N E W

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

V E R S I O N

NIV STUDENT BIBLE

N otes b y

Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford

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The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Student Bible
Copyright 2002, 2011 by Zondervan
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA
www.zondervan.com
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Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
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4 Genesis 1:1
The Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens

and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless
and empt y, darkness was over the surface of
the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the waters.

3 And God said, Let t here be light, and t here

was light. 4God saw that the light was good,
and he separated the light from the darkness.
5God called the l ight day, and the darkness

guided tour

he called night. And t here was evening, and

t here was morningt he f irst day.
6 And God said, Let t here be a vault bet ween the
waters to separate water from water. 7So God
made the vault and separated the water under
the vault from the water above it. And it was
so. 8God called the vault sky. And t here was
evening, and t here was morningt he second
day.
9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be
gathered to one place, and let dry ground ap

Genesis 1

A B oo k o f B e gi n n i n g s :
G e n e s i s gi v e s t h e w h o , n ot t h e h ow

1:1,31 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ... God saw all that he had
made, and it was very good.

The story of the Biblemore, the history of the universestarts with the simple declaration, God
created. The rest of this chapter fills in what he created: stars, oceans, plants, birds, fish, mammals and,
finally, man and woman.
Genesis 1 says little about the processes God used in creation. Youll find no explanations of DNA or
other scientific principles behind creation. For this reason, controversy springs up on the Internet, in
classrooms, and even in courtsbetween those who see Gods hand in creation and those who see only
the blind forces of evolution at work. The opening chapter of the Bible does, however, insist on two facts:

1. Creation is Gods work. And God said ... And God said ... And God saidt his phrase beats a
cadence all the way through the chapter. Butterflies, waterfalls, bottlenose dolphins, praying mantises, kangaroost hey are all Gods idea. This magnificent world is like an interactive, hands-on
museum displaying Gods artistic genius. All that follows in the Bible reinforces the clear message
of Genesis 1: Behind all of history, there is God. Every helium atom, every spiral galaxy, every
living creature exists because God wants it to. Think of Genesis 13 as an artists signature on a
painting; God is saying, This is mine.
2. Creation is good. Like a bell, another sentence tolls softly throughout this chapter: And God saw
that it was good. In our day were inundated with alarming reports about destructive forces in
naturemany wrought by our own hands: superbugs, smog, climate change, vanishing ice caps,
massive islands of garbage floating in our oceans. Much has changed, much has been spoiled,
since creation. Genesis 1 describes the unspoiled world God designed. Whatever beauty we sense
in nature today echoes, however faintly, that pristine state.

In fact, the Bible opens and closes with much the same scenery: a garden, watered by a river, with human beings living in the actual presence of God. The two scenes are like brackets of perfection around
the history of a badly scarred planet.
In 1968, astronaut Frank Borman read from Genesis 1 during a Christmas Eve broadcast from outer
space. Gazing out his window, he saw Earth as an awesomely beautiful and terribly fragile ball, hanging
alone in the darkness of space. Today, its a view that any of us can getnot just from Google Earth, but
from the opening words of the Bible.
Life Questions
Think of a time when you noticedreally noticedt he beauty of the natural world.
To continue the Guided Tour reading plan, turn to page 6.
You can find the overall plan on pages xixiii.

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Psalm 23:6 621

all who go down to the dust will kneel
before him
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the
Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!

Psalm 23
A psalm ofDavid.
1 The

Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green
pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.

guided tour

He guides me along the right paths

for his names sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,a
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
a4

Orthe valley of the shadow of death

Continued from page 617

P salm 2 3

A S h e p h e rd s Son g :
T h i s b r a v e w a rrior a l s o wrot e p o e try

23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
David was a well-rounded human being. Although he possessed courage enough to take on the likes of
Goliath, a nine-foot-tall Philistine, he certainly did not fit any macho warrior mold. In fact, David first
gained King Sauls notice for his musical, not military, skills. He was brought to the army camp because
his harp playing soothed the frayed nerves of the troubled king.
He was also a poet, with almost half of the 150 psalms in the Bible credited to him. This famous psalm
reveals at once the secret of Davids poetic abilities and the secret of his faith. Over the years, millions of
people have found comfort and inspiration by praying the eloquent words of Psalm 23, written by the
shepherd who would be king.
The poetry attributed to David tends to start with the natural settingrocks, caves, stars, battlefields,
sheepand work out from that physical world to express profound thoughts about God. Psalm 23, for
instance, may stem from Davids experience as a shepherd boy. Using metaphors that emerge from the
tasks of sheepherding, David composed a few beautiful stanzas of worship poetry.
Gritty Trust
This psalm captures the essence of Davids trust in God. Sheep have blind, absolute trust in a leader. If
a lead sheep plunges off a cliff, an entire flock will follow. That kind of unshakable trust David sought
in his walk with God.
Yet no one can dismiss David as having a rosy, romantic view of life. The preceding Psalm 22 shows
just how tough, gritty and ruthlessly honest he could be. Somehow David managed to make God the
center of his life, regardless of circumstanceswhether he felt comforted by God or cruelly abandoned
by him. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God, wrote
this soldier who spent much of his time running from chariots and horses (20:7).
Life Questions
Does your faith more resemble the childlike faith of Psalm 23 or the barely-hanging-on faith of Psalm 22?
To continue the Guided Tour reading plan, turn to page 624.
You can find the overall plan on pages xixiii.

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1082 Matthew 4:10

10Jesus said to him, Away from me, Satan! For it
is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve
him only.a
11Then the devi l left him, and angels came and
attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

12When Jesus heard that John had been put in
prison, he withdrew to Gali lee. 13Leaving Naza
reth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was
by the lake in the area of Zebu lun and Naphta
li14to fulf ill what was said t hrough the prophet
Isaiah:

15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of
death
a light has dawned.b
17From

that time on Jesus began to preach, Re

pent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
4:17Words for Jewish Readers
Matthew wrote for a primarily Jewish audience. Starting with his opening chapter, he affirms that Jesus is
the Messiah, backing up that claim by constant reference to the Old Testament. Often Matthew leaves
Jewish phrases and customs unexplained, assuming
that his readers are familiar with them. And, where
other Gospel writers say kingdom of God, he uses
the phrase kingdom of heaven out of respect for
Jews, who never wrote out the word God.

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18As Jesus was walki ng beside the Sea of Gali
lee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and
his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into
the lake, for they were fishermen. 19Come, follow
me, J esus said, and I will send you out to fish for
people. 20At once they left t heir nets and followed
him.
21Goi ng on from t here, he saw two other broth
ers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.
They were in a boat with t heir fat her Zebedee,
preparing t heir nets. Jesus called them, 22and im
mediately they left the boat and t heir fat her and
followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick

23Jesus went throughout Gali lee, teachi ng in
t heir synagogues, proclaiming the good news of
the kingdom, and healing every disease and sick

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ness a mong the people. 24News about him spread

all over Syria, and people brought to him all who
were ill with various diseases, t hose suffering se
vere pain, the demon-possessed, t hose having
seizures, and the para lyzed; and he healed them.
25Large crowds from Gali lee, the Decapol is,c Je
rusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan
followed him.

Introduction to the Sermon onthe Mount

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up

on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples
came to him, 2and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes
He said:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children
of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, per
secute you and falsely say all k inds of evil against
you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because
g reat is your reward in heaven, for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were be
fore you.

Salt and Light

13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt
loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anyt hing, except to be
t hrown out and trampled underfoot.
14You are the light of the world. A town built on
a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neit her do people light
a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it
on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the
house. 16In the same way, let your light shine be
fore others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorif y your Fat her in heaven.
a10 Deut.6:13 b16 Isaiah9:1,2 c25 That is, the
Ten Cities

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Matthew 5:22 1083

5:17Jesus and Moses Law

The Fulfillment of the Law

17Do

not t hink that I have come to abolish the

Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulf ill them. 18For truly I tell you, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest let
ter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everyt hing is accom
plished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of
the least of t hese commands and teaches others
accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of
heaven, but whoever practices and teaches t hese
commands will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righ
teousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the
kingdom of heaven.

guided tour

M atthew 5

In this statement, Jesus clarifies his relationship to the

Law of Moses. The next paragraph gets more specific, contrasting Jesus teaching with many common interpretations of that law. You have heard that it was
said..., he begins, and then concludes, But I tell
you... Jesus revealed the true intent of the Old Testament law, rather than its legalistic interpretations.

Murder
21You have heard that it was said to the peo
ple long ago, You shall not murder,a and anyone
who murders will be subject to judgment. 22But I
a21

Exodus20:13

Continued from page 1071

I n f l a m m a tory Word :
J e s u s l i s t e n e r s f a i l to h e a r

5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
One emotionally charged word, kingdom, makes images dance in the minds of Jesus audience: bright
banners, glittering armies, the gold and ivory of Solomons day, the nation of Israel restored to glory. Yet
Jesus often uses this word that quickens the Jewish pulse, starting with his very first message, Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven has come near (4:17).
Winds of change are blowing through Israel as Jesus speaks. Guerrilla fighters called Zealots hang
on the edges of the crowds, awaiting the signal. Armed and well organized, they are spoiling for a fight
against oppressive Rome. The signal for revolt, however, never comes. To their dismay, it gradually becomes clear that Jesus is not talking about a political or military kingdom.
The expectations raised by Jesus statements lead to confusion and, ultimately, to angry rejection. Initial excitement over Jesus miracles sours into disappointment when he fails to restore the long-awaited
kingdom. As it turns out, the word kingdom means one thing to the crowd and quite another to Jesus.
Two Kinds of History
Jesus indicates that two kinds of history are going on simultaneously. We live in a visible world of families
and people and cities and nationst he kingdom of this world. But Jesus calls for people to commit their
lives to an invisible kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom more important and more valuable
than anything in the visible world. It is like the finest pearl in the world, he saysworth selling everything you have to invest in it.
Success in the kingdom of heaven involves a complete reversal of values, as seen in this major
address, the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the poor in spirit, Jesus says, and also those who
mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the persecuted for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven (verses 36,10). Status in this world does not guarantee status in the kingdom
of heaven.
Life Questions
Are you focused on achieving success in the kingdom of this world or in the kingdom of heaven?
To continue the Guided Tour reading plan, turn to page 1085.
You can find the overall plan on pages xixiii.

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