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QUESTION 19

What Is Contained in the Various Books of the Bible?

HEBREW SCRIPTURES (“OLD TESTAMENT”)

PENTATEUCH (5 BOOKS):

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

From creation to the founding of the ancient nation of Israel

HISTORICAL BOOKS (12 BOOKS):

Joshua, Judges, Ruth

Israel’s entry into the Promised Land and events thereafter

1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles

History of the nation of Israel down to the destruction of Jerusalem

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

History of the Jews after returning from exile in Babylon

POETIC BOOKS (5 BOOKS):

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Collections of wise sayings and songs

PROPHETIC BOOKS (17 BOOKS):

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Prophecies, or predictions, concerning God’s people

CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES (“NEW TESTAMENT”)

THE FOUR GOSPELS (4 BOOKS):

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

History of Jesus’ life and ministry

ACTS OF APOSTLES (1 BOOK):

History of the start of the Christian congregation and missionary activity

LETTERS (21 BOOKS):

Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Letters to various Christian congregations

1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

Letters to individual Christians

Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude

General letters to Christians

REVELATION (1 BOOK):

Series of prophetic visions given to the apostle John