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Bibles, Bible FactsLuke 4:4 It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God. For Christians, the Bible is considered the written word of God. Inspired by God, but written by human beings with divine assistance. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Learn more about inductive bible study The Bible consists of 66 different books that were written over a 1,600 year period. The Old Testament is made up of 39 books, and there are 27 books in the New Testament. The Hebrew Bible has the same text as the English Bible's Old Testament, but it is arranged differently. What the Christian Bible refers to as the Pentateuch, the Jewish people call the Torah, or Law, since the Law from God given to Moses is in that collection of books. The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew, with a little Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. The sacred texts of the Torah were translated into Greek in 250BC, by seventy Jewish Scholars working around the clock for seventy days. Before printing presses were invented, the Bible was copied by hand, very carefully and very accurately. In many cases by special scribes who had developed intricate methods of counting words and letters for checking their work, to insure that no errors had been made.
The Bible was the first book ever printed on a printing press with moveable type. Gutenberg Press, 1455, the Latin Bible The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the astonishing reliability of some of the copies of the Old Testament. Only some minor variations of spelling but absolutely no variations that affected basic Bible doctrine. In 100AD, Jerusalem officially rejected both the Greek language of the text and the seven extra books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, which had been added by the pope in Rome, to the Christian Bible. To this date the Catholic Bible still includes those seven deuterocanonical/apocryphal books, first listed in the Septuagint Bible and later translated into the Latin Vulgate.
Bible Study Lessons - In depth Bible study lessons for skeptics to long life Christians, covering a wide range of topics including the different Christian denominations, the book of Revelation, Rapture and Tribulation, and Salvation.
As previously stated, the first five books are “The Law”. Referred to as the Pentateuch or the Torah. The Law contains stories about the creation of the world, the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the children of Israel in Egypt, the Exodus, and the forty years that the children of Israel spent in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. These books also record the law that God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai, which included the commandments, regulations for sacrifice, worship and daily living. These five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Next we have the 12 History Books of God's Word. They cover the stories of conquest of the Promised Land, the many times of disobedience towards God, the listings of Kings and rulers. Also, nations, kingdoms and the invasions. Than back into exile and the return from exile. These 12 History Books are; Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. God even inspired five books of poetry and wisdom. These include hymns, proverbs, poems and dramas. They illustrate how the people of Israel expressed themselves. These five books are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. The Old Testament closes out with the five major and twelve Minor Prophets. They are only referred to as major and minor because of the length of their books, not their message. These seventeen books are filled with warnings of judgments, both immediate and future, as well as messages of hope. These books are: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
There are 27 books in the New Testament. All were written after Jesus short life on this earth. The first four books are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They each have a different style to communicate the good news of God’s plan for a Savior, through the life, ministry, death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts, also written by Luke, is a record of actions of the followers of Jesus Christ after the resurrection. The out flowing of the Holy Spirit and the missionary efforts of the early followers as they spread the good news message of the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. The next 13 books of the New Testament were all written by the apostle Paul. They are all letters, (epistles) to churches, pastors and friends to help guide, correct and encourage them. Most of the letters, or books, address specific questions or problems. They are: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. The following eight books were written by other apostles and leaders, addressed to the early Christians to provide encouragement through persecution, guidance, and warnings of false teachings. These eight books are; Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. The very last book is the book that most people don’t like to read. Prophecy is definitely a part of Revelation, with all of the colorful imagery, metaphors and symbolism. But John begins by making a profound statement: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” He wants to show that all revelation ultimately comes from Jesus Christ since He is the fullness of revelation of God the Father here on earth. John’s Gospel begins with “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God….and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14) Therefore, Jesus, the Word made flesh, is the revelation of the Father in His very person.
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