The Books of the Bible

The Old Testament

Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament and is a collection of the earliest Israelite traditions concerning the origin of things. The book has two main divisions. The first is the history of early mankind, narrating the events of the Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the Dispersion. The second section concerns the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Exodus relates the history of the Israelites from after the death of Joseph to the erection of the Tabernacle by Moses. The book includes an account of the wanderings in the wilderness of Sinai and the giving of the law to the nation.

Leviticus can also be called "The Book of the Law of the Priests" as it contains very little historical matter, concerning itself with priestly legislation and the practice of the law among the people. In Leviticus much importance is placed upon Israel's separation from all heathen influences so that the nation may retain its religious purity.

Numbers is a continuation of Exodus, recording the stay of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai until their arrival at Moab. The title of the book is derived from the two numberings of the people recorded here.

Deuteronomy is a sequel to Numbers. Narrated in it are three speeches and two poems, supposedly spoken by Moses in Moab before the crossing of Jordan, in which he gives the Ten Commandments to the chosen people. A minor narrative in three of the chapters tells of the last days of Moses.

Joshua tells the story of Moses' successor. It was Joshua who led the people into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. The book is also a narrative of the conquest of Canaan and the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel.

Judges is so called because it relates of the times of various rulers, or judges, of Israel from the possession of Canaan until the time of Samuel. Also found in Judges is the recounting of the adventures of Samson.

Ruth is a beautiful pastoral idyll telling the story of Ruth, the Moabitess, and her mother-in-law Naomi. The two women return to Naomi's homeland, Judah, and there Ruth, the foreigner, marries Boaz. Ruth was the great-grandmother of David, the ancestor of Jesus.

The two Books of Samuel contain valuable historical material containing the religious and moral conditions of the period. Samuel is the great prophet-judge who helps to unite the scattered tribes under one king, Saul. The history of the reigns of Saul and David is also recorded.

The two Books of Kings follow the monarchy to its summit under Solomon and the nation's division, decline, and fall under Jeroboam and Rehoboam. Kings also gives an outline of the double captivity of Israel under the Assyrians and Judah under the Chaldeans.

The two Books of Chronicles have much in common with the books of Samuel and Kings. They contain genealogical tables from Adam to the death of Saul, the reign of Solomon, the division of the kingdom, the exile, and the proclamation of Cyrus.

Ezra-Nehemiah are companion books, continuing the narration of Chronicles. Ezra details the first return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon and the rebuilding of the Temple. Nehemiah gives an account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and of the efforts to bring religious reform to the people.

Esther, the last of the historical books, contains an early example of pre-Christian anti-Semitism. Esther, a Jewess, was chosen as the new queen for Ahasuerus, the king of Persia. Her uncle Mordecai had incurred the enmity of Haman, the evil court favorite, and so brought the threat of death to his people. Esther, through her position was able to avert the tragedy and save her people.

Job, the first of the poetical books, deals with the problem of suffering. God allows Satan to afflict Job, a prosperous and pious Jew, with many hardships in order to test his faith. Job loses his children and his worldly goods, and is afflicted by a terrible disease. Finally when God questions Job, he is forced to admit the limits of human wisdom, and bows humbly before the will of God. With this new humility his faith is strengthened and Job finds peace.

Psalms is a collection of poems written over a long period of time by various authors. They express the heart of humanity in all generations through a variety of religious experiences. Originally the poems were chanted or sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. One of the characteristics of the Hebrew poetry is parallelism; that is, the second line reiterates the idea of the first line.

Proverbs is a part of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Contained in the book are short, pithy sayings of common sense and sound advice that relate to all ways of life; in short, a practical, everyday philosophy of living.

Ecclesiates contains the writings of a wealthy Jew who suffered from the sorrows and disappointments of life and now tries to discover the true value and meaning of life through God. The author of this book calls himself "The Preacher," "The son of David," and "king in Jerusalem." But whether this was Solomon or a later "son of David" is uncertain.

The Song of Solomon is also called "Song of Songs" and "Canticles." This collection of love songs has long been an enigma and many interpretations have been offered for it. This love-relationship could signify the relationship between God and His people, or that between Christ and the Church.

Isaiah is the first collection of prophesy of the five major Hebrew prophets. Judgment to come is fundamental to Isaiah's teaching. Israel and Judah are to perish but a remnant will survive and a new Jerusalem will rise up as a city of the faithful. It is also in Isaiah that memorable prophecies of Christ's coming are found.

Jeremiah is the book of the prophet Jeremiah, who received the divine call to prophesy while very young. It was his mission to predict doom upon his nation for its many sins. For this he was hated by the priests and the people. More important that prophecies was the emphasis Jeremiah placed on personal religion.

Lamentations consists of five poems occasioned by the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. The first three elegies describe the terrible plight of the nation, the fourth compares the past history of Zion with her present state, and the last is a prayer for compassion and deliverance.

Ezekiel is written by the prophet of the exile. The book is divided into two sections; the first denounces the sins and abominations of Jerusalem and the second looks to the future with the hope that the city will be restored after it has been cleansed. This latter section contains passages strongly messianic in nature.

Daniel, like Ezekiel, is divided into two parts. The first six chapters tell of Daniel's faith and the greatness of his God over the idols of Babylon. The last six chapters contain the four visions of Daniel and their interpretations.

Hosea is the first book of the twelve minor prophets. Because the times were outwardly prosperous idolatry prevailed and immortality was rampant. Hosea urges a return to God in order that he may show mercy and forgiveness.

Joel was written during a locust plague, a time of great distress for the people. The prophet sees in the devastation of the locusts an indication of the coming day of the Lord. Therefore all must repent with fasting and mourning. With repentance, however, there is a promise for relief and God's blessing for Israel.

Amos is the book of the herdsman from Tekoa, a small town in Judah. He received a direct call from God to prophesy against the unrighteousness of both Judah and Israel. Amos was the first prophet to proclaim that God was the ruler of the whole world.

Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament, containing only one chapter. In it is given a prophetic interpretation of a great calamity that has already occurred in Edom and a prediction of a universal judgement.

Jonah is the story of a prophet sent by God to Nineveh. Jonah was fearful of the call and tried to flee by sea to Tarshish. During the sea voyage he was thrown overboard by his fellow passengers and swallowed by a great fish sent by God. The prophet was saved and went on to Nineveh to successfully convert the people of that city.

Micah, the prophecy of the fourth in the great quartet of eighth-century b.c. prophets, with Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah, who preached against the idolatrous and unjust nations of their generation. Micah's message was stern and uncompromising; judgment was to come soon for Judah.

Nahum consists of two poems. The prophet tells of the fall of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian nation. God is depicted as revengeful to those who conspire against Him. The book of Nahum also contains a classic rebuke against warfare and militarism.

Habakkuk, a book of prophecy, is concerned with the problem of unpunished evil in the world. It was revealed to Habakkuk that the Chaldean armies were to be God's means of punishing the wicked and that evil would destroy itself. The book concludes with a poem of thanksgiving and great faith.

Zephaniah reveals that only the judgment of God can cleanse Judah of the sins that she has committed. The day of the Lord is coming and the nation must prepare for its salvation. According to the genealogy at the beginning of the book, Zephaniah was active during the reign of King Josiah.

Haggai is a report on the utterances of the prophet Haggai during the second year of the reign of Darius, King of the Persian Empire, in the post-exilic period. The prophet is singularly concerned with the rebuilding of the Temple, which was essential to restoring the nation's religious purity. Haggai also believed that a great messianic age was at hand.

Zechariah is a book of prophecies of a contemporary of Haggai. Zechariah urged the people to rebuild the Temple for he too believed in the imminent coming of the messianic kingdom. Zechariah and Haggai are equally responsible for determining the narrow exclusiveness of post-exilic Judaism, since they declared that the blessings of God would be shared by Judah alone.

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and belongs to the period of Nehemiah. The prophet's message is to the priests and the people, charging them with indifference, doubt, and immorality. Malachi tells of the coming day of the Lord and closes the book with a prophecy of John the Baptist.

The New Testament

Matthew has been pre-eminently the Gospel of the church. It tells us of God's love for Israel and of the fulfillment in Christ of God's promise to the nation. It gives the complete story of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. The Sermon on the Mount, and some of the most precious of Jesus' parables are contained in this Gospel.

Mark is the earliest of the Gospels and contains much of the teachings of Peter. This Gospel presents Jesus as the man of power, the strong and active Son of God; its climax is reached when Peter makes his great confession, "You are the Christ."

Luke, the third Gospel, was written by "the beloved physician," the companion of the apostle Paul. Only in Luke are found the Magnificat, the story of the birth of John the Baptist, the Christmas story of the shepherds, the parables of the good Samaritan, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son, and the great hymns - the Gloria in Excelsis and Nunc Dimitis. Jesus is presented as the compassionate Savior, healer, redeemer, and friend of the weak. From this Gospel comes a special feeling of the mercy of God as Jesus made men understand it.

John, written by "the disciple whom Jesus loved," tells us who Jesus was and what He is; what He can always mean to those who love him. This Gospel contains more than the other Gospels about the stories of Lazarus and Nicodemus and Jesus' trial, crucifixion and resurrection, and about the disciples Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas.

The Acts of the Apostles, written by the author of the Gospel according to Luke, is the account of what Jesus' disciples did after His resurrection. It tells about the early Christian church and its missionaires, the baptism of Cornelius, the Council in Jerusalem, and about the conversion of Paul and his journeys to establish churches and to teach. Acts emphasizes that the church is guided continually by the Holy Spirit.

The Letter of Paul to the Romans was written from Corinth about 58 a.d. The purpose of the Letter is to secure the active support of the church in Rome for his missionary program. Paul stresses the universality of man's sin but that God saves all men through faith in Christ. He discusses the place of Israel in God's plan of salvation and how Christians should conduct themselves.

The Letters of Paul to the Corinthians were written from Ephesus about 57 a.d. The Christians of Corinth found it hard to live as they knew they should and questioned Paul about their difficulties. In First Corinthians Paul answers their questions, points out what they have done wrong, and encourages them with his message, "You are Christ's." Second Corinthians contains Paul's message of thanksgiving and love. Then he goes on to describe his tribulations as he went about preaching the gospel of Christ.

The Letter of Paul to the Galatians, written in 57 or 58 a.d., probably from Antioch, is the cornerstone of Christian freedom. In Galatians Paul tells of his own conversion and of how he stood firm in his belief that Christ was the Savior of people everywhere, not just those who observed every detail of the Jewish law.

The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, written about 62 a.d., seems to be a general Letter to the churches of Asia Minor. Paul presents God's eternal purpose to save men through faith in Christ; "the dividing wall of hostility" between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down through the cross of Christ. Paul exhorts us to live as worthy, true Christians.

The Letter of Paul to the Philippians was written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. This Letter, Paul's farewell message, is filled with gratitude and affection for his Philippian friends, the church which was perhaps dearest to him.

The Letter of Paul to the Colossians was written by Paul, while he was a prisoner in Rome, to the Christians at Colossae in Asia Minor. Paul writes to encourage them with real truth - that through Christ they have the everlasting love of God.

The Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians were written by Paul from Corinth about 52 a.d. These two Letters are the earliest writings of the N.T. Paul tells these Christians what sort of persons they must be, and that they must do their duty every day and not stand idle, waiting for the Second Coming.

The Letters of Paul to Timothy, written by the apostle to his friend Timothy at Lystra, tell of the conditions in the church and describe the qualifications and duties of church officers. Second Timothy contains Paul's request that Timothy come to Rome to see him.

The Letter of Paul to Titus encourages Titus, Paul's "true child in a common faith," to leave the church in Crete.

The Letter of Paul to Philemon, is a personal Letter in which the apostle beseeches Philemon to take back a runaway slave, Onesimus. The slave had come to Rome where Paul was being held prisoner, and there had been converted by Paul.

The Letter to Hebrews, an anonymous book, urges the Christian community not to fall back into Judaism and argues for Christian superiority.

The Letter of James, according to tradition written by the brother of our Lord, provides ethical instruction for all Jewish people who have become Christians. It is clear and practical in its dealing with Christian behavior.

The First Letter of Peter was probably written by the apostle Peter from Rome between 64 and 67 a.d. to Christians who had fled Asia Minor. It admonishes the pilgrims to have hope and courage and to trust in the power of God.

The Second Letter of Peter was written by an unknown Christian leader, perhaps a disciple of Peter's, in the middle of the second century. It warns of false teachers who had come into the early church and urges Christians to be brave and patient.

The Letters of John traditionally assigned to the writer of the Fourth Gospel and Revelation, testify that God is love and that love is the test of religion. Second John is written to "the elect lady and her children," probably a church; Third John is addressed to the beloved Gaius.

The Letter of Jude designates its author as "a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James." Its message was for Christians wherever unity was threatened by heretical teaching and where Christian doctrinal and moral standards were questioned.

The Revelation to John, or The Apocalypse, is the only prophetic book in the N.T. Generally presumed to be written by John, one of the apostles of Christ, the book is addressed to the seven Christian churches in Asia Minor, whose members where being persecuted by Roman officials. The images and illusions of Revelation are difficult for us to understand today, but to the persecuted members of the seven churches John's message was clearly one of hope, courage, and faith in times of trouble; and that on the Lord's day the faithful would be greatly rewarded.