Book-by-book summary
What makes the Bible more unique than any other religious work is its scope and focus. It was written over a 1,500-year span by 40 authors in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) with amazing agreement and parallelism between the collection of 66 books. In addition, God used an internal system of “checks and balances” in the form of prophesies that one author would predict, and the answer would be recorded when that prophesy came to pass, often long after the author was dead and gone. In fact, there are more than 2,000 specific prophecies that have already been fulfilled. No other religious work can claim that. There are still prophecies that remain to be fulfilled. God is not finished!
The Bible is God’s record of everything he wants us to know about himself, mankind and our life on earth and beyond. Its central theme is the Kingdom of God and God’s desire to raise a people who voluntarily love and serve him. That kingdom could have been on earth had it not been for corrupting, prideful and deceptive sin that entered. But God, in his omniscience, knew this would happen.
Through all the sin and failing recorded in the Bible, God still has a plan to build his kingdom, and Jesus Christ played and still plays the leading part in that plan.
We know all this because God chose to tell us and preserve it in his word, the Bible, which he inspired through the pen of men that he used as his communication instruments.
The books of the Bible are not presented in historical chronological order, but rather are grouped by similarities. For example, it starts with the five books of the law, followed by 12 historical books, and so on.
The Old Testament
The Law
The first five books of the Bible commonly are called the Pentateuch, which means “five books.” They are also called “the law” because they lay down the Old Testament laws of God.
The five books of the law, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, were written by Moses, and they show the setting up of God’s kingdom, but then the disruption sin brought. Throughout, there are pictures of a better, bigger kingdom that would come later, and Jesus Christ as the center of that kingdom. It was through this nation established in the first five books that God would later send the Savior.
We must not overlook or judge the nation for its sin recorded in the Law, because the recording of the events was meant for our learning. (Read 1 Cor. 10:1-12.) The key verse in this passage is “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (vs. 11)
Genesis is the book of beginnings. It’s the beginning of creation, man, sin and the nation of Israel as God’s set-apart people for all time. There are many prophetic pictures in the book of Genesis, not the least of which is animal sacrifices as a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ. He was the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sins of every individual who recognizes and accepts him as the only acceptable sacrifice for sin.
Exodus is a record of the wanderings of the nation of Israel under Moses’ leadership. One of the books’ standouts is the plagues in Egypt that led to the Jewish Passover when the Israelites fled Egypt after the death angel passed over their houses and killed the first-born of the Egyptians. The book is named after their exodus from Egypt that resulted. This was a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ dying for us. Only his blood (pictured by the blood that had to be placed over the doors of the Israelites) can prevent death from claiming our eternal souls. The other hallmark was the giving of the 10 commandments and other laws to Israel.
Leviticus introduces God’s laws for the children of Israel in such areas as offerings/sacrifices, priests, diet, feasts and rewards and punishments. Keeping all these laws was how the Israelites kept themselves sanctified. The book provides pictures and a background for the new order in the New Testament where God provided Christ as the appropriate sacrifice and the perfect priest. Christ becomes our sanctification. Knowing the Levitical background also helps us appreciate that in the New Testament, Christians are the royal priesthood and are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Numbers records the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of sin. It begins with their preparation for the long journey and ends with their excursion toward the Promised Land. It was a time of preparation before setting up God’s Kingdom in the land of Canaan. The book contains one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of the coming of Christ when the children of Israel sinned, and the only way they could be healed of the resulting serpent bites was to look at a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. It pictured Christ becoming sin for us and taking on our sins as we look to him for salvation.
Deuteronomy means “second law,” and the book features Moses giving three main speeches. One recounted all that God had done for the unworthy Israelites up to that point. The second explained the 10 commandments and other laws. The final speech outlined the blessings and curses that the nation could expect for obeying or disobeying the law. The book ends with the death of the great leader Moses.
The Historical Books
The next 12 books cover 900 years of the history of Israel. They begin with the Israelites entering the promised land and end with the end of the Old Testament. The group of historical books records the downward spiral of the nation as it neglected God and the many ways God showed his love and care anyway. But in the end, God’s kingdom set up in Israel went under.
Joshua became the new leader after the death of Moses, and it was he who led the Israelites into God’s promised land, Canaan. In the first half of the book, Joshua leads the nation in many battles to conquer the sinful occupants of the land. In the second half, Joshua divides the land among the 12 tribes of Israel. The book ends with his death. But before he dies, he recounts Israel’s history up to that point. Joshua pictures Christ (in fact, his name is the Hebrew form of the Greek name “Jesus.”) As Joshua conquered the enemies and set up a kingdom on earth, Jesus conquered sin and death and set up a kingdom.
Judges recounts the anarchy that ruled in Israel during the time that judges ruled. The main judges were Deborah, Gideon and Samson. Over and over again we see the same cycle: apathy, apostasy and anarchy. The Israelites didn’t obey God, starting with not possessing all the land and not defeating all the enemies. They repeatedly sinned, were defeated, cried out to God and were delivered when God raised up judges to get them back on track—only to start the cycle all over again.
Ruth is a historically important love story that happened during the time of the judges. As a Moabitis, a natural enemy of the Jews, Ruth was taken care of by a Jew, and ended up marrying him. The offspring of this Gentile/Jewish couple, Obed, became the father of Jesse, the father of David, the father of Solomon. Years later, Jesus was born into this family line. Besides its historical importance, the book also pictures our Jewish redeemer who cared for and saved his Gentile bride, the church. He was God, who became our legal kin by becoming flesh and came down to rescue us – who were his enemies.
1 Samuel begins the transition from the leadership of judges to the rule of kings. The main characters in this book are Eli the priest; Hannah, who prayed desperately for a child; Samuel, the last judge and God’s answer to Hannah’s prayers; Saul, the people’s choice for king; and finally, David, God’s choice for king. David was one of the most important characters in the Old Testament and was the only one ever described as “a man after God’s own heart.” Jesus was later called “the son of David.”
2 Samuel further highlights the life of David, beginning with his rise as king and ruler, his war conquests, but then his fall into sin and the resulting problems, even though he confessed his sin. It ends with David’s last years and shows trouble in his family. One of the most important features in 2 Samuel is God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8-16). God spoke of David’s seed and promised him that his line of descent would last forever and that his kingdom would not pass away. It refers to Jesus, the future king, who came through the line of David.
1 Kings takes place over a span of 100 years and goes from the end of King David’s reign to the rise and reign of King Solomon, to the dividing of Israel into the 10 Northern Tribes (Israel) and the two Southern Tribes (Judah). It ends with the death of the wicked King Ahab, whose wife was the infamous Jezebel. These two influenced Israel into Baal worship. It was through the rise and ministry of the prophet Elijah that the prophets of Baal were defeated. Besides David, Solomon, Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah, other main characters were Rehoboam (Solomon’s son who was made king of the Southern Kingdom), Jeroboam (the first king of the Northern Tribe after Solomon) and Elisha, the prophet Elijah trained to replace him.
2 Kings continues with the downward spiral of Israel’s two tribes over 200 years under the leadership of various kings. It begins where 1 Kings left off with the ministry of Elijah and flows into the ministry of Elisha. It records the last days of Israel: “Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only” (2 Kings 17:18). The king of Assyria captured Israel (around 721 B.C.) By the end, Judah also went into captivity under the Babylonians (around 606 B.C.) Because of the Israelite’s sin, the David Covenant was not carried out perpetually. But we know that 2 Kings is not the end of the story!
1 Chronicles, which means “the words of the days” gives a second look at many of the events recorded in the earlier books. It gives the genological background of Israel’s leaders and recounts the reign of David, including his rise to power, his victories, the census he took, his preparations for the building of the temple and his death.
2 Chronicles picks up the recounting of Israel’s history beginning with the highlights of Solomon’s life, including his request for wisdom, his building of the temple and record of his success. Then it continues with a summary of the rulers of Judah, ending with the fall of Jerusalem with the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the wall around the city being broken down. The last few verses of the book shed a glimmer of hope as the Cyrus, king of Persia, gives permission for God’s people to return and rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem.
Ezra keeps hope alive for the continuation of God’s kingdom. The book is named after godly Ezra who trusted God and is a main character in the book that highlights the return of the Israelites from Persian and Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple, which had been destroyed. Part way through, opposition caused the Israelites to stop working on the temple. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people to continue rebuilding, and God opened the door for them to do so through King Darius.
Nehemiah was the godly Hebrew servant of God who happened to have the incredibly important position as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes. (Persia had conquered Babylon.) God used Nehemiah to lead a third group of Jews back from captivity to the city of Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city. God used Nehemiah’s good rapport with the king to allow this to happen. In spite of opposition in the wall-building process, the wall was built and dedicated and the Israelites determined to listen to God’s word and obey it. The kingdom was coming alive again.
Esther is the last of the 12 Jewish history books in the Bible. The timing of the incredible and miraculous events was between Ezra chapters 6 and 7. There had been three waves of Israelites who returned from captivity to the city of Jerusalem, This book takes place between the first and second returns from captivity and records what happened to the Jews who stayed in Persia rather than return to Jerusalem. God delivered his people by raising up a Jewish queen in the Persian Empire who stood in the gap and influenced the pagan king to thwart the planned annihilation of the Jews. This was a pivotal time in Jewish history.
The Poetic Books
The next five books of the Bible: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, are called the poetic books. Hebrew poetry isn’t like the type of poetry we are familiar with (rhyme and meter). There are other poetic nuances that have to do with parallelism and the use of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Some are poetic because in their original language, they can be chanted or sung rhythmically. These books help us to know God better – showing how he thinks and works.
Job is the oldest book in the Bible. The events are thought to have happened between 2,000 and 1,000 B.C. The book highlights the disasters in godly Job’s life and includes the advice of his friends through these trials. It ends with God’s thoughts about all that was said and God’s deliverance of Job from the trials. It could be likened to the coming tribulation that will come upon Israel before the return of Christ. God’s awesomeness will triumph then as it did in Job’s life.
Psalms means “book of praises,” which describes the book well. It’s a 150-chapter collection of praise that originally was used for prayer and praise after the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt. The main authors are David, the sons of Korah (official musicians), Asaph (David’s choir leader), and some are unknown. Some of the Psalms are prophetic, foretelling events of Christ’s life (chapters 2, 16, 22, 24, 40, 45, 68, 69, 72, 97, 110 and 118.) Of particular note is Psalm 22, which is a picture of Christ at Calvary.
Proverbs are the wise sayings penned mostly by King Solomon, who got his wisdom by asking God for it. Some of the topics covered randomly in the book are fear of the Lord, wisdom, foolishness, money, anger and words.
Ecclesiastes means “an assembly” or “preacher.” It was written by King Solomon, David’s son, and it highlights his ponderings of what he learned about life. He talks about the meaning of life and that it doesn’t consist of what we own or how powerful we are. He discusses how God is in control of the seasons of life. And though we don’t understand everything that happens to us, the best thing we can do is obey God.
Song of Songs or Song of Solomon was written by King Solomon as a love song about his marriage to a Gentile bride. It is an intimate picture of Christ’s love for his bride, the church. It displays what true love is – sacrificing everything for the one loved, just like Christ did.
Major Prophets
The rest of the Old Testament is made up of the 17 books of prophecy. The first five (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel) are called the Major Prophets because of their longer length compared to the Minor Prophets. All of the prophetical books were written during the time of the 12 books of history in about a 500-year span. The prophets were raised up and used by God to warn the Israelites, and other nations, of their sin and the consequences if they didn’t repent. Watch for cases of double fulfillment. That is, the events prophesied were fulfilled historically, but they also will have a complete fulfillment some time in the future.
Isaiah, with its 66 chapters, sometimes is called “the miniature Bible” as it reflects the 66 books of the Bible. The author Isaiah was a prophet of the Southern kingdom Judah, and he spoke his words of prophesy during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. The first 39 chapters feature messages of judgment for the sin of the nation, and they warn of the Babylonian captivity. Chapters 40-66 offer God’s comfort and hope to the nation where God promised to free his people and bring them again to the land. It also predicts the coming of Christ as Messiah and the future glory of God’s people.
Jeremiah is called the “weeping prophet.” He was a prophet of Judah and prophesied for more than 40 years. He began his ministry during the reign of Josiah. The first 38 chapters cover the years before the fall of Jerusalem. Chapters 39-52 are prophesied after the fall of Jerusalem. Much of his prophecy also refers to the coming tribulation, which will come shortly before Christ’s second coming. (Remember the concept of double fulfillment. That is, the events prophesied were fulfilled historically, but they also will have a complete fulfillment in the future.)
Lamentations is a smaller supplement written by Jeremiah, and the title means “to lament or to cry out loud.” He expresses grief after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Still, there was a message of hope as Jeremiah reflected on God and his goodness and faithfulness.
Ezekiel was one of the prisoners of the Babylonian captivity. As such, he was a prophet to his fellow prisoners. Many of his prophecies were in the form of visions. He spoke of why God destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and he prophesied judgment against other nations that didn’t obey God. The good news was that someday all of Israel would come back together again in the land and be a great nation. The final fulfillment of many of the prophesies will come at Christ’s second coming when he establishes his kingdom.
Daniel is the last of the five Major Prophets. He was a godly man in Jerusalem who went into captivity with the rest of the Jewish people. His message dealt more with the Gentile nations than with the Jewish nation. The book highlights Daniel’s godly, exemplary life in Babylon and his prophetic visions regarding the end of Israel’s enemies and future enemies, which gradually came true after his days, and some still are to be fulfilled. This includes the demise of the Antichrist and Christ’s coming Kingdom on earth. The book helps to understand some of the book of Revelation.
Minor Prophets
Of the 17 books of prophecy, the next 12 are considered the Minor Prophets because they are smaller, though the content is just as important as the Major Prophets. The authors of these prophetical books lived and prophesied during the time of the historical books.
Hosea was a prophet to the 10 northern tribes of Israel during the reign of seven kings; the first of them was Jeroboam II. During his tenure, much of the northern kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians. By the end of Hosea’s life, the kingdom came to an end. Part of his message was conveyed by the example of his marriage to an unfaithful wife, which demonstrated Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. His example pictures God’s unconditional love for his people. However, God does not excuse sin, and judgment came to the nation for not obeying God.
Joel explained God’s judgment (a severe locust attack) on the people of Judah for their many sins. Then he compared it to the much-worse time ahead during the Day of the Lord. He assured them, however, that God wouldn’t completely destroy his people. He would drive out the enemy and restore and protect Israel. He warned that the nations that go against Israel would be punished by God. Joel wrote the book during the reign of Jehu and Joash.
Amos was a godly shepherd living in Judah. God asked him to leave Judah and travel to Israel to warn them about God’s coming judgment on them and other godless nations. He spoke during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah and Jeroboam II king of Israel. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were prosperous during the time of Amos. In their prosperity, their sin multiplied. Amos delivered three sermons about Israel’s sin and he told five visions about God’s coming judgment. He ended with hope that God would restore David’s family line, and after God’s judgment, he would return them to the land. There will also be a final fulfillment of his words in Christ’s kingdom yet to come.
Obadiah is a prophesy against the nation of Edom, Judah’s enemy. Back in the days of Jacob and his brother Esau, Jacob’s line became the nation of Israel and Esau’s line became the enemy nation of Edom. When the Babylonians attacked the kingdom of Judah, the Edomites helped the invaders and even looted the city of Jerusalem. The single chapter of Obadiah prophesies against Edom for its wicked deeds and states that Esau’s family line will disappear. It ends with the prophecy that the nation of Israel would rise up and posses the Edomites’ land. It serves as an example of how God judges nations that rise up against Israel – then and now.
Jonah was an unwilling prophet who God used anyway to prophecy against Israel’s enemy, the Assyrian city of Nineveh during the reign of Israel’s king Jeroboam II. When God called Jonah to go and warn the people of Nineveh to repent, he didn’t want to go because he wanted to see the Assyrians destroyed. He knew if they repented, they would be spared the judgment he was being sent to warn them about. After repenting of his rebellious attitude while inside the belly of the whale God sent to swallow him, he went and preached the message in the city of Nineveh, they repented, and they were spared. Jonah’s time inside the fish is a picture for us of Christ’s death for us.
Micah was a prophet raised up to speak to Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He began by warning the split kingdom (Israel and Judah) to repent or they would be captured. But in his warning, he also prophesied of a future king who would be born in Bethlehem. With his warning came hope that although they would suffer punishment for their sin and rebellion, they would eventually rise up again and their enemies would be punished. Some of Micah’s prophecies will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation and at Christ’s second coming.
Nahum provides the rest of the story of Nineveh. Nahum prophesied 150 years after Jonah prophesied to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Israel’s enemy. Though the city repented after Jonah’s message, they again fell into sin, thus receiving this second warning of destruction. It’s a warning of peril through the ages to nations that would oppose Israel. Nahum also prophesies that God will restore Israel again.
Habakkuk was a prophet to Judah during the reign of Josiah and his son King Jehoiakim. While Josiah was one of the better kings of Judah, after his death, Jehoiakim took over and was not a follower of God. Habakkuk saw the coming destruction and was distraught. He was told God was using the Babylonians to punish wicked of Judah. Habakkuk also looked ahead and saw the Jewish remnant coming out of the tribulation to enter Christ’s Kingdom yet to come.
Zephaniah was a prophet to Judah during the reign of one of its best kings, Josiah. Seven times he talks about “the day of the Lord,” which refers to the judgment at the hands of the Babylonians and later judgment during the tribulation before Christ’s second coming. At the end, Zephaniah prophesies a glorious future for Israel, foretelling a day of deliverance when there will no longer be evil.
Haggai ministered to the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple during the time of Ezra. His mission was to get the Jews to finish rebuilding the temple after the work had stopped for a period. While the initial fulfillment was the completion of the temple, there’s also a future fulfillment when the temple is rebuilt yet again in Jerusalem and Christ comes to establish his kingdom on earth.
Zechariah prophesied at the same time as Haggai to the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. His message also was to encourage the Jews to finish the job they had started of rebuilding the temple. Part of his prophecy looked forward to the coming Messiah who would enter Jerusalem on a donkey. Then he prophesied forward even further to the second coming and millennial reign of Christ.
Malachi was the last prophet to write prior to the 400 silent years when there were no further prophecies before Christ was born. Malachi was a prophet to the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian captivity during the time of Nehemiah. He rebuked the priests for their wickedness and then foretold the coming of a man who would prepare the way for the Messiah, then the coming of Christ, and finally the Messiah’s second coming. The message of a coming King to establish his kingdom runs through the entire Old Testament.
The New Testament
The gospels
All together, the four gospels (gospel means “good news”) give a four-dimensional view of Christ, including his birth, ministry, message, death and resurrection. Each of the gospels portrays a different dimension of Jesus. Only three events in Christ’s life are mentioned in all four gospels. Besides his death, they are the cleansing of the temple and the feeding of the 5,000.
While the gospels are located in the New Testament, they actually are the transition from the Old Testament and New Testament. This is clear from Hebrews 9:16-17: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” So the New Testament, God’s promise or covenant, didn’t really go into effect until the death of Christ – at the end of the gospels. In fact, his death and resurrection ushered in the age of grace – the covenant of God with the ones who would believe by faith, repent and turn to Christ.
Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that the words spoken by Jesus in the gospels were primarily for the Jews he spoke to, and while we can and should apply the principals, they do not present the blueprint doctrine the New Testament church is based on.
Matthew writes from a Jewish point of view and highlights Jesus as Messiah and King. Matthew (also known as Levi the tax collector and one of the 12 disciples) quotes more from the Old Testament than the other gospels (19 times), to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets. In his writing, he especially emphasizes the kingdom of heaven.
Mark shows more the servant side of Christ. Its emphasis is on what Christ did as a servant and not as much on what he said. Mark pictured the Romans as he wrote, rather than the Jews that Matthew pictured as he wrote. The Romans wouldn’t have been as interested in how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophesies. They would have been more interested in his actions.
Luke looked at Jesus as the Son of Man. This gospel pictures more of Christ’s humanness and was written to a Roman nobleman named Theophilusa. Luke, who was a medical doctor, was looking at Christ with more of a Gentile perspective. He delved more into the details of Christ’s birth and childhood than the other gospels.
John was known as the disciple Jesus loved, and may have been closer to Christ and the events of his life than the other 11 disciples. He presents Christ as the Son of God. His goal in writing was that readers might know Christ as the Son of God and that they might find eternal life through him. John targeted his gospel to everyone with an evangelistic focus. He only mentioned seven of Christ’s miracles. In this book seven different people state that Jesus is God or God’s son.
History
Acts is the only history book in the New Testament. In fact, it is properly called the Acts of the Apostles. It is also a transitional book. In Acts, Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit as he had promised he would do. The focus goes from God setting up a kingdom on earth to setting up his kingdom in the hearts of believers, made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead.
Jesus gave the task to the apostles of making disciples of everyone. The first disciples were all Jewish, and another transition throughout Acts is the opening of the gospel to non-Jews (gentiles), the establishment of the church, and God’s plan to build that church with both believing Jews and gentiles. This was a glorious transition for the gentiles, that they could be a part of God’s kingdom when it originally was reserved for Jews. It was less easy for Jews to accept that transition.
As an historical transitional book from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the New Testament church does not derive its primary doctrine from the book of Acts. Again, principals apply, but the doctrines and methods of the book of Acts are not the guidebook used in the church age.
Letters of Paul
The next 13 books of the New Testament are all epistles, or letters, written by the Apostle Paul and sometimes are called the Pauline epistles. He wrote the first nine to churches and the last four to individuals. This begins the section of the Bible written to us who live in the age of grace. While the rest of the Bible was written for us and for our learning, these books were written to us, and here we learn the doctrine that guides us in our daily lives.
Romans provides the foundation of Christian doctrine: the lostness of man in sin and the doctrine of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. It is addressed to the group of believers at Rome, and most likely, Paul wrote it while he was on his third missionary journey. He outlines the history, present and future of the nation of Israel. He also gives guidelines for how we are to live our lives today. It’s in this book Paul discusses how Jesus Christ was the “second Adam.” The first Adam brought sin into the world. The second Adam brought salvation and forgiveness of sin.
1 Corinthians was written to the church Paul had started in the city of Corinth. This was mainly a church made up of Gentiles, and Paul’s purpose for writing was to correct some bad teaching they had received. He had to get onto them about factions in the church with some following this person, and some that person. Paul had to bring them back to a focus on Christ. These believers were also having problems with issues related to marriage; hurting other people with their actions; the use of their spiritual gifts; and an understanding of the importance of Christ’s resurrection.
2 Corinthians found Paul writing to the church at Corinth again. After the first letter he had sent, this church received more bad teaching from false teachers who tried to turn these people away from Paul. In this book, Paul defended himself and assured them that God had given him the ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He exhorted the church to help others in need, sharing what God had given them, and he warned them against false teachers who would turn them away from following Jesus.
Galatians was written to a group of churches that Paul had started in the area of Galatia during his second missionary journey. Paul needed to correct the false teaching that had crept in that told the churches they needed to return to Jewish law. Paul explained the freedom they had in Christ and the need to walk, not according to the law, but according to the power of God by the spirit in them that they received when the Holy Spirit entered them at salvation. He also explained that Christians are a testimony to others when they do good works and that they are supposed to help each other to live lives that are pleasing to God.
Ephesians was written by Paul while he was a prisoner in Rome. He had previously spent about three years ministering in Ephesus, so he was close to this group of believers who lived in this important city that now is largely the country of Turkey. Here Paul describes the church as the body of Christ, making up the complete ministry of Christ since Jesus died and rose again. He explains how individuals in the church love and live for Christ, in light of all he did for them, to bring glory to God. After describing how a Christian is to live, Paul explains how we are to equip ourselves to live that life using the armor God has given us.
Philippians was also written by Paul while he was a prisoner under house arrest in Rome to the church in Philippi, which was in Macedonia, part of modern Greece. This was a cheerful letter of thanks to these believers for their financial help and encouragement. Paul discussed how he had learned to be content in any circumstance he found himself, even imprisonment. He asked these believers to work together and to be like Christ. He warned them to watch out for false teachers and exhorted them to follow Jesus in everything. Overall, he encouraged them (and us) in their Christian walk.
Colossians was written by Paul from prison to the church at Colosse, which was about 100 miles from Ephesus. Paul had never visited this church. Rather, the city received the gospel from the ministry of Epaphras, who came to know the Lord through Paul’s ministry at Ephesus. Paul’s teaching in Colossians is similar to that of Ephesians. He refuted the false teachings that had crept into the Colossian church that taught the people to worship angels and observe Jewish ceremonies. Paul urged them to grasp who Jesus was and understand his power as Lord of all things. He talked about living holy lives and discussed what it means for Christ to be in us.
1 Thessalonians was written by Paul to the church he started in Thessalonica, the largest city in Macedonia. He wrote it while he was in Corinth. The occasion was Timothy visiting the Thessalonian church and reporting back to Paul how well they were doing, but that they seemed to have a false understanding of Christ’s return yet to come. In this letter, Paul praised the Thessalonians for their testimony and example to other Christians. Then he explained what will happen at the return of Christ. He explained how they should live while they wait for Christ’s return.
2 Thessalonians was also written by Paul from Corinth to the church at Thessalonica about six months after he wrote 1 Thessalonians. The main purpose was to address false teachings they had received about the return of Christ, which left many of them to believe that they were already living in the prophesied time of Tribulation. Paul explained how they would know when that time came. He exhorted to spread the gospel and not to get tired of doing good.
1 Timothy is the first of four books Paul wrote to an individual, in this case to Timothy. It is considered the first of three Pastoral Epistles. Paul had mentored Timothy as the young man traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey. He took over the church in Ephesus. Paul, unable to visit Timothy wrote this book to encourage him in his ministry. He warned Timothy about false teachers, taught him about church worship, explained how to choose good church leaders and challenged him to be a good example for others to follow. He also gave him advice on how to treat people in the church.
2 Timothy was the last letter Paul wrote, which he did from a dungeon prison in Rome. He knew his time was up, and he was lonely. He wrote to Timothy unsure whether he would ever see him again. He wrote words of warning and encouragement to his companion in the gospel. He urged Timothy to follow the truth, be a good soldier, stick with God in the last days and to spread the gospel.
Titus is the third pastoral epistle written by Paul. Titus had come to know Christ as savior through Paul’s ministry and had traveled with Paul on his third missionary journey. Paul had used Titus to help the church at Corinth, and eventually put him over the church at Crete to select leaders in that church. In this letter, Paul explained what type of leaders to choose and instructed him how to properly treat individuals in the church and how the Christians should live.
Philemon is the last of the letters of Paul, and he wrote it while he was a prisoner in Rome about the same time her wrote Colossians. It addresses an individual, Philemon, who was a good friend of Paul’s and whose slave, Onesimus, had run away. While he was on the run, Onesimus met Paul, and Paul led him to Christ. Paul wrote to reconcile the two and urged Philemon to accept Onesimus back, now as a brother in Christ. Paul even offered to pay for anything Onesimus owed or had stolen from Philemon.
General epistles
After the 13 Pauline epistles come the eight general epistles
Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians, but it is uncertain who wrote the book. Many believe it was the Apostle Paul. It was written to counter the thinking of the time that perhaps Jewish Christians needed to do more than just trust in Christ for a correct standing with God. The teaching was spreading that they needed to also obey the Mosaic law. Some were ready to turn from the faith back to Judaism. The writer’s goal was to prove that Jesus Christ was the perfect fulfillment and that he was greater than the law, the prophets, the angels and Moses and Joshua. He was also greater than the previous high priests. The writer talks about the great heroes of the Old Testament and how they all died believing in God’s promises, even if it meant sacrificing their lives. The book gives great insight into the Old Testament.
James was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, to Jewish Christians who had scattered abroad. It is a no-nonsense book written to explain more about the Christian faith, which is to be lived out and demonstrated by good works. It also talks about persecution for that faith, and James urges the readers to be strong when their faith is tested. He gives practical instruction on how to live the Christian life, trusting in God to the end when faith is rewarded at the return of Jesus.
1 Peter was written by the famed Apostle Peter, though he was a much bolder, Spirit-filled apostle than when he followed Christ on earth. He wrote the book to believers who were suffering for their faith – as was he. Christians were being persecuted under the Roman emperor Nero. His was a letter of hope. He encouraged the believers regarding their new life. He instructed them to be holy and to obey the Lord. He explained how to best live in a nonChristian world.
2 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter shortly before his death. While his first letter addressed how to live with persecution, this letter talks about false teachers from within the church. Some were teaching errors and lies about Jesus and his return. Peter instructed them about the foundation of the faith, the foes of the faith and the future of the faith and how that should affect how believers live.
1 John was written by John, who also wrote the gospel of John, as well as 2 and 3 John and Revelation. He begins by elevating the truth and discusses what true fellowship with God is. He instructs that knowing God and loving others go hand in hand. He shares several proofs that a person is in Christ. “Know” and “love” are two of the most common words found in 1 John.
2 John is only one chapter long and is addressed to “the elect lady and her children,” which could be an individual or a church. His concern in this letter was that some of the teachers circulating among the churches were false teachers spreading untruths. He encouraged the believers to walk after his commandments and love one another. He wanted them to be able to identify those who did not teach the truth and avoid letting them into their homes.
3 John was written by John to his good friend Gaius. It was a letter of encouragement and exhortation as his friend was a good example to other believers. Gaius had been kind to the teachers John had sent to help the churches, and he wanted him to continue. He warned him about the pompous man Diotrephes and encouraged Gaius not to imitate this man.
Jude was the brother of James and a half brother to Jesus. He wrote to warn believers about false teachers and false prophets that would come in the last days before Jesus returns as king. He warns about the punishment those false teachers will receive, and he urges believers to defend the truth.
Revelation, written by the apostle John, reveals Jesus Christ in all his glory. It’s the end of the book, and we see the future he came and died to secure. It discusses in a prophetic way what life will be like just before, during and right after Christ returns to set up the kingdom that was destined to be in place from the beginning of the Bible. In summary, chapters 1-3 describe the church age; chapters 4-19 give four views of the Great Tribulation to come; and chapters 20-22 talk about the return of Christ and beyond.
ã Jody Shee, 2008. This summary is copyrighted. You are permitted to reproduce it provided you do not do so for monetary gain.
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