Books of the Bible

Old Testament - (contains 39 books)
The Law
The first five books of the Bible are called "The Law" or the Pentateuch or the Torah.  The Law contains stories about the creation of the world, the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the children of Israel in Egypt, the Exodus, and the time the children of Israel spent in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.  The books of the Law also recorded the law God gave to the people on Mt. Sinai which laid down the regulations for sacrifice, worship, and daily living.

• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy

History
The 12 History books continue with the story of the people of Israel and the conquest of the Promised Land in the book of Joshua, the continuous cycle of disobedience in the book of Judges, the first kings and the United Kingdom, Divided Kingdom, the Assyrian invasion, Babylonian invasion the years in exile, and the return from exile during the Persian rule.

• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther

Poetry & Wisdom
The Five Poetry and Wisdom books include hymns, proverbs, and dramas.  They illustrate the creative ways the people of Israel expressed themselves to God and to each other.

• Job
• Psalms
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon

Major Prophets
The Five Major Prophets are not called "major" because of their message or quality, but rather because of the length of the books.  The prophets brought God's word which included warning of judgment, warnings and hope for the immediate future, (as well as warnings and hope for the distant future), and hope in the coming Messiah.

• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel
• Daniel

Minor Prophets
The 12 Minor Prophets, called "The Book of the Twelve" in the Hebrew Bible, are just as important as the Major Prophets.  They were called "minor" because of the shorter length of the books.  The Minor Prophets also brought God's word to the people regarding judgment and hope.

•  Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi

New Testament - (contains 27 books)
Gospels & Acts
The Gospels, which are the first four books of the New Testament, record the good news of God's plan for a Savior through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Each writer has a particular method or style to communicate the life and message of Jesus Christ.

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John

Acts is the record of the radically changed "acts" or "actions" of the followers of Jesus Christ after the resurrection.  Acts opens with the out-flowing of the Holy Spirit and describes the missionary efforts of the early followers of Jesus as they spread the message of the gospel to Judea and Samaria.  Acts also records the actions of the apostle Paul as he and other courageous believers continued to spread the good news of Jesus to the Jews and Gentiles of the Roman Empire.

• Acts

Paul's Letters (Epistles)
The apostle Paul wrote 13 letters to young churches, pastors, and friends in order to guide, encourage, and correct them.  Most of these letter served a specific purpose or addressed a specific question or problem.

• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon

General Epistles & Revelation
The eight General Epistles were written by other apostles and leaders including Simon Peter, James, John, and Jude.  The General Epistles were addressed to the early Christians to provide guidance, encouragement through persecution, and warnings of false teachings.

• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Jude

The book of Revelation addressed seven churches in Asia Minor (Turkey today).  It encourages believers who are experiencing persecution.  Revelation illustrates that God is in control and that all people were created to love and worship God.

• Revelation

Editor: Christopher Ortiz

Source: Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, & Time Lines, Rose Publishing

Images: http://jonlovesjen.blogspot.com/2011/07/books-of-bible-puzzle.html