The Bible

Overview of the Old & New Testaments

Old Testament• “Old” does not mean out of date

– Paves the way for the new– Needed to understand the new– Foundation of our identity as a people, a

family of faith– Contains the revelation of God which lays the

framework for our Christian faith– Sacred to both Christians and Jewish people– Different Canon for Catholics and Protestant

Christians

Pentateuch• The core or center of the Old Testament• The first five books of the Old Testament. It contains the

creation story and other origin stories along with the history of the early peoples chosen by God.– Genesis (Creation to the Patriarchs)

• It contains the major covenant with God and the Laws pertaining to that covenant.– Exodus (10 Commandments) – Leviticus (purity, ritual and social justice laws)

• Accounts of the Desert Wanderings – Numbers– Deuteronomy (10 Commandments)

• Spans the time from Creation to the death of Moses.

Historical Books

• The sixteen historical books of the bible tell the story of God at work in the history of ancient Israel from the settlement of Canaan to the Kingdom of the Maccabees.

• They include the tribal confederation, the United Kingdom, the divided Kingdoms, the exile and return, the domination by foreign powers and a short period of independence.

Wisdom Books

–7 books that are a collection of prayers and songs for worship, wise sayings, proverbs, and short stories that offer insights into the proper way to live.

Books of the Prophets

• 18 books of the Old Testament that contain the sermons, dreams and visions of the prophets of God. Prophets were messengers of God that worked to keep the people (king) faithful to the covenant

New Testament

• Fulfills the promises of the Old Testament• Is not part of Hebrew Scripture• Contains the core of the Bible, the

Gospels• Contains the actions and teachings of the

Early Church

Gospels• The core or center of Scripture• 4 accounts about the life, works, teachings,

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.• Written by the 4 evangelists:

– Matthew– Mark– Luke– John

• Matthew, Mark and Luke are synoptic Gospels– This means thy are similar “seen with the same eye”

• John’s gospel is written from a different perspective

Acts of the Apostles

• Written by the evangelist, Luke– Sometimes called Gospel of Luke, II

• The continuation of Jesus earthly mission through the actions of his closest followers, the apostles.

• The beginning of the Catholic Church.• Includes the account of the Pentecost, the

conversion of Paul and especially the actions of Peter and Paul

Epistles or Letters• A collection of 21 letters written by church

leaders, particularly St. Paul, to guide and advise the newly formed Christian communities.

– Pauline Letters• Written by St. Paul to newly formed communities

of the early Church– Letter to Hebrews, not written by St. Paul

– Catholic Letters• Written by others to the Church in general

– Pastoral letters

Book of Revelations

• An account of the conflict between good and evil and the promise of a new world to come in which God triumphs and takes his followers with him.

• Written by John, a Jewish-Christian prophet