OLD TESTAMENT.
Pentateuch - 5 books
1. Genesis - Creation, the Fall, the Flood, spread of the nations, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
and Joseph. Enslavement in Egypt.
2. Exodus - Enslavement, Moses, 10 plagues, Passover, Leave Egypt, Red Sea Crossing,
Mt. Sinai and the 10 Commandments
3. Leviticus - Instructions on sacrificial system and the priesthood. Instructions on moral
purity.
4. Numbers - Still at Mt. Sinai, people make false idol, punishment, 40 years wandering
begins.
5. Deuteronomy - Moses' discourses on God's Acts for Israel the Decalogue, the
ceremonial, civil, and social Laws, and covenant ratification.
Historical Books - 12 books total
1. Joshua - First half of Joshua describes the 7-year conquest of the Land of Promise. The
last half deals with partitioning the lands to the people.
2. Judges - Time of Judges. This was a bad time period. The Israelites did not drive out
all the inhabitants of Canaan and began to take part in their idolatry. 7 cycles of
foreign oppression, repentance, and deliverance. In the end, the people failed to
learn their lesson.
3. Ruth - Kinsman redeemer in Boaz, redeeming Ruth, a Moabitess. Speaks of
righteousness, love, and faithfulness to the Lord.
The next 6 books trace the time from Samuel to the Captivity
1. First Samuel - Samuel carries Israel from judges to King Saul
2. Second Samuel - David as King, adultery, and murder.
3. First Kings - Solomon, Israel is powerful. Solomon dies, then division of tribes: 10 to
the north and 2 to the south.
4. Second Kings - The Divided Kingdom. All 19 kings of Israel were bad; therefore,
captivity in Assyria (722 B.C.). In Judah, 8 of 20 rulers were good but went into
exile too.
5. First Chronicles - A recounting of the history of Israel to the time of Solomon.
6. Second Chronicles - continued recounting of the life of Solomon, building of temple, to
the captivity. History of Judah only.
The Next 3 books deal with Israel's Restoration.
1. Ezra - Cyrus let most of the Jews return to their land of Israel. Zerubbabel led the
people (539 B.C.). Ezra returned later with more Jews (458 B.C.) Built the
temple.
2. Nehemiah - Building the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah got permission from the king
of Persia to rebuild the walls (444 B.C.). Revival in the land.
3. Esther - Took place during chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra. Mordecai. Plot to kill the Jewish
people.
Poetical - 5 books
1. Job - a righteous man tested by God. Deals with God's sovereignty.
2. Psalms - Consists of 5 divisions. Worship in song. Large variety of subjects
3. Proverbs - Practical wisdom in everyday affairs.
4. Ecclesiastes - All is vanity. The wisdom of man is futility.
5. Song of Solomon - A song between Solomon and his Shulammite bride, displaying the
love between a man and a woman.
Prophetical - 17 books
Major Prophets - 5 books
1. Isaiah - Looks at the sin of Judah and proclaims God's judgment. Hezekiah. Coming
restoration and blessing.
2. Jeremiah - Called by God to proclaim the news of judgment to Judah, which came.
God establishes a New Covenant.
3. Lamentations - 5 lament poems. Description of defeat and fall of Jerusalem.
4. Ezekiel - He ministered to the Jews in Captivity in Babylon. Description of the end of
times.
5. Daniel - Many visions of the future for the Gentiles and the Jews.
Minor Prophets - 12 books
1. Hosea - Story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. Represents God's love and
faithfulness and Israel's spiritual adultery. Israel will be judged and restored.
2. Joel - Proclaims a terrifying future using the imagery of locusts. Judgment will come
but blessing will follow.
3. Amos - He warned Israel of its coming judgment. Israel rejects God's warning.
4. Obadiah - A proclamation against Edom, a neighboring nation of Israel that gloated
over Jerusalem's judgments. Prophecy of its utter destruction.
5. Jonah - Jonah proclaims a coming judgment upon Nineveh's people. But they repented
and judgment was spared.
6. Micah - Description of the complete moral decay in all levels of Israel. God will judge
but will forgive and restore.
7. Nahum - Nineveh has gone into apostasy (approx. 125 years after Jonah) and will be
destroyed.
8. Habakkuk - Near the end of the kingdom of Judah, Habakkuk asks God why He is not
dealing with Judah's sins. God says He will use the Babylonians. Habakkuk asks
how God can use a nation that is even worse than Judah.
9. Zephaniah - The theme is developed of the Day of the Lord and His judgment with a
coming blessing. Judah will not repent, except for a remnant, which will be
restored.
10. Haggai - The people failed to put God first, by building their houses before they
finished God's temple. Therefore, they had no prosperity.
11. Zechariah - Zechariah encourages the Jews to complete the temple. Many
messianic prophecies.
12. Malachi. - God's people are lax in their duty to God. Growing distant from God.
Moral compromise. Proclamation of coming judgment.
Historical Books
6. Matthew - Presents Jesus as the Messiah. Genealogy of Jesus through Joseph.
Fulfillment of O.T. prophecy.
7. Mark - Presents Jesus as the Servant. 1/3 of the gospel deals with the last week of His
life.
8. Luke - Presents Jesus as the Son of Man to seek and save the lost. Genealogy of Jesus
through Mary. Largest of the gospels.
9. John - Presents Jesus as God in flesh, the Christ, so that you might believe.
10. Acts - Historical account from Jesus’ ascension to travels of Paul in his
missionary journeys.
Pauline Epistles
4. Romans - A systematic examination of justification, sanctification, and glorification.
Examines God’s plan for the Jews and the Gentiles.
5. 1 Corinthians - This letter deals with factions and corrections due to immorality,
lawsuits, and abuse of the Lord’s Supper. Also mentions idols, marriage, and the
resurrection.
6. 2 Corinthians - Paul’s defense of his apostolic position.
7. Galatians - Paul refutes the errors of legalism and examines the proper place of grace in
the Christian’s life.
8. Ephesians - The believer’s position in Christ and information on Spiritual warfare.
9. Philippians - Paul speaks of his imprisonment and his love for the Philippians. He
exhorts them to godliness and warns them of legalism.
10. Colossians - Paul focuses on the preeminence of Jesus in creation, redemption,
and godliness.
11. 1 Thessalonians - Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians. Teachings on purity and
mention of the return of Christ.
12. 2 Thessalonians - Corrections on the Day of the Lord.
13. 1 Timothy - Instructions to Timothy on proper leadership and dealings with false
teachers, the role of women, prayer, and requirements of elders and deacons.
14. 2 Timothy - A letter of encouragement to Timothy to be strong.
15. Titus - Paul left Titus in Crete to care for the churches there. Requirements for
elders.
16. Philemon - a letter to the owner of a runaway slave. Paul appeals to Philemon to
forgive Onesimus.
Non Pauline Epistles
7. Hebrews - A letter to the Hebrew Christians in danger of returning to Judaism. It
demonstrates the superiority of Jesus over the O.T. system. Mentions the
Melchizedek priesthood. (Hebrews may be of Pauline origin. There is much
debate on its authorship).
8. James - a practical exhortation of believers to live a Christian life evidencing
regeneration. It urges self-examination of the evidence of the changed life.
9. 1 Peter - Peter wrote this letter to encourage its recipients in the light of their suffering
and be humble in it. Mentions baptism.
10. 2 Peter - Deals with the person on an inward level, warnings against false
teachers, and mentions the Day of the Lord.
11. 1 John - John describes true fellowship of the believers with other believers and
with God. Describes God as light and love. Encourages a holy Christian walk
before the Lord. Much mention of Christian love.
12. 2 John - Praise for walking in Christ and a reminder to walk in God’s love.
13. 3 John - John thanks Gaius for his kindness to God’s people and rebukes
Diotrephes.
14. Jude - Exposing false teachers and uses O.T. allusions to demonstrate the
judgment upon them. Contends for the faith.
Revelation - A highly symbolic vision of the future rebellion, judgment, and
consummation of all things.