Overview of the Bible
The Christian Bible is the most important piece of literature ever written.
More than just a bunch of stories, it is a true account of people throughout history, their lives, and their relationship with God. It is a show of how much God loves mankind and an explanation of the redemption plan He has put into place to rescue us all from our sins.
It tells about God, His nature, His character, and His plan for mankind. It also gives instructions and advice on how to live a holy life that is pleasing to Him.
The bible is broken up into 2 parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each part is a collection of books, written by various authors throughout history.
The Old Testament opens with the beginning of time when God created the world and mankind. It ends about 400 years before the birth of Jesus.
it’s books are sorted and classified into four categories.
The books of law are the first five books of the Old Testament. They were primarily written by Moses. They share how God created the world and mankind. They also explain how God established laws and explained His expectations for the Israelites. In these books He established how societies, governments, and families should be organized. He also gave clear and specific warnings against certain actions.
The books labeled history share events that happened to the Israelites. Their purpose is not to just tell us history. Their purpose is to show us God at work in the people group of Israel* and to help us understand that God has an active hand in the lives of His people.
Also called the wisdom books, the five books of poetry focus on the individual and their need for a relationship with God. These books cover every emotion we have. They are mostly made up of poetry and wise saying written by men. They are focused on helping us make wise decisions and showing us how to worship God.
The major prophets and minor prophets are books of warning. In them, the prophets are cautioning the people against disrespecting God. They help us to see where God’s heart was and how He continued to warn and work with the people even as they continued to get farther and farther away from Him. The difference between the major and minor prophet books is their length.
The New Testament starts with the birth of Jesus and goes through the end of time.
The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. They tell about the birth of Jesus, what He did while on this earth, how He died, and why. They were written to share the good news of Jesus and His plan of salvation. The word Gospel is translated from Greek and means Good News.
The Epistles are letters written to both Christian individuals and churches. They were written to discuss certain issues and to encourage the people to follow Christ and to stay on the right path. Some Epistles discuss problems in the church and encourage them to return to the truth and proper living. Many of these letters were written by the Apostle Paul (read more about him here)
While most people assume they should start reading on page one at the very beginning of the Bible, it is probably better to start with the New Testament. Doing this will give you a clear understanding of what the Gospel is, what Jesus did for you, and how our lives are different once we become Christians. It also gives us encouragement and real life steps to take to have a better faith walk.
No matter what your concern or interest, there is a portion of Bible that speaks to that.
I encourage you to take some time and spend it in God’s word today. There is so much to learn, so much love to receive, so much wisdom to be gained.
By doing so, your life will be changed for the better in so many ways!
*Please be aware in this context, Israel means the descendants of Israel (formerly known as Jacob), not the current country of Israel. While it’s true that country is in the area where the Israelites lived, it is also true there is a much larger political and historical context concerning the current country of Israel.
Want to learn more about how to study the bible and why it’s important? Visit my page called How to Study the Bible