Numbers follows the Israelites as they wander in the desert. Numbers has… numbers. But it also includes the story of a talking donkey, water flowing from a rock and quail raining out of the sky. What makes Numbers special? The title “Numbers” comes from the Greek ( Arithmoi )… Read More

The last words are often the most important. Deuteronomy is a collection of Moses’ last words to the Israelites before he died and they entered the Promised Land. What makes Deuteronomy special? The name Deuteronomy comes from a Greek word meaning “second law.” Those who prepared the Greek version… Read More

Home sweet home. In the book of Joshua, the Israelites finally reach their home, the Promised Land of Canaan. Led by Joshua, the tribes conquer and settle their new land. What makes Joshua unique? At the close of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses and the people of Israel were… Read More

From Deborah, the first female judge, to Samson, the man with supernatural strength, the book of Judges tells the story of the nation of Israel before they united under a king. What makes Judges special? Judges is part of the great story, from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings, that tells… Read More

Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. They mean that Luke took the parable Luke 10.30-35 and told it as a story with a direct message about correct behavior. Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. By this… Read More

The final nine books of the New Testament are written in a number of styles by different writers. The first eight (Hebrews through Jude) are often referred to as the “General Letters.” Some of these are clearly written in letter form, similar to the style of Paul’s letters. The… Read More

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) present various accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Acts gives a detailed report of what happened to some of Jesus’ early followers as they carried the message about Jesus from Jerusalem to the other areas of the Roman Empire. Read More

Christians call the Old Testament books that follow the Pentateuch, beginning with Joshua and ending with Esther, the Historical Books. These books describe Israel’s history as a people in the land of Canaan. The final book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, ends with the tribes of Israel camped in… Read More

The “Pentateuch” is a term used to describe the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis—Deuteronomy). In the Jewish Scriptures these books are referred to as the Law, or Torah, a Hebrew word that means “guide” or “instruction”. The “Pentateuch” is a term used to describe the first… Read More

The books beginning with Isaiah and ending with Malachi belong to a section of the Christian Bible called the Prophetic Books. These books record God’s messages to the people of Israel and Judah in the form of speeches or sermons, visions, and life experiences of prophets who preached between about… Read More