Back in primary school I had learned the sequence of all the books of the Bible through memorization. Recently I tried to recall them, in order, and I was rusty to say the least. I realized that I had become rusty over time and due to lack of practice, and this, because I had simply stored the books to memory without understanding the structure of the Bible. I later learned that the structure of the Bible is almost as important as the content itself. I realized this fact after discovering that the books of the Bible are not ordered chronologically. In fact the books are structured and grouped around themes. This study aims to explore and understand this structure further. For the sake of order, the study will follow the sequence of the Bible as it is, starting with Genesis and the Pentateuch.

General

The word ‘Bible’ comes from the Latin word ‘Biblia’ which literally means ‘Books’. The Bible is divided into two main sections, the Old and New Testaments. The Old containing 39 books and the New 27, giving a total of 66 books. The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew and the New in Greek. The books are grouped together in themes which are; the Pentateuch (5), the Historical Books (12), the Wisdom Books (5), the Major Prophets (5), the Minor Prophets (12), the Canonical Gospels (4), the Apostolic History (1), the Pauline Epistles (14), the General Epistles (7) and the Apocalypse (1). The Bible was only divided into chapters in the 13th century by Stephen Langton and into verses in the 16th century by French printer Robert Estienne.

The Pentateuch

The Pentateuch consists of the first five books of the Bible, starting with Genesis and ending with Deuteronomy. The term Pentateuch can be broken up into ‘penta’ and ‘teuch’, which means five scrolls. These 5 books are also contained in the Torah and are a significant part of the Jewish belief system. For Christians, the books are critical to understanding the creation and fall of man and our need for salvation.

Genesis

Author: The book of Genesis is commonly accredited to Moses, however there is a school of thought that attributes the book to other authors to which the information was passed down. The book was then finally edited and compiled by an unknown figure.

Date of writing: The oral form of the narratives can be traced back to 1300BC but it is believed that the final edition of the book was compiled after the Exile between 587 and 538BC. The events recorded in Genesis can be dated to about 6000 years ago.

Synopsis: Genesis (meaning origin) can be divided into 2 main sections; the primeval history and the patriarchal history. And these can be divided into 4 main narratives each:

• Primeval history
• Creation
• The fall of Man
• The flood
• The scattering of the nations
• Patriarchal history
• Abraham
• Isaac
• Jacob
• Joseph

Exodus

Author: The theory of the authorship of Exodus is the same as that of Genesis. However, we do know that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God on mount Sinai and that Moses recorded them on stone tablets.

Date of writing: The theory of the authorship of Exodus is the same as that of Genesis. 1 Kings 6:1 place s the Exodus of the Israelites 480 years before the construction of the temple placing the event at 1446BC.

Synopsis: The main theme of the book, as the name suggests, is the exit of the Israelites from Egypt. Genesis ends with the death of Joseph in Egypt and Exodus starts with the subsequent oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians. The book shows how the Israelites were prepared for the exodus and then details the actual exodus itself. The book ends with the Israelites in the Sinai where God makes a covenant with his people, instructs them on how to build the Tabernacle and then starts to give them the laws which they must live by, including the 10 commandments.

Leviticus

Author: See the section in Genesis.

Date of writing: See the section in Genesis.

Synopsis: The name ‘Leviticus’ seems to suggest that the book is about the Levites. However, the book is actually addressed to everyone. The name means “Things pertaining to the Levites” or more understandably “Things pertaining to the priests”. The book is made up almost entirely of Mosaic law including ritual, legal and moral practices. When read in isolation and without context, this book can be misunderstood and its place as a canon, questioned. However, the point of the book is to demonstrate God’s holiness. In order for Him to dwell amongst his people, the expectation was for the Israelites to be made holy too. Later Israelites misinterpreted the intent of these laws and went on to exploit them, as exposed by Jesus in the Gospels.

Numbers

Author: See the section in Genesis.

Date of writing: See the section in Genesis

Synopsis: The name of the book comes from the multiple consensuses of the Israelites recorded in the book. The original Hebrew name ‘Bemidbar’ meaning “In the Wilderness” is a more apt and encompassing name. The book starts at Mount Sinai after the Israelites have received the law of God. The book documents the census, then records the events of the the march through the Kadesh and ends with the Israelites in the plains of Moab just before they cross the Jordan river into Canaan.

Deuteronomy

Author: See the section in Genesis. However, unlike the rest of the Pentateuch, parts of this book are also accredited to Samuel and other prophets and priests.

Date of writing: See the section in Genesis

Synopsis: The name ‘Deuteronomy’ comes from the Greek word meaning the ‘Second Law’. However, it is not so much a ‘second’ law as it is a ‘repeated’ law. The book seems to sum up the previous three books. It is written in a hortatory style, in which it seems that Moses is delivering an encouraging message to the Israelites. The book also contains further Mosaic laws. The outline of the book is as follows:

• Preamble
• Historical prologue
• Stipulations of the Covenant
• Ratification, curses and blessings
• Secession under the covenant

The Historical Books

The historical books cover the history of the Israelites from their entry into Canaan, the promise land, to their exile and subsequent return to Jerusalem. It includes 12 books, starting with Joshua and ending with Esther covering approximately 800 years of history. These books give content to the New Testament and the need for the Messiah. The general outline of the section can be divided as follows:

• The conquering and possession of Canaan
• The reign of the Judges
• The establishment of Kings
• The division of Israel into the northern and southern kingdoms
• The fall of the northern kingdom to Assyria
• The exile of the southern kingdom into Babylon
• The return from exile

Joshua

Author: Joshua, the son of Nun, is accredited with the book but he is not the author of the entire book, since it records his own death. The book may have been written mostly by Joshua and other unknown authors and then compiled by an unknown editor.

Date of writing: There is evidence that the book was written before 1000BC and that it could be as old as 1400BC.

Synopsis: If the book is not named after its author then it is certainly named after its primary character. The book is the start of the fulfillment of the Covenant between God and His people. The theme of the book is to show God’s faithfulness in delivering on His promises. However God’s people only remain in the promised land so long as they remain obedient, a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament. The book can be summarized as follows:

• The entrance into the promised land
• The conquest of Canaan
• The division of the land amongst the 12 tribes
• Farewell and death of Joshua

Judges

Author: This book is traditionally ascribed to Samuel but the authorship is actually uncertain. While parts of the book may have been compiled by Samuel, it is thought that some, if not all, of the book may have been written by a disciple of Samuel.

Date of writing: The book was written around 1000BC, possibly after.

Synopsis: The title of the book comes from the “judges” that were raised by God to deliver His people from their oppressors. Ultimately though, it was God who was their deliverer. For it was He that allowed Israel to fall into oppression and thereafter raised the judge who would deliver them. The book records the history of Israel from the death of Joshua to the birth of Samuel, focusing on the activities of various judges. The book shows that disloyalty to God always results in disaster but that after repentance, God is always there to restore. God is always faithful to His people, even after committing the most detestable sins. The outline of the book is as follows:

• Conquest and apostasy
• Oppression by nations and deliverance through judges
• Religious and moral disorder

Ruth

Author: Tradition ascribes this book to Samuel but this is unlikely since David is mentioned in the book and Samuel had died before David’s coronation.

Date of writing: The book was written around 1000BC, at about the same time that Judges was written.

Synopsis: The book of Ruth is one of two books in the Bible named after a woman, the other being Esther. Ruth, the main character in the book, is a Moabite woman who was the great grandmother of David and is part of the genealogical line of Jesus.

Ruth is the touching story of a couple in Israel who moved to Moab during a time of famine. There, they had 2 sons who married Moabite women. Then, both the father and the 2 sons pass away leaving their wives (Naomi, Ruth and Orpah) widowed. Ruth returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Israel where they turned to a family member Boaz for help. Ruth eventually marries Boaz. Ruth is shining light of loyalty, purity and love in a time where anarchy and selfishness was the norm. She displayed great faith and obedience in a time of apostasy.

1 Samuel

Author: This book is often accredited to Samuel himself but it is obvious that he could not have written all of it since his death is recorded in chapter 25. Chapter 10 does however indicate that Samuel did write a book but 1 Chronicles indicates that Gad and Nathan also wrote about Samuel. Both first and second Samuel take their names from the prophet Samuel, who is the primary character in the early chapters.

Date of writing: The book was written around 930BC or slightly later

Synopsis: In the original Hebrew Bible, first and second Samuel were one book but they were later separated into two in the Greek translation. Essentially, the books talk about the start of the Israelites monarchy. Samuel was key in the transition from Judges to Kings. However, the two books essentially only focus on two kings, Saul in 1 Samuel and David in 2 Samuel.

Judges ended with Samson and Samuel begins with the prophet for whom the book is named. The Israelites demanded a king which God, through Samuel, anointed. Saul, the first king, was rejected by God due to his disobedience and David was anointed in his place. The rest of the book describes the struggles David faced at the hands of the jealous and demented Saul. The book describes the divine establishment of the dynasty of David.

2 Samuel

Author: See 1 Samuel

Date of writing: See 1 Samuel

Synopsis: There is no break between first and second Samuel and the latter simply continues with the narrative starting with the death of Saul. The book largely covers the 40 year reign of King David. It includes his triumphs and tragedies as well as his sins and pleas for forgiveness. The book is candid and despite the divine calling of David, the good, the bad and the ugly are all exposed.

1 Kings

Author: The author of both first and second Kings is unknown. It could have been one of the prophets, Ezra, Ezekiel or Jeremiah but none of these can be confirmed.

Date of writing: The books of Kings records the history of the Israelites and their Kings from about 900BC to about 560BC. It is believed that both books of Kings were compiled as a single book, as they still are in the Hebrew Bible, around 550BC. They were most likely referenced from multiple annals as stated frequently in the books themselves.

Synopsis: First Kings starts with the death of David (chapters 1 to 2), the subsequent reign of his son Solomon (chapters 1 to 11) and ends with the beginning of the reign of Ahaziah in 853BC. Solomon, initially obedient to God, takes Israel to the peak of its glory but in his later life he was led astray by his pagan wives. King Solomon was followed by Rehoboam who lost the Northern Kingdom. The southern kingdom, known as Judah, included the 2 tribes of Judah and Benjamin while the northern kingdom, known as Israel, was made up of the other ten tribes. The book traces the history of a number of evil and good Kings and ends with the wicked king Ahab who along with the nation of Israel, was condemned by the righteous prophet Elijah. The book demonstrates how wickedness and disobedience leads to destruction while obedience and righteousness exalts a nation.

2 Kings

Author: See first Kings

Date of writing: See first Kings

Synopsis: Second Kings continues with the stories of Elijah and his successor Elisha. But the book also contains the histories of the two Kingdoms until they were both conquered. Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722BC and Judah by the Babylonians in 586BC. Second Kings ends with the destruction of the temple and the release of Jehoiachin from prison. In both books of Samuel the nation of Israel is born, in 1 Kings they are divided and in 2 Kings they are dispersed. Here the theme is that continual rebellion and disobedience against God will lead to destruction. After generations of pleading with Israel through His prophets, the nation continued to rebel, ultimately leading to their defeat.

1 Chronicles

Author: The two books of Chronicles, initially one book, is generally attributed to the prophet Ezra. Although this is not expressly declared there are a number of clues that support this claim. This can be seen in the similarity in style and theme in the books of Chronicles and the book of Ezra.

Date of writing: The book was written between 450 and 425BC, after Judah’s return from exile.

Synopsis: The books of Chronicles record the same period of history as Samuel and Kings but it is not a mere repetition of those books. Chronicles has a more spiritual context to them as opposed to an earthly one. The main theme of the book is God’s faithfulness to his covenant. 1 Chronicles covers a similar period in history as the 2 books of Samuel.

2 Chronicles

Author: See first Chronicles

Date of writing: See 1 Chronicles

Synopsis: Second Chronicles continues with the history of the Jews and mirrors the narrative of the 2 books of Kings. However in Chronicles, the Northern Kingdom is almost completely ignored and the focus is on the Davidic dynasty of Judah.

While Kings is written from the perspective of men, Chronicles is from that of God. While Judah’s political history is emphasized in Kings, it is their spiritual history that takes prominence in Chronicles. In Kings the history of Judah is recorded as seen from the palace, while in Chronicles it is as viewed from the temple. Chronicles also has a larger focus on the Kings that brought reform and revival to Judah, like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah.

Ezra

Author: Although not expressly stated, it well accepted that Ezra is the author of this book. Ezra is the main character in the book and much of the book is written in the first person. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book called “The Book of Ezra” in the original Hebrew Bible.

Date of writing: The book was written between 457 and 444BC.

Synopsis: Ezra records the events after the return of Judah from their 70-year exile in the year 538BC. The book starts with the decree of Cyrus, which allowed a remnant of the people to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel. The people began with the rebuilding of the temple but were delayed by opposition from the North. The decree of Darius then allowed them to finish the temple 18 years later. After the completion of the temple, Ezra returned to Jerusalem and reformed the people’s spiritual life.

Nehemiah

Author: The authorship of this book is unclear. Some believe that Nehemiah himself wrote the book while others believe that the book was written by Ezra. The book starts with the phrase “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachalia”. While this may indicate that Nehemiah is indeed the author, it could also be that this was simply a quote used by Ezra when writing the book, and that he used writings from Nehemiah as a source.

Date of writing: The book continues the story where the book of Ezra left off which means it was written between 445 and 425BC.

Synopsis: Nehemiah gave up his position as cupbearer to Artaxexes, king of Persia, to become governor in Jerusalem and lead the people in repairing the city walls. Ezra was a priest who was more involved in restoring the cities spiritual state but Nehemiah was a politician involved in repairing the city’s infrastructure. Much of Nehemiah is a repeat of the book of Ezra, further suggesting that the books were written by different people. Interestingly, the decree of Artaxexes marks the beginning of Daniel’s prophetic countdown of the return of the Messiah.

Esther

Author: There is very little evidence to indicate who the author of this book was. There are three names that are commonly suggested, and that is Ezra, Nehemiah and Mordecai.

Date of writing: The story of Esther takes place between the sixth and seventh chapters of Ezra, between the first return under Zerubbabel and the second return under Ezra. The book was probably written between 470 and 465BC during the latter reign of king Xerxes or his son Artaxerxes.

Synopsis: Esther is a beautiful story of a Jewish woman named Hadassah, whom the Persian king Xerxes chose as his wife. When Haman plotted to kill all the Jews, Esther (renamed by Xerxes after her marriage to him) was persuaded by her cousin Mordecai to try to save her people. Esther then risked her own life and persuaded the king to save the Jews. One of the interesting facts of the book of Esther is that God is not mentioned at all. In spite of this fact, the book illustrates beautifully how divine intervention can be fulfilled through human intervention and means. One of the primary purposes of the book in Jewish history is to detail the origins of the festival; Purim.

The Wisdom Books

Job

Author: While it is clear that the book is named after its main character, there is very little evidence to suggest who wrote the book. People have suggested Solomon, Moses, Job himself, Elihu and others.

Date of writing: It is believed that the events described in the book happened in the 2nd millennium BC or at least earlier than 1500BC. The reasons for this are because of the age to which Job lived (140 years), the fact that livestock was the primary means to measure wealth and the omission of any Mosaic laws in the book.

The level of detail in the book seems to suggest that it was written shortly after the events described actually occurred. However, the style of writing, which is similar to that of Psalms, seems to suggest that it was written in the time of Solomon. Job’s mention in the book of Ezekiel indicates that it was at least written during or before the exile.

Synopsis: The book of Job is about a wealthy yet faithful servant upon whom God allows disaster to be inflicted. Job then wrestles with the idea of his loss and the reasons thereof in a debate with friends. His first 3 friends suggest that the disaster that befell him must be as a result of sin. While Job’s last friend, Elihu, suggests that suffering could be a means for God to purify the righteous. God stripped away all Job’s self righteousness and brought him to a place of complete trust in him. Job remains faithful in his time of darkness and is eventually rewarded by God to such an extent that his initial wealth was doubled.

It has been suggested that the book of Job presents a fictional story meant to deliver a certain message. The reasons for this belief is its lack of historical context and the extreme nature of the story. The only historical context given in the book is that Job was from the town of Uz. The story is so extreme in nature that it seems the events were portrayed for dramatical and poetic effect rather than historical accuracy.

Psalms

Author: The book of Psalms is a compilation of Psalms written by different Psalmists. The majority of the Psalms can be attributed to David, 73 in total. Asaph and the Korahites wrote 12 each and Moses and Ethan each wrote a single Psalm. Solomon wrote 2 Psalms.

Date of writing: The very nature of the book with its multiple authors means that it was written at various different eras, the earliest being Moses’ Psalm (1405BC) and the latest being probably that of one of the Korahites (500BC). David, Solomon and Asaph would have written between 1020 and 950BC.

Synopsis: The book of Psalms provides us with a message of hope and comfort through worship. It is an anecdote on the relief of pain and trouble through fellowship with God. The book consists of a number of musical poems as eluded to in the name of the book.

Proverbs

Author: Solomon wrote the lion’s share of Proverbs. However, some of the Proverbs were selected from a collection of larger Proverbs belonging to Solomon but that were written by a committee of wise men, rather than Solomon in exclusivity. One Proverb is accredited to Agur and another to Lemuel, and the latter one in particular is not of Jewish origin.

Date of writing: The Proverbs written by king Solomon, were written before his death in 931BC and those that Hezekiah selected were included around 700BC.

Synopsis: Proverbs is a collection of wisdom on how to tackle all of lives daily challenges. A proverb is a comparison or simile relating to a real life situation. The book personifies both wisdom and folly as a woman calling out to all people. This collection of sayings or maxims presents wise solutions on many of our daily issues, including folly, sin, goodness, wealth, poverty, the tongue, pride, humility, justice, family (parents and children) discipline, vengeance, strife, gluttony, love, laziness, friends, life, and death. Proverbs presents seven pillars of wisdom and they are:

• Fear God
• Guard your mind
• Self control
• Choose your companions
• Work hard
• Choose your relationships
• Integrity

Ecclesiastes

Author: Solomon is almost certainly the author of of Ecclesiastes. We know that the book was written by a wealthy, wise and industrious son of king David. Solomon is the only son of David that accurately fits this description.

Date of writing: It has been suggested that Solomon wrote Song of Songs during his young years, expressing a young man’s love; Proverbs, during his middle years expressing the wisdom of maturity and Ecclesiastes in his years of decline, expressing regret and repentance to his moral lapses. This book would have then been written shortly before his death in 931BC.

Synopsis: The basic them of the book is to prove that life without God is meaningless. Solomon does this by relating his own futile endeavors to find happiness through earthly means, proving that happiness can only be found through God. Solomon also demonstrates that life on earth as we know it cannot be fully understood. Therefore we need to live by faith and not by physical evidence alone. Solomon then paints a realistic view of life here on earth; a view that life is not always fair or just and that bad things happen to good people. These exceptions to the moral and just nature of God cannot be understood from our earthly perspective. Finally, Solomon states that man, left to his own devices, will always find life to be meaningless. Meaning, in the context of our finite existence, can only come from God.

Ecclesiastes is a real book showing that God acknowledges our struggles here on earth. And while it does not offer definite explanations, it does state that we need God in our lives.

Song of Songs

Author: Solomon.

Date of writing: This book was written fairly early in Solomon’s career, around 965BC, when he had 60 wives and 80 concubines.

Synopsis: The title of the book is often given as “Song of Solomon” or “Song of Songs”. The former indicating the author and main character and the latter indicating that this was the most superlative of all songs. Solomon wrote 1005 songs, of which this one is considered the ultimate.

The book tells a story of a romance between the groom, Solomon, and then bride, a Shulamite woman. Depending on your viewpoint, the book could be an allegory of Christ’s love for the church or God’s love for Israel. Christ or God, depicted as Solomon, and the Church or Israel depicted as the Shulamite woman! Alternatively the book could be a literal detail of Solomon’s romance with the Shulamite woman, showing God’s view on the beauty of love between a man and a woman.

The Major Prophets

The major prophets are so called because of the size of the books and not necessarily because of their supreme significance over the minor prophets, which could all be included in one large scroll. The five major prophetic books are attributed to 4 prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

The word prophet, is often associated with prophetic utterances of events yet to come. However this is not the exclusive role of a prophet or of their recordings in the Bible. Prophets functioned as preachers to and watchmen over the Jewish people, in addition to their seer role. They interpreted and taught the Mosaic law to their people as well as convicted them of their sin. In fact, most of these 5 books contain the preaching and watchmen utterances of these prophets.

Isaiah

Author: The book clearly declares that Isaiah, son of Amor, is the author of the book. Isaiah was apparently from a distinguished Jewish family who was familiar with the cities royalty. He was well versed in matters concerning foreign affairs.

Date of writing: The ministry of Isaiah ranged from 740 to 680BC and it was during this time that this book was written. It began during the tail end of Uzziah’s reign (790 to 739BC), through the reigns of Jotham (739 to 731BC), Ahaz (731 to 715BC) and Hezekiah (715 to 686BC), also continuing through the Assyrian reigns of Tiglath-Pileser and Sennacherib.

Synopsis: Isaiah was a learned man from a prominent Jewish family who rubbed shoulders with the Israelite leadership and was an expert on foreign relations. He opposed any entangling alliances with foreign powers but his warnings were not adhered to because the leadership chose to put their trust in contracts with men rather than rely on God.

The book is named after the author ‘Isaiah’ which literally means “salvation is of God”. This is apt for the book since salvation is a prime theme in the book and much of it deals with the redemptive nature of the Messiah. Interestingly, Isaiah has 66 chapters, while the Bible has 66 books. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah deal with the anticipation of the Messiah and man’s need for salvation. While the second 27 chapters parallel the New Testament and discuss salvation thorough the Messiah and God’s Kingdom.

Jeremiah

Author: The author of this book is clearly Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah from the city of Anathoth in the region of Benjamin. However, rather than writing himself, Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to his secretary Baruch. Also, chapter 52 was not written by him. Jeremiah is often referred to as the “weeping prophet” or the “lonely prophet”.

Date of writing: Jeremiah’s ministry ranged from about 626 to 586BC. He ministered during the same period as Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel and Ezekiel and his work was immediately followed by that of Zephaniah.

Synopsis: The major theme of this book is “God’s judgement against sin”. However there are also messages of hope in Jeremiah. Jeremiah lashed out harshly against the sin of Israel which included idolatry and in cases even child sacrifices. However, Jeremiah loved his countrymen and even prayed for them even when God told him not to. The book also talks about the resistance Jeremiah received and his subsequent persecution.

Lamentations

Author: The author of Lamentations is not expressly defined and remains unconfirmed but evidence suggests that Jeremiah is the author. The writing style in the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations is similar. This weeping over the nation of Judah is coincidental with the nature of the prophet Jeremiah.

Date of writing: It is suggested that the book was written immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC. This is mainly due to the graphic nature of the book in its description of the destruction.

Synopsis: This book, as the name suggests, is a lament over the sins of Judah and the subsequent destruction of the city and temple. In this book God’s judgement of sinful Judah has come to pass. Jeremiah appeals to the people of Judah to repent and to realize that God was just in His dealings with them.

The book of Jeremiah can be seen as looking forward and a warning to the people of the consequence of sin while Lamentations can be seen as looking back and mourning for the fall of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel

Author: The author of this book is certainly Ezekiel, son of Buzi, who received his call to ministry while still in Babylon. Ezekiel was married, lived in his own house and had a relatively free existence.

Date of writing: The book was written between 593 and 571BC. The book itself contains many dates so that the dating of Ezekiel’s writings could be accurately determined. Twelve of the 13 messages received from the lord were accurately dated by Ezekiel.

Synopsis: Ezekiel’s message focused on the temple, priesthood, sacrifices and the glory of God. He spoke to the people of Judah, that it was their sin that brought them into exile in Babylon and that it was a necessary measure that God employed to correct His wayward people. But, he also stated that the day was coming when God was going to restore a remnant of his repentant chosen people.

Daniel

Author: Daniel is the author of this book as expressly stated in the book and based on the books autobiographical view from chapter 7 onwards. Daniel was taken into captivity in Babylon in 605BC by king Nebuchadnezzar where he rose to prominence and served as a statesman in the courts of both Nebuchadnezzar and Darius. Daniel never held the official title of ‘prophet’ but Jesus did refer to him as a prophet.

Date of writing: It is believed that the book was written in about 537BC during the Babylonian exile.

Synopsis: The theme of Daniel is God’s sovereign power that will judge and destroy the rebellious world powers and will deliver His chosen people according to their faith. Daniel was written as encouragement to the people during their time of captivity and to express God’s divine plan.

The Minor Prophets

The minor Prophets, so named because of their size and not because of their insignificance, consist of 12 books written at various times from different perspectives. God had raised many prophets since the time of Moses, to make his will known to His people and a selection of these are included in the canon. Most of the prophetic writings take on a similar structure:

• A warning of impending judgement because of sin
• A description of the sin
• A description of the judgement
• A call to repentance
• A promise of redemption

Three prophets: Jonah, Amos and Obadiah prophesied to Israel while the other 9 prophesied to Judah. These ranged within a timespan of about 400 years from 840BC (Obadiah) to 430BC (Malachi).

Hosea

Author: Hosea, son of Beeri and husband of Gomer, is the author of this book. He was a citizen of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, thus his concern with this people.

Date of writing: According to the book itself, Hosea ministers to during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah and of Jeroboam II of Israel. Thus his ministry ranged from 767 to 686BC.

Synopsis: The theme of the book is God’s steadfast love for his chosen people in spite of their continued unfaithfulness. This is paralleled with Hosea’s strained relationship with his wife Gomer, whom he continued to love despite her sin. Hosea rebukes his countrymen for their unfaithfulness to God’s covenant and appeals to them to repent and return to God.

Joel

Author: Joel, the son of Pethuel is the author of this book.

Date of writing: The precise date of writing of this book is uncertain and can be dated at any time between 835 and 400BC; from an early pre-exilic date to a post exilic date.

Synopsis: Joel uses a recent locust plague and drought as a lesson to Judah of impending invasion and the need to repent. If the nation repents, God will be faithful and just to restore her. Joel emphasizes that it is this combination of judgement, tribulation and the outpouring of God’s spirit that will cause Judah to return to the Lord.

Amos

Author: Amos, a herdsman, from Tekoa, near Bethlehem, is the author of this book. Though he was a farmer, his knowledge of the Word of God was excellent.

Date of writing: The book was probably written between 767 and 753BC based on the claims in the book about the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah and Jeroboam II, king of Israel. He also states that he prophesied 2 years before the earthquake, the precise date of which is unknown.

Synopsis: Although from Judah, Amos was given the task of carrying a message to Israel. His prime message was that of God’s judgement that will befall all nations that rebelled against His authority. The northern kingdom fell to the sin of greed, injustice, externalism, and self-righteousness. Amos urged them to repent and ended his message with hope for a repentant nation.

Obadiah

Author: The mysterious prophet Obadiah wrote this book. Nothing is known or written about his hometown or family, suggesting that he was not of a prominent household.

Date of writing: The book is very hard to date and the only clue to its date is its mention of the Edomite invasion of Jerusalem. The 4 major invasions of Jerusalem in Old Testament times are: Egypt in 926BC, the Arabians and Philistines from 848 to 841BC, by Israel (after the split) in 790BC and by the Babylonians from 605 to 586BC. Obadiah prophesied against Edom during either the second or fourth invasion.

Synopsis: With just 21 verses, Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, by word count. The theme of this prophecy is that pride goes before a fall. Obadiah speaks out against the Edomites who rejoiced in pride in light of Jerusalem’s misfortunes.

Jonah

Author: Jonah, son of Amittai, from the town of Galilee in the Northern Kingdom, is the author of this book.

Date of writing: Jonah ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel, from 793 to 753BC. He ministered just after Elisha and just before Amos and Hosea.

Synopsis: Jonah demonstrates that the God of the Hebrews, is the God of all the peoples of the earth and of all of nature. He shows that God’s grace is for everyone who repents and accepts and not only for the Jews as well. Jonah is well know for trying to flee from God on a boat and then being thrown overboard and swallowed by a big fish, only to be spewed out at the place God wanted him to go to in the first place.

Micah

Author: The author of this book is Micah, from the international trading of town of Moresheth in Judea, about 40kms southwest of Jerusalem near the Philistine city of Gath.

Date of writing: Micah prophesied during the days of Jotham (750-732BC), Ahaz (736-716BC) and Hezekiah (716-687BC). A good part of his ministry occurred before the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC.

Synopsis: Micah prophesied primarily to Judah but also to the northern Kingdom where he predicts their fall to Assyria. Micah demonstrates how the people of Israel and Judah failed to live up to the covenant where obedience was rewarded, while disobedience punished. He exposed the sins of these nations and therefore God was just in disciplining them. This judgement, demonstrated God’s love for His people. Micah also gave a message of hope for restoration under the coming Messiah.

Nahum

Author: The author of this book is Nahum, the Elkoshite. The location of Elksoh is uncertain but it is believed to be somewhere in Southern Judah.

Date of writing: This book was written between the fall of Thebes in 663BC and the fall of Nineveh in 612BC. This is evident from the books reference of the fall of Thebes as a historical event and that of Nineveh’s impending disaster. This means that Nahum was written during the reign of Josiah and that he was a contemporary of Zephaniah and Jeremiah.

Synopsis: The book is written as a message of comfort to the nation of Judah. Nahum fits in nicely as a continuation of the message of Jonah. While the Assyrian people of Nineveh seemed to have heeded Jonah’s message and changed their ways, this metamorphosis was short lived and the Ninevites reverted back to their wicked ways. Sargon II of Assyria destroyed Samaria and took the Northern Kingdom of Israel into captivity in 722BC, thus scattering the 10 tribes. Later, in 702BC, Sennacherib of Assyria attempted, unsuccessfully, to conquer Jerusalem. In spite of its power and prominence, the city of Nineveh is judged by God through the prophet Nahum. One of the primary themes of the book is God’s retribution against the wicked Assyrians. This fall of Nineveh was predicted by Nahum almost 150 years after Jonah rebuked them for their wickedness.

Habakkuk

Author: The author of this book is the priest, Habakkuk. Evidence of his priestly qualities can be seen through his conclusion “For the choir director, on my stringed instruments”.

Date of writing: The book anticipates the imminent invasion of the prominent Babylonians and is therefore written shortly before 605BC, possibly in 606BC during the reign of Jehoiakim.

Synopsis: The book stems from Habakkuk’s perplexity at two issues: Why did God allow Judah’s increasing sins to go unpunished? And; why would God use a sinful nation, like Babylon, to deliver his judgement on his people? These questions are answered in the light of God’s continuing revelations and through trust in God.

Zephaniah

Author: This book was written by Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Usually only the prophet’s father is identified when the author provides genealogical information. Such a long genealogy suggests the noble birth of the prophet, his great-great-grandfather being the good King Hezekiah.

Date of writing: Zephaniah was written during the reign of Josiah (640 to 609BC), king of Judah. The book predates the reforms of Judah in 622BC which eliminated idolatry worship in Judah. Evidence thus suggests that the book was written somewhere between 630 and 625BC.

Synopsis: The prophets message is to the people of Judah who had been evilly influenced by the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. The message is threefold. First, Zephaniah speaks of Judah’s sin and the subsequent judgement and consequence of that sin. Following this, is a call for repentance and finally a promise for future redemption and blessings.

Haggai

Author: Haggai is the author of this book. He was a contemporary of the prophet Zachariah and the governor Zerubbabel.

Date of writing: In 538BC, Cyrus, king of Persia, decreed that approximately 50 000 Jews could return to their home. Among these was the prophet Haggai. As stated by Haggai, this book was written in the second year of the Persian reign of Darius, which was in the year 520BC.

Synopsis: Haggai is the first of three prophets to prophecy to the returned remnant of Judah. This book is the second shortest book in the Bible, after Obadiah. Haggai encourages the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. In this he delivered a threefold message: God blesses His people when they put Him first, we should not tire in doing God’s work and that God’s promises of the future should be the foundation of our work today.

Zachariah

Author: The author of this book is Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo. Zachariah, along with Haggai, was released from Babylon after the decree of Cyrus in 538BC.

Date of writing: The book was probably written between 520 and 518BC.

Synopsis: Zachariah tried to encourage the returned remnant to complete their work in rebuilding the temple. In this, he demonstrated the prominence of the temple in God’s restoration of His people. The book highlights the providence of God in returning His people to their land and that God was busy restoring Israel to their rightful spiritual place in the world in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The book thus highlights the imminent coming of the Messiah.

Malachi

Author: Malachi is the author of this book.

Date of writing: It is estimated that the book was written around 435BC. This can be gleaned from the facts that it is apparent in the book: the the temple had already been rebuilt, Mosaic laws had been reinstated and a Persian governor was in authority at the time.

Synopsis: During the time of Nehemiah, Judah went through a period of rebuilding and spiritual revitalization. However after some time, the people, including the priests, had lost their spiritual fervor. Worship became external and mechanical and Malachi specifically prophesied against: neglect of the tithes, priestly laxity and intermarriage with foreign women. The people remained bewildered as to why God was dissatisfied with them. Malachi not only wrote to rebuke the people, but also to give comfort in light of the coming Messiah.

The 400 silent years

Adapted from Ray C. Stedman

At the close of the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is back again in the land of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity, but they are under the domination of the great world power of that day, Persia and the Medio-Persian empire. In Jerusalem, the temple had been restored, although it was a much smaller building than the one that Solomon had built and decorated in such marvelous glory.

Within the temple, the line of Aaronic priests were still worshiping and carrying on the sacred rites as they had been ordered to do by the law of Moses. There was a direct line of descendants in the priesthood that could be traced back to Aaron.

But the royal line of David had fallen on evil days. The people knew who the rightful successor to David was, and in the books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, his name is given. It was Zerubbabel, the royal prince. Yet, there was no king on the throne of Israel. They were a puppet nation, under the dominion of Persia. Nevertheless, although they were beset with weakness and formalism as the prophets have shown us, the people were united. There were no political schisms or factions among them, nor were they divided into groups or parties.

Now when you open the New Testament to the book of Matthew, you discover an entirely different atmosphere… almost a different world. Rome is now the dominant power of the earth. The Roman legions have spread throughout the length and breadth of the civilized world. The center of power has shifted from the East, to Rome, in the West. Palestine is still a puppet state (the Jews never did regain their own sovereignty) but now there is a king on the throne. But this king is the descendant of Esau instead of Jacob, and his name is Herod the Great. Furthermore, the high priests who now sit in the seat of religious authority in the nation are no longer from the line of Aaron. They cannot trace their lineage back, rather, they are hired priests to whom the office is sold as political patronage.

The temple is still the center of Jewish worship, although the building has been partially destroyed and rebuilt about a half-dozen times since the close of the Old Testament. But now the synagogues that have sprung up in every Jewish city seem to be the center of Jewish life even more so than the temple.

At this time the people of Israel were split into three major parties. Two of them, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were much more prominent than the third. The smaller group, the Essenes, could hardly be designated as a party. Not long ago, however, they came into great prominence and took on new significance because they had stowed away some documents in caves overlooking the Dead Sea. These documents, which were brought to light again by the accidental discovery of an Arab shepherd boy, are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Now, what happened in these four hundred so-called “silent” years after the last of the inspired prophets spoke and the first of the New Testament writers began to write? You remember there is a word in Paul’s letter to the Galatians that says, “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” (Gal. 4:4) In other words, the time of our Lord’s birth was God’s appointed hour, the moment for which God had been long preparing. Some of the exciting preparations took place during that time of “silence”, and you will understand your New Testament much better if you understand something of the historic events during the time between the Testaments.

After Malachi had ceased his prophesying and the canon of the Old Testament closed (that is, the number of the books in the Old Testament was fulfilled and the inspired prophets ceased to speak), God allowed a period of time for the teachings of the Old Testament to penetrate throughout the world. During this time, he rearranged the scenes of history, much as a stage crew will rearrange the stage sets after the curtain has fallen, and when the curtain rises again there is an entirely new setting.

In about 435 B.C., when the prophet Malachi ceased his writing, the center of world power began to shift from the East to the West. Up to this time, Babylon had been the major world power, but this was soon succeeded by the Medio-Persian empire. This shift had been predicted by the prophet Daniel, who said that there would rise up a bear who was higher on one side than the other, signifying the division between Media and Persia, with the Persians the predominant ones (Dan. 7:5).

At the height of the Persian power there arose in the country of Macedonia (which we now know as Greece), north of the Black Sea, a man by the name of Philip of Macedon, who became a leader in his own country. He united the islands of Greece and became their ruler. His son was destined to become one of the great world leaders of all time, Alexander the Great. In 330 B.C. a tremendous battle between the Persians and the Greeks entirely altered the course of history. In that battle, Alexander, as a young man only twenty years old, led the armies of Greece in victory over the Persians and completely demolished the power of Persia. The center of world power then shifted farther west into Greece, and the Grecian empire was born.

A year after that historic battle, Alexander the Great led his armies down into the Syrian world toward Egypt. On the way, he planned to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem. As the victorious armies of the Greeks approached the city, word was brought to the Jews in Jerusalem that the armies were on their way. The high priest at that time, who was a godly old man by the name of Jaddua (who is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Nehemiah) took the sacred writings of Daniel the prophet and, accompanied by a host of other priests dressed in white garments, went forth and met Alexander some distance outside the city.

All this is from the report of Josephus, the Jewish historian, who tells us that Alexander left his army and hurried to meet this body of priests. When he met them, he told the high priest that he had a vision the night before in which God had shown him an old man, robed in a white garment, who would show him something of great significance. According to the account, the high priest then opened the prophecies of Daniel and read them to Alexander.

In the prophecies Alexander was able to see the predictions that he would become that notable goat with the horn in his forehead, who would come from the West and smash the power of Medio-Persia and conquer the world. He was so overwhelmed by the accuracy of this prophecy and, of course, by the fact that it spoke about him, that he promised that he would save Jerusalem from siege, and sent the high priest back with honors. How true that account is, is very difficult to say at this distance in time.

Alexander died in 323 B.C., when he was only about thirty-three years old. He had drunk himself to death in the prime of his life, grieved because he had no more worlds to conquer. After his death, his empire was torn with dissension, because he had left no heir. His son had been murdered earlier, so there was no heir to inherit the Alexander’s empire.

After some time, however, the four generals that had led Alexander’s armies divided his empire between them. Two of them are particularly noteworthy to us. One was Ptolemy, who gained Egypt and the northern African countries and the other was Seleucus, who gained Syria, to the north of Palestine. During this time Palestine was annexed by Egypt, and suffered greatly at the hands of Ptolemy. In fact, for the next one hundred years, Palestine was caught in the meat-grinder of the unending conflicts between Syria on the north and Egypt on the south.

Now, Daniel was able, by inspiration, to give a very accurate and detailed account of the highlights of these years of conflict between the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt). The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives us a most amazingly accurate account of that which has long since been fulfilled. See H. A. Ironside’s little book, The 400 Silent Years.

During this time Grecian influence was becoming strong in Palestine. A party arose among the Jews called the Hellenists, who were very eager to bring Grecian culture and thought into the nation and to liberalize some of the Jewish laws. This forced a split into two major parties. There were those who were strong Hebrew nationalists, who wanted to preserve everything according to the Mosaic order. They resisted all the foreign influences that were coming in to disrupt the old Jewish ways. This party became known as the Pharisees, which means “to separate.” They were the separatists who insisted on preserving traditions. They grew stronger and stronger, becoming more legalistic and rigid in their requirements, until they became the target for some of the most scorching words the Lord ever spoke. They had become religious hypocrites, keeping the outward form of the law, but completely violating its spirit.

On the other hand, the Hellenists (the Greek lovers) became more and more influential in the politics of the land. They formed the party that was known in New Testament days as the Sadducees, the liberals. They turned away from the strict interpretation of the law and became the rationalists of their day, ceasing to believe in the supernatural in any way. We are told in the New Testament that they came again and again to the Lord with questions about the supernatural, like “What will happen to a woman who has been married to seven different men? In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?” (Matt. 22:23-33) They did not believe in a resurrection, but in these questions they were trying to put Jesus on the spot.

Now there was also a young rebel Jewish priest who married a Samaritan, went down to Samaria, and in rebellion against the Jewish laws, built a temple on Mount Gerizim. A temple that became a rival of the temple in Jerusalem. This caused intense fanatical rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans, and this rivalry is also reflected in the New Testament.

Also during this time, in Egypt, under the reign of one of the Ptolemies, the Hebrew scriptures were translated for the first time into another language. In about 284 B.C., a group of 70 scholars were called together by the Egyptian king to make a translation of the Hebrew scriptures. Book by book, they translated the Old Testament into Greek. When they had finished, it was given the name of the Septuagint, which means 70, because of the number of translators. This became the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible. From it many of the quotations in the New Testament are derived. That is why New Testament quotations of Old Testament verses are sometimes in different words… because they come from the Greek translation. The Septuagint is still in existence today, and is widely used in various parts of the world. It is still a very important document.

A little later on, in about 203 B.C., a king named Antiochus the Great came into power in Syria, to the north of Palestine. He captured Jerusalem from the Egyptians and began the reign of Syrian power over Palestine. He had two sons, one of whom succeeded him and reigned only a few years. When he died, his brother took the throne. This man, named Antiochus Epiphanes, became one of the most vicious and violent persecutors of the Jews ever known. In fact, he is often called the Antichrist of the Old Testament, since he fulfills some of the predictions of Daniel concerning the coming of one who would be “a contemptible person” and “a vile king.” His name (which he modestly bestowed upon himself) means “Antiochus the Illustrious.” Nevertheless, some of his own courtiers evidently agreed more with the prophecies of Daniel, and they changed two letters in his title from Epiphanes to Epipames, which means “the mad man.”

His first act was to depose the high priest in Jerusalem, thus ending the long line of succession, that began with Aaron and his sons through the many centuries of Jewish life. Onias the Third was the last of the hereditary line of priests. Antiochus Epiphanes sold the priesthood to Jason, who was not of the priestly line. Jason, in turn, was tricked by his younger brother Menelaus, who purchased the priesthood and then sold the golden vessels of the temple in order to make up the tribute money. Epiphanes overthrew the God-authorized line of priests. Then, and under his reign, the city of Jerusalem and all the religious rites of the Jews began to deteriorate as they came fully under the power of the Syrian king.

In 171 B.C. Antiochus invaded Egypt and once again Palestine was caught in the nutcracker of rivalry. Palestine is the most fought-over country in the world, and Jerusalem is the most captured city in all history. It has been pillaged, ravished, burned and destroyed more than 27 times in its history.

While Antiochus was in Egypt, it was reported that he had been killed in battle, and Jerusalem rejoiced. The people organized a revolt and overthrew Menelaus, the pseudo-priest. When report reached Antiochus (who was very much alive in Egypt) that Jerusalem was delighted at the report of his death, he organized his armies and swept like a fury back across the land, falling upon Jerusalem with terrible vengeance.

He overturned the city, regained his power, and guided by the treacherous Menelaus, intruded into the very Holy of Holies in the temple itself. Some 40,000 people were slain in three days of fighting during this terrible time. When he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, he destroyed the scrolls of the law and, to the absolute horror of the Jews, took a sow and offered it upon the sacred altar. Then with a broth made from the flesh of this unclean animal, he sprinkled everything in the temple, thus completely defiling and violating the sanctuary. It is impossible to grasp how horrifying this was to the Jews. They were simply appalled that anything like this could ever happen to their sacred temple.

It was that act of defiling the temple which is referred to by the Lord Jesus as the “desolating sacrilege” which Daniel had predicted (Matt. 24:15), and which also became a sign of the coming desolation of the temple when the Antichrist himself will enter the temple, call himself God, and thus defile the temple in that time. As indicated in the New Testament, that still lies in the future.

Daniel the prophet had said that the sanctuary would be polluted for 2300 days. (Dan. 8:14) In exact accordance with that prophecy, it was exactly 2300 days, six and a half years, before the temple was cleansed. It was cleansed under the leadership of a man, now famous in Jewish history, Judas Maccabaeus. He was one of the priestly line who, with his father and four brothers, rose up in revolt against the Syrian king. They captured the attention of the Israelites, summoned them to follow them into battle, and in a series of pitched battles in which they were always an overwhelming minority, overthrew the power of the Syrian kings, captured Jerusalem, and cleansed the temple. The day they cleansed the temple was named the Day of Dedication, and it occurred on the 25th day of December. On that date, Jews still celebrate the Feast of Dedication each year.

The Maccabees, who were of the Asmonean family, began a line of high priests known as the Asmonean Dynasty. Their sons, for about the next three or four generations, ruled as priests in Jerusalem, all the time having to defend themselves against the constant assaults of the Syrian army who tried to recapture the city and the temple. During the days of the Maccabees there was a temporary overthrow of foreign domination, which is why the Jews look back to this time and regard it with such tremendous veneration.

During this time, one of the Asmonean priests made a deal with the rising power in the West, Rome. He signed a treaty with the Senate of Rome, providing for help in the event of Syrian attack. Though the treaty was made in all earnestness and sincerity, it was this pact which introduced Rome into the picture and history of Israel.

As the battles between the two opposing forces waged hotter and hotter, Rome was watchful. Finally, the Governor of Idumea, a man named Antipater and a descendant of Esau, made a pact with two other neighboring kings and attacked Jerusalem to try to overthrow the authority of the Asmonean high priest. This battle raged so fiercely that finally Pompey, the Roman general, who happened to have an army in Damascus at the time, was besought by both parties to come and intervene. One side had a little more money than the other, and persuaded by that logical argument, Pompey came down from Damascus, entered the city of Jerusalem (again with terrible slaughter) overthrew the city and captured it for Rome. That was in 63 B.C. From that time on, Palestine was under the authority and power of Rome.

Now Pompey and the Roman Senate appointed Antipater as the Procurator of Judea, and he in turn made his two sons kings of Galilee and Judea. The son who became king of Judea is known to us a Herod the Great. (“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?'” (Matt. 2:1, 2)

Meanwhile, the pagan empires around had been deteriorating and disintegrating. Their religions had fallen upon evil days. The people were sick of the polytheism and emptiness of their pagan faiths. The Jews had gone through times of pressure and had failed in their efforts to re-establish themselves, and had given up all hope. There was a growing air of expectancy that the only hope they had left was the coming at last of the promised Messiah. In the East, the oriental empires had come to the place where the wisdom and knowledge of the past had disintegrated and they too were looking for something. When the moment came, when the star arose over Bethlehem, the wise men of the East who were looking for an answer to their problems saw it immediately and came out to seek the One it pointed to. Thus, “when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son.”

It is amazing how God utilizes history to work out his purposes. Though we are living in the days that might be termed “the silence of God,” when for almost 2000 years there has been no inspired voice from God, we must look back, even as they did during those 400 silent years, upon the inspired record and realize that God has already said all that needs to be said, through the Old and New Testaments. God’s purposes have not ended. He is working them out as fully now as he did in those days. Just as the world had come to a place of hopelessness then, and the One who would fulfill all their hopes came into their midst, so the world again is facing a time when despair is spreading widely across the earth. Hopelessness is rampant everywhere and in this time God is moving to bring to fulfillment all the prophetic words concerning the coming of His Son into the world to establish his kingdom. How long? How close? Who knows? But what God has done in history, he will do again as we approach the end of “the silence of God.”

Canonical Gospels

The word Gospel means “good news” and aptly, the 4 gospels detail the life and teachings of Jesus during His time here on earth. The first 3 Gospels, often referred to as Synoptic Gospels, seem to be written from the same source since there are many similarities between them that are not shared by John. Mark, is often considered to be a source for Matthew and Luke. John presents a very different picture of Jesus compared with the first 3 gospels. The order of the Bible and the historical narrative seems to suggest that the Gospels were written before Acts and the epistles but these books were actually written, or at least finally compiled, after most of the Epistles. While there are some ambiguities between the gospels, there is significant evidence to corroborate the accounts of the Gospels. And while some of these ambiguities may be in terms of dates or names, there are no ambiguities in the fundamental message of the gospels.

Matthew

Author: This book was written by Matthew, a tax collector, who was also known as Levi. Matthew was one of the original 12 disciples.

Date of writing: Matthew relates the events of the birth of Jesus in the year 0 to the great commission in about 33AD. The book was however only written between 70 and 80AD.

Synopsis: Matthew’s main purpose was to prove the Messianic nature of Jesus. He often uses references from the Old Testament that foretell the coming of Jesus and the manner in which such prophecies are fulfilled. Matthew also regularly refers to the Kingdom of Heaven, a sub-theme taken throughout the book.

The book revolves around 5 major discourses. These are:

• The sermon on the mount
• Instructions to the disciples
• Parables about the Kingdom of God
• Teaching on the meaning of discipleship
• Teaching about the end of the coming age

Matthew also records portions of the history of Jesus’ time here on earth, from his birth to his death and subsequent resurrection.

Mark

Author: As with all the other Gospels, this book is named after its author Mark. Mark was the son of Mary, brother of John and cousin of Barnabas as is recorded in the book of Acts. Mark also accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey and Paul himself spoke very highly of Mark.

Date of writing: The book was probably written between 60 and 70AD and is believed to be the earliest of the four Gospels and was very possibly used as a source for both Matthew and Luke.

Synopsis: The book deals with the adult Ministry of Jesus and does not record Jesus’ early life. In fact the book begins with Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. If Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience then Mark writes to the Christians. Mark’s purpose was to demonstrate the deity of Jesus and exposes his contemporaries failure to recognize Him as the Messiah.

Luke

Author: This Gospel was written by Luke, Paul’s fellow worker as is recorded in Philemon verse 24. Luke was a doctor by profession (Col 4:14) and his interest in Jesus’ miracles of healing is thus explained. Luke was probably a Gentile, possibly Grecian, with a good understanding of the Greek culture.

Date of writing: The book was probably written around 70AD and is a companion book of Acts.

Synopsis: Luke is the most comprehensive of the four Gospels and has often been called the most beautiful book ever written. So if Matthew was written for Jewish Christians and Mark for Christians then Luke is written for the Gentile Christians. He thus explains Jewish customs in more detail and omits items that would be chiefly of interest only to Jews. Luke’s basic theological concern is to show how the Gentiles featured in God’s plan for salvation. Further, Luke proves that the Gospel of the good news was for the poor and the oppressed. Luke provides us with examples of Jesus’ compassion for the poor and how God extends his forgiveness and love to those for whom hope had been lost.

Luke records Jesus’ birth, His preparation for ministry, His ministry, the Passion of the Christ and His eventual triumph. Luke then flows very neatly into the book of the Acts of the Apostles, continuing the story of the growth of the Gospel.

John

Author: The author of this book is the apostle John, son of Zebedee. In chapter 21, verse 20 of this very book, John is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. John was a Jew with good knowledge of the area of Palestine as well as Jewish customs. John is also the author of the books of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John as well as the book of Revelation.

Date of writing: The book was written around 85 to 90AD and is the youngest of the four Gospels.

Synopsis: The theology of John is a little deeper than the three Synoptic Gospels. While there is some certainty that the first three books used the other as a source, it is not certain whether John made use of any other books as a source for this Gospel. The main purpose of this book, as stated by the author in chapter 20, verses 30 to 31, is to provide evidence upon which the reader can base their faith in Jesus as the Messiah with a view of obtaining eternal life.

The differences in this book compared to the other three Gospels can be significant. For example, Jesus was crucified on a different day than is recorded in the other three books. John focuses on the love of Jesus, and this theme is passed through in the epistles of John as well as the book of Revelation.

The Apostolic History

Acts

Author: The book of Acts was written by Luke. This is evident by the style and language similarities between the two books. The two stories also seem to have a natural flow between the end of the former and the beginning of the latter.

Date of writing: As with the book of Luke, this book was also composed around the year 70AD. The book covers the events from the time of the ascension of Jesus in 33AD to Paul’s sermons in Rome up to about 63AD.

Synopsis: The book of Acts is written with a historical intent and records some of the Apostolic history during the time period mentioned above. As such, the full name of the book is the “Acts of the Apostles”. The book covers the earliest events of Christian history and forms an important link between the four Gospels and the epistles.

The book covers two major discourses; that is the beginning of the church in Palestine and the subsequent expansion of the church. The beginnings of the church can be traced through Judea, Galilee and Samaria and then as far as Phoenicia, Cypress and Antioch. The book then records the expansion of the church through Phrygia, Galatia, Macedonia and finally to Rome. Some of the important Biblical events recorded in this book are:

• The ascension of Jesus
• The day of Pentecost
• The persecution of the Apostles
• The stoning of Stephen
• Philip and the Ethiopian
• Saul’s conversion
• Lydia’s conversion
• Paul’s visits to the churches mentioned in the subsequent epistles

Pauline Epistles

The Pauline Epistles consist of 13 letters to various groups and individuals. They give an account of the struggles and belief systems of the early Christian church that are fundamental to the modern church. In each epistle, Paul writes a letter to a group or individual with varying intents such as counseling, encouragement and even rebuke.

The letters are placed in the New Testament between the Acts of the Apostles and the General Epistles. They were written between the years of 49AD and 67AD. The first 9 letters are addressed to specific churches in the European and Asian Mediterranean area. These are followed by 4 letters written to 3 specific saints.

The order in which the books appear in the New Testament is not chronological, but seems to rather be in order of decreasing length of the original Greek text. The only anomaly to this is Galatians, which precedes the slightly longer book of Ephesians. The first nine letters to the churches are grouped together, followed by the four epistles to specific individuals and then finally we find the book of Hebrews. If the books were to be ordered chronologically, they would appear as follows: Galatians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Corinthians, Romans, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, First Timothy, Titus, and Second Timothy.

Paul the Apostle is the author of all the Epistles. He was previously known as Saul of Tarsus until his conversion on the road to Damascus. He was born around 5AD and died around the year 67AD, at the age of 62. Paul was Roman, by birth, from a devout Benjamite Jewish family. He was a highly educated Pharisee, who was trained in Jerusalem by the noted rabbi Gamaliel.

Romans

Date of writing: Paul wrote this epistle around the year 55 to 56AD during his third visit to Corinth.

Synopsis: At the time of writing the church in Rome was a large, well established church attended by Jewish and Gentile christians as well as slaves. The book does not deal with any errors in the church, nor does it deal with organizational principles. Rather the epistle concentrates on the Gospel of Jesus and how a sinner can be received as righteous by a holy God.

Paul had yearned to visit the Church in Rome. This letter was written to prepare the Romans for his upcoming visit and to explain the purpose of his visit. Paul set before the Romans a full statement of the Gospel as he understood it and therefore this apostle serves as good theological introduction to all of Paul’s other epistles.

Link to Acts: Chapter 20 verse 3 talks briefly about Paul’s third visit to Corinth.

1 Corinthians

Date of writing: Paul wrote this epistle around the year 55AD, towards the end of his three year stay in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:8).

Synopsis: Corinth is a currently-inhabited city, about 75km from Athens. It is however, not the original site of Ancient Corinth. Ancient Corinth is a site of ruins near the modern city of Corinth. Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth to address immorality in the congregation. This church was founded by Paul himself, after which he spent three years in Ephesus. It was during these three years that Paul wrote this letter. Paul had received disturbing news about certain events in the Church of Corinth as well as irregularities in their conduct. Paul had also received a letter from the Church, with a number of questions regarding the nature of sin. Paul deals with issues such as divisions, disputes, sexual purity, marriage, liberty, worship and resurrection.

Link to Acts: In Chapter 18 verses 1 to 17, the founding of the church in Corinth is discussed.

2 Corinthians

Date of writing: This Epistle was probably written two years after his first Epistle to the church in Corinth. He travelled through Macedonia, to Greece and then to Philippi and finally to Troas. It was likely that this second letter to the church in Corinth was compiled during this journey.

Synopsis: Paul visited Corinth for a second time during his stay in Ephesus and describes this as a painful visit (2 Cor 2:1). Paul then writes a “letter of tears” to the same church (2 Cor 2:3-4 and 7:8). Since First Corinthians does not fit the description of a letter of tears, it is safe to assume that there was a letter written to the church in Corinth inbetween the two letters contained in the New Testament. It is therefore in the midst of some sort of difficult circumstance that Paul writes this epistle.

In this letter, Paul defends himself and some of his teachings. He also talks to the church about the importance of giving and then ends with his own personal experience of how God changed his life.

There are two theories about the “letter of tears”. One theory suggests that it was lost, since there is no distinct record if it. The second theory is that it is contained in chapters 10 to 13 of the second epistle. This is plausible since chapter 9 seems to be the end of one letter and chapter 10 the beginning of another, with a more “tearful” discourse.

Link to Acts: It is likely that during the time referred to in Chapter 20 verses 1 to 6, Paul wrote this second epistle to the church in Corinth.

Galatians

Date of writing: Paul wrote this letter a few months before the Jerusalem Conference in 49AD.

Synopsis: Galatia, a church, or group of churches, started by Paul (Gal 4:13) in southern Anatolia (Turkey), had fallen for the teachings of persons claiming that Gentiles needed to adhere to the Mosaic Law in order to receive salvation. Paul was deeply concerned by this (Gal 1:8) and wrote one of his harshest letters. Galatia, so named after the Gaulish settlers, had a large Gentile community, therefore this incorrect teaching was all the more disturbing. This specific epistle deals with the issues of Gentiles having to follow the law of Moses in order to receive salvation. In his letter, Paul emphasizes the importance of the Gospel.

Link to Acts: Chapter 16 verse 6 talks about Paul’s travels through Galatia. Chapter 15 verses 1 to 30 discusses the news that Paul received regarding the insistence of Mosaic customs on Gentiles for the purpose of salvation and the imminent attendance of the conference.

Ephesians

Date of writing: This book was written in the year 62AD, while Paul was in prison in Rome.

Synopsis: The book of Ephesus is about the Church being the body of Christ. It emphasizes that the Church is to maintain unity through the work that Christ did on earth. The church in Ephesus was started by Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla during Paul’s first visit to that city. The church was then strengthened during Paul’s three-year-long subsequent stay in Ephesus.

Paul viewed the church in Ephesus as significant with the potential for massive influence in the region. Ephesus was an important city in present day Turkey, due to its river port. Thus, its influence on the rest of the region was significant at the time of the city’s church establishment. However, the city declined after it was destroyed by the Goths and the river silted up, until it was finally abandoned in the 15th century. Ephesus was also the home of the temple of Artemis, which is one of the ancient wonders of the world. The city was heavily influenced by this pagan god, which resulted in much tension between the newly established Church and the existing pagans. Acts reports on one of the riots that took place in the city for that very reason.

Link to Acts: Chapter 18 verses 18 to 27 discusses Paul’s first visit to Ephesus and the work that Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla did in that area. Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 verses 13 to 36 talks about Paul’s second and longer visit to Ephesus.

Philippians

Date of writing: The letter was written in the year 62AD, approximately 10 years after Paul’s first visit to Philippi.

Synopsis: Paul and Timothy first visited Philippi, during Paul’s second missionary journey, between 49 and 51AD, where they established the first Christian church in Europe. Philippi was a Macedonian city in Greece. The city was significant for its gold mines as well as its location on the route that crossed Macedonia from east to west.

This letter was sent to the Church in Philippi through Epaphroditus, a messenger from Philippi. Epaphroditus was sent to Paul to deliver a gift and after some sort of extended stay with Paul, he returns to Philippi bearing a letter. The letter discusses Paul’s upcoming sentence and his optimism in the face of death. He implores the church to imitate his capacity to rejoice in the face of persecution. Paul also addresses some of the issues in the church such as spiritual adversaries as well as conflicts with their fellowship. He ends with acknowledgment of the receipt of the gift as well as a promise of divine accounting.

Link to Acts: Chapter 16 verses 11 to 38 talk about Paul’s first visit to Philippi. We know that Paul wrote this letter from prison, possibly in Rome, and chapters 23 to 26 and 28 verses 30 to 31 both speak about two of Paul’s imprisonments. The former being in Caesarea and the second in Rome.

Colossians

Date of writing: It is suggested that this letter was also written around the same time as Ephesians, around 62AD, while Paul was in prison in Rome.

Synopsis: Colossae is a city near Laodicia and Ephesus in Asia Minor. There is no record of Paul having visited the church in Colossae, only of him having heard of it (Col 1:4). The church in Colossae had incorporated some pagan elements into their worship and Paul uses this letter to address this. He also declares Christ as the supreme Lord over everything and addresses the false teachers within the Church.

Link to Acts: None, except for Chapter 28 verses 30 to 31, where Paul is in prison in Rome.

1 Thessalonians

Date of writing: This is believed to be one of the earliest of Paul’s letters and is dated around 52AD. It is believed that Paul wrote this letter from either Corinth or Athens.

Synopsis: Thessalonica, now known as Thessaloniki, is a large Greek city that was established around 350BC. Paul visited this city and started a church, to which he later wrote two epistles. The letter seems to be more personal in nature and only addresses issues of doctrine in the last 2 chapters. In this letter, Paul addresses the relationship of Christians with each other, mourning, preparing for the second coming and Christian behavior.

Link to Acts: Chapter 17 verses 1 to 9 discusses Paul’s time in Thessalonica, where he started the church. Acts 18 verses 1 to 5, then discusses Paul’s time in Corinth, from where it is believed that he wrote this letter.

2 Thessalonians

Date of writing: This second letter was written, shortly after the first, around 52AD, also from Corinth.

Synopsis: From the letter, it seems that a false message reached this church stating that Jesus’ second coming had taken place. Paul uses this letter to refute this as well as to instruct the church on how to handle a brother who leads an unruly life.

Link to Acts: See 1 Thessalonians.

1 Timothy

Date of writing: The letter is believed to have been written soon after Paul left Ephesus, which he did on two occasions. Once between 58 and 59AD and the second between 63 and 64AD.

Synopsis: The two letters to Timothy, as well as the letter to Titus, are often referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. This letter was written to Paul’s younger colleague, Timothy, regarding his ministry in Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3). Timothy was a mentee of Paul and accompanied him on many journeys where churches were planted. The letter includes instruction on the organization of the church as well as the responsibilities of certain leaders. Its basic themes are as follows:

• The use of the law,
• warnings against false doctrine,
• instructions for prayer,
• roles of women in the church,
• qualifications for leaders of the church and
• the treatment of widows, elders, masters, youth, and church members in general.

Link to Acts: Chapter 16 verses 1 to 5, talk about the meeting of Timothy and Paul. Acts chapters 17 to 20, discuss various events where Paul and Timothy were both involved.

2 Timothy

Date of writing: This letter is believed to be Paul’s last epistle and was written shortly before his death in AD67. Therefore, the letter was probably written in Rome.

Synopsis: In line with the letter being Paul’s last and him realizing the imminence of his death, it is written with some degree of finality and gives encouragement to those, specifically Timothy, who had to continue the work. Paul urges Timothy to remain steadfast and not to have a spirit of timidity or be ashamed to testify for the Lord.

Link to Acts: See 1 Timothy.

Titus

Date of writing: This book, along 2 Timothy, is believed to be one of Paul’s last letters. Therefore it would have been written in about AD63, probably in Necropolis, after his return from Crete.

Synopsis: Titus was a Grecian, converted by Paul, who served as Paul’s companion, secretary and interpreter. There is evidence that Titus spent significant amounts of time in Corinth, and was the courier of the “letter of tears” as well as 2 Corinthians. Titus later settled on the island of Crete, where he held a senior position until his death in around AD100. In this epistle, Paul gives instruction to Titus on how to manage and teach the church and people in Crete. He specifically focuses on Christ, as God, being sent to earth in human form.

Link to Acts: Titus is not specifically mentioned in Acts but he is mentioned in the books of Galatians 2:1-3, 2 Corinthians 2:13, 7:6, 7:13-14 and 12:18, where Paul discusses their encounters.

Philemon

Date of writing: This letter was written around AD61 while Paul was in prison.

Synopsis: The epistle is addressed to Philemon, a leader in the church at Colossae. Onesimus, a slave of Philemon, had fled his master, after presumably stealing from him, and ended up among Paul and Timothy. Paul appeals to Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to accept him and receive him back as a brother in Christ. The letter deals primarily with forgiveness and reconciliation.

Link to Acts: There is no mention of Philemon in Acts but Colossians Chapter 4 verse 9 mentions Onesimus. In the same chapter, in verse 17, Archippus, whom Paul greets in this epistle, is also mentioned.

General Epistles

Hebrews

Author: The author of this book is unidentified and many theories exist. It is widely agreed that Paul could not have written the book. Apollos, Priscilla or Barnabas are often considered as possible authors.

Date of writing: It is only known that the letter was written between the resurrection of Jesus and some time before AD95. Based on the fact that the book is dated before the destruction of the temple, it is believed that it could have been composed around the year AD63.

Synopsis: The letter seems to be addressed to a specific group of Jewish Christians. It would appear that the group of Christians were considering abandoning their faith and lapsing back to Judaism. The letter exhorts this community to remain faithful and presents Jesus as God’s full and final revelation. The book is highly dependent on the old Testament, with over thirty actual quotations.

James

Author: The author of this book identifies himself as James. It is commonly believed that this is James, the brother of Jesus. The same James was referered to by Paul in Galatians 1:19 and 2:9.

Date of writing: Considering that James, the brother of Jesus, wrote the book it is likely that it was written in the late 1st century, before his death in AD62.

Synopsis: The book of James is like a piece of New Testament “wisdom literature”, similar to Proverbs. The audience of this wisdom are Christian Jews. Understanding the context in which this letter was written will help to understand its message. Jewish Christians were beginning to become disheartened with corruption and persecution, particular by the Romans. James writes this letter to encourage and advise them, exorting them to fight poverty and oppression, to care for the poor and not to fight evil in the manner that the world would. The letter rejects worldly wisdom for heavenly wisdom.

1 Peter

Author: This letter was written by Peter the Apostle, as indicated in the opening verse of the book.

Date of writing: Peter died somewhere between AD64 and AD68 and was therefore written some time before that.

Synopsis: The audience of this letter is a number of small Anatolian groups that were under Roman rule, suffering religious persecution. In spite of their persecution, Peter urges these people to remain loyal to both their government and their religion. He urges them to remain steadfast and to persevere under persecution. He directs them to the practical duty of a holy life, using Jesus as an example. Peter concludes the letter with counsel to both people and pastors.

2 Peter

Author: See 1 Peter

Date of writing: See 1 Peter, however this letter may have been written far closer to his death since he references his impending death in chapter 1 verse 14.

Synopsis: This book is written to various Anatolian churches. It addresses primarily false teachers and their reference to the second coming. Peter explains that the second coming is delayed to allow more people to be saved and that we should wait patiently for it. The book criticizes these false teachers. It is one of the only books in the Bible that quotes other New Testament works as scripture, therefore hinting that 2 Peter post-dates these scriptures. The book also shares a number of passages from the book of Jude.

1 John

Author: This, and the next two epistles, were written by John the Evangelist; the very same as the author of the Gospel of John. The styles of all four Johannine scriptures are very similar, supporting the notion of common authorship.

Date of writing: John died around the year AD100 and this letter was written when he was at an advanced age. It is believed that the letter was written from the city of Ephesus.

Synopsis: This letter is written in typical Hebrew poetry style, rather differently from the other New Testament epistles. Further, it does not contain greetings and salutations, typical of the other epistles. The letter mainly addresses a false doctrine, which was prevailing in the area, that proposed that Jesus did not actually come in the flesh but had rather come to earth in spirit only.

2 John

Author: See 1 John.

Date of writing: See 1 John

Synopsis: The letter is addressed to the Elder, the lady chosen by God and her children. It is unclear who this elder or lady was. The theory is that it is a metaphor for a specific church. The letter is very short, 13 verses in total, and does not deal with vast theologies as other epistles do. This letter again addresses those that did not believe that Jesus actually came in the flesh. It also has a strong message of love.

3 John

Author: See 1 John.

Date of writing: It is likely that the letter was written around the year AD90 in the city of Ephesus.

Synopsis: This is a 14-verse letter addressed to Gaius of Ephesus, possibly the same Gaius as that mentioned in Acts 19 and 20 or by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians or Romans. The letter recommends to Gaius, a group of Christians led by Demetrius and warns him against another man named Diotrpehes. Demetrius was likely the bearer of the three Johanine epistles. There is no specific doctrine in the book and the lesson is more centered on welcoming and supporting other laborers of Christ. Interestingly this is the shortest book in the Bible by total word count, albeit longer than 2 John by a single verse.

Jude

Author: This book was written by Jude, the brother of James and thus, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Date of writing: Jude and 2 Peter have a large amount of similarities and the date that the two are written, in relation to one another is largely dependent on who used whom as a reference. The book could have been written anywhere between AD60 and AD80.

Synopsis: The epistle is addressed to Christians in general and has two major themes. The first is to warn Christians against the sin and doom of ungodly people. Jude uses a number of Old Testament examples to illustrate his point and then warns Christians of the existence of such ungodly people in the present. The second theme is a call to Christians to persevere, particularly in the face of scoffers.

Apocalypse

Revelation

Author: This book was written by John the Apostle, who wrote the Gospel of John and the 3 Epistles of John.

Date of writing: The book was written very shortly before the death of John, while he was exiled on the island of Patmos. The book is dated to the time of the reign of Domitian and can thus be dated to between AD80 and AD96.

Synopsis: The name Revelation is taken from the Greek word apokalypsis meaning unveiling or revelation. The book has three literary genres: epistolary, apocalyptic and prophetic. The book starts by stating that this “revelation” was given to John by Jesus Christ. What follows is series of seven letters written to the churches in Anatolia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicia. Thereafter John gives us a series of description and visions of the last days before the second coming of Jesus. These include: the mark of the beast, “666”; the climactic battle of Armageddon; the binding of Satan; the reign of the Lord; the Great White Throne Judgment and the nature of the eternal city of God. The letter concludes with a number of prophecies about the return of Jesus and his call to Lordship.