this is very interesting. ( )

The Story
If you want a version of the bible told in chronological order and as near to a novel as is possible then you can't go far wrong with 'The Story'.

It concentrates on the narrative elements. Hence Genesis, Exodus, Kings and the Gospels are well covered whereas Leviticus, Psalms, Proverbs etc are not.

At just under 400 pages it's an easy read and is presumably aimed at anyone who wants to get a broad understanding of the bible in as short a time as possible. ( )

God goes to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what The Story is all about: the story of the Bible, God's great love affair with humanity. Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, The Story sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. Using the world’s most popular modern-English Bible, the New International Version, it allows the stories, poems, and teachings of the Bible to read like a novel. Like any good story, The Story is filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance, and redemption - and this story’s true!
The Story features a foreword by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee. This book tells the grandest, most compelling story of all time: the story of a true God who loves his children, who established for them a way of salvation and provided a route to eternity. Each story in these 31 chapters reveals the God of grace - the God who speaks; the God who acts; the God who listens; the God whose love for his people culminated in his sacrifice of Jesus, his only Son, to atone for the sins of humanity.

Brazenly, and inexcusably self-hyped, as "the grandest, most compelling story of all time", this re-writing of the Christian Canon is an exercise in the use of a Grand Narrative as a whip. It crackles with fear and snaps with false hopes.

The Bible serves as a collection plate. This moistening of the "story" will add heft to many a call to "give to the Lord". Even this book does not claim that God has ever received a dime of all the tithing.

While far from an accurate "translation" of received text, this work translates ancient translations into a meaningful Story. Reading the Bible is, after all, almost never done any more if it ever was. Today, at least we have this Story reduced to a text which can be read in a few sittings. The "books" of the Christian Bible are artfully spun (dropping the perplexities) and linked together with "short transitions"--which are additions made to the sanctus. See TheStory.com.

The volume features selections of the NIV Bible in chronological (and artificial) arrangement unrelated to any archeological evidence or actual chronology. Includes very helpful "Time lines" of the stated events, and a Cast of Characters. For example, "Adam: The first man, husband of Eve"--although they never married or swore vows. And "Adam sinned when he ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Never a hint as to why eating a fruit is a sin, or how fruit imparts knowledge, or why knowing about good and evil creates a burden upon descendants. Clearly this "Story" consists entirely of myth and metaphor. How good a story is it?

Is there a single "Character" in it worthy of emulation?

I use this volume to help me understand the perplex riddles of Christian Holy Scripture--which this edition simply skips. Millenia of literary traditions are traduced into "the truth"--come down to this message: "Jesus, God's son, came, lived, died and rose again." [471] The text assumes that you have a choice--to be somehow made at no known place or time--to step down "the narrow path that leads to unimaginable glory". The conceit of this vision is awesome. "Discussion Questions" are provided for each of the 31 Chapters.

The Publisher chose to print on self-destructing acidic paper. Surprised? ( )

Wow...just wow. I'd heard/read many of these stories, but surprisingly never put it all together. It was great.

Make no mistake, this is not the Bible or a bible replacement. It is a very good representation of the Bible and connecting each of the stories.


I was someone disappointed with stories it didn't cover. I know you can't cover everything, but no Jonah, Job, book of James, or 1 John...etc. (lots of J's oddly). Would have liked to have seen those.
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