What is in the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of writings that cover the three ages of human history.

The first age covers the time from the creation until Moses received God’s law on Mount Sinai. It is called the Patriarchal Age because God spoke directly to many patriarchs, or heads of families such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.

The second era is the called the Jewish, or Mosaic Age, which goes from  Moses’ receipt of God’s law on Mount Sinai to the death of Jesus.

The third period of earth’s history began with the death of Jesus and continues until today. It is called the Christian Age and will end when Jesus comes to judge the world as he promised in Matthew 25:31-46.

The Law God gave Moses on Mount Sinai (about 1450BC) was the “first  covenant” and was for the Jews. This law was not to remain forever, but to serve as a schoolmaster, or tutor, to bring the nation of Israel to Christ,  according to Galatians 3:23-29.

This first, or Jewish law, is recorded with the history of Israel and the words of the prophets in Genesis through Malachi as they are arranged in most English Bibles. It is made up of 39 individual writings and is commonly referred to as the Old Testament.

Jesus fulfilled this first covenant according to his own words recorded in Matthew 5:17-18, making it the “old law” as he ushered in his own new covenant.

Jesus’ new covenant is recorded in the 27 Biblical books of Matthew through Revelation and is commonly referred to as the New Testament.

Though the Bible is accurate in every way, it is more than merely academic. As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews puts it:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of t soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12