📚 Part 3 – What’s in the Bible?

The structure and types of biblical books

Each section of the Bible has its own voice, and each serves a particular purpose. Understanding the types of books helps us read more confidently and see the bigger picture.

🕎 The Old Testament

The Old Testament, written before the coming of Christ, contains the covenant history of God’s people, the promise of the Messiah, and the foundation for the New Testament.

It is traditionally grouped into the following categories:

• The Law (also called the Torah or Pentateuch)

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
These books tell the story of creation, the call of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, and the giving of the Law at Sinai. They are the foundation of God’s covenant with Israel.

• The Historical Books

These describe the conquest of the Promised Land, the time of the judges, the rise and fall of Israel’s kings, the exile, and the return. They show God’s faithfulness in the midst of human failure.

• The Wisdom Books

These writings offer insight into prayer, virtue, suffering, justice, and the human search for meaning. The Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are among them — full of poetry, prayer, and reflection.

• The Prophets

These books proclaim God’s call to repentance, justice, and hope. The prophets speak with urgency and vision, announcing judgment and promising restoration — and pointing forward to Christ.

Note: Catholic and Orthodox Bibles recognize books that are not included in Protestant versions, such as Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, and 1–4 Maccabees. These were part of the Greek Septuagint used by the early Church. The Catholic Church counts a total of 46 books in the Old Testament while the Orthodox Church counts a few more like the Prayer of Manasseh and 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151 (up to 51) - but there is no single list and text across Orthodoxy. This is not a source of conflict between Catholic and Orthodox Christians. There is a recognized hierarchy of scriptural authority: for example, the Gospels are central to the faith and stand above all, followed by other New Testament books like Acts of the Apostles, and then the Old Testament writings, including historical books. The Eastern Catholic Churches have always used the Septuagint (LXX) test as thier Old Testament, inherited from thier mother Orthodox Churches.

✝️ The New Testament

The New Testament proclaims the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the birth of the Church. It is composed of 27 books and is arranged in four main sections:

• The Four Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Each Gospel tells the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection — from different perspectives, but with one voice: that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

• The Acts of the Apostles

Written by St. Luke, Acts continues the story after the resurrection, describing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the growth of the Church throughout the Roman world.

• The Epistles (Letters)

These letters were written by apostles such as Paul, Peter, James, and John to early Christian communities. They offer teaching, correction, encouragement, and deep theological reflection.

• The Book of Revelation

Also called the Apocalypse, Revelation is a visionary book of imagery and symbolism. It was written to strengthen believers during persecution and points toward the final triumph of Christ.

Together, the Old and New Testaments form a unified whole. The Old prepares the way for the New. The New fulfills the promises of the Old. Every page, every voice, ultimately points to Christ, who is the center of all Scripture.

“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old is unveiled in the New.”
– St. Augustine