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Posts Tagged ‘Books of the Bible’

Building Biblical Literacy in 2016 – Bible Overview

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Biblical Literacy, Books of the Bible, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on January 5, 2016|

The Bible consists of 66 separate books written by 40 different authors over 1,600 years.

The Bible is divided into two parts, known as testaments. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.

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The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with some portions in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.

The Old Testament is divided into five sections, namely The Law, The History, The Wisdom and Poetry, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The New Testament is divided into five sections, namely, the Gospels, the History of the early Church (the Book of Acts), the Pauline Epistles, the General Epistles and Prophecy (the Book of Revelation).

Knowing more about the Bible makes the Bible just a little bit easier to understand and study. This series of posts is designed to make the Bible smaller and more manageable for you to study day by day, line upon line and precept upon precept. (Isaiah 28:10)

1. What is the first book of the Bible?

2. What is the last book of the Old Testament?

3. What is the first book of the New Testament?

4. What is the last book of the Bible?

 

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Quiet in our daily lives

Posted in Bible, Devotional, Exhortation, New Testament, Paul's Epistles, Prayer, Timothy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 12, 2011|

Is your life crazy busy?  Do you have a husband, kids, grandkids a house, a job, another job or just commitments?  We live busy lives, spent rushing from one thing to the next with little time for spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, Bible study or simply listening to God.

In his letter to Timothy in 1Timothy 2:1-4, Paul offers some ideas on how to have “quiet” in our daily lives, and he provides the rationale for doing so.  “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

How do I have “quiet”?

  • Supplications (humble prayer, entreaty, or petition)
  • Prayers (a spiritual communion with God)
  • Intercessions (a prayer to God on behalf of another)
  • Giving thanks for all men, for kings and all who are in authority
Why is this important?
Paul offers the following by way of reason for seeking to lead “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence:”
  • It is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior
The center of living the quiet and peaceable life is relationship with the Father, through the finished work of the Son.  We can come boldly to the throne of grace because of Jesus, our High Priest.

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More Proverbs on the Tongue

Posted in Bible, Books of the Bible, Genesis, God, Old Testament, Proverbs, Tongue, tagged , , , , , , , on July 26, 2010|

As we discussed in the last post, there is much to be learned in the Bible about the tongue, the lips, words, how we speak and related topics.  Last time, we looked at Proverbs 12,  and in Proverbs 15, we find more wisdom on this subject:

  • Gentle words can help diminish another’s anger  – “A soft answer turns away wrath, but  a harsh word stirs up anger.”  verse 1
  • Wise people use their speech to convey knowledge, but fools speak nonsense – “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.”  verse 2   See also verse 7.
  • A those who speak health and benefit bring life, but those who speak perversion sap energy and enthusiasm – “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”  verse 4

The words that we speak and the way that we speak them can bring life or they can cause death and despair.  Shall we speak life or death.  It is a choice.  If we model our speech after our great God, we will speak life.  Consider the following examples:

  • Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  Gen. 1:3
  • Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.  Gen. 1:9
  • Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.  Gen. 1:11
  • Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.   Gen. 1:14-15.
  • Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.  Gen. 1:24
  • Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. John 11:43-44
  • Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Matt. 12:13
  • He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”   And he arose and departed to his house.  Matt. 9:6-7

Beloved, may we speak as our master spoke, and bring life to our listeners.   May God teach us the power of the well-disciplined tongue, fully yielded and bringing forth only pure, sweet water and with that water, life!

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Bible Basics – Quiz 1 (Key)

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Books of the Bible, Old Testament, tagged , , , , on June 29, 2010|

If you were brave enough to take the Bible Basics – Quiz 1 yesterday, here is the key:

1.  Old Testament & New Testament

2.  Law, History, Wisdom & Poetry, Major Prophets, & Minor Prophets

3.  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy

4.  66

5.  39

6.  It has one coherent message of God’s plan for salvation.

7.  Hebrew

8.  2/3

9.  Numbers

10.  Proverbs

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Bible Basics – Quiz 1

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Books of the Bible, Old Testament, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 28, 2010|

You probably saw it coming.  Teachers have a deep-seated need to give quizzes and tests.  Here is your first quiz on Bible basics.  You don’t have to send me your score, but try to take the test first without looking at the earlier blog posts just to see how you can do.  I will post answers tomorrow, so you can get that reinforcement you need.

1.  What are the two major divisions of the Bible?

2.  What are the divisions of the Old Testament?

3.  What are the books of the Law?

4.  How many books are there in the Bible?

5.  How many books are in the Old Testament?

6.  What is true of the Bible despite its many different books written by different authors at different times?

7.  In what language was the Old Testament written?

8.  What fractional part of the Bible does the Old Testament make up?

9.  What book in the Old Testament talks about the wanderings of the Israelites?

10.  What book in the Old Testament is sometimes called the book of wisdom?

Answers will be in tomorrow’s post.

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Bible Basics – New Testament (General Epistles and Revelation)

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, General Epistles, Hebrews, James, New Testament, Revelation, tagged , , , , on June 22, 2010|

The Bible, as we have discussed is divided into two parts:  Old Testament and New Testament.  There are 66 books in the Bible with 40 different authors, but one consistent message – God’s plan to save sinful man.  In the New Testament, there are 27 books which are divided into the following sections:  Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Early Church History (Acts), Letters from Paul (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon), General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John and Jude), and Revelation.

The Epistles are listed below each with a brief description or its content or focus.

Hebrews (Illustrates the superiority of Christ over the old covenant.  The author of Hebrews is unknown, but many believe it was Paul.  The audience was the Hebrew  believers.)

James (Anyone who has studied the book of James knows that it pulls no punches.  In this epistle to the Jewish believers, James lays out clearly what it means to live a life of faith and to evaluate one’s own faith honestly in light of scripture.)

1 Peter (Letter from Peter to all Christians that discusses the issues of holiness, submission and suffering.)

2 Peter (Letter from Peter to all Christians to warn against the danger of false teachers and exhorts the believers to grow in the true knowledge of Christ.)

1 John (Letter from John to all Christians.  The key themes found in this book are love in Christ and fellowship with God.)

2 John (Letter from John to the Elect Lady while John was in Ephesus.  The letter reminds the reader to walk in love and beware of false teachers.)

3 John (Letter from John to Gaius.  The letter thanks Gaius for his support of the gospel and criticizes Diotrephes for his pride.)

Jude (The final letter in the General Epistles written by Jude to all Christians.  The letter warns against heresy and false teachers and exhorts believers to contend earnestly for the faith.)

The final book of the Bible is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation (This books includes things which have been, which are and which are yet to be.  It gives hope to those who suffer persecution and provides a vision of Christ’s return.  It also gives good insights and images of what it is like in heaven.)

2Tim 3:14-17 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
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.

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

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Bible Basics (New Testament Overview)

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, New Testament, tagged , , on June 8, 2010|

The Bible, as we have been discussing, is made up of 2 testaments, the Old Testament and the New Testament.  It is important to remember that between the last prophet of the Old Testament (Malachi) and the coming of John the Baptist, the forerunner for the Messiah, Jesus, there were 400 years.  These are sometimes called the silent years because during them, God was silent.  He did not speak through any prophets, dreams or visions that are recorded for us.

The New Testament is also divided into sections which are:

  • Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
  • Early Church History (Acts)
  • Paul’s Epistles [Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews (maybe*)]
  • General Epistles [Hebrews (maybe*), James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2 & 3 John, and Jude)
  • Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation)

There are only 27  books in the New Testament compared to the 39 in the Old.  There are 9 or 10* authors compared to 30 authors of the Old Testament.  It was also written over a much shorter period of time than the Old Testament.

*Paul is believed by some, but not all, to be the author of Hebrews.

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Bible Basics (Part 6)

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, Old Testament, tagged , , , on June 7, 2010| 2 Comments »

In this 6th post in the series of “Bible Basics”, we continue coverage of the books of the Old Testament and their groupings.  The following is a summary of what has been covered previously:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The Books of Poetry and Wisdom consist of: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

The Major Prophets consist of: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel.

The final grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Minor Prophets which includes:

  • Hosea (Story of a prophet whom the LORD commands to marry an unfaithful prostitute presenting a picture of the unfaithful nation of Israel.)
  • Joel (The prophet warns  Judah of the coming day of the LORD and uses a recent locust infestation to draw the attention of the people to God’s coming judgment.)
  • Amos  (The prophet pronounces judgment on the surrounding countries and then Israel whom he calls to repent for their sins.)
  • Obadiah  (The prophet speaks of the judgment on Edom.)
  • Jonah  (The prophet refuses to go where he was sent to prophesy by the LORD, and as a result, he ends up in the belly of a great fish and then repents.  He later delivers the word of the LORD to Ninevah, and a great revival follows.)
  • Micah  (The prophet speaks of coming judgment against Israel and Judah for their corruption but promises fulfillment of God’s promise through a Messiah.)
  • Nahum  (The prophet pronounces judgment on Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire.)
  • Habakkuk  (The prophet tells the people that the just shall live by faith and God is in control and the wicked will not prosper forever.)
  • Zephaniah  (The prophet tries to motivate the nation of Judah to repent with prophecies of the coming Day of the LORD.)
  • Haggai  (The prophet tries to convince the people to make God a priority and finish building the temple.)
  • Zechariah  (The prophet also encourages the nation to complete the temple and speaks of the coming Messiah.)
  • Malachi  (Last word from the LORD for 400 years.  The prophet encourages the people to stop compromising and return to God with sincerity, so they can receive the blessing.)

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Bible Basics (Part 5)

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, Old Testament, Prophets, tagged , , , on May 28, 2010|

Continuing with our discussion of the Bible ands its organization and content, the following is a summary of what we covered in the last 4 posts on Bible Basics:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The Books of Poetry and Wisdom consist of:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

The next grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Major Prophets which include the following:

  • Isaiah [A prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah, Isaiah predicts God’s judgment on Judah was well as the surrounding countries and the world, but also promises a future salvation and restoration.  Many important Messianic prophecies (prophecies about Jesus) are found in this book.]
  • Jeremiah [A prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah also, Jeremiah declares the certain Judgment of God.  He also tells of God’s promise of a new covenant with His people.]
  • Lamentations [A series of 5 poems of lament by the prophet Jeremiah]
  • Ezekiel [A prophet to Israel in captivity in Babylon.  Ezekiel tells of the fate of Judah’s enemies and its future.]
  • Daniel [The book of Daniel includes some well-known Bible stories such as Daniel in the lion’s den and the three Hebrew boys in the firey furnace.  It also shows the future of the 5 world kingdoms and shows Israel during the period of Gentile power in the world.]

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Bible Basics (Part 4)

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, History, Law, Old Testament, Poetry and Wisdom, tagged , , on May 18, 2010|

Continuing with our discussion of the Bible and its organization and content, the following is a summary of what we covered in the last 3 posts on Bible Basics:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The third grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Books of Poetry and Wisdom which included the following:

  • Job (Is the story of a man who has everything, loses everything, doesn’t understand why, is visited and counseled by friends who are totally off base about God, and finally God has to show up and make it clear that He doesn’t have to explain anything.)
  • Psalms (The book of Psalms is the hymn (Him) book for the church.  It includes songs of worship, praise, repentance, and others that pour out the psalmist greatest fears and defeats.)
  • Proverbs (The book of Proverbs is sometimes called the book of “wisdom” because it contains proverbs which teach wisdom on any number of subject that affect the common man including marriage, raising children, handling wealth, handling poverty, adultery, and other issues in life.)
  • Ecclesiastes (The book of Ecclesiastes is believed to be  written by Solomon, and it reflects his search and study of the meaning of life.  His conclusion is that the only true source of meaning and fulfillment in life comes from God.)
  • Song of Solomon (This book, believed to be written by Solomon,  is actually a song which on the surface appears to be the love story of Solomon and his Shulamite bride.  It is often seen as having much to say about emotional love in the context of marriage, but it is also a picture of Jesus and His love for His bride.)

The books of poetry and wisdom do not follow a chronology or tell a history, rather they are superimposed on the history and show the struggles that men of faith like Job, David, Solomon and Asaph have in learning about God and how to draw closer to Him.  These books show us insights into their thinking, their emotions, how they deal with trials and opposition, and how they worshiped the God that they served.

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