Here are the notes from our first Introduction to the Bible class:

The Bible is comprised of 2 Testaments, known as the Old & New Testaments. The Old Testament contains 39 separate books/documents in our standard English translations and the New Testament contains 27 separate books/documents in our standard English translations.

Genesis: The accounts of the creation of the world, of Adam & Eve, the sin in the Garden of Eden, the flood of the world, the tower of Babel, the lives and promise of blessed offspring and special land to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.

Exodus: The life of Moses who was raised up to deliver Israel out of slavery in Egypt, departing through the Red Sea, to receive the covenant from God at Mt. Sinai.

Leviticus: The detailed stipulations given to Israel as to how they will conduct themselves while God is in their midst dwelling with them.

Numbers: The account of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and their subsequent wandering in the Sinai desert/wilderness for 40 years.

Deuteronomy: The giving again of God’s covenant to a new generation of Israelites before they enter the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.

Joshua: The account of Joshua leading Israel to conquest into the “promised land”.

Judges: Stories of Israel’s failure of truly conquering the “promised land”.

Ruth: Story during time of Judges of a Moabite woman who joins Israel and becomes descendant of the coming king David.

1 Samuel: History of Israel’s transition from Judges period to the reign of their first king, Saul.

2 Samuel: History of transition from Saul’s reign to David’s reign over Israel.

1 Kings: History of David’s son Solomon ruling as king, and then the kingdom dividing into 2 nations after Solomon’s death where we are introduced to the prophet Elijah, who is raised up to confront Israel’s idolatry.

2 Kings: History of mostly idolatrous kings from both nations, and Elisha taking over for Elijah, but ultimately both nations end up in captivity; northern Israel to Assyria and southern Judah to Babylon.

1 Chronicles: After a major collection of genealogies, another account of the life and reign of David over Israel.

2 Chronicles: Another account of Solomon’s reign over Israel, then the dividing of the kingdom, and then both nations being taken into captivity.

Ezra: How the Persians helped Israel to return from exile and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem under Zerubbabel and Ezra.

Nehemiah: How the Persians helped Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to lead the rebuilding of the city walls.

Esther: The story of an Israelite woman who becomes queen of the Mede/Persian Empire and helps her people evade genocide.

Job: The story of the righteous man Job, who is tested by God as he allows Satan to take away his land, family, and health to see if would curse God, and then contemplates his state of affairs with a few friends.

Psalms: The songbook of the Israelites, written mostly by Kings David and Solomon.

Proverbs: Book of wise sayings, penned mostly by King Solomon.

Ecclesiastes: The philosophical reflections of Solomon on the meaning of life on earth without and with the God of Israel.

Song of Songs: The intimate love songs between King Solomon and one of his beloved wives.

Isaiah: The collection of prophecies delivered Isaiah to kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of southern Judah, calling them to repentance, foretelling the coming exile and end-times restoration.

Jeremiah: The collection of prophecies delivered to Jeremiah to kings Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah of southern Judah, not only calling them to repentance and foretelling their end-times restoration, but also being taken into captivity with them.

Lamentations: Jeremiah’s mourning over the sacking and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

Ezekiel: The collection of Ezekiel’s visions while he is in exile in Babylon, in which he prophesies the judgment of the nations and the end-times restoration of Israel

Daniel: The story of Daniel’s captivity to Babylon and his prophetic visions of judgment for the nations and Israel’s end-times restoration.

Hosea: The collection of Hosea’s prophecies during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Jeroboam of southern Judah which is embodied by Hosea in taking a harlot for wife, portraying Judah’s idolatry.

Joel: The prophecy of Joel delivered to northern Israel which envisions a coming locust swarm and desolation/famine that is likened to the end-times “Day of the Lord”.

Amos: The visions of Amos during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam of southern Judah which foretells of the coming exile and end-times restoration.

Obadiah: Brief vision of Obadiah concerning the nation Edom and the “Day of the Lord”.

Jonah: The story of the prophet Jonah who was sent to prophesy against the Assyrian city Ninevah, but refuses to do so, and is swallowed by a great fish in the sea, and is then delivered by God to bring repentance to Ninevah.

Micah: The prophecies of Micah delivered during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of southern Judah regarding the coming exile and end-times restoration.

Nahum: The grim prophetic judgment of Nahum delivered to the Assyrian city Ninevah.

Habakkuk: The prophetic oracles of Habakkuk foretelling the coming exile upon southern Judah.

Zephaniah: The prophecies of Zephaniah delivered to King Josiah of southern Judah likening the coming their coming judgment/exile to the end-times “Day of the Lord”.

Haggai: The story of the prophet Haggai’s encouragement to the exiles who returned to rebuild Jerusalem under the Persians.

Zechariah: The prophecies of Zechariah during the return from exile concerning the end-times restoration that would come to the remnant of Israel.

Malachi: The prophecy of Malachi to the priestly leaders during the return from exile concerning their hypocrisy.

Matthew: The account by the apostle Matthew of how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the end-times prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel.

Mark: The account by Mark, aided by the apostle Peter, of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth as fulfillment of end-times prophecies concerning true Adam and true Humanity.

Luke: The investigative account by Luke, aided by the apostle Paul, of Jesus of Nazareth as the anointed Messiah of Israel and King of the Earth.

John: The account by the apostle John of Jesus of Nazareth as the incarnate God who has come to take away the sin of the world and give eternal life.

Acts: Luke’s account of the beginnings of the early church lead by the apostle Peter, and expanding under the apostle Paul to the greater Roman Empire.

Romans: The apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome in which he gives a lengthy exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians: The apostle Paul’s first letter to the church he planted at Corinth regarding their questions and struggles.

2 Corinthians: The apostle Paul’s last letter to the Corinthians in which he seeks to answer doubts about his apostolic leadership amidst his suffering.

Galatians: The apostle Paul’s letter to the church he planted in Galatia confronting their subtle slipping back to Judaism.

Ephesians: The apostle Paul’s letter written while he is in prison to the church he planted in Ephesus encouraging them by reminding them of God’s single, all-encompassing, redemptive-historic plan for humanity in Jesus.

Philippians: The apostle Paul’s letter written while he is in prison to the church in planted in Philippi exhorting them to have unity in the gospel of Jesus and not to be frightened by false teachers.

Colossians: The apostle Paul’s letter written while he is in prison to the church he planted to Colossae urging them to stand firm in the gospel of Jesus and to steer away from Jewish mysticism.

1 Thessalonians: The apostle Paul’s letter to the church he planted in Thessalonica about how encouraging they have been to him in spite of his afflictions.

2 Thessalonians: The apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians where he gives them some detailed teaching regarding the “Day of the Lord” and how that factors into their suffering.

1 Timothy: The apostle Paul’s letter to his friend and disciple Timothy, who is pastoring the church Paul planted in Ephesus, in which he gives him leadership instructions and encouragement.

2 Timothy: The apostle Paul’s last letter to Timothy while Paul is in prison awaiting his death and he gives further leadership instruction in light of the inaugurated end-times.

Titus: The apostle Paul’s letter to his friend and disciple Titus, who is pastoring the church Paul planted on the island of Crete, in which he give him leadership instruction similar to Timothy.

Philemon: The apostle Paul’s letter written while he is in prison to his friend Philemon appealing to him to forgive Onesimus who is a runaway slave.

Hebrews: A sermonic letter in which the writer urges a community of Jewish Christians not to go back to the law of the Mosaic Covenant under Judaism because the New Covenant in Jesus Christ supersedes it, rendering it obsolete, and their going back would evidence that they are not true followers of Jesus.

James: A letter of Jesus’ half-brother James to a broad church community instructing them on the practicalities of living by faith in Jesus.

1 Peter: The apostle Peter’s letter to a broach church community experiencing severe suffering in which he encourages them to persevere in the gospel of Jesus.

2 Peter: Another letter by the apostle Peter to a broad church community to endure suffering and to beware of false teachers trying to draw them away from the gospel of Jesus.

1 John: The apostle John’s letter to a broach church community encouraging them as the end-times people of God to be honest about sin, to love one another, and beware of false teachers.

2 John: A brief letter written by the apostle John to the broad church to persevere in love and beware of false teachers.

3 John: Another brief letter written by the apostle John to his friend Gaius encouraging him and his community to love one another and to imitate good things.

Jude: A brief letter from Jesus’ half-brother Jude to the broad church community to hold firmly to the gospel of Jesus and to be on the look out for false teachers as the end-times people of God.

Revelation: The revealing visions given to the apostle John while in exile in Patmos of the risen Christ and His appeal to the whole church to persevere in suffering as the end-times is upon it because His return will be swift and His reward will be with Him.

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