Making sense of the Bible : rediscovering the power of scripture today / Adam Hamilton.

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 311-312) and indexes.

Section 1. The nature of scripture. Introduction: A disturbing, wonderful, perplexing, and inspiring book -- What the Bible is not -- A biblical geography and timeline -- The Old Testament in fifteen minutes -- Who wrote the Old Testament, when, and why -- Which books made it into the Old Testament and why -- Jesus and the Old Testament -- Prophecy, the Old Testament, and the early church -- The New Testament in fifteen minutes -- Reading someone else's letters -- Who really wrote Paul's letters? -- How, when, and why the gospels were written -- The perplexing, puzzling, and profound John -- Which books made it into the New Testament and why -- Is the Bible inspired? -- Is the Bible the word of God? -- How does God speak to and through us? -- Is the Bible inerrant and infallible? -- A high view of scripture? -- Section 2. Making sense of the Bible's challenging passages. Science, the Bible, and the creation stories -- Were Adam and Eve real people? -- Were there dinosaurs on the ark? -- God's violence in the Old Testament -- Suffering, divine providence, and the Bible -- Can we trust the gospel accounts of Jesus? -- Did Jesus really say that? -- "No one comes to the father except through me"? -- Women need not apply -- Is it okay to get a tattoo? -- Homosexuality and the Bible -- Making sense of the book of Revelation -- Toward an honest and reverent view of scripture -- Postscript : reading the Bible for all its worth.

Who decided which books made it into the scriptures and why? Is the Bible ever wrong? In approachable and inviting language, Hamilton addresses many often misunderstood biblical themes, leading readers to a deeper appreciation of the Bible so that we might hear God speak through it and find its words to be life-changing and life-giving.