2 Timothy 3:16

A popular children’s activity is Connecting the Dots. At first, the paper appears as though it is speckled with random dots with no apparent pattern. But, as lines are drawn that sequentially connect the dots according to their numbers, an image appears to the delight of the child.

Many people find reading the Bible to be a frustrating experience, as it can seem like a bunch of disjointed and irrelevant stories. However, as one begins to “connect the dots” throughout the Scriptures, the Bible becomes a fascinating read.

I have a large picture hanging over my desk that was created by Chris Harrison and Pastor Christoph Römhild.¹ A line across the bottom is divided into segments that represent the Bible’s 1,189 chapters from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. The length of a grayish-white bar represents the number of verses in the corresponding chapter. If a chapter cross-references (i.e., conceptually connects with) another chapter, an arched line connects the two chapters. Think of these connections as modern-day hyperlinks that bridge Bible content.

Harrison and Römhild’s image beautifully lights up with 63,779 multi-colored lines that represent chapter-to-chapter connections! Yet, God’s Word is so interwoven that this image likely is only the starting point of many, many more connections.

Connecting the dots throughout the Scriptures takes consistent, dedicated time and study, but the reward is worth it. As one discovers and delights in the connections, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious how the Bible could only be a divinely inspired work, or “God-breathed,” as 2 Timothy 3:16 describes it.

The Bible Insights are designed to help readers make these connections, with a specific focus on those passages that develop and deepen the image of the prophesied Messiah fulfilled in Jesus.