Friday Bible Study Class 6-13-2025
Bible 101: Understanding the Structure of the Bible
A foundational guide to navigating scripture
What is the Bible?
Sacred Collection
Inspired writings revealing God's message
Divine Testimony
God's word and testimony of Messiah
Divided Structure
Old Testament and New Testament
Spiritual Foundation
Guide for growth and understanding God's will
The Structure of the Bible
Old Testament
39 books revealing God's covenant with Israel
- Torah (Law)
- Historical Books
- Wisdom Literature
- Prophetic Books
New Testament
27 books focusing on Yeshua and early church
- Gospels
- Acts
- Epistles (Letters)
- Revelation
Understanding the Old Testament
Torah (Law)
Genesis through Deuteronomy
Foundation of Jewish faith
Historical Books
Joshua through Esther
Israel's national story
Wisdom Books
Job through Song of Solomon
Guidance for daily living
The Prophets
Isaiah through Malachi
God's messengers of warning and hope
Understanding the New Testament
Gospels
Life, teachings, death, resurrection of Yeshua
Acts
Early church history and spread
Epistles
Letters guiding early Christian communities
Revelation
Prophetic vision of future events
How to Use the Table of Contents
Find the Table
Located in front pages of most Bibles
Locate Testament Divisions
Old Testament (first section), New Testament (second section)
Identify Book Groupings
Books arranged by type and theme
Use Page Numbers
Navigate quickly to specific books
Why the Order Matters
Creation to Covenant
Genesis begins with creation, establishes God's covenant
Israel's Journey
Historical books trace Israel's relationship with God
Messianic Promise
Prophets point toward coming Messiah
Fulfillment in Messiah
New Testament reveals promise fulfilled
Gospel Expansion
Message spreads throughout known world
The Torah: Foundation of Faith
Genesis (Bereshit)
Creation, fall, patriarchs, beginnings of covenant
Exodus (Shemot)
Deliverance from Egypt, Law at Sinai
Leviticus (Vayikra)
Holiness code, sacrificial system
Numbers (Bamidbar)
Wilderness journey, census, rebellion
Deuteronomy (Devarim)
Covenant renewal, Moses' final address
The Gospels: Four Perspectives
The Wisdom Literature
Job
Suffering and divine justice
Psalms
Prayers, praise, and worship
Proverbs
Practical wisdom for daily life
Ecclesiastes
Life's meaning and purpose
Song of Solomon
Love, commitment, and relationship
The Prophetic Books
Major Prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets
Twelve shorter prophetic books
Timeframes
Pre-exile, exile, post-exile periods
Messages
Warning, judgment, hope, restoration
The Epistles: Letters to the Faithful
Pauline Epistles
Romans through Philemon
Theological foundations and practical guidance
General Epistles
Hebrews through Jude
Faith application and community guidance
Pastoral Epistles
Timothy and Titus
Church leadership and organization
Historical Timeline of Biblical Events
Creation to Patriarchs
Genesis beginnings through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Egyptian Captivity to Exodus
400 years in Egypt, deliverance through Moses
Conquest to Kingdom
Joshua's conquest, judges, united monarchy
Divided Kingdom to Exile
Israel and Judah separate, eventual captivity
Return to Messiah
Rebuilding Jerusalem, 400 silent years
Yeshua to Early Church
Gospel accounts, apostolic era begins
Key Numbers in Biblical Structure
Total Books
Complete biblical canon
Old Testament
Books before Messiah
New Testament
Books after Messiah
Authors
Different writers across 1,500 years
Languages of the Bible
Hebrew
Primary language of Old Testament
Aramaic
Small portions of Daniel and Ezra
Greek
Language of New Testament
Translations
Countless versions in modern languages
Biblical Genres
The Bible contains narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, gospels, epistles and apocalyptic literature
Exploring Key Books
Genesis
Beginnings, foundations, covenant promises
Psalms
Worship, lament, praise, human experience
John
Yeshua's divinity, signs, "I am" statements
Biblical Covenants
God's progressive covenants reveal His redemptive plan throughout biblical history
Hebrew Word Study: Bereshit
Meaning
"In the beginning" - first word of Torah
Root Word
From "rosh" (head/first) and "bara" (create)
Significance
Establishes divine order and purpose
Connection
Links to John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word"
Next Steps in Your Bible Journey
Daily Reading
Establish regular scripture study habit
Historical Context
Learn about biblical world cultures
Word Studies
Explore original language meanings
Community Discussion
Share insights with fellow students
Congratulations on completing Bible 101: Understanding The Structure of the Bible! Next lesson: Rearranging Biblical Books in Historical Order
