Structure of the Bible
Str uctur e of the Bible In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets. ~ Hebrews 1:1
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after, beginning with either the Gospel of Matthew or is actually a small library of books. the Gospel of Mark and concluding with the Gospel of It is divided into two parts, the Old and New John. All the Gospels were written by the end of the Testaments. The Old Testament relates the 1st century. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke whole history of God’s saving interaction with humankind until the coming of Jesus of Nazareth. are very similar and, for this reason, are called the “synThe New Testament records God’s personal encounoptic” (from a Greek word that means a similar view) ter with humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, who Gospels. By tradition, St. Matthew is the Matthew identified as one of Jesus’ apostles. St. Mark is named lived, was crucified, died, and rose again for our salin the Acts of the Apostles and his Gospel is regarded vation. These accounts are contained in what are as the substance of St. Peter’s preaching. St. Luke is called the Gospels, which form the very heart of the also named in the Acts of the Apostles and acted as St. Bible. They are deeply reverenced by the Church Paul’s traveling companion for a while. By his own debecause they are the principal source for her life and scription, he carefully researched his Gospel from eyeteaching about our Savior Jesus Christ. The New Testament also includes other books and letters that witnesses. The Acts of the Apostles, also written by give an account of the Church in her infancy. St. Luke, was probably written before St. Paul’s death Because of the existence of other writings that were and is at least in part history that St. Luke himself witnot inspired by God, the Church under the guidance nessed. The Gospel of St. John, by tradition, is writof the Holy Spirit determined which writings were ten by the John identified as another of Jesus’ apostles authentic and inspired, drawing up a complete list and also, by tradition, as the apostle “whom Jesus loved” called the canon of Scripture. There are 46 books in (Jn 13:23; 19:25). the canon of the Old Testament (or 45 if Jeremiah and The remainder of the New Testament consists of letLamentations are counted as one). There is a tradition ters written by St. Peter, St. James, St. Jude, and St. that Moses was the author of the first five books of John, all apostles; the Letter to the Hebrews, whose authe Old Testament; these five books are called, collecthorship is not certain although it had traditionally been tively, the Pentateuch (derived from Greek word that attributed to St. Paul; and the final book, Revelation, attributed as well to St. John the Evangelist. means “five cases,” perhaps referring to the boxes in We must understand that, although the Bible conwhich the scrolls were kept). By 100 BC, this list was sists of 73 books written over a period of more than a complete (an asterisk indicates that the book is deuterocanonical; the handout entitled Deuterocanonimillennium, by perhaps 40 human authors, its principal author is the Holy Spirit who cal Books of the Old Testament inspired each human auexplains the reason for “The Gospels form the very thor to write only what labeling some books heart of the Bible.” this way). God wanted written There are 27 for the sake of our salbooks in the New vation. In essence, Testament cantherefore, Sacred on. The letScripture is one book, and the ters of St. Paul one book is Jewere the first sus Christ, the ones written, beginning Word of God, about whom all between 50 and 55 of Sacred ScripAD and ending with ture writes and in his death about 67 AD. The four Goswhom all Scrippels followed soon ture is fulfilled. HE BIBLE
DAVID CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY
The Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM) grants the original purchaser (parish, local parochial institution, or individual) permission to reproduce this handout.
Str uctur e of the Bible OLD TESTAMENT
DAVID CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY
Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
A deacon proclaims the Gospel reading during Mass
Gospels Matthew Mark Luke John
Historical Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees*
Wisdom Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach*
Prophetic Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT Pauline Letters (Epistles) Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon
Other Letters (Epistles) Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 2 John 3 John Jude
Other Writings Acts 1 John Revelation
* These books are excluded from the Protestant canon, or collection, of Scripture.
Structure of the Bible — Page 2
Abbreviations for Book s of the Bible Following, in alphabetical order, are the abbreviations used in the handouts for the books of Sacred Scripture:
Acts Am Bar 1 Chr 2 Chr Col 1 Cor 2 Cor Dn Dt Eccl Eph Est Ex Ez Ezr
Acts of the Apostles Amos Baruch 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Colossians 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra
Gal Gn Hb Heb Hg Hos Is Jas Jb Jdt Jer Jgs Jl Jn 1 Jn 2 Jn
Galatians Genesis Habakkuk Hebrews Haggai Hosea Isaiah James Job Judith Jeremiah Judges Joel John 1 John 2 John
Chi-Rho symbol, formed from the first two letters from the word ‘Christ’ in the Greek language, 4th century Spanish tombstone
Structure of the Bible — Page 3
3 Jn Jon Jos Jude 1 Kgs 2 Kgs Lam Lk Lv Mal 1 Mc 2 Mc Mi Mk Mt Na Neh Nm Ob Phil Phlm Prv Ps(s) 1 Pt 2 Pt Rom Ru Rv Sir 1 Sm 2 Sm Song Tb 1 Thes 2 Thes Ti 1 Tm 2 Tm Wis Zec Zep
3 John Jonah Joshua Jude 1 Kings 2 Kings Lamentations Luke Leviticus Malachi 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Micah Mark Matthew Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Obadiah Philippians Philemon Proverbs Psalms 1 Peter 2 Peter Romans Ruth Revelation Sirach 1 Samuel 2 Samuel Song of Songs Tobit 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Titus 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Wisdom Zechariah Zephaniah
(CCC 102, 105-106, 109-111, 120, 128-129)
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after, beginning with either the Gospel of Matthew or is actually a small library of books. the Gospel of Mark and concluding with the Gospel of It is divided into two parts, the Old and New John. All the Gospels were written by the end of the Testaments. The Old Testament relates the 1st century. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke whole history of God’s saving interaction with humankind until the coming of Jesus of Nazareth. are very similar and, for this reason, are called the “synThe New Testament records God’s personal encounoptic” (from a Greek word that means a similar view) ter with humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, who Gospels. By tradition, St. Matthew is the Matthew identified as one of Jesus’ apostles. St. Mark is named lived, was crucified, died, and rose again for our salin the Acts of the Apostles and his Gospel is regarded vation. These accounts are contained in what are as the substance of St. Peter’s preaching. St. Luke is called the Gospels, which form the very heart of the also named in the Acts of the Apostles and acted as St. Bible. They are deeply reverenced by the Church Paul’s traveling companion for a while. By his own debecause they are the principal source for her life and scription, he carefully researched his Gospel from eyeteaching about our Savior Jesus Christ. The New Testament also includes other books and letters that witnesses. The Acts of the Apostles, also written by give an account of the Church in her infancy. St. Luke, was probably written before St. Paul’s death Because of the existence of other writings that were and is at least in part history that St. Luke himself witnot inspired by God, the Church under the guidance nessed. The Gospel of St. John, by tradition, is writof the Holy Spirit determined which writings were ten by the John identified as another of Jesus’ apostles authentic and inspired, drawing up a complete list and also, by tradition, as the apostle “whom Jesus loved” called the canon of Scripture. There are 46 books in (Jn 13:23; 19:25). the canon of the Old Testament (or 45 if Jeremiah and The remainder of the New Testament consists of letLamentations are counted as one). There is a tradition ters written by St. Peter, St. James, St. Jude, and St. that Moses was the author of the first five books of John, all apostles; the Letter to the Hebrews, whose authe Old Testament; these five books are called, collecthorship is not certain although it had traditionally been tively, the Pentateuch (derived from Greek word that attributed to St. Paul; and the final book, Revelation, attributed as well to St. John the Evangelist. means “five cases,” perhaps referring to the boxes in We must understand that, although the Bible conwhich the scrolls were kept). By 100 BC, this list was sists of 73 books written over a period of more than a complete (an asterisk indicates that the book is deuterocanonical; the handout entitled Deuterocanonimillennium, by perhaps 40 human authors, its principal author is the Holy Spirit who cal Books of the Old Testament inspired each human auexplains the reason for “The Gospels form the very thor to write only what labeling some books heart of the Bible.” this way). God wanted written There are 27 for the sake of our salbooks in the New vation. In essence, Testament cantherefore, Sacred on. The letScripture is one book, and the ters of St. Paul one book is Jewere the first sus Christ, the ones written, beginning Word of God, about whom all between 50 and 55 of Sacred ScripAD and ending with ture writes and in his death about 67 AD. The four Goswhom all Scrippels followed soon ture is fulfilled. HE BIBLE
DAVID CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY
The Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM) grants the original purchaser (parish, local parochial institution, or individual) permission to reproduce this handout.
Str uctur e of the Bible OLD TESTAMENT
DAVID CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY
Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
A deacon proclaims the Gospel reading during Mass
Gospels Matthew Mark Luke John
Historical Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees*
Wisdom Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach*
Prophetic Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT Pauline Letters (Epistles) Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon
Other Letters (Epistles) Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 2 John 3 John Jude
Other Writings Acts 1 John Revelation
* These books are excluded from the Protestant canon, or collection, of Scripture.
Structure of the Bible — Page 2
Abbreviations for Book s of the Bible Following, in alphabetical order, are the abbreviations used in the handouts for the books of Sacred Scripture:
Acts Am Bar 1 Chr 2 Chr Col 1 Cor 2 Cor Dn Dt Eccl Eph Est Ex Ez Ezr
Acts of the Apostles Amos Baruch 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Colossians 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra
Gal Gn Hb Heb Hg Hos Is Jas Jb Jdt Jer Jgs Jl Jn 1 Jn 2 Jn
Galatians Genesis Habakkuk Hebrews Haggai Hosea Isaiah James Job Judith Jeremiah Judges Joel John 1 John 2 John
Chi-Rho symbol, formed from the first two letters from the word ‘Christ’ in the Greek language, 4th century Spanish tombstone
Structure of the Bible — Page 3
3 Jn Jon Jos Jude 1 Kgs 2 Kgs Lam Lk Lv Mal 1 Mc 2 Mc Mi Mk Mt Na Neh Nm Ob Phil Phlm Prv Ps(s) 1 Pt 2 Pt Rom Ru Rv Sir 1 Sm 2 Sm Song Tb 1 Thes 2 Thes Ti 1 Tm 2 Tm Wis Zec Zep
3 John Jonah Joshua Jude 1 Kings 2 Kings Lamentations Luke Leviticus Malachi 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Micah Mark Matthew Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Obadiah Philippians Philemon Proverbs Psalms 1 Peter 2 Peter Romans Ruth Revelation Sirach 1 Samuel 2 Samuel Song of Songs Tobit 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Titus 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Wisdom Zechariah Zephaniah
(CCC 102, 105-106, 109-111, 120, 128-129)
