The Book of Job

Job is named for its chief character, a "blameless and upright" man who was very rich. Even after losing everything he owned and suffering from a terrible sickness, Job still was devoted to God. The book of Job questions the reasons for suffering, especially the suffering of good people. Job's friends insisted he was suffering as punishment for his sin. He defended his innocence and expressed his trust in  God. Then God spoke and showed his mighty power. Job finally admitted that God is too great and wonderful for us to understand.

Exodus

The word Exodus means “going out.” Exodus continues the story of God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. It tells how God called Moses to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. Through the miracles of the ten plagues and the crossing of the Red Seas, God showed his people that he was more powerful than any Egyptian Pharaoh. While the people of Israel were traveling in the desert, God gave them a set of rules to follow, including the Ten Commandments. God continually reminded his people that they would be a great nation if they loved and worshiped only him and obeyed his laws.
 

Song of Songs

Song of Songs is a collection of love poems between a lover and his beloved. It is a beautiful picture of ideal human love and marriage, written by king Solomon.
 

Galatians

Paul wrote this letter to the Christian churches in the Roman province of Galatia. These churches were being confused by false teachers called Judaizers. These men were teaching the Gentile Christians that they were not really saved unless they obeyed all the Jewish laws—such as being circumcised , eating special foods, and celebrating Jewish feast days. Paul wrote that we cannot be saved from our sins by obeying the law; we are saved only by believing in Jesus Christ. He also taught that Christians are free to live by the law of love, not the Law of Moses.


 

2 Corinthians

When the Corinthians got Paul's first letter, some of the people became angry. But most of them knew that what they were doing was wrong. They sent news to Paul that they would change their behavior. The first part of this letter tells how happy and thankful Paul was when he heard that the Corinthians were sorry for the way they had acted and were now trying to live the way God wanted them to. In the second part of the letter, Paul defended himself against the people who were angry with him and who were saying untrue things about him.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians was written by Paul from Ephesus, where had had heard disturbing news about the church at Corinth. The Christians there were not getting along with one another - they were taking sides. And some of them were living sinful lives. Paul wrote this letter to scold them and teach them how Christians should act. Corinth was a wicked city. It was hard for the Christians there not to act like their neighbors. In this letter Paul was trying to teach practical lessons about the Christian life so they would know right from wrong.

Ephesians

Ephesians was written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome. Probably this letter was not just to the church at Ephesus but to all the Christian churches near Ephesus. Ephesus was a large, important city at that time, so it was a natural center for the Christian churches. In this letter Paul wrote about the church - not a church building in a certain place but the church that is made up of all Christian who have ever lived. We call this "the church universal." Paul wrote that because all Christians are one family in Jesus, they should act with love toward each other.

Hebrews

At the time this letter was written, Christians were being hurt and killed because they believed in Jesus. Some of the Jewish Christians were thinking about giving up their Christianity and going back to the Jewish faith. The book of Hebrews was written to teach Jewish Christians that the Christian firth is better in every way than the Jewish faith. It shows how Jesus completed the Jewish faith by making the final sacrifice for sin. After his death, none of the Old Testament sacrifices were needed. Chapter 11 - the famous chapter on men of faith in Old Testament times - gives Christians examples to follow of faith and trust in God.
 

1 Peter

1 Peter was written by Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, to the Christians who lived in the northern provinces of Asia Minor. These Christians were being persecuted for their faith, so Peter wrote to encourage them. Peter told these Christians to remember how much Jesus had suffered for them and to follow his example by being brave and turstins God. He said that because God chose them to be his people and because Jeus suffered and died for them, they should live the way God wanted them to.
 

Titus

Titus was another friend and helper of Paul. He had traveled with Paul on some of his missionary journeys. Now he was working as the leader of the church on Crete. This letter is much like the two letters to Timothy. Paul wanted to teach Titus how to be a good leader of the church. He told him how God's people should behave and what his own responsibilities were.
 

Revelation

Revelation is the only bok of its kind in the New Testament. It is a book about the end of this present world and the beginning of "a new heaven and a new earth." The book of Revelations was written by the apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos. While John was there, Jesus gave him a vision of what would happen in the future. John wrote this book so Christians who were being persecuted would trust that God controls whatever happens here on earth. John's vision shows that Jesus is the ruler over everyone and everything - even powerful human governments - and he will judge and punish whatever is evil. It also gives Christians a picture of heaven, where we will be with Jesus.

 

Jude

Jude, like James, was a brother of Jesus. He wrote to warn Christians about the same false teachers Peter wrote about in his second letter. These false teachers were not only teaching that Jesus was not the Son of God; they were also leading the people to live sinfully. Jude warned that God would punish and destroy these false teachers just as he had punished sinners in the Old Testament.

 

3 John

3 John was written to Gaius, a friend of John and a leader in the church. There was a man named Diotrephes in Gaius's church who was refusing to welcome messengers sent by John. He would not recognize John's leadership. John wrote this letter to praise and thank Gaius for his help and to scold Diotrephes for not cooperating. John promised to come to this church soon to deal with this matter personally.

 

2 John

John wrote this letter to "the chosen lady and her children." He might have meant either a Christian woman and her family or a church and its members. In this letter John wrote how important it is for Christians to love one another. He said that to love means to obey God's commandments, and God's commandments tell us to live lives of love. John also warned about the dangers of false teachers.

 

1 John

John, the beloved disciple, who wrote the fourth Gospel, also wrote these next three letters. The first letter was written to warn Christians about dangerous false teachers who were trying to mislead them. They were teaching that the man Jesus was not the Christ, the Son of God. They said that God did not become a man. John wrote about how important it is to know and believe that Jesus Christ id both God and man. He said Christians can know they are God's children if they love one another and if they obey God's commands.

 

2 Peter

2 Peter was written to the same group of Christians as Peter’s first letter. These Christians were now in danger of being led astray by false teachers. Peter reminded them that the best way to resist false teachers was to grow in the knowledge and practice of the Christian faith. He warned them that God would destroy the false teachers. Peter also reminded these Christians to live “holy and godly lives,” because Jesus would certainly keep his promise to come again.

 

2 Timothy

When Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy, he was a prisoner in Rome again. He knew that there was no chance of getting out and that he would be killed soon. He wanted to encourage Timothy because Timothy would have to continue Paul's missionary work after Paul's death. Paul gave Timothy more instructions on how to lead a church. He told him to resist false teachers and to be faithful to true Christian teachings.
 

1 Timothy

Timothy was a young friend of Paul who became a Christian on Paul's first missionary journey. He went with Paul on his second missionary journey and from then on he helped Paul in his work. At the time Paul wrote this letter, Timothy was working as the teacher and leader of the church at Ephesus. Timothy was young to have the important job of leading a church. Paul wrote to give him help and advice for this work. This letter teaches how people in the church should act and what kind of leaders a church should have.
 

Philippians

Philippians was also written while Paul was in prison in Rome. The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Paul with a gift. While he was in Rome, Epaphroditus became sick, and the Philippian Christians were worried about him. After Epaphroditus was better, Paul sent him back to Philippi with this letter. Even though Paul was writing from prison, this letter is full of joy. Paul was thankful for the love and helpfulness of the Philippians.
 

Philemon

Philemon was a leader of the church at Colosse and a friend of Paul. Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had stolen money from Philemon and had run away to Rome. While he was there he met Paul and became a Christian. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter. HE begged Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to treat him as a brother in Christ instead of a runaway slave.
 

Colossians

Colossians is the third letter written form prison in Rome. Epaphras had come to Rome and told Paul that there were false teachers in Colosse who were telling the people that the Christian faith was incomplete. They were teaching the Colossians to worship angels and to follow special rules and ceremonies. Paul wrote to the Colossians to oppose these false teachers. He reminded them that Jesus is supreme over everything, that his death is all we need to save us from our sins, and that through him we are free from man-made rules.
 

Romans

Paul probably wrote this letter to the Romans at the end of his third missionary journey. He was returning to Jerusalem, and then he planned to visit Rome and go on to Spain (Romans 15:23-25). The theme of this letter is righteousness . Paul taught that: 1) no human being is righteous; 2) Jesus Christ is perfectly righteous; 3) if we have faith in Jesus, we are freed from the power of sin, given a new life, and returned to a right relationship with God; 4) we should live Christian lives that are holy and pleasing to God.”

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians was sent from Corinth a little while after the first letter. Some people had misunderstood Paul and were sure Jesus was coming very soon. They had stopped working and were just waiting for Jesus. Paul told the Thessalonians again what Jesus' second coming would be like. He reminded them to keep working hard till Jesus came.

1 Thessalonians

Paul started the church at Thessalonica on his 2nd missionary journey. He taught there for about three weeks, but then he had to leave because the Jews were opposing him so strongly. Paul wrote this letter from Corinth to encourage the Thessalonians and to teach them more about Christianity. He praised them for being brave and not giving up their faith “in spite of severe suffering.” He instructed them “how to live in order to please God.” And he taught them about Jesus’ second coming. He explained that the time of Jesus’ coming was secret, so they should keep on working hard till he came.

 

James

The seven books of the New Testament from James through Jude are called the General Letters. This first one was written by James, the brother of Jesus. He was one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. James wrote this letter to teach Christians the practice of Christianity. He insisted that if we have real faith, we will show it by acting like Christians. He gave practical advice on things like anger and quarreling, showing favoritism, taming the tongue, boasting, patience and prayer.

 

Acts

Acts is the second part of Luke’s history. It was written so we would have the true story of how the Christian church began and grew. This book is sometimes called “The Acts of the Apostles.” It especially tells about the work of two of the apostles—Peter and Paul. Acts can also be called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” because it teaches about the coming and work of the Spirit. The book of Acts teaches three things about the early church: 1) what the message of the early church was; 2) how the Jews rejected this message and how God sent the apostles to the Gentiles, who accepted the gospel; and 3) how the early church was treated by the local and Roman governments.
 

Mark

Mark, the author of this Gospel, may have been the first to write down the events of Jesus’ life. He is probably the same person who worked for many years as a missionary with Paul and Barnabas. Mark wrote his Gospel so the early Christians would know what Jesus was like and why he had to die. He shows Jesus as a man of action and authority. One-third of his book tells the events of Jesus’ last week on earth, ending with his death and resurrection.
 

John

The fourth Gospel was also written by one of Jesus’ twelve disciples—John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John wrote this Gospel so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). John wanted to show that the things Jesus said and the miracles he did prove that he is God. He chose stories that show Jesus’ godly powers at times when men were powerless. But he also showed that Jesus was human and could become tired or hungry or sad, just like us.

Matthew

The first Gospel was written by Matthew, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, sometime before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in the year A.D. 70. Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jews, to show them that Jesus was the Messiah who had been promised in the Old Testament. He quoted many Old Testament prophecies and showed how they came true in Jesus’ life. He also included many of Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of heaven, since the Jews were looking for a king. One of the best-known parts of Matthew’s Gospel is the Sermon on the Mount, which shows Jesus as a great teacher.

Luke

Luke, the doctor who traveled with Paul, wrote the third Gospel. Luke tells us in the first four verses of his book that he wrote this Gospel so we would have the true story of Jesus’ life. He wrote the fullest, most orderly story of Jesus’ life and showed Jesus’ love for all kinds of people—not just the rich and important, but also the poor and unpopular.
 

Malachi

Malachi prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile. He warned them that they were neglecting and disobeying God and that God would judge them for their wickedness. He also promised that God would save the righteous.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah continues the history of the Jews who returned from exile. Nehemiah gave up his job as cupbearer to Artaxerxes, the Persian king, to become governor of Jerusalem. He led the people in repairing the city walls. This book shows how important prayer was in Nehemiah’s life.

Ezra

Ezra tells about the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon. It begins with the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia, allowing the people to go back. The people enthusiastically began rebuilding the temple. Bur for 18 years they were delayed by enemies from the north. Finally a decree from Darius let them finish (see Ezra 1-6). Chapters 7-1– tell about the return of the priest Ezra. He taught the people the law and reformed their religious life. Ezra probably is the author of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
 

Haggai

Eighteen years had passed since Cyrus’s decree had allowed the Jews to return form exile. But hey still had not finished building God’s temple. Haggai’s message was that the time had come to build the house of the Lord. He promised that God would fill this house with his glory.

Zechariah

Zechariah’s prophecies began two months after Haggai’s first message. God sent Zechariah eight visions to encourage the builders of the temple. In chapters 7 and 8 Zechariah called the people to obey God by acting fairly and mercifully to one another. Chapters 9-14 predict the coming of Zion’s King, “the Lord Almighty.”

Esther

Esther tells the story of a beautiful Jewish girl whom King Xerxes of Persia chose to be his queen. When Haman plotted to murder all the Jews, Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai persuaded Esther to try to save her people. Risking hre won life, she appealed to the king and rescued the Jews. Although the name of God does not appear in this book, his care for his chosen people is clearly shown.

Daniel

Daniel tells the well-known story of Daniel and his three friends who were taken to captivity. These four men continued to obey and worship God, even though it sometimes put their lives in danger. In the last six chapters of this book, Daniel described his visions of the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms and finally the rise of an everlasting kingdom.
 

Joel

Joel prophesied at the time if King Joash. He described a terrible plague of locusts that invaded Palestine. Then Joel warned the people to turn to God in repentance. He announced that “the day of the Lord” would come and bring even greater judgment.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel is named after the prophet, Ezekiel, who was a priest in Jerusalem. He was taken to Babylon with other Jewish exiles in 598 B.C. Chapters 1-24 are prophecies about Jerusalem’s destruction. Then, after Jerusalem was destroyed, Ezekiel preached a new message of hope that the people of Israel would return to Palestine.
 

Lamentations

The title of this book means “funeral songs.” The author was probably Jeremiah, and he was grieving about the destruction of Jerusalem. He confessed the people’s sin and prayed to God for mercy.

Habakkuk

Habakkuk was written as a dialogue or conversation between God and the prophet. Habakkuk first asked why God let wickedness and violence continue. When God told him he would send the Babylonians to punish Judah, Habakkuk became more concerned. He did not understand how God could use the Babylonians, who were even more wicked than the Jews. God answered that “the righteous will live by his faith” and that the Babylonians would also be judged. Habakkuk ended his book with a psalm of praise.
 

Jeremiah

Jeremiah, like Isaiah, was a young man called by God to warn Judah about its wickedness. Jeremiah spent the first 20 years of his ministry under Josiah, a good king who tried to bring the people of Judah back to God. But after this, Jeremiah was often in danger from political and religious leaders who were angry about his messages. God protected Jeremiah so he could continue to warn the wicked and to comfort those who trusted in God. After Jerusalem was destroyed, Jeremiah chose to remain with the people, and he went with them to Egypt.

Zephaniah

Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah. He warned that the day of the Lord would bring judgment on Judah and Jerusalem, and he called the Jews to turn back to God. Zephaniah then predicted that Judah’s neighboring nations would be destroyed, and he promised that God would bring his people home.

Nahum

Nahum is a book of prophecy against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The prophet describes the cruelty of the Assyrians as they conquered nation after nation. He predicted the destruction of Nineveh and the end of the kingdom of Assyria.
 

Hosea

Hosea was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Chapters 1-3 tell about Hosea’s love for his unfaithful wife. In the rest of the book Hosea used his marriage as a picture of God’s love for unfaithful Israel.
 

Amos

Amos was a shepherd called by God to be a prophet in the northern cities of Israel. He announced God’s judgment o the people for turning away from God, for being cruel to the poor, and for living selfishly.

Isaiah

Isaiah prophesied in Judah during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He repeatedly waned the people that Jerusalem and Judah would be judged because of their wickedness. In chapter 39 he predicted the Babylonian exile. But he also held out hope that the kingdom would be restored. Beginning in chapter 40 Isaiah offered comfort with these promises from God: 1) the Babylonian exiles would be allowed to return to Jerusalem; 2) a righteous, suffering servant would bring salvation; 3) God would set up a new, righteous kingdom.

 

2 Kings

2 Kings continues the stories of Elijah and Elisha. It also tells the history of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah until they are finally conquered. Israel feel to Assyria in 722 B.C and Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. In both kingdoms prophets continually warned the people that God would punish them if they did not repent.
 

Jonah

Jonah was a prophet whom God called to preach in the foreign city of Nineveh. Jonah tried to run away form God and was swallowed by a great fish. When the fish returned him to land, Jonah went to Nineveh and warned the people about God’s judgment. Jonah learned that God would forgive even a heathen city if the people were sorry for their sins.
 

Obadiah

Obadiah, the shortest book in the Bible, is a book of prophecy against the nation of Edom. Obadiah announced God’s judgment against them and prophesied that their kingdom would be destroyed.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes study the meaning of life. The “Teacher” looks at wisdom, pleasure, work, power, riches, religion, and other things. He decides that all of life is meaningless and empty without God.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles continues the history of David’s line. Chapters 1-9 describe the building of the temple during Solomon’s reign. Chapters 10-36 trace history of the southern kingdom of Judah to the final destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people to Babylon.

 

Proverbs

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings and good advice for daily living. The book begins by reminding us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Many of these proverbs came from King Solomon. Others were copied by the men of Hezekiah. Agur and Lemuel wrote the last two chapters.

1 Kings

After David’s death, his son Solomon became king. Chapters 1-11 describe Solomon’s reign, including the building of the temple and the palace in Jerusalem. The next king was Rehoboam, who lost the northern part of the kingdom. After this the northern kingdom was known as Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah. The last chapters of 1 Kings tell about the evil King Ahab and God’s prophet Elijah, who condemned Ahab’s wickedness and Israel’s disobedience.
 

2 Samuel

2 Samuel continues the story of the beginning of
Israel’s kingdom. It starts with Saul’s death. Then it describes David's forty-year reign. Some of the best-known stories are the capture of Jerusalem, David’s sin with Bathsheba, and Absalom’s rebellion.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles begins with an outline of history from Adam through the death of King Saul. The rest of the book is about the reign of King David. The books of Chronicles seem like a repeat of Samuel and Kings. But they were written for the returned exiles to remind them that they came from the royal line of Avid and that they were God’s chosen people. The main theme is that God is faithful to his covenant.

Psalms

Psalms is one of the most beautiful books of the Bible. The psalms are poems of praise, worship, thankfulness, and repentance. Many of them were written by King David. The rest were written by the sons of Korah, Solomon and Moses, and other people.
 

1 Samuel

1 Samuel begins with the birth of Samuel and his training in the temple. It describes how he led Israel as prophet, priest, and judge. When the people of Israel demanded a king, Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king. But God rejected Saul for being disobedient, and Samuel secretly anointed David to take Saul’s place. The rest of the book describes the struggles between Saul and David.
 

Ruth

Ruth tells the story of an Israelite couple who moved to Moab during a time of famine. The husband and his two sons died, leaving the mother (Naomi) alone with her two daughters-in-law (Orpah and Ruth). Naomi decided to move back to Israel and Ruth insisted on going with her. Back in Israel, they looked to their relative Boaz for help. Ruth finally married Boaz. From their family came Christ. The book of Ruth shows how God was working to carry out his plan of salvation.
 

Judges

After Joshua died, Israel was without a leader. The people often forgot about God and his laws and worshiped idols. Then God would punish them by sending a neighboring nation to fight them. When the people turned to God and asked for forgiveness, he would send them a special leader to help conquer their enemy. These special leaders were called judges. The best-known judges are Deborah, Gideon, and Samson.
 

Joshua

Joshua is named after its key character, Joshua, whom God named as the new leader of Israel. The people miraculously crossed the Jordan River and conquered the town of Jericho. Then, with God’s help, they quickly took possession of the main areas of Canaan. Before Joshua died, he reminded the people of God’s covenant promises to them and challenged them to keep on loving and obeying God.
 

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy means “second law.” After forty years the Israelites were about to enter the promised land of Canaan. Before they did, Moses wanted to remind them about all that God had done for them and about the laws they must continue to obey as God’s chosen people. He also emphasized that they must also teach their children to love and obey God. Deuteronomy ends with the renewal of God’s covenant with Israel (chapter 29), Joshua’s appointment to be the new leader (chapter 31), and Moses’ death (chapter 34).

Numbers

Numbers gets its name form the two accounts in chapters 1 and 26 of the numberings or countings of the people of Israel. The rest of the book tells about the 38 years of wandering in the desert. God’s continual care for his people is shown throughout the book of Numbers. He miraculously supplied them with water, manna, and quails. He continued to love and forgive the people even when they complained, grumbled, and rebelled against him.

 

Leviticus

Leviticus means “about the Levites.” The Levites were God’s priests, and the book of Leviticus contains many of the rules they needed to do their work—rules for worshiping God and for making sacrifices. In Leviticus 11:45 God says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” The rules God gave Israel in the book of Leviticus helped the people live holy lives.
 

Genesis

The word Genesis means "beginning." The book of Genesis is about many beginnings - the beginning of the universe, the beginning of man and woman, the beginning of human sin, and the beginning of God's promises of salvation. Genesis tells us about God's special people and his plan for their lives. We learn about Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and his brothers.