at's in the Bible and what it means isn't a lost cause. This book provides expert observations so that you can comprehend more of Scripture than you ever have before.

The Bible was written for us--but not to us. We're not part of the ancient world that informed its writers. We're strangers to their ideas, experiences, and worldview. Because we're cultural and historical outsiders, what we read in the Bible can often be perplexing and leave us with more questions than answers. For instance:

• What purpose did Old Testament creation stories and genealogies serve when they were written?
• Why do the ancient Israelites talk about the gods of other nations as though they were real?
• Why do the gospel accounts differ from each other, and can we trust them?
• Is everything in the Bible ultimately about Jesus?

Each of this book's 80 short chapters consist of statements or insights about the Bible, many of which may surprise even those who grew up in a Christian tradition.

Throughout Brief Insights on Mastering the Bible (part of the 60 Second Scholar series), you'll tour each section of Scripture, tackling themes, details, and misunderstandings with the goal of seeing Scripture as what it really is and not what we would prefer that it is.

The path to real biblical understanding requires that we don't make the Bible conform to denominational preferences.