Bible (noun): the collection of sacred writings of the Christian faith, comprising of both the Old and New Testaments.

Geek (noun): a person who has excessive enthusiasm for and some expertise about a specialized subject or activity.

Bible Geek (noun): a person who has excessive enthusiasm for and some expertise about the collection of sacred writings of the Christian faith, comprising of both the Old and New Testaments.

Let me be clear: I am not The Bible Geek. In order to call myself The Bible Geek I would definitely need to add some items to my resume…

Abilities:

• Can carry on casual conversation in Greek and/or Hebrew.
• Able to recite, from memory, all 41 Kings (and 1 Queen) of Israel/Judah in order of reign.
• Know that there were actually 41 Kings (and 1 Queen) of Israel/Judah. (Alright, I already know that – but only because I just Googled it.)

In short, I would need a lot more education and a few more letters behind my name. Of course, if I went out and got myself another fancy degree, I still wouldn’t call myself The Bible Geek; it would be Dr. Bible Geek!

The truth is I am a bible geek; I simply get excited about the Bible.

It is, in my opinion, the greatest literary work of art ever penned.

• You craving Adventure? Spend a day with Paul in the book of Acts.
• You looking for a case of Mistaken Identity? Joseph’s brothers didn’t recognize him in Genesis.
• You like a story of Redemption? Try the book of Ruth.
• You want Sex? Check out Song of Solomon (he’s not really “palming a melon” in 7:8 if you know what I mean).
• You want a story of Betrayal, Deception and a Love Triangle? Jacob, Rachel and Leah have it all.
• You want a Villain? He’s introduced just 3 chapters into the first book.
• You want a story about Social Injustice and Liberation? Better check out Exodus.
• You looking for long walks on the beach? That’s still Exodus.
• You want a Hero to root for? Read about David in 1 Samuel.
• You looking for the Greatest Story Ever Told? Pick a Gospel, any Gospel.

The Bible is all this and SO MUCH MORE. 66 individual books written by about 40 different authors in multiple countries on multiple continents over thousands of years and it’s ultimately all about 1 thing: Jesus. He is what the Old Testament builds up to and the New Testament fleshes out.

Don’t believe me? Check this out. By no means is it an exhaustive list, but it’s a start. (You can find a more detailed list here, here, or even here if you feel so inclined.)

• In Genesis, Jesus is the offspring of Adam and Eve Who will crush the head of the serpent (3:15).
• In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb that delivers us from death (12:1-13).
• In Leviticus, Jesus is our High Priest who makes atonement on our behalf and the Scapegoat that carries our sins on its shoulders (16:1-34).
• In Numbers, Jesus is the bronze serpent lifted-up on a pole to bring healing to anyone who looks upon it with faith (21:4-9).
• In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet like unto Moses (18:15-19).
• In Ruth, Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer (4:13-22).
• In Psalms, Jesus is the Stone that the builders rejected (118:22).
• In Isaiah, Jesus is “Immanuel” – God with us – the Son born to the virgin (7:14).
• In Jeremiah, Jesus is the Righteous Branch from David (23:5-6).
• In Ezekiel, Jesus is our Shepherd (34:20-24).
• In Daniel, Jesus is the 4^th man in the fiery furnace (3:24-25).
• In Hosea, Jesus is the Relentless Bridegroom (3:1-5).
• In Joel, Jesus is the Sender of the Holy Spirit (2:28-29).
• In Micah, Jesus is the Promised One from Bethlehem (5:2).
• In Zechariah, Jesus is the One they have pierced (12:10).
• In Malachi, Jesus is the Messenger of the Covenant (3:1).
• In Matthew, Jesus is the King of the Jews (2:2; 27:11, 37).
• In Mark, Jesus is the Great Servant (10:45).
• In Luke, Jesus is the Son of Man (5:22-25; 6:5; 9:22; 18:31; 22:69).
• In John, Jesus is the Son of God (1:34, 49; 3:16-18; 11:27; 20:31).
• In Acts, Jesus is the Savior of the World and the Message carried to the ends of the earth (1:8).
• In Romans, Jesus is the Answer to our sin problem (5:6-8; 6:23; 8:1-2).
• In Galatians, Jesus is the One Who set us Free (5:1).
• In Ephesians, Jesus is the Pinnacle of God’s Purpose (1:3-14).
• In Colossians, Jesus is the One in Supreme Authority (1:15-20).
• In 1 Thessalonians, Jesus is coming back for us (4:16-17).
• In 1 Timothy, Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity (2:5-6).
• In Hebrews, Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our Faith (12:2).
• In 1 Peter, Jesus is the Living and Chosen Stone (1:4-8).
• In 1 John, Jesus is the Word of Life (1:1-3).
• In Revelation, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End (22:13).

Jesus was there in Genesis. He was there in Revelation. And whether explicitly stated or implicitly anticipated – He’s everywhere in between.

The Bible is the story of God’s love and all He does to make that known—beyond the shadow of a doubt—to all humanity, which can be summed up in one word: Jesus. It’s mind-boggling to think that such an eclectic collection of writings could cohere in such a harmonious manner to seamlessly tell one miraculous, overarching story. But we ought to remember Paul told Timothy that all scripture is inspired by God, or “God-breathed”. Though there were many different authors spanning the years, it was the same Spirit inside leading them to write.

I first heard the term “biblegeek” when I was attending Compass Church in downtown Vancouver, Washington (that’s USA; not Canada or DC). Our pastor, Brian, used it on occasion when his message would pull back the curtain on something like the cultural context of a passage, the literary structure of a few verses or even the irony of a situation in Scripture. It’s those little things that sometimes, at least for me, make all the difference. As Brian began explaining, his excitement level would begin to rise as he geeked-out over the Bible.

To me, those were his best messages.

Here’s another definition:

biblegeek (verb): the act of geeking-out about something awesome in the Bible, whether alone with your thoughts or sharing them with others.

Let me use it in a sentence: “I’m about to biblegeek all over you!”

I’m certainly not the smartest or most educated person when it comes to the Bible, but I do know a thing or two and I can certainly appreciate its Masterful construction and the Genius behind it all. Hopefully, as I use this space to biblegeek as I experience God and Scripture for myself, you can appreciate it too and perhaps even biblegeek with me.