In the article “How Do You Choose A Bible?”, we discussed things to think about as you buy a Bible. But what is a Bible? How is it organized? What kind of information is in it?
- Bible Organization
The Bible is a book of books. The Bible has 66 books inside it. The books are organized into an Old Testament and a New Testament. A testament, as used in the Bible, is a covenant (or promise) between God and the human race (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testament, accessed 6/25/22). The Old Testament is a covenant between God and Abraham, and then by extension, to the Israelite people, where the Israelites were to obey God and keep His laws and He would bless and protect them. In the New Testament, God changed the covenant, where He provides the only way to salvation (not through obeying laws but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sins. Let’s look at each one and what’s included in each.
- Old Testament
There are 39 books in the Old Testament. In your Bible, the Old Testament is generally found first. The 39 books of the Old Testament are:
| Genesis | 1 Kings | Ecclesiastes | Obadiah |
| Exodus | 2 Kings | Song of Solomon | Jonah |
| Leviticus | 1 Chronicles | Isaiah | Micah |
| Numbers | 2 Chronicles | Jeremiah | Nahum |
| Deuteronomy | Ezra | Lamentations | Habakkuk |
| Joshua | Nehemiah | Ezekiel | Zephaniah |
| Judges | Esther | Daniel | Haggai |
| Ruth | Job | Hosea | Zechariah |
| 1 Samuel | Psalms | Joel | Malachi |
| 2 Samuel | Proverbs | Amos |
In those 66 books, there are several types of literature:
Law (also called Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Wisdom (or Poetry): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea
Minor prophets: Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
The books of the law are the first 5 books of the Old Testament. Each of these books also contains some history as well. Genesis describes the origin of all creation, the origin of sin in the world, God’s judgment of sin via the worldwide flood and preserving Noah and his family on the ark, the dispersion of people at Babel, God’s covenant with Abraham (the Old Testament), and the early history of Abraham’s family. Exodus describes God’s saving work for His people as He freed them and led them out of Egypt. Exodus is also where the Ten Commandments are given along with other commands (laws) from God. Leviticus contains God’s instructions to the Levites – the tribe of Israel He chose to be His priests. The book of Numbers, as its name implies, contains a census and family tree information of the early Israelite nation. Numbers also describes the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Deuteronomy records Moses’ words to the Israelites to explain God’s law in more detail.
The books of history are specifically devoted to the nation of Israel. The book of Joshua describes Israel’s entry into the Promised Land and the conquests of the people who lived there under Joshua’s leadership. Judges records the history of the period of time in Israel’s history when they were led by a judge chosen by God to lead or deliver Israel from its enemies. The book of Ruth is the story of a foreigner who arrived in Bethlehem and became a servant. She then married Boaz who was in the lineage of Christ. 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel describe the transformation of Israel from being led by judges to a kingdom led first by Saul, then David, and Solomon. The books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings describe the leadership of the kings of Israel and what happened to Israel during each king’s reign. 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles also include Israelite history like 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Ezra is a book describing Israel’s return from captivity in Babylon; Ezra was the priest at the time. Nehemiah describes the same time period following Israel’s return from Babylon; Nehemiah was governor of Jerusalem at the time. Finally, the book of Esther details the queen of the Persian empire, an Israelite, who helps Israel overcome a plot to eradicate them. Esther also occurs about the time of Israel’s return from Babylon.
The first book in wisdom/poetry is Job, a story about Job, a servant of God, whose faith was tested yet he remained faithful to God. Psalms is the longest book in the Bible with 150 chapters and contains praises, laments, and prayers. Proverbs contains simple, moral statements or illustrations about life. Many of the Proverbs were written by Solomon, the wisest King of Israel. Ecclesiastes, also written by Solomon, recounts his evaluation of life and advises the reader to live by the revealed wisdom of God rather than worldly wisdom. Song of Solomon is a book of wisdom about abstinence and lustful acts outside of marriage. It proclaims the virtues of marital affection and romance.
The major and minor prophet books describe the prophets who were sent by God to the kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and others to warn them about upcoming judgment and other messages from God. The major prophets are called ‘major’ based on the length of the book – it is no reflection on the importance of the message from God or the prophet. Likewise, the books of the minor prophets are shorter writings.
- New Testament
There are 27 books in the New Testament. In your Bible, the New Testament is generally found later, after the Old Testament. The 27 books of the New Testament are
| Matthew | Ephesians | Hebrews |
| Mark | Philippians | James |
| Luke | Colossians | 1 Peter |
| John | 1 Thessalonians | 2 Peter |
| Acts | 2 Thessalonians | 1 John |
| Romans | 1 Timothy | 2 John |
| 1 Corinthians | 2 Timothy | 3 John |
| 2 Corinthians | Titus | Jude |
| Galatians | Philemon | Revelation |
Like the Old Testament, there are several types of literature in the New Testament:
Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
History: Acts
Epistles (Letters) of Paul: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
General Epistles (Letters): Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
Prophecy: Revelation
The Gospels were written by Apostles or people closely associated with the Apostles and are eyewitness accounts of the life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
There is one history book in the New Testament: Acts. It contains eyewitness accounts of the Acts of the Apostles and the early church. Several chapters are devoted to Paul’s journeys and ministry throughout the region.
The Apostle Paul was a very prolific writer, having written nearly half (13) of the New Testament books. His letters or epistles were sent to churches or individuals in the region to provide encouragement, correction where needed, and to teach correct doctrine.
The General Epistles are letters written by authors other than the Apostle Paul. The book of Hebrews addresses Jewish Christians and contrasts the Old and New Covenants. The book of James was written by the half-brother of Jesus to dispersed Jewish believers. 1 Peter was written to encourage Christians who were being persecuted at the time and discusses how to live victoriously through the persecution, keeping their faith strong in Jesus. 2 Peter exposes false teachers in the early church and teaches the church how to defend against the false teachers and their lies. 1 John was written by the Apostle John and is an excellent treatment of the fundamentals of the faith, in the light of fighting false teachers in the early church. 2 John also deals with false teachers in the early church, and is addressed to a specific person or possibly a church group (“To the elect lady and her children”). 3 John was written to a specific person, Gaius, and addresses proper standards of Christian hospitality and condemnation for failing to meet those standards. Finally, the book of Jude, written by another half-brother of Jesus, addresses apostasy in the early church.
There is one book of prophecy in the New Testament: Revelation. The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John while in exile on the island of Patmos and contains prophecies about the return of Jesus and the end times.
In the next article, we’ll continue talking about the Bible, starting with the origin of the Bible.