Questions and Answers

What is Sine Ministries and how is it related to The Story of the Messiah?

Sine Ministries is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to provide resources such as The Story of the Messiah to individuals and organizations that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Max Rondoni, project director, author and editor of The Story of the Messiah, has assigned the copyright for the work to Sine Ministries.

What is the purpose of The Story of the Messiah, and how is Sine Ministries using it?

The Story of the Messiah was designed to help people of all ages and backgrounds better understand and appreciate the life of Jesus Christ. Through donations and grants, Sine Ministries funds the translation, production and distribution of the audio version of The Story of the Messiah free of charge via international Christian broadcasting networks and radio stations. In addition, sales of The Story of the Messiah English language CD and book will be used to further expand Sine Ministriesí international translation and distribution goals.

Who can learn from and enjoy The Story of the Messiah?

The Story of the Messiah was developed to help people better understand and appreciate the life of Jesus Christ, regardless of their gender, age, nationality, education or religious affiliation. The Story of the Messiah is a resource that can be used in many ways and by many organizations to promote the Gospel worldwide.

• A story that appeals to people of all ages: The Story of the Messiah was crafted to be educational and entertaining for men and women, boys and girls, of all ages.
• A story that is being translated into the worldís major languages: The Story of the Messiah has already been translated into Mandarin and Russian, and efforts are underway to translate the story into Spanish and Romanian. Ultimately, Sine Ministries hopes to translate The Story of the Messiah into as many of the worldís major languages as possible.
• A story that can be appreciated by people of all educational backgrounds: The audio version of The Story of the Messiah makes the Gospel accessible to the worldís primary oral learners (those who are illiterate or semiliterate) and enables broad distribution via international Christian radio networks. At the same time, the audio version has wide appeal for church, bible study, mission or personal use by people of all educational backgrounds.
• A story that informs and inspires, regardless of the audienceís religious affiliation: For non-Christian audiences and those unfamiliar with the Bible, The Story of the Messiah provides a simple, concise and chronological introduction to the life of Jesus Christ as an important historical figure. For Christian audiences, The Story of the Messiah provides a unique and inspiring retelling of Jesusí life, death and resurrection as outlined in the four Gospels, and also provides an ideal medium to share the Gospel with family and friends.
• A story that can be used in many ways by many organizations: The Story of the Messiah audio version was designed for broadcast use by international Christian radio networks. Both the audio and text can also be used by Christian schools and home schools, churches and church organizations, bible study classes, international mission organizations and individuals who wish to better understand the life of Jesus Christ. The companion Study Guide is intended for use by small groups and classes for all ages.

What progress has Sine Ministries made so far?

Sine Ministries is partnering with international broadcasters to translate and distribute The Story of the Messiah worldwide. Audio versions are already available in English, Mandarin and Russian, and efforts are currently underway to produce Romanian and Spanish versions. In addition, Sine Ministries is partnering with HCJB Global and Voice of the Gospel to begin production of the audio program in Cantonese, Bahasa and Nepali. Future production languages include Arabic, Hindi and Portuguese. Ultimately, Sine Ministries hopes to translate The Story of the Messiah into as many of the worldís major languages as possible.

Why was it necessary to rewrite the story of Jesusí life?

The Gospels can be complicated and difficult to understand without the assistance of other information, both historical and cultural. Different authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote each of the four Gospels, and each Gospel is directed to a different audience. The Gospels do not provide biographies about people, nor were attempts made to record all of the events following a specific timetable. The Story of the Messiah combines the events of the Gospels with helpful historical and cultural background information, all arranged chronologically.

The Story of the Messiah was also the result of a desire to create a true, integrated story of the life of Jesus Christ. A story is defined as a connected narration of past events or an account of some incident. In the modern sense, a story has some basic elements: it has a beginning, a middle and an end; a plot; a central character; a goal or objective; some opposition or an adversary; a crisis; and finally a resolution. Although there are all the elements of a great story within the Gospels, the Gospels do not constitute a story in and of themselves. The Story of the Messiah incorporates events from all four Gospels into a single story of the life of Jesus Christ that is easy to understand.

How was The Story of the Messiah developed?

The basic source for The Story of the Messiah was the Gospel itself. The author, Max Rondoni, first analyzed the Gospels and selected the 220 events that comprise the story. Max then categorized each event by its source ñ whether it was located in just one Gospel or in several ñ and organized them chronologically on a color-coded timetable. Finally, these events were used to form a storyboard, complete with transitions and narration.