine anger (10)

  Rod out of the stem of Jesse, peaceable kingdom (11)

  Final (end-time) overthrow of Babylon (13)

  Description of Lucifer (14)

  Desert blossom as a rose; eyes of the blind be opened (35)

  Siege of Jerusalem in reign of Hezekiah (36-37)

  Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery (38)

  Hezekiah’s foolishness (39)

  Comfort (40)

  Blind servant (42)

  Regathering of Israel (43)

  Suffering servant (53)

  Ho, every one that thirsteth; My thoughts are not your thoughts; My word shall not return void (55)

  Lord’s chosen fast (58)

  Jesus’ text, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me” (61)

  No rest until Jerusalem a praise in the earth (62)

  Millennial state (65)

Jeremiah (52)

  Call (1)

  Wooden idol — or decorated tree? (10)

  Why do the wicked prosper? How can you contend with horses? speckled bird (12)

  Marred girdle (13)

  Pray not for this people for their good; prophets prophesy lies in My name (14-15)

  Potter and clay (18)

  Broken bottle (19)

  Jeremiah persecuted, but cannot cease to prophesy (20)

  Jeremiah saved from death by appeal to previous prophets (26)

  False prophet Hananiah (28)

  Example of the Rechabites (35)

  Words written in roll, read, burned rewritten plus more (36)

  Imprisoned in dungeon in mire, rescued (38)

  Prophecy against going to Egypt (42)

  Prophecy rejected; Jeremiah taken along by force to Egypt (43)

  Summary of fall of Judah and Jerusalem (52)

Lamentations (5)

Ezekiel (48)

  Heavenly vision of throne, wheels, cherubim (1)

  Call of Ezekiel; roll of a book shown (2)

  Ezekiel eats the roll of the book; responsibility of the prophet as a watchman (3)

  Unusual prophetic signs (4-5)

  Ancients of Israel worshiping creatures and heavenly bodies (8)

  Mark on the foreheads of the righteous, rest slain (9)

  Glory of the Lord departs from the temple (10)

  Ezekiel as a sign of escaping secretly (12)

  Israel as infant cast out, polluted in own blood, rescued by God, but unfaithful (16)

  Individual responsibility for sin, soul that sins shall die (18)

  Aholah (Israel) and Aholibah (Judah) (23)

  Seething pot (24)

  King of Tyre as rebellion of Satan (28)

  Watchman on wall not guilty if people do not heed; if a righteous man backslides, not saved for his previous righteousness; but if the wicked repent, saved for turning from wickedness (33)

  Prophecy against wicked shepherds of Israel (34)

  Prophecy of restoration (36)

  Vision of valley of dry bones; reuniting of Judah and Israel (37)

  Invasion from north, God saves Israel (38-39)

Measuring of restoration temple; description of worship; a stream coming out from under the altar; redivision of land (40-48)

Daniel (12)

  Four Hebrew boys refuse to eat the king’s food (1)

  Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream: great image (2)

  Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, fiery furnace (3)

  Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream: tree hewn down (4)

  Handwriting on the wall, fall of Babylon to Medes (5)

  Daniel in the lions’ den (6)

  Daniel’s dreams, visions, and prophecies (7-8)

  Daniel’s intercession, Gabriel reveals the seventy weeks (9)

  Second intercession, vision of Christ, end time revelation (10-12)

Hosea (14)

  Hosea, at God’s command, takes Gomer, a harlot, as his wife, as a type of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God (1)

  Children: Jezreel, Loruhamah, and Loammi, prophetic names (1)

  Israel’s fall and restoration prophesied (1)

  Reuniting of kingdom prophesied (1)

  Gomer unfaithful: “not my wife” (2)

  Gomer redeemed (3)

  “Called my son out of Egypt,” quoted by Matthew of Christ (11)

Joel (3)

  Physical plague of locusts, call for repentance (1)

  End-time plague, devouring army, call for repentance (2)

  “My spirit upon all flesh” (2)

  Prophecy of battle in valley of Jehoshaphat (Armageddon)(3)

Amos (9)

  “For three transgressions, and for four....” applies to Judah and Israel just the same as the wicked nations around them (1-2)

  “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (3)

  The day of the Lord will be darkness not light to those who desire it; “Let judgment run down as waters” (5)

  “Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion” (6)

  Judgment, intercession, God turns from judgment two times; the plumbline: the Lord will not pass by any more; Amos told not to prophesy in Israel; Amos’ testimony of his call (7)

  Famine in the land...of hearing the words of the Lord (8)

Obadiah (1)

  Prophecy of the judgment of Edom (Petra described)

Jonah (4)

  Jonah called, flees by ship, storm at sea, Jonah cast overboard, swallowed by great fish (1)

  Jonah’s prayer, vomited out (2)

  Jonah’s second call, ministry, Nineveh repents (3)

  Jonah angry, God teaches Jonah a lesson (4)

Micah (7)

  “The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established (4)

  Christ’s birth in Bethlehem prophesied (5)

  “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good....” (6)

Nahum (3)

  Prophecy to Nineveh, description of destruction (1-3)

Habakkuk (3)

  “Write the vision....” (2)

  “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord....” (3)

Zephaniah (3)

  Prophecy against Judah; “Search Jerusalem with a candle” (1)

  Prophecies against Judah’s enemies (2)

  Prophecy against Judah; promise of restoration (3)

Haggai (2)

  Prophecy concerning putting own interests before rebuilding the house of God; the leaders and people repent (1)

  “The glory of this latter house shall be greater,” and blessings on Zerubbabel and the people (2)

Zechariah (14)

  Introduction; man on red horse among myrtle trees, parallel with Revelation 6-7; prophecy of mercy on Jerusalem (1)

  Measuring Jerusalem; prophecy of restoration (2)

  Joshua the high priest accused by Satan; Satan rebuked; clothes changed, fair mitre set on Joshua’s head (3)

  Vision of candlestick and two olive trees; “Not my might, not by power, but by My Spirit,” saith the Lord; “Who hath despised the day of small things?” Explanation of two olive trees (4)

  Flying roll (scroll); ephah with woman personifying wickedness in the midst, lead weight on mouth of container, carried by two women with wings of a stork to Shinar (Babylon) (5)

  Four chariots go to and fro; crown for Joshua and his fellows (6)

  “When you fasted, was it really for me?” and other wickedness to explain judgment of the Israelites. (7)

  Prophecy of restoration, conditions for it, results of it (8)

  Prophecy of restoration; “Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion” (9)

  Rain in the time of the latter rain; idols have spoken vanity; anger kindled against shepherds; regathering of Israel (10)

  Beauty and Bands; three shepherds cut off; Beauty broken; price of 30 pieces of silver, cast to the potter; Bands cut asunder; a false shepherd will be raised up (11)

  Jerusalem a cup of trembling; destruction of enemy nations; great mourning (12)

  “What are these wounds in thy hands,” “Awake O sword... Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered,” two parts cut off, third part brought through fire, restoration of Israel (13)

  Feet on Mount of Olives, mountain cleaves, those who submit to Christ as Messiah escape; restoration of Jerusalem (14)

Malachi (4)

  Prophecies against unacceptable worship; divorce (1-2)

  Refiner to purify sons of Levi; “Will a man rob God?” (3)

  They that feared the Lord, jewels; day of the Lord; Elijah (3-4)

New Testament

The gospels

• All tell story of life of Jesus on earth.

• Matthew, Mark, Luke, called “synoptic,” because much the same.

• John has some same, but much different.

In broadest terms, the outline for Christ’s life is as follows:

• Conception and birth, Matthew and Luke

• Genealogies, Matthew and Luke

• Childhood of Jesus, Matthew and Luke

• Appearance of John the Baptist, all four

• Baptism of Jesus, all four

• Temptation of Jesus, synoptics

• Calling disciples, all four

• Healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, casting out of demons, all four

• Controversies with Jewish religious leaders, all four

• Sermons, parables and discourses, all four

• Cleansing temple, all four

• Transfiguration, synoptics

• Last supper, all four

• Institution of communion of bread and cup, synoptics

• Footwashing, John

• Gethsemane, all four

• Arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection of Jesus, all four

Matthew (28)

  Genealogy from Abraham, through succession of actual kings (1)

  Summary of circumstances of Jesus’ birth, including response of Joseph, God’s revelation to Joseph not to put her away, and reference to prophecy “Behold a virgin shall conceive” (1)

  Visit of sorcerers (“wise men” is a gross mistranslation!), and the results (2)

  Ministry of John the Baptist, baptism of Jesus (3)

  Temptation of Jesus, calling of four fishermen, early ministry (4)

  Sermon on the Mount (5-7)

  Healing the centurion’s servant (speak the word), Peter’s mother-in-law; calming storm; healing Gergesene demoniac (8)

  Healing man with palsy borne of four (which is easier, to forgive, or to heal?); call of Matthew (9)

  Healing of Jairus’ daughter and woman who touched the hem of His garment on the way (9)

  Names of 12 disciples; sending disciples forth in ministry (10)

  Conditions of discipleship (take up cross, lose life) (10)

  Praise of John the Baptist; “Come unto Me” (11)

  Controversy over plucking grain on Sabbath (12)

  Casting out devils: “Kingdom divided cannot stand” (12)

  Unpardonable sin, blasphemy of Holy Ghost (12)

  Sign of Jonah; demons in dry places (12)

  Parable of sower, interpretation, other parables (13)

  Rejected in Nazareth (13)

  Death of John the Baptist; feeding of 5,000 (14)

  Jesus walks on water, many healings (14)

  Controversy over ceremonial washing; healing of Syrophenician woman’s daughter, feeding of 4, 000 (15)

  Peter’s confession, Jesus foretells death, cost of discipleship (16)

  Transfiguration; healing of demon-possessed boy; paying tribute to Caesar (17)

  Who is the greatest? lost sheep; procedure to deal with offending brother; prayer of agreement; forgive 70x7, parable (18)

  Question of divorce; blessing of children; rich young ruler (19)

  Parable of workers in vineyard; ambition of James and John, the greatest is the one who ministers; healing blind men (20)

  Triumphal entry; cleansing of temple; cursing of fig tree; parable of two sons, parable of unfaithful husbandmen (21)

  Parable of the wedding feast (“highways and byways”); render to Caesar what is Caesar’s; question of resurrection with regard to woman who had seven husbands in succession; and other questions from the religious leaders to Jesus (22)

  Denounces scribes and Pharisees; weeps over Jerusalem (23)

  Prophecy of destruction of Jerusalem; end times (24)

  Parable of ten virgins; talents; sheep and goats (25)

  Anointing of Jesus’ feet in Bethany; Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; Last Supper; Judas leaves; communion of the bread and cup instituted; Peter’s denial foretold; going to the garden of Gethsemane; Jesus arrested; cutting off ear of high priest’s servant; first phase of Jesus’ trial; Peter’s denial (26)

  Judas regrets his betrayal, casts money at feet of chief priests and elders, hangs himself; money used to buy potter’s field; Jesus tried by Pilate, and so on to crucifixion; temple veil rent from top to bottom, earthquake, graves opened; buried by Joseph of Arimithaea; securing the tomb (27)

  Resurrection witnessed by Mary Magdalene and other Mary; true story suppressed by bribery, lie perpetuated that Jesus’ body was stolen while guards slept; great commission (28)

Luke (24) (just the main differences:

  Birth of John the Baptist; annunciation to Mary (1)

  Birth of Christ, shepherds, angels; Simeon and Anna; Jesus at 12 years of age astonished the doctors in the temple; return and submits to parents (2)

  John the Baptist’s ministry; imprisoned by Herod; Jesus’ baptism and beginning of ministry; geneaology (3)

  Temptation; rejection at Nazareth, escapes attempt to throw Him over precipice; heals Peter’s mother-in-law and others (4)

  Miraculous draught of fishes; mentions that man borne of four let down through tiling of roof; Matthew called Levi (5)

  Twelve chosen and named; sermon in the plain (6)

  Raising of son of widow of Nain; Jesus’ feet anointed in house of Simon the Leper, a priest, father of Judas Iscariot; parable of forgiveness of little and much (7)

  Casting out of Legion in Gadara instead of Gergesa (clearly same event; must be different names for same place); raises Jairus’ daughter, woman who touches hem of garment (8)

  Sending forth of 12; feeding of 5,000; Peter’s confession; foretells crucifixion; conditions of discipleship; transfiguration; rejected by Samaritan village: “shall we call down fire from heaven?” “me first” would-be disciples (9)

  Sending forth of 70; upbraiding cities; “behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions”; good Samaritan; Martha and Mary (10)

  Teaching on prayer (part of Sermon on mount in Matthew); ask for the Holy Spirit; reproaching Jewish religious leaders (11)

  Teachings, many same as Sermon on mount, but different setting in Luke (taught same things many times); warning to servants to be faithful (12)

  Parable of unfruitful fig tree; parables, teachings related to Israel; weeping over Jerusalem (13)

  Parable of banquet: “I cannot come”; cost of discipleship; count the cost (14)

  Parables of lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son (15)

  Parable of unjust steward; rich man and Lazarus (16)

  “We are unprofitable servants”; healing of ten lepers; prophecies of coming of Son of man (17)

  Parable of unjust judge; prayer of Pharisee and publican; the rich young ruler; healing of blind man at Jericho (18)

  Zacchaeus; parable of talents (pounds); triumphal entry; weeping again over Jerusalem; cleansing of temple (19)

  Parallel to Matthew of last confrontations in Jerusalem (20)

  Widow’s mite; prophecy of destruction of Jerusalem, signs of end times, God’s protection of the elect; Jerusalem trodden down of Gentiles until times of Gentiles fulfilled; watch ye and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape (21)

  Judas betrays Jesus; Last Supper; institution of communion; who is the greatest? Peter’s denial foretold; question of swords; to Mount of Olives (location of Gethsemane); Jesus’ arrest; here it specifies he heals the ear of the high priest’s servant; Peter’s denial of Christ; trial before Jews (22)

  Jesus delivered to Pilate; Pilate sends Him to Herod, who sends Him back to Pilate; crucifixion; two thieves, one repents (23)

  Resurrection; road to Emmaus; shows Himself to disciples; eats; great commission; command to tarry; transition to Acts (24)

John (21) (unique passages only)

  Logos discourse; John the Baptist’s account; Nathanael (1)

  Water into wine; first cleansing of temple (2)

  Nicodemus, John 3:16 discourse; John the Baptist testimony (3)

  Woman of Samaria; healing of nobleman’s son (possibly same as centurion’s servant) (4)

  Healing at pool of Bethesda; “Search the Scriptures” (5)

  Feeding of 5,000; Jesus walks on water; Bread of Life discourse; no man can come except My Father draw him; eat My flesh and drink My blood, but this refers to My words; many at that time draw back (6)

  Temple discourse (7)

  Woman taken in adultery; light of the world; many Jews believe; “If ye continue in My Word...”; “before Abraham was, I AM”; Jesus escapes stoning (8)

  Healing of man blind from birth (9)

  Good Shepherd discourse; “I am the door” (10)

  Raising of Lazarus; “I am the resurrection and the life”; plot to kill Jesus; Caiaphas’ words recognized as prophecy (11)

  Triumphal entry; Greeks seek Jesus; voice from heaven; warning time is at hand for Son of man to be lifted up: “I will draw all men unto Me”; answers to questions and implications (12)

  Last Supper; footwashing; identification of Judas as betrayer; the new commandment: “love one another” (13)

  Let not your heart be troubled; I go to prepare; I will come again; I am the way, the truth, and the life; greater works; I will send another Comforter (14)

  Vine and branches; greater love hath no man than this; you have not chosen Me but I have chosen you; the world will hate you because it hated me before you; Comforter’s ministry (15)

  Opposition; more on Comforter, Spirit of truth; ask the Father in My Name; I have overcome the world (16)

  High priestly prayer; prayer for unity (17)

  Gethsemane; arrest of Jesus; Peter named as one who smote off ear of high priest’s servant, named as Malchus; trial by Jews; Peter’s denial; up to release of Barabbas (18)

  Rest of trial, crucifixion, burial of Jesus (19)

  Resurrection; Peter and John go to tomb; appearance to Mary at sepulchre “touch me not”; appearance to all except Thomas; Thomas cannot believe, but Jesus appears and invites Him to handle Him (20)

  Disciples go fishing; Jesus on shore; miraculous draught of fishes; Jesus eats with them; Jesus asks Simon Peter three times “do you love Me?” Conclusion (21)