Category: Bible Basics

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Timeline of the Bible

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Before we begin to look at each book individually, it is helpful to get a general timeline of the periods in which the biblical authors were writing. Remember, the Bible was not written in the order we read it today, and many of the books overlap one another.

Please note, that some of my placements of certain books on this timeline are controversial and contested. For this project, I have chosen to go with the general scholarly consensus and those with the most historical evidence and support; though I will not argue conclusively regarding some. For my own purposes, this is the timeline I have developed and use. If you disagree, that is fine, and I’d love to discuss! (Please also note, that as I continue to study and work through this handbook, I may make updates to the timeline included here. If this occurs, I will note those changes and give reason below.)

Timeline of the Old Testament

The Old Testament was written from around 1450 B.C. to just before 400 B.C., yet it covers a time period even longer. The following two charts give us a general timeline showing the approximate dates of when the historical events of each book happened. (The dates depicted are not exact.)

Timeline of Old Testament Prophets

As you may have noticed, the Prophets are not shown on the first chart. This is because all of the prophets were writing in a much smaller period, between around 800BC to 415BC.

The next chart zooms in, and shows the approximate times in which they wrote their books, relative to the kings ruling in their respective nations. (Some of the minor kings are left off the timeline.)

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Timeline of the New Testament

Between the Old Testament finishing with Malachi and the New Testament beginning with the birth of Jesus, there is a silent period of around 400 years, in which there is no written record of God’s prophetically inspired Word. Although there are other historical and apocryphal books written during this time, recounting Jewish life in Israel and even miraculous works of God, since the earliest church tradition these books have been excluded from being considered as scripture inspired by God.

The New Testament was written between 35AD and 90AD, covering as far back as the events leading up to Jesus’ birth. Here is an estimated timeline of which time periods are covered in each book.

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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New Testament Breakdown

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As the Old Testament was giving the promise of God’s coming Savior; the New Testament is, of course, how that promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Beginning 400 years after the Old Testament was completed, God’s plan of redemption is fulfilled by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The New Testament was written beginning after 30A.D. and was completed around 70A.D. It has 27 books which are broken down into four categories: Gospels, History, Letters or Epistles, and Prophecy.

The Gospels

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The four Gospels are written as biographies of the life of Jesus Christ. Two were written as first-hand accounts: Matthew and John. The other two, Mark and Luke, were written by two men who took time to interview as many first-hand witnesses as possible, in order to share a complete look at Jesus’ life.

It is in the gospels that we see God’s promise fulfilled. Every prophecy given in the Old Testament concerning his birth, specific details of his life, and even regarding his death and resurrection, are fulfilled in the New Testament.

History

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The book of Acts is the only general history book in the New Testament. Written by Luke, the book of Acts continues where his gospel left off, and follows the life of the early church from Pentecost, through the expansion to all the world in the ministry of the Apostle Paul and others.

The point of the book of Acts is that those who had been looking for the promised Savior and then put their faith in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of that promise, believed so whole-heartedly that they gave everything they had, including, at times, their lives, to see this good news spread to all the world. As we look at this early history of the church, we must decide for ourselves if Jesus is the promised one who is worth our lives, as well.

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Letters or Epistles

After the new church was launched in the Gospels and then began to spread through the book of Acts, there were two primary ways that the new faith was established and maintained. The first was through individual ministers of the Gospel who traveled from church to church teaching the Word of God. The second was through the distribution of written letters, also called ‘epistles,’ intended to teach truth, encourage believers, and correct errors in doctrine. Some letters were written to whole churches. Other letters were written to individual pastors and church members.

At the heart of every New Testament letter is a desire to point people’s lives, thoughts, and actions around the person and work of Jesus Christ. They affirm from the Old Testament that Jesus is the Savior whom God had promised. They teach us how He  sets us free from sin and death, and they encourage us to look to Him and to be transformed into His image, as we are being built into His body on the earth, until He comes again.

Here is a simple breakdown of the letters of the New Testament.

History records that once these letters were delivered to their intended recipients, that they were copied by hand, and shared with other nearby churches and leaders, so that the Word of God could continue to spread and be established in every town and city.

Prophecy

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The New Testament closes out the Bible with the book of Revelation. This is a book of prophecy, both forth-telling (recalling what Jesus has accomplished) and foretelling future events, as Jesus continues to build His kingdom, save humanity, and restore the world.

While there are many thoughts and opinions about the book or Revelation and its various prophetic messages, the main point of the book is Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. In Revelation we get a glimpse into eternity where the promised one who was to come, is now seated on the throne, judging the rebellious ones who refused to accept him and ruling the world with his saints, as all of creation worships Him alone.

Just by this brief overview of the Bible’s breakdown, we begin to understand that from the first book to the last, the Bible is all about Jesus. As we continue to look closer at each of the books of the Bible in detail, this singular story will begin to take shape, woven piece by piece, as God’s promised Savior is revealed as the prominent theme in every one.

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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Old Testament Breakdown

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The Old Testament is all about God’s promise to mankind. This promise is singular, pointing to the Messiah who would come to rescue humanity from sin and restore the world back to God’s perfect plan, first demonstrated in the beginning.

The Old Testament contains 39 books and is broken down into four categories of writings: Law, History, Poetry and Prophecy.

The Books of the Law

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The first five books of the Bible are called “the Law” and “the Books of Moses,” as he was the author.  They are also referred to as “the Torah” by the Jews and “the Pentateuch” by biblical scholars. (Pentateuch simply means “5 books” in Greek.)

These five books include the story of creation, the fall of man into sin, and the immediate chaos that ensues. Here we first find the promise of the Savior who would one day come, and we see His redemptive plan begin with a man called Abraham and his descendants, who eventually land in Egypt. In a supernatural rescue of His people, led by Moses, God proves Himself to be the great deliverer, provider, protector, and healer of his people. 

In the wilderness, God gives His divine law to Abraham’s descendants in order that these people could maintain relationship with Him, but as we read of failure after failure on the part of the people, we see the need for God’s promised Savior become more and more evident.

The Books of History

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The history books begin after the death of Moses, where we see Joshua take up the mantle as God’s leader, as the people move into God’s promised land. 

It is through these books we read the history of the nation of Israel as they conquer the pagan nations, fulfilling God’s judgement, and settle into their new home led by prophets and deliverers called “Judges.” We continue to see them as they reject God as king and demand a human king to rule over them. Through their continued sin, we see the nation divided, and who eventually find themselves conquered by other nations, as God brings judgment on them. Still, His promise is always present that one day the Savior would come. This Savior would be a righteous King who would restore all of God’s promises to the people.

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The Books of Poetry

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These books contain some of the greatest worship of men unto God, as well as God’s wisdom unto men. These beautifully written songs and poems reveal God’s heart over us, and help us to answer some of life’s most difficult questions. All of them hint at what life will be like when God’s promised Savior comes and reigns.

There is a subcategory within the books of poetry called the “wisdom literature” which includes Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.

The Prophets

As His people lived their lives, God knew that without His personal input and direction, they would never be able to follow Him completely. Throughout the Old Testament time period, God would raise up seers and prophets who would bring reminders of God’s promises and discipline to the people. These books are broken down into two categories. The Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets, although this distinction is only based on the length of the writings of each author, rather than the subject matter of each writer.

When the people of God would stray from living for God, it was the prophets who would bring  the Word of the Lord to correct them. However, with every warning of God’s judgement, there was always the promise of blessing to come through the coming Savior.

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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Bibliography

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As I continue to write this Bible handbook, I will be updating this bibliography regularly. These are the resources I have used, so far, in the posts that have been written and published:

  • Blankenbaker, Frances. What The Bible is All About, Illustrated Edition. Cebu City, Philippines: Philippine Christian Education Publications, Inc. 1992
  • Faithlife Corporation. “Logos Bible Software Timeline.” Accessed 6 March 2020. Logos Bible Software.
  • Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. An Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 24th Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1965.
  • Smith, Billy K., and Franklin S. Page. Amos, Obadiah, Jonah. Vol. 19B. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995. Print. The New American Commentary.
  • Utley, Robert James. Old Testament Survey: Genesis–Malachi. Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2000.
  • Utley, Robert James. New Testament Survey: Matthew–Revelation. Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 2000.

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Introduction – Bible Basics

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For the last few months I have undertaken the task of writing a basic Bible handbook, which will one day be used in my ministry to equip pastors and leaders in their personal study, preaching and teaching. Though my plan is that once the writing is complete this handbook will be published and available to anyone, I have been challenged by this project, as it is my goal to always give away the knowledge, wisdom, and gifts which the Lord has given to me. I have always been struck by the verse where Jesus says, “You received without paying; give without pay” (Matthew 10:8), and while I know this is directly in relation to healing the sick and casting out demons, my conscience will not let me withhold my writing gifts as well.

Intent to Publish

With that in mind, my intention is to begin publishing the writings for my Bible handbook here, each Friday, as a way to distribute freely, what God has entrusted to me. Then, once the writing journey is complete, I will make a full, published version available through Amazon and other platforms for those who may want a nice, print copy. That way my conscience is clear, as everything is freely available here, and yet the work of organizing, publishing, and distributing is still rewarded with compensation for those who desire a complete handbook of their own.

Please keep in mind that my free distribution here does NOT imply that these writings are not copyrighted works of which I retain all rights. You may take them and use them as you wish, so long as you are not editing the work or claiming it as your own. Remember, integrity matters, especially for the Christian.

A General Preface

In any undertaking to study the Bible or to learn more about the Bible itself, there is one, underlying truth that must remain front and center in the mind of the believer. That is this: the Bible is one story, and it is all about Jesus. This truth is the foundational understanding of these writings, and my hope is to make this truth evident in every post.

My goal is to provide a resource for all believers that will help them to view the Bible as more than simply a tool for ministry or a series of ancient texts that give good moral guidance. While those things are true, and many more things could be said about what the Bible is, it is primarily God’s revelation of Jesus – the Savior of the world.

In the Old Testament, we see the gospel of Jesus Christ concealed in pictures and stories, that cannot be clearly understood until the gospel is revealed in the New Testament. From Genesis to Malachi, the Bible gives us a clear view of how sin and evil and death are forces which separate man from God, and yet there is always the promise of redemption to come. The New Testament, written 400 years after the Old Testament was completed, begins with the promised Redeemer of the Old Testament coming into the world as a man, and yet God’s own Son. 

Although His life was not what men expected, and His death was completely unforeseen by those looking forward to His coming, Jesus fulfills all the promises of the Old Testament and initiates God’s eternal Kingdom among men in the New Testament.

The Plan

As I share these posts each week, I will begin at the most basic level, to gain an understanding of the Bible as a collection of various writings.

We will start by taking a general look at the entire Bible, it’s books and breakdowns, as well as major themes and highlights in the story. What we will discover is that throughout the entire Old and New Testament, there is one major story that is woven into every smaller tale, and this is the story of Jesus. The whole Bible is about Him.

The Bible is not a single book. It is a library of 66 smaller books, written by more than 40 authors over a period of 1300 years. The Bible is broken down into two main sections: The Old Testament, which contains 39 books, and the New Testament, which contains 27 books. These books are further broken down by categories, such as histories or prophecies, which explain the purpose for which they were written.

As you read these posts, you will get a very general overview of the bible. However, please do not view this as the work of a great scholar or theologian. This is a simple resource, written by a simple man, to help you understand the greatest story ever told, and hopefully, to draw you a little closer to Jesus Christ – the One this story is all about!

The Outline

This page will serve as a “table of contents” for what will come in the future. If you are looking for something particular, this will help guide you as the posts become available. You can always browse the entire series at AnthonyIngram.com/BibleBasics.

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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