by Dr. Norman L. Geisler
First edition. The first edition of this book was published under three different titles in three different years:
- Christ: The Theme of the Bible (Moody, 1967)
- Christ: The Key to Interpreting the Bible (Moody, 1968)
- To Understand the Bible, Look for Jesus: The Bible Student’s Guide to the Bible’s Central Theme (Moody, 1975)
This was one of the first two books that Norm published. And of all the dozens of books that he authored, Norm said in his later years that this book was the one he cherished the most. It encourages the reader to “look unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2).
To Understand the Bible, Look for Jesus was republished through Wipf&Stock in 2002 and is still available here. It is also available in the Logos electronic book system here:
Second edition. The book was updated by Norm in 2012. Although it is not currently available at the moment, Bastion Books is working to get it published in 2022. As of 2018, the second edition has been translated into three other languages: Rumanian, Telugu, and Spanish.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 | Christ is the Key to the Bible 7
CHRIST: THE KEY TO THE BIBLE’S INSPIRATION 7
CHRIST: THE KEY TO THE BIBLE’S CANONIZATION 14
CHRIST: THE KEY TO THE BIBLE’S AUTHENTICATION 20
CHRIST: THE KEY TO THE BIBLE’S INTERPRETATION 26
Chapter 2 | Christ in the Old Testament 27
CHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC
PROPHECY 28
CHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOODS 32
CHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT MORAL
PRECEPTS 37
CHRIST: THE FULFILLMENT OF SALVATION PROMISES 42
JESUS IS JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) 43
Chapter 3 | Christ in Both Testaments 47
CHRIST: CONCEALED IN THE OLD AND REVEALED IN THE NEW 48
CHRIST: FROM THE SHADOWS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TO THE SUBSTANCE
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 51
CHRIST: FORETOLD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND FULFILLED IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT 55
SUMMARY 60
Chapter 4 | Christ in Every Section of the Bible 61
A FOURFOLD CHRISTOCENTRIC STRUCTURE OF SCRIPTURE 61
A SIXFOLD CHRISTOCENTRIC STRUCTURE OF SCRIPTURE 68
AN EIGHTFOLD CHRISTOCENTRIC STRUCTURE OF SCRIPTURE 72
FOURFOLD PARALLEL BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 73
Chapter 5 | Christ in Each Book of the Bible 78
THE LAW: THE FOUNDATION FOR CHRIST 78
HISTORY: THE PREPARATION FOR CHRIST 81
POETRY: ASPIRATION FOR CHRIST 84
PROPHECY: EXPECTATION OF CHRIST 86
THE GOSPELS: THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST 89
ACTS: THE EVANGELIZATION OR PROPAGATION OF CHRIST 91
THE EPISTLES: INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF CHRIST 91
PAULINE EPISTLES: EXPOSITION OF CHRIST 92
GENERAL EPISTLES: EXHORTATION IN CHRIST 95
REVELATION: CONSUMMATION IN CHRIST 97
Chapter 6 | The Word of God: Personal and
Propositional 99
THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE LIVING AND WRITTEN WORD 100
THE SUPERIORITY OF THE LIVING WORD OVER THE WRITTEN
WORD 101
THE WRITTEN WORD IS IMPORTANT TO THE LIVING WORD 105
INSPIRATION IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PROPAGATION OF CHRIST 106
INSPIRATION IS IMPORTANT TO THE INTERPRETATION OF CHRIST 107
Bibliography 111
