The Message of the Bible

 What is the message of the Bible? If a non-Christian were to ask you the question, could you give a succinct answer?

Here is a succinct answer of a world-renowned Evangelical New Testament Scholar (NT in extreme speciality; his breadth of learning is immense). See biographical information here: http://divinity.tiu.edu/faculty/person.dot?id=d0460325-2dad-4e9a-bdfc-2be9d608d88f  Personally, he is my favorite scholar to read on any issue, and particularly to hear speak and preach.

He writes/says:

God is the sovereign, transcendent and personal God who has made the universe, including us, his image-bearers. Our misery lies in our rebellion, our alienation from God, which, despite his forbearance, attracts his implacable wrath.

But God, precisely because love is of the very essence of his character, takes the initiative and prepared for the coming of his own Son by raising up a people who, by covenantal stipulations, temple worship, systems of sacrifice and of priesthood, by kings and by prophets, are taught something of what God is planning and what he expects.

In the fullness of time his Son comes and takes on human nature. He comes not, in the first instance, to judge but to save: he dies the death of his people, rises from the grave and, in returning to his heavenly Father, bequeaths the Holy Spirit as the down payment and guarantee of the ultimate gift he has secured for them—an eternity of bliss in the presence of God himself, in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

The only alternative is to be shut out from the presence of this God forever, in the torments of hell. What men and women must do, before it is too late, is repent and trust Christ; the alternative is to disobey the gospel (Romans 10:16;2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).

While this is certainly brilliantly concise and wholesome, I think perhaps a bit more should be said about the cross and what the Son of God accomplished, which would be a penal substitutionary atonement for His  people (see Isaiah 53; Romans 3:23-26). Fundamentally, the sacred writings make us wise for salvation which is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is and what He has done (2 Tim. 3:14; Rom. 10:9-10). I would just fit this in with what is above - with perhaps a bit more added here and there (as Carson himself undoubtedly would). I think he has given an excellent example of how to communicate a lot quickly. Carson has an excellent (and short!) book The God Who Is There, that is primarily designed for non-Christians, but is really helpful for all, in which he briefly goes through the Bible and it is masterful. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Soli Deo Gloria
 - The Reader