The Bible is a very thick book with countless characters. The central character is, of course, God. In the New Testament, we read a lot about Jesus: the Son of God who lived on earth as a human being for several years, and then returned to heaven. But there are also many other people who play an important role in the Bible for various reasons. In our opinion, these are the most important ones:
1) Adam and Eve
First encountered in Genesis 1 – 3, as they were the first people, created by God in His image. They are the only people who have known life as God intended it to be – perfect, no sin, anger, hate, resentment, bitterness… God placed them in a garden with just one command, not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Unfortunately their disobedience to this one command meant that every man, woman, and child on earth has inherited the disposition to sin. This is why it became vital that Jesus came into the world, that we would once again come to know God again, and have the opportunity to be restored to friendship and a relationship with God.
2) Abraham
First encountered in Genesis chapter 12. He was the father of the Jewish nation. God promised that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him. Jesus came from his line, and was the ultimate fulfillment of this blessing. Abraham is called “the father of all who believe”.
3) Moses
First encountered in Exodus 1. He was born in Egypt as a Jew/Israelite and was chosen by God to bring about the deliverance of the Hebrew/Jewish/Israelite nation from slavery to freedom, and the journey to the land that God had promised to Abraham. Through Moses, God gave the people of Israel His righteous laws, summed up in the two commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself”.
4) David
First encountered in 1 Samuel 16 when God asked Samuel to anoint David as king. In 1 Samuel 13:14 God alluded to him as a man after God’s heart. He was the second anointed king of Israel, and God promised that his kingdom would be eternal. Jesus came from David’s line and is the one through which David’s kingdom is eternal. David is well known for writing many of the psalms. His understanding and worship of God has been a great encouragement to many, even up until today.
5) Paul
First encountered in Acts 7:58, as a young man called Saul (the Jewish version of Paul). He went on to become a leader in the opposition of Christians, with a desire to stamp them out all together, but God had other plans for him. On the way to Damascus God stopped him, spoke to him and turned his life around (Acts 9). Paul went on to become a great missionary to the gentiles, starting many churches wherever he went. His greatest contribution to us are in his letters written to the churches he had started or had contact with, and to individual believers. These letters contain much theological teaching and many important lessons in leading a Christian life.