My 50 Favorite Bible Passages

Passages that I've found particularly meaningful over the years and which I would recommend to others.

1. Romans 8:18-39—If I could have only one scripture passage to use for the rest of my life I believe this would be the one I chose.

2. Psalm 121—For generations this has been the traveling psalm for the Freeman family.

3. 1 Peter 2:4-10—The first time I became aware of this passage it resonated strongly with me, and has ever sense.

4. 2 Timothy 3:14-17—The passage with which my grandfather Freeman inscribed the Bible he and my grandmother gave to me when I was a child.

5. Micah 6:6-8—My personal mission statement.

6. Psalm 84—I wrote a play based heavily on this psalm and the notion of belonging to God.

7. Romans 14:7—In life and death we belong to God.

8. 2 Corinthians 4:1-12—(Especially verses 5-6.) What we preach is not ourselves; these are very liberating words for a minister to hear, and have long helped me clarify my sense of call.

9. Psalm 8—A long-time favorite and a reminder of God’s sovereignty over all creation.

10. Isaiah 6:1-8—Also very helpful in considering my call. This is the first of several Old Testament call stories on the list.

11. Luke 2:1-20—The familiar words of the story of Jesus’ birth remain relevant in any era.

12. John 1:1-5—Though John is not my favorite of the gospels, the words of this passage are very profound, pointing to Jesus (the Word of God) as vital to creation.

13. Matthew 28:16-20—Jesus’ “Great Commission” to his disciples.

14. Psalm 23—Though often read at funerals the words of this psalm are appropriate in any setting as a reminder of God’s love.

15. Hebrews 12:1-2—This passage serves to remind me of all those who have gone before me in the faith, especially my grandparents.

16. Habakkuk 2:1-4—For Presbyterians the “watchposts” of the faith are the font, the table, and the pulpit.

17. Isaiah 40:1-11, 27-31—Great words of hope.

18. Luke 1:46-55—A firm reminder that God is fully on the side of the dispossessed and downtrodden.

19. Ephesians 4:1-16—Full of imagery about the unity of God and of the faith.

20. Genesis 32:22-32—Jacob wrestled with God at the ford of the River Jabbok. In Hebrew the term for wrestling is to get dusty. What great imagery, God drawing close enough to humanity to get dusty with us.

21. Ezekiel 1—Another call story. The part of this that I love most is Ezekiel’s reaction to encountering God in the exile. He falls on his face.

22. Amos 7:14-15—Amos describes his sense of mission as a prophet of God.

23. Luke 4:14-21—The inauguration of Jesus’ ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth.

24. 1 John 1:8-9—If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves.

25. Acts 2:1-21—The day of Pentecost and the birth of the church.

26. Galatians 1:13-17—Paul’s account of his conversion to Christianity.

27. 1 Samuel 3:1-18—Samuel hears God’s voice in the night.

28. Mark 1:9-11—The baptism of Jesus.

29. Mark 16:1-8—The resurrection, which, in Mark’s account, is brief and almost ambiguous. As my colleague the Rev. Dick Hardie has said, the tension and excitement comes form knowing that Jesus is “our there, loose in the world.”

30. Isaiah 5:1-7—The song of the vineyard, God’s judgment of the people of Israel.

31. Galatians 3:27-28—All are one in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32. Amos 5:18-24—“Let waters roll down like waters…”

33. Jeremiah 18:1-11—Jeremiah and the potter working the clay.

34. 2 Samuel 11:27-12:15a—Nathan condemns David for his sin against Uriah.

35. Philippians 2:3-11—An appeal for humility in the example of Jesus Christ.

36. Micah 4:1-5—A beautiful image of the restoration of Israel “In days to come.”

37. Romans 12—A very rich and meaningful chapter.

38. Psalm 24—“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” in the KJV. A profound statement of God’s glory.

39. Luke 8:40-56—Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the flow of blood, each of which shows Jesus’ willingness to accept even the lowest members of society into fellowship.

40. Matthew 5:1-12—The Beatitudes, a significant part of the Sermon on the Mount.

41. 2 Kings 5:1-19a—Elisha cures Naaman of leprosy.

42. Exodus 3: 1-4:17—The call of Moses.

43. Deuteronomy 6:4-9—The “Shema,” one of Judaism’s most sacred texts.

44. Genesis 1-3—God’s work of creation reveals a great deal about God and humanity.

45. Revelation 21:1-6—The new Jerusalem in the midst of a new creation.

46. Jonah—This entire book tells a story rich in detail and full of truth about God.

47. Acts 10—The conversion of Cornelius and his household.

48, John 3:16—A verse so familiar that it’s like an old friend.

49. Psalm 100—One of the earliest psalms I ever learned.

50. 1 Corinthians 4:1—I once had a plaque made to recognize the 50th anniversary of a colleague’s ordination. I meant to refer to 2 Corinthians 4:1, but wrote 1 Corinthians instead. Turns out this passage was more appropriate.