THE Bible is also referred to as the “Holy Book” and is a cherished addition to every Christian household. 
For those that are just now becoming familiar with the Bible and its teachings, we hope that the following information regarding the anatomy of a Bible will help you understand the power of its contents and how life changing they can be.
Click here to find the best Bible for you. This quiz will help you find the one that best suits your needs along your Bible journaling journey.
More About the Bible
The Bible is made up of several individual parts, and it’s important to understand its diversity along with its unity for those who follow the Word of God. Every section of the Bible plays an important part in the unfolding truths of God’s plan and his purpose for mankind.
The first step in becoming familiar with the Bible is studying its many parts; the anatomy of a Bible so to speak. Once the overall composition of the Bible is understood, it will be a lot easier to fully grasp the finer details.
The Anatomy of a Bible – an overview
The two main parts of the Bible are the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible has 66 books between the two, 27 in the new Testament, 39 in the old testament.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament starts with the rich history of how the Almighty created the world in around 400o B.C. The Old Testament includes books of the law, including God’s commands. You’ll also find books of history that share information about the Lord’s chosen people, the Israelites. The Old Testament also includes books of poetry that help God’s people praise him and books of prophecy that talk about his future plans. Between the Old and New Testament there are approximately 400 years of “silence”.
The New Testament
The New Testament is a recording of historical events regarding the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his followers. It includes the Acts of the Apostles, 4 Gospels, 21 epistles by St. Paul and others, and the book of Revelation. The New Testament is a moving record of events that include the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and the continuation of His work which was carried on by the apostles that he handpicked. Additionally, it is the fulfillment of the events that had long been anticipated by the Old Testament. In addition, it is the sacred history, that, in contrast to secular records, was created under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Chronology of the Holy Bible
The Bible is a complex system of the lifespans and generations which, through the passage of events, cover over 4,000 years starting with the Creation of the world.
The Bible is considered the most powerful book ever written., an eyewitness account of historic events of such incredible magnitude that it has literally designed the world that we live in. It’s a book that you should definitely make a daily part of your life.
Not to be critical ( just don’t want a newbie to be confused), but under the Old Testament section, don’t you mean 4,000 BC instead of 400 BC? There were 400 silent years between the ending of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, Also, under the Chronology, shouldn’t it be said to cover 6,000 years instead of 4,000?
Nice of you to think of helping a newbie with some important basic info! Sometimes we overlook the need to tell these things. 🙂
Thank you for your comment Judy! Good catch. I inadvertently deleted a 0 and didn’t address the silent years. It’s updated now. Whew! I’m not sure about the 6,000 though. Can you elaborate? I have 4000 for the OT, approx 400 silent, and approx 100 years in the NT. That’s why I said over 4000. I wasn’t intending to address theory on how old the earth is in this post if that’s what you mean.
The Book of Revelation covers the last 2,000 years of church history. It also covers the millennium to come and the judgment at the end of the millennium and the ushering in of eternity. It was given as a prophecy over two years to John on the Isle of Patmos around AD96. So the Bible is really an accurate history of all 7,000 years of time. And at the end of the 7,000 years we go back into eternity.
My daughter had a friend who asked her why the Gospel stories repeat themselves instead of being one continuous story. She was happy that she knew that they were 4 separate accounts of the same story, but like your post here, that encounter reminds seasoned believers that sometimes we need to back people up to explain the very basics and not assume people understand. thanks!
Thank you Karen.
Thank you! Very helpful information, easily broken down so I can explain to my preteens class!
I am beginning to teach our Kids Life children the Anatomy of the Bible.