Books of the Bible

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The Name BIBLE

The name is derived from the Greek expression biblia (the books), which came into use in the early centuries of Christianity to designate the whole sacred volume. It means "The Book", by way of eminence, and therefore well sets forth the sacred character of our inspired literature.

The Name Testament

Old Testament (46 Books) The Alexandrian translators of the Scripture, known as the Septuagint, employed the word as the equivalent of the Hebrew berith, which means a pact, an alliance, more especially the alliance of Yahweh with Israel.

New Testament (27 Books) In St. Paul (1 Corinthians 11:25) Jesus Christ uses the words "new testament" as meaning the alliance established by Himself between God and the world, and this is called "new" as opposed to that of which Moses was the mediator.

Books of the Bible What is the Old Testament?

The Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures, is a record of God's relationship with the Israelites, the "Chosen People." Written between 900 B.C. and 160 B.C. the forty-six books of the Old Testament can be divided into four sections: the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Wisdom Books, and the Prophetic Books.

What is the Pentateuch? (The Law or Torah) -The Law in Five Parts
The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Old Testament, namely: Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Many well known Bible stories are found in these books including the stories of Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark as well as other stories which tell of the origins of the Israelite people and their escape under the leadership of Moses from slavery in Egypt . The Ten Commandments and other laws governing the life and worship of the Israelite people are also found in the Pentateuch. Hence, the other name for this section of the Old Testament is the Law or the Torah.

Books of the Bible What are the Historical Books?

The Historical Books are exactly what you would expect them to be, a history of the Israelite people and of God's intervention in their history. They include: Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees The First Book of the Maccabees is a history of the struggle of the Jewish people for religious and political liberty under the leadership of the Maccabee family, with Judas Machabeus as the central figure. After a brief introduction, explaining how the Jews came to pass from the Persian domination to that of the Seleucids, it relates the causes of the rising under Mathathias and the details of the revolt up to his death; the glorious deeds and heroic death of Judas Machabeus, the story of the successful leadership of Jonathan, and of the wise administration of Simon. It concludes with a brief mention of the difficulties attending the accession of John Hyrcanus and with a short summary of his reign. The book thus covers the period between the years 175 and 135 B.C.

Books of the Bible Tobit

Raphael cares for the young Tobias on his journey to Gabael in Rages of Media to obtain the ten talents of silver left in bond by his father. The young man set out, after long instruction by his father; Raphael joins him as guide; Tobias while bathing in the Tigris is attacked by a large fish, catches it, and, at the advice of Raphael, keeps its heart, liver, and gall; they pass through Ecbatana, stop at Raguel's; Tobias asks Sara for wife and receives her; by continence and exorcism and the odor of the burning liver of the fish and the aid of Raphael, he conquers the devil who had slain the seven previous husbands of Sara; Raphael gets the money of Gabael in Rages, and brings him to Ecbatana to the marriage celebration of young Tobias. Raphael cures the blindness of the elder Tobias, on the return of his son, and manifests the truth that he is an angel. Conclusion: the hymn of thanksgiving of Tobias the elder, and the subsequent history of both father and son.

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Judith
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Nineveh, sends his general Holofernes to subdue the Jews. The latter besieges them in Bethulia, a city on the southern verge of the Plain of Esdrelon. Achior, the Ammonite, who speaks in defense of the Jews, is maltreated by him and sent into the besieged city to await his punishment when Holofernes shall have taken it. Famine undermines the courage of the besieged and they contemplate surrender, but Judith, a widow, upbraids them and says that she will deliver the city. She goes into the camp of the Assyrians and captivates Holofernes by her beauty, and finally takes advantage of the general's intoxication to cut off his head. She returns inviolate to the city with his head as a trophy, and a sally on the part of the Jews results in the rout of the Assyrians. The book closes with a hymn to the Almighty by Judith to celebrate her victory.

Books of the Bible What are the Wisdom Books?

There are seven Wisdom books that are quite diverse in literary style and content. They include the Psalms, which are prayers written in poetic form. There are books about how to lead a successful life, like Proverbs and Sirach. The Song of Songs, one of the most sensual love poems ever written, gives us a sense of God's great love for his people. The 7 Wisdom Books are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach

Books of the Bible What are the Prophetic Books?

The Prophetic Books contain the writings of Israel's great prophets. The role of the prophets was to keep the Chosen People faithful to the covenant they had made with God and to call them back when they strayed. These powerful writings richly describe the rewards of faithfulness and the punishments of betrayal. Additionally and mysteriously, the prophetic books foretell the coming of the Messiah and give information about him. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem to a virgin, his ministry to the poor, the downtrodden and the sick, and his violent death are all foretold in the prophetic books. The Prophetic Books include: Major - Isaiah , Jeremiah , Ezekiel , Lamentations, Baruch, Daniel Minor Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

What is the New Testament? The New Testament is composed of twenty-seven books which were written in Greek between 50 A.D. and 140 A.D. It consists of the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles or Letters and the Book of Revelation. The central theme of the New Testament, or Christian Scriptures is Jesus Christ; his person, his message, his passion, death and resurrection, his identity as the promised Messiah and his relationship to us as Lord and brother. Why was the New Testament written in Greek? The New Testament was written in Greek because it was the most commonly spoken language of the Mediterranean world. What are the Gospels? The word Gospel usually designates a written record of Christ's words and deeds. It is very likely derived from the Anglo-Saxon god (good) and spell (to tell), and is generally treated as the exact equivalent of the Greek euaggelion (I bear a message), and the Latin Evangelium. The Greek euaggelion originally signified the "reward of good tidings" given to the messenger, and subsequently "good tidings. There are four Gospels. Each Gospel is an account of the life, teachings, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke together are referred to as the synoptic gospels. "Synoptic" is derived from a Greek word meaning "one eye,' because these gospels look alike in structure and content. The Gospel of John, while not in conflict with the synoptic gospels, differs in structure and contains some stories and sayings of Jesus that are not found in them. What is the Acts of the Apostles? The Acts of the Apostles was written by St. Luke about 70 A.D. to 75 A.D. It describes the faith, growth and way of life of early Christianity. The story of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church at Pentecost, the martyrdom of St. Stephen and the conversion of St. Paul can all be found in this book.

Books of the Bible

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What are the Epistles? The Epistles or Letters make up the largest part of the New Testament. They are usually divided into two categories: the Pauline Letters and other Catholic Letters. All the letters follow the format of letter writing in the ancient world. Each letter usually begins with a greeting and an identification of the sender and the recipients. This is followed by a prayer, usually in the form of a thanksgiving. The body of the letter is an exposition of Christian teaching, usually responding to the circumstances of the recipients. It may be followed by a discussion of the author's future travel plans and conclude with practical advice and a farewell. The Pauline Letters were written by St. Paul; not long after the death and resurrection of Jesus, between 54 A.D. and 80 A.D. They indicate early developments of Christian theology and practice. Included in the Pauline Letters are: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon The Catholic Letters are thought to be addressed, not so much to a particular community or individual, but to a more universal audience. They were written by various authors between 65 A.D. and 95 A.D. The Catholic Letters are: James , 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude Captivity Epistles The Epistles to Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon are called the Epistles of the Captivity because they were written while St. Paul was imprisoned in Rome or Caesarea.

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What is the Book of Revelation? The final book of the New Testament , the Book of Revelation, was written sometime after 90 A.D. In highly symbolic terms it presents the struggle between the Church and the forces of evil and the eventual triumph of Jesus. Although it contains some dreadful warnings about the future, it is essentially a message of hope to the church.
Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? There was a time in the Catholic Church when it was attributed to St. Paul, but now scholars say no longer attribute the book to St. Paul. Hence, Catholic bibles no longer say, St. Pauls Letter to the Hebrews. It was noticeable that when Blessed Pope John Paul II referred to the Book of Hebrews, he spoke about the author, and didnt mention St. Paul.

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History of 7 Books which Protestants reject, but Catholics believe as Inspired. Deuterocannical Books (Second Canon) Books not in the Hebrew group, but in the Greek group (Wisdom, Sirach, Judith, Baruch, Tobit, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees) Alexandrian CanonThe city of Alexandria had library, which contained the entire Hebrew bible. This bible became known as the Alexandrian Canon. 7 Books Used by Catholics, Protestants Call ApocryphaProtestants currently use a group of books originally written in Hebrew. (the same group of books as the Jews who rejected Jesus used) There are 7 less books than the Catholic bible. They refer to these 7 books as Apocrypha, which means noninspired. SeptuagintCatholics use the group of books translated from Hebrew into Greek in 200BC, which is called the Septuagint (70 or 72 scholars, who translated it) 100 BC, A Greek Translation was made for the use of Jews, who lived outside of Palestine and who had difficulty reading Hebrew. These books are the same group of books Jesus used, the New Testament writers used and Catholics continue to use today. The Greek Septuagint was used in most every synagogue at the time of Jesus. This Greek translation became very popular because many spoke Greek at the time. Hebrew was a dying language. It contained 46 books.

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Hebrew Canon 110AD Jews who rejected Christianity established the Hebrew Canon. They thought what they were doing was making sure that the original Alexandrian Canon was complete. They though there were only 39 books in the original Alexandrian Canon. They rejected the Greek bible (Septuagint) for two reasons. First because Christians used it, and second because they thought the Septuagint should have had only 39 books, not 46. They thought that those who translated the Alexandrian Canon into Greek included 7 non-inspired books.

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St. Jerome (300sAD) He was asked by Pope Damasus to translate the Greek Septuagint bible into Latin. He noticed there were 7 books different from the Hebrew Canon and questioned if there were too many books in the Septuagint, thinking perhaps some were not inspired. However, he did as he was told and was obedient to the Pope.

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Martin Luther He rejected the Septuagint because the Hebrew Canon was more convenient for his doctrines, in which he threw out Catholic teachings, such as the book of Maccabees which speaks of praying for the dead. He quoted St. Jerome (who took issue with it) and the early Jews who rejected the Septuagint. This caused the new Protestant Bible to have less books. Today, they are now using the same text in which the Jews, who rejected Jesus used (the Hebrew Canon).

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The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls have proven that the bible, which Catholics have used all along, was the same as the original written texts in Alexandria (Alexandrian Canon). Scrolls discovered in the 1940s had texts which were translated into Greek from the Alexandrian Canon. Some of the 7 books which the Jews thought were not inspired by the translators of the Septuagint was actually translated from the original Alexandrian Canon and these books were actually inspired. The Jews and the Protestants today, still fail to understand that the original text which is now being used by Christians, had also been used by the first Christians and Jews before Christ.

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Books Accepted as Inspired Church Councils, decided to use the Greek version, which most Christians were using. Council of Hippo in 393AD (approved 46 books) Council of Carthage in 397AD (approved 46 books) Pope Innocent closed the Canon (401AD to 417AD) -72 Books For 16 centuries until the 1500s the group of Books used by Christians was uncontested faith.
In 1529 Martin Luther, decided to delete the 7 books, due to there opposition to his new doctrine (praying for the dead) and because Hebrew Texts did not contain the 7 books. However, the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1949 found texts written in Hebrew that were of the 7 books.

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Books Rejected as Not Inspired (Apocrypha) -In the early Church some thought the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, letters of Barnabas were inspired- but the Church would call Apocrypha. Some information in these books are true, but some are not. For example, the Gospel of Thomas refers to the Child Jesus working miracles. This has never been a tradition of the Church. The Church has always said Jesus worked His first miracle at the wedding at Cana.
-The Catholic Church used Her authority to determine which books belonged to the bible were inspired.

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Martin Luther -Martin Luther rejected the 7 books. Not out of any concern over if they were written in Greek or Hebrew, but for doctrinal reasons. -For example he rejected Maccabees because it refers to praying for the dead 2 Macc. 15:12-16. -Luther rejected the doctrine that the dead could intercede for the living and so excluded 2 Maccabees. -He also originally rejected the books of James, Hebrews, Revelation, because they did not fit his theological views on faith and salvation. -Martin Luther admits that Christians owe their bible to the efforts of the Catholic Church he said, We are obliged to yield many things to the Papists (Catholics) that they posses the Word of God which we received from them, otherwise we should have known nothing at all about it.

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1000yrs in Latin -This Latin Bible was used for nearly 1000 yrs. before the invention of the printing press in 1450, when the bible began to be printed in other languages. -Printing Press brought about problems in translations. -King James Version was one of the best translations, yet it had over 30,000 errors in it. -For 16 centuries the Christian OT was an uncontested matter of faith. -All of the 7 books are quoted by early Church Fathers as Scripture.

The Word of the Lord

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Texts Today -Ancient Hebrew copies of Tobit, Sirach were discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were found in the early 20th century, which makes their rejection unsupportable. -The Question is which OT would you rather use? The OT used by Jesus and the NT writers or the OT used by Jews who rejected Jesus and persecuted Christians?

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THE BIBLE All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright. 1 Tim. 3:16 God is the Author of Sacred Scripture Although God is the Author of the Bible, He did not write it with His own hand, neither did He create it out of nothing by His almighty word. He employed sacred writers and inspired them to write what he wished. Hence while God is the author of the Bible, the sacred writers, too, were authors in a sense of what they wrote. Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation. Combination of Human and Divine Cooperation -The Holy Spirit as principal author of Sacred Scripture influenced the sacred writer in three ways: 1. Illuminated the mind of the sacred writer. 2. Moved the will of the sacred writer. 3. Aided the sacred writer in the work of composition.

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Not Verbal Dictation-

-The bible was not written by verbal dictation nor were the authors forced to write what they wrote. Rather, they cooperated with God in writing what God wanted them to write, no more and no less. Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God. 2 Peter 1:20-21
Inerrancy-

"Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation. Dei Verbum, Vat. II Document

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Everything in the Bible is Not literally True The bible is a collection of many different kinds of writings. We need to interpret the scripture with the intention of the author. Book of Genesis is not meant to be manual for physics. Song of Songs is a poem, not historical narrative. Book of Job is a drama, not be read as fact. Literally True that Some Call into Question (Science proves the Bible) -Book of Jonah, sometimes today some say it is not factual. But it is. -Noahs flood was a real event. There is proof of the flood. -The crossing of Sea was a real event. -Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah found in excavations.

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Gospels were Written in 3 Stages: 1. The Life and Teachings of Jesus. 2. The Oral Tradition- the apostles handed on to their hearers, what Jesus said and done, but with fuller understanding which they, instructed by the glorious events of Christ and enlightened by the Spirit of truth, now enjoyed. 3. Gospels Written- The sacred authors in writing the four gospels, selected certain of the many elements which had been handed on, either orally or already in written form.

The Four Living Creatures (Lion, Ox, Man, Eagle) from the book of Revelation refer to the Four Gospels. Rev. 4:7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

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Matthew- Man Mark- Lion

The image of a man or angel represents the Gospel of Matthew and signifies Christ's human nature.

The lion represents the Gospel of Mark and is a traditional symbol of royalty and power and, therefore, denotes Christ the King.

Luke - Ox
The ox or calf, the sacrificial victim, represents the Gospel of St. Luke and highlights the priestly character of Christ's mission.

John Eagle
The eagle stands for the Gospel of St. John, the evangelist "who soars to the heavens," because his theology is much more developed than the three Synoptic Gospels. Just as an eagle soars above the earth, so John's theology soars above the other Gospels.

Symbols for the Synoptic Gospels Probably Come From How Each Begins
The Gospel of Mark begins with the lines: "A voice cries out in the wilderness." In the wilderness you can hear the roar of the lion for miles around. Matthew's Gospel opens with the genealogy of Jesus, and represents Jesus' human roots. The Gospel of Luke opens with the story of Zechariah the high priest, who offered a sacrifice of a bull on behalf of the nation. These symbols were developed as a way of helping people to remember the different Gospels and the perspectives that they took, especially at a time when most people could not read.

Four Gospels Go Out to Four Corners of the Earth

In Ezekiel 1:10, these four figures represent the Four Corners of the earth, which we can saw represent these 4 Gospels spreading by these four Gospel writers.

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Scripture Alone? Nowhere in Scripture does it say; Scripture Alone!

Christ left a Church with Divine Authority Matt. 16:18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. Church is Bullwark of Truth 1 Tim. 3:15 But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.

Chaos If Everyone Interprets Himself Who is right if disagreements? Which is the truth? Who determines which is the truth. That is why Church authority is necessary. If the Supreme Court is Needed to Interpret Constitution- Shouldnt there be an authority to Interpret the Word of God?

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All Scripture is Profitable All Scripture is Sufficient? "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- ness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Many claim that 2 Timothy 3:1617 claims Scripture is sufficient as a rule of faith. But an examination of the verse in context shows that it doesnt claim that at all; it only claims Scripture is "profitable" (Greek: ophelimos) that is, helpful. Many things can be profitable for moving one toward a goal, without being sufficient in getting one to the goal. Notice that the passage nowhere even hints that Scripture is "sufficient"which is, of course, exactly what Protestants think the passage means.

Books in the Bible St. Paul Scripture and Tradition So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. 2 Thess. 2:15

I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. 1 Corin. 11:2 Jesus and St. Paul Reject Tradition? No Fundamentalists say Jesus condemned tradition. They note that Jesus said, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matt. 15:3). Paul warned, "See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). But these verses merely condemn erroneous human traditions, not truths which were handed down orally and entrusted to the Church by the apostles. These latter truths are part of what is known as apostolic tradition, which is to be distinguished from human traditions or customs.

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Sacred Tradition
-Eusebius of Caesarea has this to say about St. Ignatius Martyr: Although he was being led through Asia under the unrelenting vigilance of guards, he nonetheless managed to urge the churches of each city he entered that they beware, above all else, of the vicious views of heretics, and he exhorted them to cling tenaciously to the traditions of the Apostles which, corroborated as they were by his testimony, should in his opinion be committed to writing that future ages might have more certain knowledge of them. St. Iraneus : When they are refuted by the Scriptures, they take to maligning the Scriptures themselves. . . . But when we refer them to that tradition which originates with the apostles and which is preserved in the churches through the succession of the presbyters, they attack the tradition, claiming that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters but even than the apostles. [However] anyone who wants to see the truth can look to the tradition of the Apostles which is clearly manifested throughout the whole world; and we can list those who were set up as bishops in the different churches as well as their successors right down to our own time, men who neither taught nor knew anything like what these [Gnostics] are raving about. For if the apostles had known secret doctrines which they were in the habit of teaching to the perfect clandestinely and apart from the rest, they would most certainly have communicated these things to those to whom they were entrusting the churches themselves. He also said, "For the Church, although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in one God, the Father Almighty . . . and in one Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit." (Against Heresies 1:10:1 [A.D. 189]). St. John Chrysostom, in his explanation of St. Pauls words Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which you have learned from us by word or letter, says: It is therefore clear that [the apostles] did not teach everything in epistolary form, but that they taught many things besides in unwritten form, and these things, too, are worthy of acceptance. Wherefore we should consider the tradition of the Church also as worthy of belief. If there is a tradition, look no further. (Homilia 4 in 2 Thess 2; see Homilia 3 in 2 Tim.)