Here is one way to think about the Bible. It’s from biblica.org which published the NIV Urbana15 Bible. In fact, this can be found in the Urbana15 Bible. These are the Six Acts –
Act 1. God creates the world as our home and the place He intends to live with us; Act 2. We disobey God and break His trust, bringing sin and death into the world; Act 3. God responds creatively to the problem, establishing the nation of Israel to bring blessing to all peoples; Act 4. The story reaches its climax in the coming of Jesus the Messiah; He fulfills Israel’s mission and brings God’s surprising victory through His life, death and resurrection; Act 5. Jesus calls and commissions His followers to spread the word of His victory and live His way as a light to the world; Act 6. Heaven and earth are reunited when God makes His home with us in the new creation.
Another, and arguably better, guide to the Bible is Lesslie Newbigin’s A Walk Through the Bible. From the seller’s spot-on description –
One of the most renowned theologians of our time tells the story of the Bible in a way that everyone can understand. Shortly before he died in 1998, Lesslie Newbigin recorded a series of eight radio addresses on basic themes and central figures in the Bible. These addresses, which form the basis of this book, affirm the Bible as the story of the history of humankind. Newbigin invites readers to join him on a journey from Genesis through Revelation, introducing the great biblical figures along the way – Abraham, Moses, Noah, the prophets, Paul, and of course, Jesus. His characteristically lucid prose, reflecting a lifetime of faithful teaching and preaching, both challenges and inspires the reader to a deeper level of Christian discipleship.
Finally, here’s a chart, “An Overview of the Bible” developed by David Suryk that seeks to capture the united narrative of the Old and New Testaments on one page. Click on the chart below to view it as a downloadable pdf. 