This course is a survey of the Old and New Testaments giving a general and comprehensive picture of each book from Genesis to Revelation. During the first semester, students will be introduced to the purpose and message of each Old Testament book and will study them within the historical and cultural framework of the Ancient Near East. The second semester begins with a look at the period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Then students will study each New Testament book within the historical and cultural framework of second temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman world. Upon completing the course students should be able to place each book in its proper historical setting, explain the fundamental message of each book and summarize its contents, and relate the spiritual principles found in each book to practical Christian living. The course is taught from a conservative theological perspective, but engages critical perspectives that students are likely to encounter in later reading and study. An emphasis in this course will be that students see how both the Old and New Testaments have practical relevance for their own lives and the lives of others. Therefore, in addition to teaching content, the course offers students a conceptual, philosophical, and spiritually practical learning experience. The goal is not merely for students to be able to remember or recite Bible knowledge, but to invite and encourage them to grow in personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to establish both an academic and devotional foundation for a lifetime of study in the Word of God. The textbook for this course is The Promise and the Blessing by Michael Harbin.