You probably know more about the Bible than you think. Especially if you live in the U.S.; its contents have become part of our culture. Stories of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, and the birth of a baby placed in a manger (feeding trough) in the city of Bethlehem are familiar to many of us.
* The Bible is a collection of 66 individual 'books' which are divided into two sections, the Old Testament, 39 books, and the New Testament, 27 books.
*These books were written by people chosen and inspired by God to record His message over a period of some 1500 years by 40 different authors from all walks of life, who lived during different periods of history. No wonder it's so interesting!
* The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language and contains books written in various literary styles. You will find a collage of history, biography, prophecy, songs of love and wisdom and beautiful poetry. You will be amazed!
* There is a 400 year interval between the Old and New Testaments. The word 'testament' means covenant or agreement. The OT is the 'Covenant of the Law', see Exodus, Chapter 20. The NT is the 'Covenant of Grace', see Galatians, Chapter 3, verses 23 - 25, also Romans, 3:24.
* The NT was written in Koine Greek, the common language of the day and in the form of letters (epistles) to various churches in Greece, Italy and Asia Minor. It starts with the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which tell the story of the birth, life and death, and most important, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
* The book of Acts is a history of the early church. The new covenant comes in Acts, chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit is received.
* Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the entire Bible....from Genesis to Revelations.
May I suggest that you will be blessed as you interact with the Bible itself, not just books, blogs and such about the Bible.
