Some Info On the Bible

The Bible is not really a book. It is actually a collection of "book"s. Among these "books" are letters, songs, poems, and stories of God's people. The Bible is divided into two sections. Christians call them the Old Testament and the New Testament. They are called "Testaments" because they witness to God's action in this world. Some call the Old Testament another name, the Hebrew Bible. It is called the Hebrew Bible because it is the scriptures of the Jewish people, and it is written in Hebrew. The Old Testament has 39 books and the New Testament has 27 books. Just as when you are reading anything, it is always important to figure out just what kind of "book" you are reading when you are reading the Bible. Are you reading a song? Are you reading a letter? Are you reading a theological interpretation of the happenings in the world? Are you reading an abstract picture of things that are beyond human comprehension? Are you reading a scientific or historical document? Because we were not there when these books were written, discerning exactly what we are reading is sometimes difficult or confusing. As we read the Old Testament together, keep this in mind, "What are we reading?"