“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
THE BIBLE IS NOT A SCIENCE TEXTBOOK
While the Bible explains a lot, it should not be grouped in with your average school textbook. In short, the Bible is God’s word. It is the experience of men & women of God who through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, have documented their history as it pertains to God. It consists of 66 books, written by multiple authors, over a span of roughly 1,500 years. The oldest book is said to be either Genesis or Job, with the latest being the book of Revelation. While the Torah was compiled over thousands of years and was preserved for many more years, the New Testament was written in a span of 50 years, from AD 44 to AD 90-95.
The Playbook
Think of the Bible as your “playbook”. Think about it; you wouldn’t be able to get in the game if you didn’t know any of the plays. The Bible is essentially like this. Study the playbook so that you will be prepared for the game, and when coach throws a wrinkle in the game plan, you will still be ready because you’ve studied all that you need to.
Just like most playbooks, the Bible is compiled in parts. Although the letters weren’t written in sequential order, the entirety of each book reads as one complete thought. God uses the authors of scripture to guide us through his involvement throughout history, and to point at His Son Jesus.
Here we will explain the contents of the Bible, and categorize what each book focuses on as it pertains to God’s word:
THE OLD TESTAMENT
LAW
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
HISTORY
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
POETRY
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
PROPHETS
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekial
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi