The Christian Bible
The first part of this anthology consists of many of the Jewish sacred writings. It is usually known to Christians as the Old Testament.
¶ The first five books are the Law. They tell the early stories of the creation of the earth and the formation of the Jewish nation;
¶ The next twelve books form the Histories;
¶ There are five books of Poetry and Wisdom;
¶ The final section of seventeen books is referred to as ‘the Prophets’, and they tell the stories and teachings of some of the greatest Jewish thinkers and preachers in the pre-Christian era.
The second part, which is not present in all Christian bibles, is the Apocrypha. These are rollicking tales of war and heroism which lead up to the times of the Roman conquest.
The third part of the bible consists of the Christian writings. It is usually known to Christians as the New Testament.
¶ The first four books are the Gospels, which tell the story of Jesus from four different viewpoints.
¶ The fifth book is ‘Acts’, which documents the early years of the Christian Church.
¶ Next follows a series of letters written to the early churches by the Apostle Paul and one or two other writers.
¶ The final book is The Revelation of Saint John the Divine, which appears to be a graphic account of the end of the world.
The Bible as a whole is the story of a developing relationship between people and God.