Bible Overview: The Books of the Bible
The Bible is a library of sixty-six books in the Protestant canon, written over many centuries by many authors, mostly in Hebrew and Greek, with a few chapters in Aramaic. It has two parts. The Old Testament, thirty-nine books, begins with creation and follows the people of Israel. The New Testament, twenty-seven books, tells of Jesus and the first churches. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include several further books in the Old Testament.
Inside each part, books are grouped by kind. The Old Testament runs from the Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy) through the books of History and the books of poetry and wisdom to the Prophets. The New Testament opens with the four Gospels, continues with Acts, gathers the letters, and closes with Revelation. Once you know this shape, it is far easier to find a passage and to see how one book leads into the next.
Bible Overview is the place to start. It begins with how the books are arranged, then follows the big story in order: creation and the patriarchs, the exodus, the judges and kings, exile and return, the psalms and prophets, the life of Jesus, the early church and the letters. After that it goes book by book from the Law to Revelation, often starting from a book's opening verse. In Your Bible App, it all comes as short, fun rounds that make the big story stick.
Key people
Abraham
Called to leave his homeland, he received God's promise that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.
Moses
He led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and received the law at Mount Sinai.
David
The shepherd who became Israel's king, remembered for his psalms and for God's promise to his family line.
Jesus
The center of the New Testament, whose life, death and resurrection the four Gospels record.
Paul
An early follower of Jesus who carried the message across the Roman world and wrote many of the New Testament letters.
Themes
God the Creator
The Bible opens with God making the heavens and the earth, and that claim stands behind everything that follows.
Covenant and promise
God binds Himself to people by covenant, from Noah and Abraham to Israel at Sinai and the new covenant.
Rescue
Again and again God rescues His people, from the exodus out of Egypt to the saving work of Jesus.
The kingdom of God
From Israel's kings to Jesus' preaching of the kingdom, the Bible keeps asking who truly reigns.
Key verses
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
Bible Overview quiz: sample questions
Which of these is true about the book of Proverbs?
- It is a letter Paul wrote to a church
- It is a book of the Old Testament
- It is one of the Gospels about Jesus' life
- It tells the story of Noah and the flood
- It tells of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem
- It is the last book of the Bible
Show the answer
Answer: It is a book of the Old Testament
Why: Proverbs is an Old Testament book of short sayings about living wisely, and it opens by naming Solomon. It is grouped with the Bible's books of poetry and wisdom.
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
Which of these stories is told in Genesis, the first book of the Bible?
- God creates the heavens and the earth
- Jesus is born in Bethlehem
- Daniel is thrown into the lions' den
- Moses leads Israel out of Egypt
- David fights Goliath
- Paul sails to Rome
Show the answer
Answer: God creates the heavens and the earth
Why: Genesis, the Bible's first book, tells of creation, the garden of Eden, Noah and the flood, and the call of Abraham. The story of Moses and the escape from Egypt begins in the next book, Exodus.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Which of these is among the ten plagues of Egypt in Exodus?
- Snow burying the crops
- A flood that covered all Egypt
- Locusts
- An earthquake that swallowed Pharaoh
- Lions roaming the streets
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Answer: Locusts
Why: Exodus tells of ten plagues that struck Egypt before Pharaoh let Israel go. Frogs, hail, locusts and darkness are four of them.
So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
Which of these places is named in Matthew's account of Jesus' birth?
- Bethlehem
- Ararat
- Rome
- Nineveh
- Athens
- Corinth
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Answer: Bethlehem
Why: Matthew says Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, and that visitors from the east came to Jerusalem asking where he was. Athens, Corinth and Rome belong to much later events, in the travels of Paul.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
Which of these books of the Bible are letters?
- Isaiah
- Philippians
- Joshua
- Psalms
- Genesis
Show the answer
Answer: Philippians
Why: Many New Testament books are letters written to churches or to groups of believers, and they open with a greeting from the writer.
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Bible?
The Protestant Bible has sixty-six books: thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include several more Old Testament books. The Bible Overview study follows the sixty-six-book Protestant arrangement.
What are the main sections of the Bible?
The Old Testament is usually grouped as the Law, History, Poetry and Wisdom, and the Prophets. The New Testament is grouped as the Gospels, Acts, the Letters and Revelation.
What is the difference between the Old and New Testaments?
The Old Testament was written before the time of Jesus and tells of creation and of God's dealings with Israel. The New Testament tells of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and of the first churches.
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