The New Testament deals with the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. You will find four types of books in the New Testament.
Stories About Jesus
The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell about the birth, life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since God inspired these four men to write
for different audiences and different purposes, the structure of the books are
different, and each adds a unique perspective to the story of Christ's life.
Stories About the Church
The book of Acts tells us about the formation and spread of the New Testament
church. It is primarily a story book, and it is easy to read.
Teaching Books
The early apostles wrote letters, called epistles, to the New Testament
churches, giving them instruction in doctrine and in living the Christian life.
These are books of teaching that go from Romans to Jude.
Prophecy Book
The final book of the Bible, Revelation, is a book of symbols. The final
two chapters of this book, however, give us a beautiful picture of heaven and
the new world that Christ will establish when he comes again.
The Old Testament was written prior to the coming of Jesus Christ and tells us how God called the nation of Israel into existence. God made the Jewish people a special nation, and from this nation Jesus Christ, God's only Son, was born. The Old Testament is filled with stories of the sin of the people of Israel, of God's judgment and forgiveness, and of their final banishment into exile. Mingled with the history of Israel are the poems and songs Israel used in worship, the laws that governed the nation, and the messages of the prophets whom God sent to warn Israel about sin and judgment and to communicate his promises about deliverance and the coming of Christ. There are four types of books in the Old Testament:
Story Books
These books are filled with accounts of the creation of the world, the fall of
man into sin, the flood, and the formation of Israel. With the exception
of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, they are the first books you will find
in the Old Testament going from Genesis to Esther.
Law Books
The books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are primarily books of law,
containing both the civil laws that governed the nation of Israel, the
religious rituals that governed worship, and the moral laws that governed
relationships. They do have some stories of history mixed in along with section
of law.
Poetry Books
Five books of the Old Testament fall into this category: Job, Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. The easiest one to read, and
probably the most loved book of the Old Testament, is the book of Psalms.
A poem like Psalm 23 can be understood by the smallest child and is filled with
promises of God's tender care for those who love him.
Prophecy Books
The last section of books are difficult to read-the books written by the
prophets (or religious teachers) of Israel. These books deal with warning
about sin, impending judgments of God, promises of salvation, and predictions of
Christ's coming. They begin with Isaiah and go to the end of the Old
Testament.