The Essentials

Exploring and Understanding the Essential Beliefs of the Christian Faith

Dr David Sherbino

• Publisher: Castle Quay Books
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781988928586
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

In our culture there is a great deal of speculation and a variety of opinions concerning the Christian faith and what it teaches. 'The Essentials' seeks to dispel the confusion and ambiguity about what one believes and what it means to live as a faithful follower of Jesus. This material is designed to engage the learner through a thoughtful study of Scripture.

1.

The Bible

Introduction

One of the most important truths of the Christian faith is that God, the creator of heaven and earth, has chosen not only to communicate with us but also to live in our hearts by faith. One of the ways that he has chosen to communicate with us is through the Bible. New Testament scholar Scott McKnight writes, “The Bible has a purpose: to help you hear God speak to you. But the paper becomes the voice of the Person only when we are open to the Holy Spirit. Our God is a God who speaks, and God speaks to us through our reading of the Bible.”1

As we begin this study we start with a brief understanding of the Bible and how to understand what God is saying to us through his word. The word Bible comes from the Greek word meaning “book.” Therefore, the Holy Bible means the “Holy Book.” The New Testament refers to the Old Testament as the Scriptures, which means “writings.” Thus, one could also use the term “Holy Writings.”

The Divisions of the Bible

In the Bible there are 66 books written over a period of approximately 1500 years. The books are divided into two main sections called the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament

The Old Testament can be divided into the following categories:

The Law

The first five books of the Old Testament contain the law of God for the nation of Israel and these five books are often referred to as the Pentateuch.

The Books of the Law (5) are:

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Historical Books

The historical books describe the initial occupation and eventual resettlement of the nation of Israel in the promised land, the transition from the rule of the judges to a monarchy, the division of the nation and the subsequent captivities of the northern and southern kingdoms, and finally the return of the remnant.

The Historical Books (12) are:

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 & 2 Samuel

1 & 2 Kings

1 & 2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Poetry and Wisdom Literature

The poetic and wisdom literature reflect the human response to all the events of life. The feelings of joy, love, despair, anguish, despondency, and hope are all captured in the pages of this literature. It is through the reality of life experiences, captured in these books that one realizes God is working out his purpose.

The books of poetic and wisdom literature (5) are:

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Prophecy

A prophet is one who speaks God’s word to the people. In the Old Testament, the prophets were to explain God’s law and his promises to the people. They challenged the people to holy living and foretold of the future acts of God. In particular, the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, the one who was the hope of the nations. The prophetic books are divided into two categories: Major (4) and Minor (12). Some might think that a major prophet had something of greater significance to say than a minor prophet. However, that is not the case. The major prophets, though fewer in number than the minor prophets, are designated as major simply because their content is more extensive. The major prophets’ work is comprised of 183 chapters, while the minor prophets is comprised of 67 chapters.

The Major Prophets (5 books) are:

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

The Minor Prophets (12 books) are:

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

The New Testament

The New Testament is divided into the following categories:

History

The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels because they refer to the good news (gospel) about Jesus. The Gospels are accounts of the life of Jesus and reveal him to be the Messiah. The fifth book, Acts of the Apostles, gives an account of the development of the early church.

The Historical books (5) are:

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts o...