This introduction to the Bible is part of a greater work done by Zondervan Press in the NIV-Reflecting God Study Bible.
"I think I've figured it out," said Joel. "The Bible is like an anthology, of writings by different authors, all bound in one volume.
"That's correct. Let me explain...."
Our Christian Bibles actually contain two collections of materials, bound in a single volume. Both collections are regarded as divinely inspired and, properly interpreted, authoritative in matters of faith and doctrine.
The first is called the Old Testament (OT). Originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, it contains the Scriptures of God's chosen people, the Jews. The second is called the New Testament (NT). Originally written in Greek, it contains Christian writings from the first century, the era of Jesus' life and ministry and the beginnings of the church.
While all Christian Bibles contain exactly the same books in the NT, they differ somewhat in the OT. Most Protestant Bibles are identical in content with the Hebrew Bible of the Jewish people. The two do vary, however, in the names and ordering of the books.
The books of the Hebrew Bible are arranged in three major groupings: the Law (or, Torah), the Prophets and the Writings. Christian Bibles arrange the books as follows: the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Poetical Books and the Prophets.
Roman Catholic editions of the OT contain the same books as do the Protestant Bibles, plus seven others (and additions to Daniel and Ester). The Greek Orthodox Church adds four more.
These additional books come from the Greek Bible, called the Septuagint, used by the first-century church. Though not regarded by Protestants as canonical (i.e., inspired and authoritative), they are included in some modern editions of the Bible. Labeled as the Apocrypha or the Deuterocanonical books, they are usually placed between the OT and NT since most of them have their origins in the "intertestamental" period. Scholars regard these books as important to understanding the immediate historical backgrounds to the NT.
"Interesting," Joel said, interrupting me. "Could you tell me more about the OT books?"
"Sure. I'll introduce them by categories."
The Old Testament (OT)
"These books are foundational to al the rest."
Genesis is the book of "beginnings." In the early chapters (1—11), Genesis tells about the beginnings of the earth, depicting God as the Creator of all things. It describes his creation of human beings and represents both male and female as made in the "image of God." It also reports the "fall" of humanity into sin by an act of disobedience to God, and the consequences of sin. The bulk of the book (chs. 12—50) narrates the lives of he patriarchs ("first fathers"): Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his son Joseph, showing God at work through them to call out and redeem a people unto Himself.
Exodus tells how God reveals Himself to His people Israel (the descendants of Jacob) as their Deliverer, redeeming them from bondage. This "mighty act" and the revelation of God's power to save are fundamental to both Jewish and Christianfaith.
Leviticus reveals God as the "Holy One." His salvation has a goal: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." This expectation and appeal apply to both the people of Israel and Christian believers (Lev 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15).
The third book is called Numbers because twice in it a census or numbering of the people takes place. The book also contains the story of Israel's wanderings "in the wilderness" (the title of the book in the Hebrew Bible) en route to the promised land. The generation who experienced God's deliverance from Egypt failed to enter because of unbelief and rebellion. The NT, on the basis of this story, exhorts Christian believers, "Be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it" (Heb 4:1).
Deuteronomy involves the reiteration or renewal of the covenant between God and the next generation, those who entered the promised land. Its clear stipulation of the terms of God's covenant provides all subsequent Biblical writers (particularly the historians and prophets of the OT) a basis for judging human conduct in the light of God's law.
Historical Books
The Historical Books (Joshua—Esther) constitute nearly one-third of the OT.
Israel's earliest historians appear to have drawn on written documents as well as oral traditions in constructing their narrative of the past. Specific reference is made, for example, to "the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer" (1 Chron 29:29), "the book of the annals of Solomon" (1 Kings 11:41), "the book of the annals of the kings of Judah" (1 Kings 14:29), "the book of the annals of the kings of Israel" (1 Kings 16:5), and "the annotations on the book of kings" (2 Chron 24:27). Presumably these historians also made use of varied lists available to them—genealogies, records of populations and towns, and administrative documents (especially from the era of the kings)—such as letters, reports, and palace and temple records.
Scholars trace through the OT two larger connected narrative of Israel's history. The first (Joshua-2 Kings), is labeled the "Deuteronomistic History" since Deuteronomy serves as the flagship for the work's governing theological perspectives. This narrative of Israel's history portrays life in the promised land as a constant struggle to remain obedient to God's covenant. ultimately, Israel fails and falls under divine judgment: The nation and Davidic monarchy collapse; the temple is destroyed; the people go into exile.
The second history was written at the time of Israel's restoration from exile. Called by scholars the "Chronicler's History," it is contained in 1-2 Chronicles and may have included Ezra-Nehemiah. This version of Israel's history parallels Genesis-2 Kings, from Adam through the Davidic monarchy to the return from exile. The Chronicler points to David as the archetypal king and religious leader. While narrating Israel's failure and judgment, he envisions a future in which God's people live in holy community.
"You need to know, Joel, how important history is to understanding the Bible," I continued.
The Bible does not contain a comprehensive account of all human history. The line of persons and events it traces is called by scholars the "history of salvation." It is a narrative that begins with Israel and leads to Christ; details his incarnation, death and resurrection; reports the establishment of the church; and concludes with prophecies concerning the End. This narrative reveals not only what God has done and said but also includes a record of how people (including Israel) have responded.
A knowledge of Biblical history is important to a proper understanding of the books contained in it. They were not written in a vacuum, and each presumes and reflects particular historical circumstances. In large measure the message of the Bible is conveyed to us in the form of historical narrative. Moreover, a key aspect of its theology is based on and derives from the story of how—from Genesis to Revelation—God has been at work to save fallen humanity; to call forth a holy people as witnesses to His grace, power and holiness; and to establish His rule and reign on the earth.
Poetical Books
"Click HERE for a good introduction source to the Wisdom Literature. Here we will look at only a few comments on this category of books, as well as the Psalms.
The so-called "Poetical Books" include two major kinds of literature. Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes belong to an ancient tradition known as "Wisdom Literature." The Psalm and the Song of Songs, as music literature, represent another tradition.
Psalm—the "centerpiece of the Bible"—is a hymnbook, a collection of the best worship materials Israel produce during the period of its OT history. The Psalms have been extensively used throughout the history of the Christian church, in both public and private worship.
The Prophets
In Christian Bibles, the "major" prophets are first presented, followed by 12 "minor" prophets (at the end of the OT). These titles refer not to significance but to length (see note on the 12 minor prophets).
The major (i.e., longer) prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Lamentations is attached to (and follows) Jeremiah, because Jeremiah is the presumed author of this book too. Daniel, like the book of Revelation, contains apocalyptic visions of the future; in the English Bible, it too is attached to the major prophets.
All of the prophets were spokesmen of God and applied God's word to the spiritual issues of their times (which were considerable, and not unlike many of those of our own day). They also predicted future consequences and divine actions. The NT claims that some of these were fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Other prediction are still outstanding (i.e., future), such as Isaiah 65:17-25.
An understanding of the historical context of each prophet's ministry is important to a proper interpretation of his message.
"How about the New Testament?" asked Joel, prompting me onward....
The New Testament
All Christian Bibles—Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant—contain exactly the same NT books. Further, in modern editions, all use the following arrangement: The (four) Gospels and Acts, followed by the Pauline Letters and General (non-Pauline) Letters, and finally Revelation. The bulk of the NT (21 of 27 "books") consists of letters (the Greek term is "epistles"), 13 of which were written by the apostle Paul. Most of them are addressed to churches, a few to individuals. Acts provides background information for many of these letters.
The letters in the NT are not ordered chronologically, but rather on the basis of length. Thus, Romans is first among the Pauline Letters, because it is the longest, and Philemon is last, as the shortest. Similarly, Hebrews is first among the General (non-Pauline) Letters, and Jude is last. (Note: A second letter written to the same addressee is always attached to the first.)
"Where can I find more information about the NT books?" asked Joel.
"Perhaps the following references and comments will help...."
The Gospels and Acts
"These books are foundational to the NT and Christian faith. Thus a special introduction to "The Synoptic Gospels" can be found HERE.
The Pauline Letters
Listed chronologically, Paul's 13 letters may be grouped into four categories, as follows.
Early (AD 50-52): Galatians; 1,2 Thessalonians
Major: 1,2 Corinthians; Romans
Prison: Philippians; Colossians; Philemon; Ephesians (exact order uncertain)
Pastoral (post-Acts): 1 Timothy; Titus; 2 Timothy
The listed order and dating of Galatians is based on the "South Galatian theory" (see introduction to the letter in theNIV-Reflecting God Study Bible by Zondervan). It assumes that this letter was written to the churches, all located in the Roman province of Galatia, that Paul had established on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). According to this view, Paul wrote Galatians shortly after returning home to Antioch and prior to going up to Jerusalem for the Council in Acts 15. (This theory resolves apparent conflicts between the historical accounts of Acts and Galatians.)
The dating of the Pastoral Letters presumes the hypothesis of a second Roman imprisonment. According to this view, following the ending of Acts (where Paul is a Roman prisoner), he was released for a period of further travel and ministry and then brought back into Roman custody to face trial and death. This would explain his reference to a "first defense" in 2 Timothy 4:16-17, at which time, he says, "I was delivered from the lion's mouth." (This theory also resolves numerous historical conflicts that arise in trying to "fit" these letters into the account of Acts.)
The scholarly reasons for treating Hebrews as non-Pauline are presented in the Introduction of the letter to the Hebrews in the NIV-Reflecting God Study Bible by Zondervan.
The General Letters and Revelation
"Because of the detail involved in discussing the General Letters and the unique nature of Revelation, a special introduction is provided in the NIV-Reflecting God Study Bible by Zondervan.
"I'll conclude, Joel, with this comment...."
The first and last books of the Bible serve as "book ends" to the entire collection: Whereas Genesis narrates the—divinely initiated—beginning of all things, Revelation portrays the—divinely concluded—end of all things.
