The Bible is the focus of Christian instruction. It contains history, prophecy, and wisdom. The Bible is not just a book; it is a compilation of 66 writings from around 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years.

Understanding what the Bible is will help us understand what is written inside. Many new Christians can become overwhelmed with the Bible but it's not so bad when we take it one book at a time and begin to understand what each book is about and to whom they are written. This isn't a Bible lesson as much as an intro to the Bible.

The Old Testament contains 39 books
The New Testament contains 27 books.

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Old Testament

Law

• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy

History

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

Wisdom

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

Major Prophets

• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel
• Daniel

Minor Prophets

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

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New Testament

Biography

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John

History

• Acts

Pauline Epistles

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

General Epistles

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

Prophecy

• Revelation

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Note: Epistles are essentially letters.

This of course is a rough classification; We find history, prophecy and wisdom throughout each book.

The Bible is verified through numerous ancient manuscripts, archaeology, the fulfillment of prophecy, and faith. The Bible has been translated and interpreted many times throughout the years. There are some Bibles that may even contain perversions of the truth but this is not the time to debate Bible versions. There may not be any one perfect Bible, but even in corruption God can preserve the truth. Pray for understanding. God gives us a spirit of discernment to find the truth. In this we know that we can trust God and trust our Bibles.

If you are about to pick up a Bible, start in New Testament. I would suggest choosing one Biography book like Mark and then go to an Epistle, 1 John is excellent. It's a great way to start. Take your time and seek the truth with all readiness of mind. The Bible itself doesn't save you, only your faith in Jesus Christ does.