Bible Episode Summaries

Bob Pritchett
Bob Pritchett Member, Logos Employee Posts: 2,280
edited November 2024 in English Forum

In order to engage people with the Bible, we'd like to have intriguing summaries of Bible passages that catch people's interests and, hopefully, encourage them to read the Bible.

So instead of encouraging you to "Click here to read Jos
6:1-27" we can give you a link labeled:

"A fortified city falls to an exercise of faith. None are spared but the house of the hostess of spies."

Think of these as "television episode summaries", rather than "section headings." We're trying to create the kind of 20 word description you'd see in a TV Guide, designed to catch your interest.

We don't need them for every passage in the BIble (though that would be great!), but we'd like to have them for most story episodes. 

We're thinking of running a contest where users can submit summaries and then we judge/vote/evaluate them somehow and award some book-buying credit to winning entries. 

What do you think? Do you like the idea? Would you participate in the contest? What kind of incentive would motivate you?

Below are my entries on a few passages. Here is a survey where you can submit your own. At the end of this post is a long list of references to try. If you'd like to participate, use the survey form, and I'll award winners from these submissions for any entry we choose to use, and/or roll these entries into a larger contest via our blog.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NWLVG8J

 

Samples (20 words or less, in general.)

 

1 Sa 3:1-4:1

A young man hears a mysterious
voice in the night; it foretells his mentor's fall from grace.

A young man hears a voice in the
night; the ears of a nation will tingle when the leader falls.

 

1 Sa 17:1-58

A young shepherd successfully
slings stones to the shame of shirking soldiers. 

An army is surprised to find its
champion arrived with bread and cheese, not sword and shield.

An outspoken youth ends a 40 day
standoff with an unarmored run to the battle line.

An overconfident champion loses
his head to his own sword, at the hand of the youth he disdained.

 

Ge
1:1-31             The
Creation of the World

God speaks the world into
existence, forming it for the use of man, whom He creates in His own image.

 

Ge
6:9-7:24         Noah and the Flood

The corruption of flesh demands
a cleansing flood; humanity lives on through a 600 year old man and his family.

 

Ge
12:1-9            
The Call of
Abram           

One man is called to father a
great nation; in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

 

Lev
14:33-56       Laws for Cleansing
Houses          

When disease infects the walls
of a house it threatens all who live there; haul away even the stones and
timbers.

 

Jos
6:1-27            The
Fall of
Jericho           

A fortified city falls to an
exercise of faith. None are spared but the house of the hostess of spies.

An attacking army holds their
tongues for six days, till a surprised city falls to a shout of faith.

 

Jud
16:1-22         Samson and
Delilah        

A mighty man pays a mighty price
loving a woman who would sell his strength for silver.

A mighty man with a weakness for
women is betrayed by a woman with a weakness for silver.

 

 

Some passages to start from:

 

Ge 10:1-32 Nations Descended from Noah

Ge 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel

Ge 11:10-26 Shem's Descendants

Ge 11:27-32 Terah's Descendants

Ge 12:1-9 Promises to Abram

Ge 12:10-20 Abram in Egypt

Ge 13:1-18 Abram Inherits Canaan

Ge 14:1-17 Lot's Captivity and Rescue

Ge 14:18-24 Abram and Melchizedek

Ge 15:1-21 God's Covenant with Abram

Ge 16:1-16 Hagar and Ishmael

Ge 17:1-27 The Sign of the Covenant

Ge 18:1-15 The Son of Promise

Ge 18:16-33 Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Ge 19:1-11 Sodom's Depravity

Ge 19:12-29 Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

Ge 19:30-38 The Descendants of Lot

Ge 37:1-11 Joseph Dreams of Greatness
Ge 37:12-36 Joseph Sold by His Brothers
Ge 38:1-30 Judah and Tamar
Ge 39:1-23 Joseph a Slave in Egypt
Ge 40:1-23 The Prisoners' Dreams
Ge 41:1-36 Pharaoh's Dreams
Ge 41:37-57 Joseph's Rise to Power
Ge 42:1-24 Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt
Ge 42:25-38 The Brothers Return to Canaan
Ge 43:1-34 Joseph's Brothers Return with Benjamin
Ge 44:1-17 Joseph's Cup
Ge 44:18-34 Judah Intercedes for Benjamin
Ge 45:1-28 Joseph Revealed to His Brothers
Ge 46:1-27 Jacob's Journey to Egypt
Ge 46:28-47:12 Jacob Settles in Goshen
Ge 47:13-26 Joseph Deals with the Famine
Ge 47:27-31 Joseph's Vow to Jacob
Ge 48:1-22 Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons
Ge 49:1-28 Jacob's Last Words to His Sons
Ge 49:29-50:14 Jacob's Death and Burial
Ge 50:15-21 Joseph Reassures His Brothers
Ge 50:22-26 Death of Joseph

Ex 20:1-17 The Ten Commandments
Ex 20:18-21 The People Afraid of God's Presence
Ex 20:22-26 The Law of the Altar
Ex 21:1-11 The Law Concerning Servants
Ex 21:12-27 The Law Concerning Violence
Ex 21:28-36 Animal Control Laws
Ex 22:1-15 Responsibility for Property
Ex 22:16-31 Moral and Ceremonial Principles
Ex 23:1-9 Justice for All

Dt 1:1-8 The Previous Command to Enter Canaan Deuteronomy
Dt 1:9-18 Tribal Leaders Appointed
Dt 1:19-33 Israel's Refusal to Enter the Land
Dt 1:34-46 The Penalty for Israel's Rebellion
Dt 2:1-25 The Desert Years
Dt 2:26-37 King Sihon Defeated
Dt 3:1-11 King Og Defeated
Dt 3:12-22 The Land East of the Jordan Divided
Dt 3:23-29 Moses Forbidden to Enter the Land
Dt 4:1-14 Moses Commands Obedience
Dt 4:15-40 Beware of Idolatry
Dt 4:41-43 Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan

2 Ki 4:1-7 Elisha and the Widow's Oil
2 Ki 4:8-37 Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son
2 Ki 4:38-41 Elisha Purifies the Pot of Stew
2 Ki 4:42-44 Elisha Feeds One Hundred Men
2 Ki 5:1-19 Naaman's Leprosy Healed
2 Ki 5:20-27 Gehazi's Greed
2 Ki 6:1-7 The Floating Ax Head
2 Ki 6:8-23 The Blinded Syrians Captured
2 Ki 6:24-7:2 Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine
2 Ki 7:3-20 The Syrians Flee
2 Ki 8:1-6 The King Restores the Shunammite's Land

Am 1:1-2 Introduction Amos
Am 1:3-2:3 Judgment on the Nations
Am 2:4-5 Judgment on Judah
Am 2:6-16 Judgment on Israel
Am 3:1-8 Authority of the Prophet's Message
Am 3:9-4:5 Punishment of Israel's Sins
Am 4:6-13 Israel Did Not Accept Correction
Am 5:1-3 A Lament for Israel
Am 5:4-15 A Call to Repentance
Am 5:16-27 The Day of the Lord
Am 6:1-14 Warnings to Zion and Samaria
Am 7:1-3 Vision of the Locusts
Am 7:4-6 Vision of the Fire
Am 7:7-9 Vision of the Plumb Line
Am 7:10-17 Amaziah's Complaint
Am 8:1-14 Vision of the Summer Fruit
Am 9:1-10 The Destruction of Israel
Am 9:11-15 Israel Will Be Restored

Mt 8:1-4 The Leper is Cleansed
Mt 8:5-13 The Centurion's Servant is Healed
Mt 8:14-17 Peter's Mother-in-Law is Healed
Mt 8:18-22 Demands of Discipleship
Mt 8:23-27 The Sea is Stilled
Mt 8:28-34 Demons are Cast into Swine
Mt 9:1-8 The Paralytic is Forgiven
Mt 9:9 Matthew is Called
Mt 9:10-13 The Disciples Eat with Sinners
Mt 9:14-17 The Disciples Do Not Fast
Mt 9:18-26 Life is Restored
Mt 9:27-31 Sight is Restored
Mt 9:32-34 Speech is Restored
Mt 9:35-38 The Need for Delegation of Power
Mt 10:1-4 The Twelve Apostles are Sent
Mt 10:5-15 The Twelve Apostles are Instructed - Jesus Sends out the Twelve
Mt 10:16-25 The Twelve Apostles are Instructed - Persecution Will Come
Mt 10:26-33 The Twelve Apostles are Instructed - Have no Fear
Mt 10:34-39 "The Twelve Apostles are Instructed - Not Peace, But a Sword"
Mt 10:40-11:1 The Twelve Apostles are Instructed - Rewards

Ac 17:1-4 Preaching Christ at Thessalonica
Ac 17:5-9 Assault on Jason's House
Ac 17:10-15 Ministering at Berea
Ac 17:16-21 The Philosophers at Athens
Ac 17:22-34 Addressing the Areopagus
Ac 18:1-17 Ministering at Corinth
Ac 18:18-23 Paul Returns to Antioch
Ac 18:24-28 Ministry of Apollos
Ac 19:1-10 Paul at Ephesus
Ac 19:11-20 Miracles Glorify Christ
Ac 19:21-41 The Riot at Ephesus

Ga 1:1-5 Greeting Galatians
Ga 1:6-10 Only One Gospel
Ga 1:11-17 Call to Apostleship
Ga 1:18-24 Contacts at Jerusalem
Ga 2:1-10 Defending the Gospel
Ga 2:11-21 No Return to the Law
Ga 3:1-9 Justification by Faith
Ga 3:10-14 The Law Brings a Curse
Ga 3:15-18 The Changeless Promise
Ga 3:19-25 Purpose of the Law
Ga 3:26-4:7 Sons and Heirs
Ga 4:8-20 Fears for the Church
Ga 4:21-31 Two Covenants
Ga 5:1-6 Christian Liberty
Ga 5:7-15 Love Fulfills the Law
Ga 5:16-26 Walking in the Spirit
Ga 6:1-5 Bear and Share the Burdens
Ga 6:6-10 Be Generous and Do Good
Ga 6:11-15 Glory Only in the Cross
Ga 6:16-18 Blessing and a Plea

Re 1:1-3 Introduction and Benediction Revelation
Re 1:4-8 Greeting the Seven Churches
Re 1:9-20 Vision of the Son of Man
Re 2:1-7 The Loveless Church
Re 2:8-11 The Persecuted Church
Re 2:12-17 The Compromising Church
Re 2:18-29 The Corrupt Church
Re 3:1-6 The Dead Church
Re 3:7-13 The Faithful Church
Re 3:14-22 The Lukewarm Church








 

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