1. Background, Organization, and Purpose
Bible 101
Background, Organization, and Purpose

2. Your Bible(s) How many Bibles do you have?
What are some ways or situations in which you use them?
What are some things that you wonder about the Bible?

3. The Bible Biblical Books and their Divisions
The Bible is a library of different literary types rather than a single book (Greek biblia—books (plural)).
66 Books total
Old Testament: 39 books
New Testament: 27 books (3 x 9)

4. The Old Testament Books of the Law Genesis 1 Samuel Exodus 2 Samuel
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
History
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther

5. Poetry
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Major Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Minor Prophets
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

6. Old Testament Structure5 12

7. The New Testament The Gospels (History) Matthew Mark Luke John History
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Prophecy
Revelation
The Gospels (History)
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
History
Acts
Letters
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians

8. Structure of the New Testament
History
Paul’s Letters
General Letters
Prophecy
Matthew
Romans
Hebrews
Revelation
Mark
1 Corinthians
James
Luke
2 Corinthians
1 Peter
John
Galatians
2 Peter
Acts
Ephesians
1 John
Philippians
2 John
Colossians
3 John
1 Thessalonians
Jude
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon

9. The Canon The 66 books are referred to as the canon.
Derived from the Greek “Kanon”
Early meaning – a measuring rod
Later meanings:
A standard by which something is judged
A list
Our interest here:
The list of books that belong in the Bible
How we got them
What is canonical, what is not, and why

10. Canonicity Historical Questions Actions of Church Councils
What writings had Palestinian Jews come to recognize as Scripture at Jesus’ time?
OT canon
What Christian writings did Christians come to recognize as Scripture in the few centuries after Jesus’ time?
NT canon
Actions of Church Councils
The regional or local Church Councils of Hippo, 393 A.D., and Carthage, 397 A.D., and later, Carthage 419 A.D. gave us the canon of Sacred Scripture as we know it today

11. Chapters and Verses Chapters (1,189 chapters) Verses (31,101 verses)
OT began to be put into sections before the Babylonian Captivity (586 B.C.); by the time of the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), the NT had been divided into paragraphs
Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton devised the basis for the modern chapter division in the early 1200’s
Verses (31,101 verses)
OT: Rabbi Isaac Nathan numbered verses according to longstanding units in the Hebrew Bible around 1440
NT: Robert Estienne (a.k.a. Stephanus) introduced the current verse division in 1551

12. Apocrypha Books that are not in most protestant Bibles
Apocrypha is from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφα, meaning "those having been hidden away" are texts of uncertain authenticity, or writings where the authorship is questioned.
When used in the specific context of Christian theology, the term apocrypha refers to any collection of scriptural texts that falls outside the canon.

13. Apocrypha
Apocryphal Books (Belgic Confession, 1561, Article 6) Third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bell and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees.
“The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books.”

14. The Message of the Bible
What does the Bible say about itself?
What is its purpose?

15. What the Bible says about itself…
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
When you received the word of God… you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man (person) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

16. What the Bible says about itself… (cont.)
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. (James 1:22)

17. What the Bible says about itself… Summary and Application
What key words or concepts do you remember from the preceding verses?
What are some implications of these words and concepts for the ways that we should live and worship?

18. Purpose of the Bible Salvation in Jesus Christ
Four States of Redemptive History (Augustine)
Creation: able to sin, able not to sin (posse peccare, posse non peccare)
Fall: not able not to sin (non posse non peccare)
Redemption: able not to sin (posse non peccare) – again
Consummation: not able to sin (non posse peccare)

19. The Sufficiency of Scripture Belgic Confession (1561) Article 7
“We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it.”

20. The Old and the New “Testament”
The Latin translation (testamentum) for “covenant”: a binding agreement between God and His people
Old Testament
God’s covenant with Abraham/Israel (Gen )
The Law’s requirements stated: The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)
Prophecies of the coming Messiah: The Suffering Servant (Isa. 53)
New Testament
God’s covenant with all mankind (Jer. 31:31-34, Mt. 26:28, 2 Cor. 3:6)
The Law’s requirements re-stated: Love the Lord your God (Mt. 22:37)
The acts of the crucified and risen Messiah: The Savior of the world (John 3:16)

21. Covenant An agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return.
God’s covenant with Abraham: 1) great nation, bless those who bless & curse those who curse him (12:1-3); 2) give him the land from Egypt to the Euphrates (15:18-21); 3) make him a father of many nations (17:1-8); 4) circumcision as sign of the everlasting covenant (17:9-14)
God’s promise of a new covenant: Jer. 31:31-34:
“"The time is coming," declares the LORD,        "when I will make a new covenant        with the house of Israel        and with the house of Judah.”
Jesus brings the new covenant: Mt. 26:28: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (KJV); “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (NASB)
The church has the new covenant: 2 Cor. 3:6: “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

22. For those who want to do more
Reflect
Purpose of Bible? Your response?
Read the following books.
Bickel and Jantz, Knowing the Bible 101. pp ; Donahue, Foundations: How We Got Our Bible. pp
Read the following chapters in the Bible.
Genesis 1: Creation
Genesis 3: Fall and promise of a Redeemer
Genesis 12: Abraham's call
Genesis 17: God’s Covenant with Abraham
Exodus 20: Ten Commandments
Joshua 24: Choose you this day

23. Bible 101
“This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.”
Anonymous