Breaking down the books of the Bible

BY MADELEINE ROSTAMI

Here are the books of the Christian Bible that are considered the canon according to most traditions. It should be noted that Catholics often recognize more books in the Old Testament, and the Hebrew Bible is organized differently than the Old Testament.

Old Testament

Pentateuch

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

The first five books outline the Law of Moses, putting forward a set of moral codes and societal laws to live by. Traditionally thought to be written by Moses himself, scholars now believe they were written by many people.

History

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

The Historical books explore the history of the land of Israel. Spanning around 800 years, they cover the tribes and kingdoms in Israel, the division into the northern and southern Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and the central role the Temple played in religious life.

Poetry

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

This section contains a variety of genres, including love poetry, devotional poetry, and Wisdom Literature, a genre that was common across the Near East and is the character Miriam’s field of study.

The Prophets (sometimes split with Major and Minor Prophets)

Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Featuring prophecies on the large and small scale, they tell of the coming of disaster and of salvation. They also outline ways to interpret prophetic news and move towards a bright future.

New Testament

Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

The Gospels are four accounts of the Christian message that seeks to tell readers about Jesus of Nazareth and build his significance. The gospel, meaning The Good News in ancient Greek, is storytelling with the intent to spread the work and teachings of Jesus.

History of the Church

The Acts of the Apostles

Abbreviated as Acts, this book provides a history of the early Christian church, documenting the gradual spread of the faith throughout the Gentile world and also of the divergence from Jewish traditions. It closely tracks the missionary work of Paul, offering context for his letters in the following books.

Letters

Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude

These are mostly letters (or treatises that loosely follow the form of letters) that outline Christian teaching. Many of the letters are attributed to Paul and his disciples, referred to as the Pauline letters.

Prophecy

Revelation

The final book of the Christian Bible, this encourages the Christian people to remain faithful, even in the face of persecution, as a means of finding ultimate salvation. Subject to varied interpretation, some believe that events described in this book have already happened while others believe the events are the end times yet to come.