Themes of the Bible

Anointed in Preparation for Burial

Scripture records ointment being applied to Jesus in passages that speak of burial preparation.

A Prophet without Honor

Jesus states that a prophet may be dishonored or unacceptable in his own country, home, and among kindred.

Authority

Titus 2:15 instructs an addressee to exhort and rebuke with all authority.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Matthew and Luke distinguish blasphemy against the Holy Spirit from words spoken against the Son of Man.

Bodily Purity

Language associated with bodily purity recurs in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Bread Multiplied in the Wilderness

These passages describe five barley loaves and twelve baskets of leftovers after people had eaten.

Brotherly Love

The word or idea recurs in at least 21 verses across 9 books and 13 episodes.

Central Sanctuary

A recurring biblical pattern of going to the place the LORD chooses for his name to dwell.

Childlike Humility in the Kingdom

Three passages connect becoming like children or receiving the kingdom like a child with entering it.

Church and Mission

A canonical theme whose word or idea recurs in at least 22 verses across 11 biblical books.

Church Discipline

Biblical passages concerning church discipline include rebuke, admonition, warning, and refusal of association in stated circumstances.

Civil War

Three verses record battle at Gibeah and between the houses of Saul and David.

Confession and Forgiveness

Confession, atonement, forgiveness, and salvation language recur across Leviticus, 2 Samuel, and Romans.

Conscience

Conscience recurs in biblical passages concerning testimony, conduct, faith, and the treatment of others.

Contentment

Scripture’s contentment language includes food, clothing, possessions, abundance, and lack.

Corporate Responsibility

Six collected verses occur in Joshua and Judges.

Cosmic Reconciliation

Colossians 1:20 speaks of all things being reconciled through him, whether on earth or in the heavens.

Courage and Boldness

Seven collected passages associate boldness with confidence, speech, conflict, and freedom from shame.

Creation

Creation is named from Genesis through Revelation, with the sampled texts describing God’s making of the heavens, earth, living creatures, and humanity.

Crossing the Jordan

A biblical theme tracing Israel's anticipated passage over the Jordan, its dry-ground crossing, and later conflicts at its fords.

Crown and Reward

Three verses connect crowns with pride, lawful competition, and a righteousness crown awarded by the Lord.

David's Mighty Men

A biblical theme gathering the passages that name David’s mighty men, including the three and the thirty.

Deliverance and Exodus

Exodus-from-Egypt and deliverance language recurs across six biblical books.

Deny Yourself and Take Up the Cross

A saying in Matthew and Mark joins self-denial, taking up the cross, and following, alongside warnings about losing oneself.

Discipleship

Passages associated with discipleship speak of following teaching and following the lamb.

Economic Justice

A collection of passages that mention justice, oppression, conduct, wrongs, and repayment.

Empty Speech

Collected passages use language of babble, profane empty talk, empty talkers, and futile disputes.

Envy

Envy language appears alongside malice, strife, rivalry, and other destructive patterns in several biblical passages.

Equality and No Partiality

A collection of passages that includes the statement that there is no partiality, alongside commands concerning fairness and exploitation.

Eternal Life

Eternal life recurs as a biblical expression in questions, promises, teaching, and hope across 13 books.

Exile and Restoration

Scripture’s exile-and-restoration language includes scattering, covenant remembrance, return, and gathering.

Faith

Faith language in Scripture includes trust in the LORD, divine faithfulness, faithful conduct, and unfaithfulness.

Faithful Remembrance

Remembrance is named in prayer in Philemon and in reminders addressed to established readers in 2 Peter.

Faith That Moves Mountains

Faith like a mustard seed is pictured as speaking to a mountain or a mulberry tree with an extraordinary result.

Fear of God

Scripture records David’s fear of the LORD, language about a ruler, and exhortations to fear God.

Gleaning and the Poor

Biblical instructions on leaving harvest portions and aiding those in need.

God Is God of the Living

“He is not the God of the dead but of the living” appears in Matthew 22:32 and Mark 12:27.

Hardening

Hardening language occurs in passages concerning Sihon, a stiff-necked people, and hearts hardened for battle.

Hearing and Doing Jesus' Words

A collected theme of hearing words and responding through action in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

He Did Evil in the LORD's Sight

A recurring judgment in Kings describes conduct as evil or bad in the LORD’s eyes.

He Did Right in the LORD's Sight

A recurring biblical assessment applied to David, Asa, and others, with some passages adding qualifications.

Honest Weights and Measures

Scripture forbids unjust measures and calls for full, just weights and measures.

Human Mortality

The cited passages compare human life and flesh to grass, flowers, and vapor that soon pass away.

Incomplete Conquest

Passages in Joshua and Judges reporting land or inhabitants not dispossessed.

Intermarriage Warning

Joshua and Judges contain language about intermarriage with surrounding peoples and its stated consequences.

Jesus' Authority over Demons

The passages portray Jesus casting out spirits and granting the twelve authority over unclean spirits.

Jesus' Authority over Wind and Sea

Jesus rebukes wind and sea, and passages also describe him walking on the sea.

Jesus' Death and the Torn Temple Veil

Three passages report that the temple curtain was torn or split.

Jesus, Pilate, and Barabbas

Four verses record Pilate’s question and the crowd’s call for Barabbas rather than Jesus called Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

Jesus speaks of suffering, rejection, death, and being raised in the cited Gospel passages.

Listen to the Beloved Son

A voice from a cloud calls the Son beloved or chosen and commands, “listen to him” or “hear him.”

Marriage and One Flesh

Passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke connect one flesh language with marriage and adultery.

Mission under Persecution

Jesus’ words describe hostility toward those sent out, while Acts records scattered people proclaiming the word as good news.

New Birth

New-birth language includes being brought forth by the word of truth and born again through God’s abiding word.

Perseverance

A biblical theme expressed in calls to endure, hold fast, pray persistently, and continue in good work.

Peter's Threefold Denial

The Gospel accounts record Peter’s denials, the rooster’s crowing, and his remembrance of Jesus’ words.

Preaching and Proclamation

These passages connect preaching with teaching, exhortation, and an entrusted proclamation.

Pride and Humility

These passages warn against arrogance and direct the rich to place hope in God rather than uncertain wealth.

Public Reading of Scripture

Scripture records assemblies hearing God’s words, the proclamation of instruction, and letters read among congregations.

Purity of Heart

Psalm 51:10 records a prayer for God to create a clean heart.