You’ve decided to start a family bible study group based on your own family’s needs and wishes. Good for you– now what? How do you have an actual discussion about the bible with others instead of just reciting verses. I often see families pick a new topic and enthusiastically begin to discuss it, but then fall apart after the 30 minutes are up. This simply means that you need an approach to really dive into a verse or passage in ways that will lead to discipleship and an indelible impact on people’s lives.
You have access to a wealth of relevant information on bible verses about church family, bible verses about family love and unity, and much more right here. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
Families Of The Bible
Families mentioned in the New Testament
You may have heard of the New Testament, a collection of books found in the Bible. While there are many lessons you can learn from reading these books, they also contain references to the families of Jesus’ time. The New Testament is split into four parts:
- Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
- Acts (Book of Acts)
There are many more families mentioned in the New Testament than just these two groups; however, these are arguably some of the most well known ones.
Jesus’ and Mary’s family (Matthew 13:55–56, Mark 6:3)
You may be surprised to learn that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters. But before you say, “Well, what about Mary?” remember that Mary was not a blood relation to Joseph.
The Bible says that Jesus’ brother James led the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17). In fact, James actually argued with Paul over circumcision (Galatians 2:12). It’s interesting to note that nowhere in the New Testament is there even one reference to Christ’s mother ever being mentioned by name…not even once!
As for siblings: There are no recorded instances where any of these family members were ever accused or convicted of any crime – not one! And remember—this was during an age when crime was rampant and most people lived on the wrong side of the law if they could manage it.
Martha and sisters Mary and Lazarus (John 11)
At the time of this story, Lazarus was a young man and Mary and Martha were his sisters. They lived in Bethany, which was located near Jerusalem. On one occasion, Lazarus fell ill and died. When he died, Jesus took his body by wrapping it in strips of cloth along with aromatic spices. He then went to Ephraim where he met with Mary and Martha again before returning to Bethany (John 11:1-44).
After arriving back at the house where his sisters were staying, Jesus realized that they had been weeping over their brother’s death for four days now since they had heard about it from others who knew what had happened (John 11:17). After seeing them sobbing uncontrollably over their loss for so long without any hope remaining for an eventual resurrection because of how much time had already passed since Lazarus’s passing away; Jesus became upset as well! Furthermore; even though
Nicodemus (John 7:50, 19:39)
Nicodemus is a man in the Bible who was born into aristocracy, but chose to follow Christ. He was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, an ancient Jewish governing council that tried Jesus for heresy. Nicodemus believed in Jesus, but feared for himself because he was one of few men who did so. He helped bury Jesus after his crucifixion.
Lydia, seller of purple cloth (Acts 16;40)
Lydia was the first European to become a Christian. She was a seller of purple cloth, which is like our silk. She was also an important businesswoman who lived in Philippi, Greece. Paul and Silas went there and preached in her home. Lydia opened up her heart to God and became one of the first Christians in Europe!
As you can see, Lydia had some amazing qualities: she was successful, generous and she had influence over other people (she opened up her home to Paul). But even though this woman had so many great qualities—including being unmarried—she didn’t let that stop her from serving God as a leader!
The families to whom Paul wrote letters (1 Corinthians 1, 2 Corinthians 1, Colossians 4, Philemon 2)
You may already be familiar with the families of the Bible, such as Abraham’s family. Paul also wrote letters to many people throughout the New Testament, including the Corinthians and Colossians. He encouraged them to be strong in the Lord and encouraged them to not give up hope when times were tough.
Families mentioned in the Old Testament
You may be familiar with the story of Noah and his family, but did you know that the Bible also mentions other families? In this section of our Old Testament study guide, we’ll explore some of the most prominent ones listed in scripture.
Abraham is one of the first people mentioned in Genesis. He was born in Ur and later traveled to Canaan with his wife Sarah (Genesis 11:31; 12:1–9). God promised Abraham that he would have children and make a great nation through him (Genesis 17:1–8). Abraham had two sons named Ishmael and Isaac, but Isaac became Abraham’s favorite son when he was born (Genesis 21:1–7). Isaac had twin sons Esau and Jacob who each got their own share of their father’s inheritance (Genesis 25:19–26).
Noah and his family of 8 people (Genesis 6-9)
Noah lived 950 years. He preached 120 years before the flood.
Noah and his family were saved in the Ark, which was built in the mountains of Ararat. The Ark had three floors. The first floor contained food and drinking water for all animals on Earth; it also had two windows so that light could enter into their dark home during the stormy nights ahead; a window at each end allowed breezes to flow through when God used wind to turn back floodwaters; and one door was kept open for ventilation purposes. The second floor contained Noah’s family (Genesis 6:18). The third floor held animals such as birds, reptiles, mammals (including dinosaurs), insects and microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses — all living creatures except those who belonged either to category 1 or 2 above because these groups were not necessary for survival after God allowed them to leave their temporary homes in order that humans could exist again without any prior knowledge about how this world came into existence or why we live here today (Genesis 6:19-22).
Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18-24; Genesis 21; Genesis 24)
- God promised to have a son with Abraham, who was 100 years old and Sarah was 90.
- They were patient, trusting and faithful to God’s promise
- They were the first to be circumcised
- They were the parents of all Hebrews, who became God’s chosen people
Jacob and his 12 sons (Genesis 29, 37-49; Deuteronomy 33:13–17)
- Jacob had 12 sons, who became the 12 tribes of Israel. The twelve sons were listed in Genesis 29, 37-49; Deuteronomy 33:13–17.
- The two wives of Jacob (Laban and Leah) and their six daughters gave birth to the twelve sons.
- The sons were not all born of the same mother; Leah gave birth to seven of them and Rachel gave birth to five (Genesis 30:14).
Family has been an important part of scripture since the beginning
It’s no secret that family has been an important part of scripture since the beginning. The Bible is full of stories about family life and examples of success, as well as failure. Many people consider family to be a unit of faith, a spiritual unit—and one that can either help us grow closer to God or distance us from him. That’s why it’s so important for us to learn from the examples set by godly families and successful families throughout scripture: we should want our own families to follow in their footsteps!