Old Testament
The Old Testament describes the history of the people that God chose through whom a Savior would come. Therefore, it contains the history of God's people (the Jews) and also includes prophecies of the coming of Jesus the Savior.
New Testament
The New Testament was written to record of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus as well as letters written to various churches and individuals guide them in following Jesus.
BOOKS
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
Adam & Eve, Cain & Able, Joseph and the coat of many colors, Moses, Pharaoh, and the parting of the Red Sea…
THE STORY
The first five books of the Bible (known as the Pentateuch) open with the story of creation and lead into the story of Adam and Eve. The Pentateuch tells about the initial (or “original”) sin of humankind, the promise of redemption, and the beginning of human civilization. Much of the Pentateuch details laws created to help form early societies. The most famous of these laws are the Ten Commandments which God gave to the Israelites. These 10 laws have shaped countless cultures to this day.
BOOKS
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, Ezra, and Nehemiah
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
David & Goliath, Sampson feats of strength, Joshua and the walls Jericho, Ruth & Boaz, Esther’s plan to expose a dictator’s plot.
THE STORY
These historical books portray the Israelite’s journey without Moses leading them. Bible Gateway explains, “Taken together, these books tell the story of ancient Israel’s formation, rise to prominence, collapse into moral and physical defeat, and restoration.” These are some of society’s best-known morality tales, reminding us of our ability to be tempted and our capability of accomplishing the impossible when we look beyond ourselves and trust in God.”
BOOKS
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Solomon
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
Psalm 23, The Story Of Job, Ecclesiastes 3 “there is a season” passage, Proverbs 27 “iron sharpens iron”
THE STORY
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” is a very well-known verse from the 23rd Psalm. The Books of Wisdom and Poetry have many often-quoted passages of comfort. This portion of the Bible provides proverbs and ideas that have guided rule-makers and societal institutions. About Religion’s Mary Fairchild explains, “Being literary in style, the Poetry and Wisdom Books are designed to stimulate the imagination, inform the intellect, capture the emotions, and direct the will, and therefore deserve meaningful reflection and contemplation when read.”
BOOKS
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
Daniel and the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jonah and the whale (or the big fish)
THE STORY
It’s not easy being the lone voice of reason; the one warning a sinful society that their ways are hurting one another and leading to a path towards destruction. But this is the role of the prophets in Old Testament. Bible Gateway’s Andy Rau explains, “Prophets stood alongside priests as representatives of God on earth, conveying messages directly from God to the people of Israel. The prophets’ calling to be the conscience of Israel often set them against the Israelite establishment, invariably because the people and rulers of Israel had strayed from God’s commands.” The Prophets also pointed towards a better way and Isaiah prophesied about the arrival of Jesus, “Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses; and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.”
BOOKS
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
Peter & Jesus Walking On Water, The feeding of the 5,000, The Prodigal Son, The Last Supper, The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
THE STORY
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God,” John 1:1. The gospels are the very core of the Bible, the foundation of the Christian faith. Throughout the four books the writers often give us different accounts of the same story, showing the reader a different perspective through the journey. All four gospels tell the story of crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Mel Lawrenz of Bible Gateway writes, “This is the big picture. God did not leave humanity in desperate silence. He spoke through men called prophets, and then he decisively spoke to humanity through his Son… Jesus the Christ is the central theme of all of Scripture because His life, death, and resurrection provided a way of redemption.”
BOOKS
Acts
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
The story of Pentecost, Peter preaches to thousands, Stephen the first martyr, Saul and the road to Damascus, & Paul, Silas, and the earthquake
THE STORY
The final command of Jesus to His disciples was as simple as it was profound, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” There is hope and life and redemption for all, and sharing this story has been the charge of the Christian church for the last 2,000 years. The book of Acts tells story of the disciples and their converts who carried out the great commission. Mary Fairchild of About Religion writes, “The book of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early Church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers.”
BOOKS
Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
1 Corinthians 13 “Love is patient; love is kind”, 2 Timothy 4 “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”, Romans 3 “All have sinned and fallen short”
THE STORY
As the early church was forming Paul wrote letters or “epistles” to many different groups across the landscape. These letters make up about one-third of New Testament as Paul corrects and exhorts many leaders of the early church. Much of the foundational doctrine and theology in the Christian faith is laid out in these letters. “The Pauline Epistles contain much of the doctrine the Christian faith is built upon, especially in relationship to salvation. The Pauline Epistles expound on the doctrines of sanctification, justification, redemption, and reconciliation… [They] also get very practical in how the church should function.”
BOOKS
Hebrews, James 1st & 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd John, Jude
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
1st John 1:7 “Walk in the light as He is in the light”, James 5 “Confess your sins and pray for each other”, Hebrews 11, “Faith is…being certain of what we do not see”
THE STORY
Paul’s letters were written to specific groups (Galatians, Romans, Corinthians…) while the general letters were addressed to a broader readership. These letters were written in a style similar to Paul’s letters except for the book of Hebrews, which reads more like a sermon. The general letters deal with themes of holiness and faith amidst persecution. As these letters were being written many of the early Christians were suffering for their faith. The writers encourage the readers to not lose heart and the book of James even says, “Consider it pure joy” when facing trials. These letters show what sort of character, faith, and bravery many in the early Church had.
BOOKS
Revelation
WELL-KNOWN STORIES & PASSAGES
The four horsemen of the apocalypse, John in exile, The New Jerusalem, The great white throne…
THE STORY
The last book of the Bible is as memorable as it is debated. The book of Revelation is written by John, after his exile on the island of Patmos. Many wonder if this book is from the perspective of the last living disciple of Jesus Christ sharing his vision or his Revelation. It is as distinctive as any other book in the Bible, but it is a book of prophecy, a call back to the Books of Prophecy in Old Testament like Daniel. Revelation is well known for its apocalyptic imagery, but the book is also serves as an allegory designed to encourage the Church that things will not always be this way and God will make things new.
The greatness of the Bible is epic and magnificent, yet personal and intimate at the same time. It continually details through its pages how God is in pursuit of the heart of the human races. Get a glimpse of this pursuit when click on each book of the bible blow.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
The greatness of the Bible is epic and magnificent, yet personal and intimate at the same time. It continually details through its pages how God is in pursuit of the heart of the human races. Get a glimpse of this pursuit when click on each book of the bible blow.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9, NASB)
"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." (19:4, NKJV)
The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, (1:1, ESV)
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine,13 for all the firstborn are mine…They shall be mine: I am the Lord.” (3:11-13, ESV)
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth (7:6, NKJV)
17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. (1:17, NKJV)
Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. (2:1, NKJV)
12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” (2:12, NKJV)
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? (2:27, NKJV)
So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. (6:21, NKJV)
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice (19:11-13, NKJV)
The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. (18:7, NKJV)
And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.”’” (17: 11-14, NKJV)
7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1:7, NKJV)
9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. (9:9, NKJV)
5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. (7:5, NKJV)
Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. (7:3, NKJV)
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind (38:1, NKJV)
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (8:3-4, NIV) “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life” (23:6a, The Message)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct[a] your paths. (3:5-6, NKJV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. (3:11, NKJV)
He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love. (2:4)
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you. (62:5, NKJV)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (1:5, ESV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. (29:11-12, NKJV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (2:22-23, ESV)
When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. (16:8, ESV)
28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. (2:28, ESV)
14Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her… 16“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ (2:14, 16, ESV)
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster. (2:12-13, ESV)
Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (4:7, NKJV)
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom
(We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”) (1:1, NKJV)
The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,"Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.'' But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD...1:17-2:2 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me." (1:1-3, NASB)
For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. (1:3 ESV)
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him. (1:7, ESV)
You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck. (3:13, ESV)
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing. (3:17, ESV)
23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a[c] signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.” (2:23, ESV)
10Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (2:10-11, ESV)
"I have loved you," says the LORD. (1:2, ESV)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.(9:35, NKJV)
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God… 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. (10:14, 16)
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (19:10, ESV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (15:16, ESV)
33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (2:33, ESV)
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (5:6,8,10, NKJV)
"God bought you with a high price." (6:20, NLT)
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, (5:18, NASB)
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of[b] God through Christ (4:6-7, NKJV)
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 7"He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven." (1:5,7 NLT)
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (1:6, NLT)
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood,[c] the forgiveness of sins. (1:13-14, NKJV)
12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (2:12, NKJV)
13 because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.(2:13-14, NKJV)
17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. (6:17, NLT)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. (1: 7,9 NLT)
When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. (3:4-7, NLT)
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:3, NKJV)
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. (1:1, NLT)
17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. (1:17, NLT)
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (2:9, NLT)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[b] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (3:9, NKJV)
We love him, because he first loved us. (4:19, NKJV)
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. (1:3, NKJV)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. (1:2-3, NKJV)
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ (1:1, NKJV)
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and,[f] “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia:[g] to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” (1:10-11, NKJV)