When you open a Bible, the way the books are organized are as types of literature. They are not exactly chronological order if you read them straight through. I knew this, but forgot until now.
The Old Testament lays the foundation of God’s relationship with humanity and His covenant with Israel. It is divided into the following sections:
- Pentateuch (Torah): The first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are traditionally attributed to Moses. Modern scholarship suggests they were composed by multiple authors between the 10th and 5th centuries B.C.E. These books cover creation, laws, and the early history of Israel.
- Historical Books: This section includes books like Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and the two books of Samuel and Kings, among others. These books narrate Israel’s journey from the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian exile, highlighting the nation’s struggles and victories.
- Wisdom and Poetic Books: Comprising Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, these writings explore themes of worship, human experience, and the pursuit of wisdom.
- Prophetic Books: Featuring major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as the twelve minor prophets, these books deliver messages of warning, hope, and future restoration.
The New Testament unveils the life of Jesus Christ, the birth of the Church, and the hope of eternal life. It is divided into the following sections:
- Gospels: The first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—provide distinct perspectives on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Acts of the Apostles: This book recounts the formation of the early Church and the spread of the Christian message after Jesus’ ascension.
- Pauline Epistles: Letters attributed to the Apostle Paul, such as Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians, address doctrinal issues and offer guidance to early Christian communities.
- General Epistles and Revelation: This section includes letters like Hebrews, James, and the epistles of Peter and John, concluding with Revelation, an apocalyptic vision of the end times and God’s ultimate victory.
Here’s the rest of the info from that page.
On our adventure, we’ve been following the story from start to finish. In order to really do that, we need to be reading the books of the Old Testament specifically in a different order. The new Testament is chronological anyway, no problems there. Take a look at what I mean.
– Genesis (concurrent with the Book of Job)
– Exodus and Leviticus
– Number and Deuteronomy
– Joshua
– Judges and Ruth
– 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel
– Concurrent with 1 and 2 Samuel are woven 1 Chronicles and Psalms, as well as the prophets Amos and Hosea
– Concurrent with some of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon
– With 2 Chronicles are 1 and 2 Kings
– Concurrent with 1 Kings are Joel, Micah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Habakuk, and Jeremiah
– Concurrent with 2 Kings are Lamentations, Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah
– Then come Israel’s 70 years of exile to Babylon, and the books of Daniel and Ezekiel
– Then comes Ezra (and Esther, at the end of Ezra)
– Then Nehemiah
– Concurrent with Ezra and Nehemiah are the books Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
More info where I found this
This means that for one massive post, we will be leaving the A Plot in Genesis to cover the B plot. Something that has been happening alongside the Genesis plot, but does not appear til much later in the traditional order of the books. We’ll cover Job next, so everyone isn’t confused later by any time shifting if we kept to the regular order. You’ll thank me after. Then we will rejoin the Genesis plot. Clear as mud? Good.
IIWAC PAUSE: The Order Of Books In The Bible
The Old Testament lays the foundation of God’s relationship with humanity and His covenant with Israel. It is divided into the following sections:
The New Testament unveils the life of Jesus Christ, the birth of the Church, and the hope of eternal life. It is divided into the following sections:
Here’s the rest of the info from that page.
On our adventure, we’ve been following the story from start to finish. In order to really do that, we need to be reading the books of the Old Testament specifically in a different order. The new Testament is chronological anyway, no problems there. Take a look at what I mean.
– Genesis (concurrent with the Book of Job)
– Exodus and Leviticus
– Number and Deuteronomy
– Joshua
– Judges and Ruth
– 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel
– Concurrent with 1 and 2 Samuel are woven 1 Chronicles and Psalms, as well as the prophets Amos and Hosea
– Concurrent with some of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon
– With 2 Chronicles are 1 and 2 Kings
– Concurrent with 1 Kings are Joel, Micah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Habakuk, and Jeremiah
– Concurrent with 2 Kings are Lamentations, Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah
– Then come Israel’s 70 years of exile to Babylon, and the books of Daniel and Ezekiel
– Then comes Ezra (and Esther, at the end of Ezra)
– Then Nehemiah
– Concurrent with Ezra and Nehemiah are the books Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
More info where I found this
This means that for one massive post, we will be leaving the A Plot in Genesis to cover the B plot. Something that has been happening alongside the Genesis plot, but does not appear til much later in the traditional order of the books. We’ll cover Job next, so everyone isn’t confused later by any time shifting if we kept to the regular order. You’ll thank me after. Then we will rejoin the Genesis plot. Clear as mud? Good.