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 “Old Testament” is the name Christians have given to the Jewish Scriptures and the first part of the Christian Bible. When the earliest Christians quoted from “Scripture,” they quoted from the Jewish Scriptures. The “Old Testament” is the name Christians have given to the Jewish Scriptures and the… 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

The Books of Wisdom and Poetry, Job through Song of Songs, make up the section of the Christian Bible that follows the Pentateuch and the Historical Books. The Books of Wisdom and Poetry, Job through Song of Songs, make up the section of the Christian Bible that follows the… Read More

The Hebrew Scriptures are the oldest section of the Bible. Find out how these Scriptures were collected and the genres that each book belongs to. The books in the Old Testament section of the Christian Bible are translations of the Hebrew Scriptures still used by the Jewish people… Read More

Christians often see Jesus in the figure of the merciful Samaritan in Luke’s gospel. Given the hostility between Jews and Samaritans in the first century, it would be ironic indeed if Luke’s Jesus, the ideal Jewish person — were at the same time the ideal, or good, Samaritan. Luke… Read More

The book of Ruth is a love story, a history and account of Jesus’s ancestors. Through the story of this young Moabite woman, the book brings a message of God’s love and redemption. What makes Ruth unique? The book of Ruth is set in the time of the judges,… Read More