biography books in the bible

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The 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE: EVERY BOOK IN ORDER (WITH SUMMARIES!)

Written by Marko Marina, Ph.D.

Author |  Historian |  BE Contributor

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this page belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman

Navigating the 66 books of the Bible can be a complex endeavor, but doing so offers an illuminating insight into its timeless narratives. From the early tales of creation in Genesis to the prophetic apocalypse in Revelation, each book serves as a unique piece in the grand mosaic of biblical literature.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll journey through each of these books in chronological order. To aid in your exploration, we've prepared a table that showcases the traditional authorship, dates of composition, and key verses for every book. And for those desiring a deeper dive, a concise summary of each book will further enrich your understanding. Join us on this enlightening trek through one of the world's most revered collections of sacred writings.

The Old Testament Books

Before we get into the summaries and authorship of each book, if you're looking for a simple list of the 39 Old Testament books in order, they are below.  Scroll down further for details on authorship, date written, key verses in each book, and more!

#1 - Genesis

#2 - Exodus

#3 - Leviticus

#4 - Numbers

#5 - Deuteronomy

#6 - Joshua

#7 - Judges .

#9 - 1 Samuel

#10 - 2 Samuel

#11 - 1 Kings

#12 - 2 Kings

#13 - 1 Chronicles

#14 - 2 Chronicles

#16 - Nehemiah

#17 - Esther

#19 - Psalms

#20 - Proverbs

#21 - Ecclesiastes

#22 - Song of Solomon

#23 - Isaiah

#24 - Jeremiah

#25 - Lamentations

#26 - Ezekiel

#27 - Daniel

#28 - Hosea

#31 - Obadiah

#32 - Jonah

#33 - Micah

#34 - Nahum

#35 - Habakkuk

#36 - Zephaniah

#37 - Haggai

#38 - Zechariah

#39 - Malachi

This is the end of the Old Testament, sometimes referred to as the Hebrew Bible.  While there are 66 books in the Bible, there are 39 in the Old Testament.  Now let's cover the 27 books in the New Testament.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Same as for the Old Testament, we've got the 27 books of the New Testament listed in order below.  Please scroll down for authorship, dating, summaries of the books, and more!

#40 - Matthew

#45 - Romans

#46 - 1 Corinthians

#47 - 2 Corinthians

#48 - Galatians

#49 - Ephesians

#50 - Philippians

#51 - Colossians

#52 - 1 Thessalonians

#53 - 2 Thessalonians

#54 - 1 Timothy

#55 - 2 Timothy

#56 - Titus

#57 - Philemon

#58 - Hebrews

#59 - James

#60 - 1 Peter

#61 - 2 Peter

#62 - 1 John

#63 - 2 John

#64 - 3 John

#66 - Revelation

The Pentateuch: Authorship, Date Written, and Summaries

Summaries for the pentateuch (torah) - the first five books of the bible, often referred to as "the law".

Critical scholarship often questions the historicity of the Pentateuch, viewing figures like Moses as more mythical than historical . Our summaries focus on the narratives of these texts, presented objectively, without endorsing specific religious interpretations. 

#1 - Genesis:   Genesis , the first book of the Bible, narrates the creation of the world, the fall of human kind, and the early history of humanity, including the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Tower of Babel. It also details the patriarchal history of the Israelites, focusing on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, ending with the Israelites in Egypt.

#2 - Exodus:   The book of Exodus chronicles the story of Moses' leadership in freeing the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, including the Ten Plagues and the parting of the Red Sea . The book also details the journey of the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments and other laws from God. 

#3 - Leviticus:  In this third book of the Bible, the focus shifts to the laws and religious rituals given to the Israelites. It details a wide array of laws, including those related to rituals, moral conduct, and holiness, primarily communicated through Moses. The book emphasizes the importance of holiness and the procedures for offerings and festivals. 

#4 - Numbers:  Numbers recounts the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, led by Moses, from Mount Sinai to the border of Canaan. It includes a census of the people, various laws, and accounts of rebellion and faithlessness, highlighting the challenges and trials faced during their wanderings. The narrative also details God's guidance and provision for the Israelites throughout their journey.

#5 - Deuteronomy:   Deuteronomy presents itself as a collection of Moses’ discourses delivered to the Israelites on the brink of their entry into Canaan. Modern scholarship views these speeches as a retrospective compilation that emphasizes loyalty to God, centralization of worship, and social justice. This book acts as a theological bridge by underscoring the significance of obedience and communal responsibility.

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The Historical Books: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the historical books - narratives of israel's history post-egypt to the babylonian exile.

The historical books make up twelve of the 66 books of the Bible.  They begin with Joshua and end with Esther. These books, while traditionally ascribed to specific authors and considered historical accounts, are viewed critically by contemporary scholars. The historicity of various events described in these books is often debated, with many scholars questioning the accuracy and authenticity of certain narratives. Additionally, their authorship remains largely unknown. Despite these uncertainties, our summaries aim to objectively present the narrative content of these texts, without endorsing or disputing their historical or authorial claims. 

#6 - Joshua:  In this narrative, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, enter and conquer the land of Canaan following Moses' death. The book details a series of military campaigns and the subsequent division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. It also emphasizes Joshua's role in reaffirming the covenant between the Israelites and God.

#7 - Judges:  The Book of Judges depicts a cycle of Israelite leaders, known as judges, rising and falling in a period of instability after the conquest of Canaan. The narrative portrays a pattern of Israelite disobedience to God, leading to oppression by foreign powers, followed by a judge delivering them from these oppressors. Notable figures include Deborah, Gideon, and Samson, each illustrating the challenges and moral complexities of this era. 

#8 - Ruth:  A touching narrative of loyalty and love, Ruth, a Moabite, remains devoted to her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi, after tragedy strikes. Her eventual marriage to Boaz not only highlights the theme of redemption but also positions her in the direct lineage of King David.

#9 - 1 Samuel:  From the birth of the prophet Samuel to the tumultuous reign of Israel's first king, Saul, this book provides a look at the transition of Israel from a tribal confederation to a monarchy. It sets the stage for the rise of David, Israel's greatest king.

#10 - 2 Samuel:   This sequel continues the story of David's reign, following his anointing as king of Israel. The book details his political and military achievements, personal struggles, and moral failings, including the story of David and Bathsheba. It concludes with David's consolidation of power and preparations for the building of the Temple thus setting the stage for the transition to his son Solomon's reign. 

#11 - 1 Kings:  1 Kings chronicles the zenith and decline of Israel's united monarchy. From the glory days of Solomon's temple construction to the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, the narrative reveals how leaders can shape a nation's fate.

#12 - 2 Kings: With a succession of rulers, 2 Kings details the final chapters of both the northern and southern kingdoms. Despite intermittent revivals, rampant idolatry ultimately leads to Israel's exile by Assyria and Judah's devastation by Babylon.

#13 - 1 Chronicles: 1 Chronicles offers a genealogical retelling of Israel's history, with an emphasis on David's reign. It begins with a series of genealogies tracing the lineage from Adam to the Davidic line, emphasizing the continuity of God's promises. The latter part of the book details David's reign, his preparations for the construction of the Temple, and the organization of the priesthood and Levites, showcasing his role in establishing religious worship in Israel.

#14 - 2 Chronicles: Focusing on the reign of Solomon and subsequent kings of Judah, this narrative extends to the Babylonian exile. It highlights Solomon's construction of the Temple in Jerusalem and his wisdom, as well as the varying degrees of faithfulness of Judah's kings to their covenant with God. The book culminates with the Temple's destruction and the exile, presented as repercussions of the nation's unfaithfulness.

#15 - Ezra: This post-exilic book chronicles the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon and their efforts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and the priestly guidance of Ezra. It focuses on the restoration of religious and communal life in Jerusalem, emphasizing the importance of adherence to the Law of Moses. 

#16 - Nehemiah: As the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the Persian king, takes on the daunting task of rebuilding. His leadership and the people's collaborative spirit exemplify restoration in the face of adversity.

#17 - Esther: Set in the Persian Empire, Esther, a Jewish queen, bravely intervenes to prevent the genocide of her people. With divine providence at play, the narrative celebrates the origins of the Jewish festival of Purim.

The Wisdom and Poetry Books: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the wisdom and poetry books - literary and poetic books, largely centered on wisdom and reflections on life.

#18 - Job: The Book of Job delves into the themes of suffering and divine justice, narrating the story of Job, a righteous man whose faith is tested through extreme hardships. In this narrative, God allows Satan to test Job’s faith, resulting in a series of catastrophic events that include the heartbreaking loss of his children. The book also presents a series of dialogues between Job and his friends about the nature of suffering. The book concludes with a poetic discourse on the power and wisdom of God, underscoring the limitations of human understanding.

#19 - Psalms:  Comprising 150 songs and poems, this collection expresses a wide range of emotions and themes, from praise, worship, and thanksgiving to lament and supplication. The Psalms address the human experience of God, exploring themes like faith, suffering, and God's sovereignty. They are used extensively in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic liturgies, reflecting their enduring spiritual and cultural significance.

#20 - Proverbs:   Traditionally attributed to King Solomon, Proverbs is a compilation of wise sayings and instructions on leading a righteous life. These bite-sized pearls of wisdom touch on topics like character, relationships, and personal integrity.

#21 - Ecclesiastes:  Ecclesiastes presents a philosophical reflection on the meaning of life and the best way to live, voiced by a narrator called 'the Teacher.' It explores themes of vanity, the fleeting nature of earthly pursuits, and the limits of human wisdom, ultimately advocating for finding enjoyment in life's simple pleasures and fearing God.

#22 - Song of Solomon:  Also known as the Song of Songs, this book is a collection of lyrical poems celebrating love and romantic desire. Within Judaism, it is often interpreted allegorically as symbolizing the relationship between God and Israel, while in Christian tradition, it is seen as a metaphor for the bond between Christ and the Church. The text vividly portrays the beauty and power of love through passionate dialogues between lovers. 

The Major Prophets: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the major prophets - larger prophetic works in the old testament.

Critical scholars approach the major prophetic books of the Old Testament by situating them within their historical contexts, rather than interpreting them through the lens of Christian messianic prophecies. In our objective summaries, we focus on the narrative content of these texts, steering clear of anachronistic perspectives and emphasizing their original historical and cultural settings

#23 - Isaiah:  Isaiah is a composite text, traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah, that addresses the political and social conditions of ancient Judah. The book spans pre-exilic warnings of judgment, reflections on exile, and post-exilic themes of restoration and hope, blending oracles, narratives, and prophetic discourses. Its messages focus on themes of justice, righteousness, and the consequences of both faithfulness and rebellion against God. 

#24 - Jeremiah:  Often referred to as the "weeping prophet", the book of Jeremiah persistently warns Judah of impending doom due to their idolatry and unfaithfulness. However, amid his dire predictions, he offers hope through the promise of a "new covenant."

#25 - Lamentations:  Traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, this collection of poetic laments mourns the tragic fall of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile. The verses capture the deep sorrow, yet also contain glimmers of hope in God's enduring mercy.

#26 - Ezekiel:  Traditionally attributed to the prophet of the same name, Ezekiel combines visions, prophecies, and parables to address the exile of the Judeans in Babylon. It emphasizes themes of judgment and restoration, with vivid imagery depicting the fall of Jerusalem and the eventual promise of the nation's spiritual renewal.

#27 - Daniel:   The book of Daniel combines tales of Jewish heroism in a foreign court with apocalyptic visions, set during the Babylonian exile and early Persian period. The first half narrates stories of Daniel and his companions, who maintain their faith and integrity in the face of challenges. The latter half presents symbolic dreams and visions that offer hope for divine deliverance and the establishment of God's kingdom.

The Minor Prophets: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the minor prophets - shorter prophetic works in the old testament.

Scholarly analysis of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament emphasizes understanding these texts within their original historical and cultural contexts, rather than through later interpretive lenses, such as Christian messianic expectations. In our summaries, we aim to present these books' themes and messages while maintaining an objective stance, focusing on their narrative and prophetic content as it relates to the period in which they were written.

#28 - Hosea:  Set in the turbulent final days of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the book of Hosea combines prophecies of doom due to the people's unfaithfulness to God with promises of restoration. The book is distinguished by its symbolic use of Hosea's troubled marriage as a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel, emphasizing themes of love, betrayal, and redemption.

#29 - Joel:  Joel, set against the backdrop of a devastating locust plague, uses this natural disaster as a metaphor for an impending day of divine judgment. The book calls for repentance and portrays a future of divine restoration and blessings, including the outpouring of God's spirit on all people. 

#30 - Amos:   In this book, prophet Amos delivers a stern message of judgment to the Northern Kingdom for its societal injustices and idolatry. Amidst the warning, there's a glimmer of hope for restoration.

#31 - Obadiah:   Traditionally attributed to Obadiah, this is the shortest book in the collection. However, many scholars disagree with that attribution. Regardless of its authorship, the text portrays Edom’s impending downfall and Israel’s eventual triumph in the “Day of the Lord”.

#32 - Jonah:  Unique among the prophetic books Jonah is a narrative about a reluctant prophet sent to warn the city of Nineveh of impending divine judgment. It explores themes of obedience, mercy, and God's compassion for all people, highlighted by Jonah's resistance to God's command and the eventual repentance of the Ninevites.

#33 - Micah:   The book of Micah delivers a message of judgment and hope, addressing the social injustices and corrupt leadership of his time. The book combines dire warnings to both Israel and Judah with promises of restoration and future leadership from Bethlehem, emphasizing the themes of justice, mercy, and humility before God.

#34 - Nahum:  Focusing on the impending downfall of Nineveh, the book of Nahum proclaims God's judgment on this oppressive Assyrian city, contrasting God's wrath and His goodness.

#35 - Habakkuk:  In a dialogue with God, Habakkuk grapples with the problem of evil and why the wicked prosper. The answer, according to Habakkuk, lies in living by faith and trusting in God's sovereign plan.

#36 - Zephaniah:  Warning of the impending "Day of the Lord," the book of Zephaniah calls for repentance. Amid the judgment pronouncements, there's the promise of joy and restoration for the faithful remnant.

#37 - Haggai:  As post-exile Israel delays rebuilding the temple, the book of Haggai reminds them of their priorities and assures them of God's presence in their midst.

#38 - Zechariah: Composed post-exile, the book of Zechariah combines visions, prophecies, and oracles to encourage the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple and to offer hope for the restoration of Israel. The book blends apocalyptic elements with expectations of the coming of the future king who will restore peace and justice. 

#39 - Malachi:  The final book of the Old Testament prophets! It addresses issues of social justice, religious sincerity, and moral conduct in post-exilic Judah. It calls for faithfulness to God's covenant, warning of judgment while promising a future day of purification and renewal, symbolized by the coming of 'Elijah the prophet'.

This is the end of the Old Testament, sometimes referred to as the Hebrew Bible.  While there are 66 books in the Bible, there are 39 in the Old Testament.  Now let's cover the New Testament.

The Gospels: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the gospels - the first four books of the new testament, four accounts of the life and teachings of jesus christ.

Critical scholarship acknowledges that the Gospels in the New Testament represent a blend of historical events, traditional narratives, and legendary elements, all shaped by their authors' theological perspectives. Despite the presence of discrepancies and varying emphases among these texts, it’s important to note that each Gospel focuses on Jesus’ teachings, ministry, life, death, and resurrection. Our summaries aim to present their core narratives, without asserting historical accuracy or resolving theological interpretations.

#40 - Matthew:  Written primarily for a Jewish audience, Matthew's Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament prophecies. Throughout the narrative, the author of Matthew showcases Jesus' teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection, emphasizing the Kingdom of Heaven.

#41 - Mark:  Believed to be the earliest Gospel, Mark provides a rapid and dynamic narrative of Jesus' life, focusing on His deeds and His role as the suffering servant. The emphasis is on action and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for humanity.

#42 - Luke:  Traditionally ascribed to Paul’s companion, Luke’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus' teachings, compassion towards the marginalized, and the role of the Holy Spirit, and is notable for its parables, such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.

#43 - John:  Distinct from the Synoptic Gospels , John delves into the deeper theological aspects of Jesus' nature and identity. It focuses on His divinity, presenting Jesus as the Word made flesh, the giver of eternal life, and the source of living water.

The Book of Acts: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summary of the book of acts - the history of the early christian church post-resurrection.

Critical scholars generally agree that the Acts of the Apostles weren’t authored by Paul’s companion. Moreover, they note its theological agenda and question the historical accuracy of certain parts. Despite these considerations, our summary will focus on presenting the narrative content of Acts, reflecting its themes and progression.

#44 - Acts:  Acts of the Apostles narrates the early Christian community's development and spread, beginning with Jesus' ascension and focusing on the ministries of Peter and Paul. It describes the Pentecost, the growth of the church in Jerusalem, the conversion and missionary journeys of Paul, and his journey to Rome, emphasizing the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to the Gentile world.

The Pauline Epistles

Summaries for the pauline epistles - letters written by (or attributed to) the apostle paul.

Of the 66 books of the Bible, tradition says that the Apostle Paul wrote 13 of them.  If true, that would mean Paul wrote approximately 20% of the books in the Bible!  There is dispute amongst scholars, however, as to how many of the books attributed to Paul were actually written by him.  We've got an excellent article about that here.

#45 - Romans:  Paul's theological masterpiece, Romans delves deep into topics like sin, justification, sanctification, and the transformative power of the Gospel. It is a comprehensive explanation of Christian doctrine and the life of faith.

#46 - 1 Corinthians:  Addressing issues in the Corinthian church, Paul tackles topics like divisions, morality, and spiritual gifts. The famous chapter on love (Chapter 13) emphasizes love's supreme importance in the Christian life.

#47 - 2 Corinthians:  A personal letter where Paul defends his apostolic authority and offers insights into his hardships for the sake of the Gospel. Themes of reconciliation and the power of Christ in weakness are central.

#48 - Galatians:   The Book of Galatians, a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Christian communities in Galatia, is a passionate and emphatic message emphasizing the importance of faith in Jesus Christ over the observance of the Jewish Law for salvation. In this letter, Paul addresses the challenge posed by certain individuals who were insisting that Gentile Christians must follow Jewish customs, including circumcision. He asserts his apostolic authority, recounts his personal journey to faith, and argues fervently that justification comes by faith, not by works of the Law. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages the Galatians to live by the Spirit, exhibiting the fruits of love, joy, peace, and other virtues, as opposed to being enslaved by the Law or engaging in behaviors reflective of their former lives. Galatians stands as a pivotal text in Christian theology, highlighting themes of grace, freedom, and the transformative power of faith in Christ.

#49 - Ephesians:  A profound exploration of the church's identity and mission, Ephesians delves into the believer's position in Christ, the importance of unity, and the armor of God.

#50 - Philippians:  Penned from prison, this letter radiates joy in Christ. Paul encourages the Philippian believers to have the mind of Christ and rejoice regardless of circumstances.

#51 - Colossians:  Traditionally attributed to Paul but regarded by many scholars as written by a later author, the Epistle to the Colossians addresses a Christian community in Colossae. It focuses on the supremacy of Christ over all principalities and powers and emphasizes the completeness of believers in Christ, countering local heresies that combined elements of paganism and Jewish traditions with Christianity.

#52 - 1 Thessalonians:  One of Paul's earliest letters, it comforts and encourages the Thessalonian believers, addressing concerns about the Second Coming of Christ.

#53 - 2 Thessalonians:  Further elaborates on Christ's return, correcting misunderstandings and urging steadfastness in the face of persecution.

#54 - 1 Timothy:  Considered by the majority of scholars to be a pseudonymous work, 1 Timothy is a pastoral epistle. It offers guidance on church organization and conduct, addressing doctrinal issues, worship practices, and leadership roles, including qualifications for bishops and deacons. 

#55 - 2 Timothy:  Written by an unknown author at the end of the 1st century, 2 Timothy is framed as a personal letter offering guidance and encouragement to a young leader, Timothy. It emphasizes perseverance in faith and sound teaching in the face of false doctrines and hardships.

#56 - Titus: An unknown author identifying himself as Paul advises Titus on church leadership and Christian living, emphasizing good works as evidence of genuine faith.

#57 - Philemon: Paul’s personal letter to Philemon, a slave owner, urging him to welcome back his runaway slave Onesimus as a brother in Christ.

The General Epistles: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summaries for the general epistles - letters written by various authors to early christian communities.

#58 - Hebrews:  This epistle presents Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God's love and mercy and is superior to all other mediators. Through deep theological exposition, the book demonstrates Christ's supremacy and His role as our high priest, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their faith.

#59 - James:  Claiming to be written by Jesus' half-brother, The Epistle of James offers practical advice on living a genuine faith. It emphasizes the necessity of works accompanying faith, the power of the tongue, and the importance of patience.

#60 - 1 Peter:  The author of 1 Peter encourages believers undergoing persecutions. He reminds them of their living hope through Christ's resurrection and calls for holy living as God's chosen people.

#61 - 2 Peter:  The author of 2 Peter warns against false teachers and the dangers of apostasy. He reaffirms the promise of Christ's return and the importance of godly living.

#62 - 1 John:  The author of 1 John writes to assure believers of their salvation and encourages them to remain faithful to the truth. The epistle emphasizes love as a hallmark of the Christian life.

#63 - 2 John:  A short letter warning against deceivers and emphasizing the commandment to love one another.

#64 - 3 John:  The author of 3 John writes in appreciation of Gaius for his faithfulness and addresses issues of hospitality in the early church.

#65 - Jude:  The author of Jude delivers an urgent call to contend for the faith against false teachers. The letter highlights God's judgment on the ungodly.

Apocalyptic: AUTHORSHIP, DATE WRITTEN, AND SUMMARIES

Summary for the apocalyptic book - prophecies concerning the end times.

#66 - Revelation:  Written by a certain John of Patmos , Revelation is an apocalyptic text that uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey a vision of cosmic conflict and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. It addresses the persecution of Christians and the hope of salvation, depicting the end of the world, the final judgment, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth. Revelation primarily reflects the challenges of early Christian communities under Roman rule.  

HOW MANY BOOKS ARE IN the Bible?

When asked, "How many books are in the Bible?" the answer depends on the religious tradition and which Bible we're talking about.   The "Christian" Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments and contains 66 books , starting with Genesis and ending in Revelation.  The addition of the New Testament to the Hebrew Bible, which only consists of the Christian Old Testament, is the unique identifying feature of the Christian Bible.

The New Testament emerged in the backdrop of a divided 1st-century Judaism. To grasp its origins, we must consider the distinct circumstances that shaped early Christian literature, contrasting it with the ancient Hebrew Bible, or Torah.  The Christian Bible contains 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books giving it the total of 66 books.

How Many Books Are In the Hebrew Bible?

The Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, serves as the foundation of the Jewish faith. Its writings span centuries, from the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and Amos in the 8th century B.C.E. to the later composition of the Book of Daniel in the 2nd century B.C.E.

The number of books in the Hebrew Bible can vary depending on the specific Jewish tradition or denomination. In the Jewish tradition, there are generally 24 books in the Hebrew Bible, which is also known as the Tanakh . These books are divided into three main sections:  The Torah (Law), The Nevi'im (Prophets), and The Ketuvim (Writings).

It's important to note that the arrangement and categorization of these books can differ slightly among Jewish traditions. For example, the order of the books in the Hebrew Bible may vary between Jewish denominations like Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism.

The difference in number between the book of the Tanakh (24) and the Christian Old Testament (39) is largely due to the rearrangement and combining of some of the books.  For example, in the Old Testament, Kings, Chronicles, and Samuel are split into two books each.

Conclusion to the 66 Books of the Bible

In this comprehensive guide, we've journeyed through all 66 books of the Bible, unveiling the rich tapestry of stories, teachings, and revelations that have shaped countless lives and continue to inspire millions today.

From the foundational texts of Genesis in the Old Testament to the apocalyptic visions of Revelation in the New Testament, the books of the Bible offer timeless wisdom, spiritual guidance, and profound truths that resonate across the ages. 

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List Of All Books Of The Bible And Their Authors

Humanly speaking, the Bible was written by approximately 40 men of diverse backgrounds over the course of 1500 years.

If you ever ask your pastor or Sunday school teacher, “ Who wrote the Bible ?” you would probably get one of two responses:

• “God wrote the Bible.” The Holy Spirit moved prophets like Moses and apostles like Paul to write about God’s relationship with the world (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
• “About 40 people wrote the Bible.” The individual books were written by many authors over many years in many places to many different people groups.

Ultimately, above the human authors, the Bible was written by God. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible was “breathed out” by God. God superintended the human authors of the Bible so that, while using their own writing styles and personalities, they still recorded exactly what God intended. The Bible was not dictated by God, but it was perfectly guided and entirely inspired by Him.

Recommended:  Amazing Bible Facts And Statistics ►► A Brief History Of Bible Translations

See The Names Of All Bible Authors From Genesis To Revelation

The Book Of Genesis Was Written By Moses The Book Of Exodus Was Written By Moses The Book Of Leviticus Was Written By Moses The Book Of Numbers Was Written By Moses The Book Of Deuteronomy Was Written By Moses The Book Of Joshua Was Written By Joshua The Book Of Judges Was Written By Samuel The Book Of Ruth Was Written By Samuel The Book Of 1 Samuel Was Written By Samuel; Gad; Nathan The Book Of 2 Samuel Was Written By Gad; Nathan The Book Of 1 Kings Was Written By Jeremiah The Book Of 2 Kings Was Written By Jeremiah The Book Of 1 Chronicles Was Written By Ezra The Book Of 2 Chronicles Was Written By Ezra The Book Of Ezra Was Written By Ezra The Book Of Nehemiah Was Written By Nehemiah The Book Of Esther Was Written By Mordecai The Book Of Job Was Written By Moses The Book Of Psalms Was Written By David and others The Book Of Proverbs Was Written By Solomon; Agur; Lemuel The Book Of Ecclesiastes Was Written By Solomon The Book Of Song Of Solomon Was Written By Solomon The Book Of Isaiah Was Written By Isaiah The Book Of Jeremiah Was Written By Jeremiah The Book Of Lamentations Was Written By Jeremiah The Book Of Ezekiel Was Written By Ezekiel The Book Of Daniel Was Written By Daniel The Book Of Hosea Was Written By Hosea The Book Of Joel Was Written By Joel The Book Of Amos Was Written By Amos The Book Of Obadiah Was Written By Obadiah The Book Of Jonah Was Written By Jonah The Book Of Micah Was Written By Micah The Book Of Nahum Was Written By Nahum The Book Of Habakkuk Was Written By Habakkuk The Book Of Zephaniah Was Written By Zephaniah The Book Of Haggai Was Written By Haggai The Book Of Zechariah Was Written By Zechariah The Book Of Malachi Was Written By Malachi The Book Of Matthew Was Written By Matthew The Book Of Mark Was Written By Mark The Book Of Luke Was Written By Luke The Book Of John Was Written By Apostle John The Book Of Acts Was Written By Luke The Book Of Romans Was Written By Paul The Book Of 1 Corinthians Was Written By Paul The Book Of 2 Corinthians Was Written By Paul The Book Of Galatians Was Written By Paul The Book Of Ephesians Was Written By Paul The Book Of Philippians Was Written By Paul The Book Of Colossians Was Written By Paul The Book Of 1 Thessalonians Was Written By Paul The Book Of 2 Thessalonians Was Written By Paul The Book Of 1 Timothy Was Written By Paul The Book Of 2 Timothy Was Written By Paul The Book Of Titus Was Written By Paul The Book Of Philemon Was Written By Paul The Book Of Hebrews Was Written By Unknown The Book Of James Was Written By James (Jesus’ brother) The Book Of 1 Peter Was Written By Peter The Book Of 2 Peter Was Written By Peter The Book Of 1 John Was Written By Apostle John The Book Of 2 John Was Written By Apostle John The Book Of 3 John Was Written By Apostle John The Book Of Jude Was Written By Jude (Jesus’ brother) The Book Of Revelation Was Written By Apostle John

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Books of the Bible and Their Authors (Complete List)

Explore the 66 books of the Bible and their authors to find out who wrote each book in the Old Testament and New Testament.

In some cases, the authors of the Bible and their books are easily identifiable with a longstanding while others are not absolutely known. Additionally, some Bible books have multiple authors attributed to the Holy Scriptures because more than one person had a hand in writing the passages or Biblical scholars continue to question the true authorship of the work.

Below, you will find a complete list of Bible authorship for who is traditionally named for writing each book of the Bible with evidence supporting the attribution. The purpose is to give you historical context and an accurate understanding of who wrote the books of the Bible that share God’s Word.

Books of the Bible and Their Authors

Genesis author: moses.

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 1445-1405 B.C. Genre: The Law

Moses is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Genesis (the first of five books that make up the Pentateuch in the Old Testament). However, nowhere in Genesis does it explicitly state Moses’ name. Confirmation of Mosaic authorship for Genesis comes from Biblical witness in the other books of the Pentateuch ( Exodus 17:14 , 24:4 , 34:27 ; Numbers 33:1–2 ; Deuteronomy 31:9–11 ), verses in the Old Testament ( Joshua 1:8 , 8:31–32 ; 1 Kings 2:3 ; 2 Kings 14:6 , 21:8 ; Ezra 6:18 ; Nehemiah 13:1 ; Daniel 9:11–13 ; Malachi 4:4 ) and scriptures in the New Testament ( Matthew 19:8 ; John 5:45–47 , 7:19 ; Acts 3:22 ; Romans 10:5 ; Mark 12:26 ).

Exodus Author: Moses

Moses is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Exodus . Exodus records the story of God appointing Moses as the leader of the Israelites to rescue his chosen people from slavery in Egypt so they could travel to the Promised Land. Moses is first identified in Exodus 2:10 as a child who became the son of Pharoah’s daughter. His name then appears throughout the rest of the book. The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch.

Leviticus Author: Moses

Moses is identified as the author of the Book of Leviticus in the first verse: “The LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting” ( Leviticus 1:1 ). His name is then repeated throughout the entire book of the Bible. Moses compiled the Book of Leviticus based on the Lord’s instructions to him on Mount Sinai. The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch.

Numbers Author: Moses

Moses is named as the author of the Book of Numbers in the first verse: “The LORD †  spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” ( Numbers 1:1 ). His name is then repeated throughout the entire book. Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel’s exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch.

Deuteronomy Author: Moses

Moses is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Deuteronomy except for the last eight verses ( Deuteronomy 34:5–12 ) which describe his death. Moses is identified in the first verse: “These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness” ( Deuteronomy 1:1 ). After Moses died, the leadership of Israel fell to Joshua ( Deuteronomy 31:7 , 14 ; Numbers 27:18 , 23 ). Therefore, it is likely that Joshua wrote the account of Moses’ death as his successor. The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch.

Joshua Author: Joshua

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 1405-1385 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

Joshua is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Joshua in the Bible. However, authorship is not explicitly stated within the scriptures. The Early Church ascribed the entirety of this book to Joshua except for his death report ( Joshua 24:29–33 ). One thing that is certain is that Joshua wrote the laws on which the covenant renewal was based ( Joshua 24:26 ).

Judges Author: Samuel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 1045-1000 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

The Prophet Samuel is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Judges even though there is no assertion of authorship within the passages. Internal evidence in the first sixteen chapters and the appendix of this book indicates the author lived shortly after the period of the Judges and Samuel fits this qualification. A counterargument to Samuel’s authorship is that he died shortly after anointing his first king which contradicts a statement that occurs four times in the Book of Judges: “In those days Israel had no king” ( Judges 17:6 , 18:1 , 19:1 , 21:25 ). Therefore, the true author is still update for debate.

Ruth Author: Samuel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 1030-930 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

The Prophet Samuel is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Ruth . However, there is no mention of his name. Some scholars believe that this book of the Bible was originally part of the Book of Judges, but was later separated to be independent. There are several details in the scriptures that question Samuel’s authorship. The genealogy of King David that closes the book ( Ruth 4:18–22 ) suggests an author during his reign, but Samuel died before David ascended the throne. Other attributions of authorship for the Book of Ruth include Nathan (a court prophet in the time of King David), an anonymous woman, or an anonymous man who took women’s issues seriously.

1 Samuel Authors: Samuel, Gad, and Nathan

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 930-722 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

The authors of this book of the Bible are traditionally attributed to the Prophets Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. According to Jewish tradition, the Book of 1 Samuel was written by the Prophet Samuel until his death, at which point the prophets Gad and Nathan continued writing the story.

2 Samuel Authors: Samuel, Gad, and Nathan

Originally, the Books of 1 and 2 Samuel were a single book. The translators of the Septuagint separated them. Therefore, these books of the Bible and their authors have the same attribution: the Prophets Samuel, Gad, and Nathan.

1 Kings Author: Jeremiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 560-538 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

The Prophet Jeremiah is traditionally named as the author of the Book of 1 Kings because he would have been alive during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. However, authorship is not definitive and some commentators have suggested that both books could have been written by Ezra (a scribe and priest) or the Prophet Ezekiel.

2 Kings Author: Jeremiah

Originally, the Books of 1 and 2 Kings were a single book. The translators of the Septuagint separated them. Therefore, this book of the Bible has the same attributed author: Jeremiah, with the possibility of Ezra or the Prophet Ezekiel as mentioned previously.

1 Chronicles Author: Ezra

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 450-425 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

Ezra (a scribe and priest) is traditionally named as the author of the Book of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. However, the “Chronicler” is technically anonymous because there is no documented name of the author in the scriptures. Supporting evidence affirming Ezra’s authorship of this book of the Bible are the concluding verses of 2 Chronicles 36:22–23 and the beginning verses of Ezra 1:1–3 , which are practically identical.

2 Chronicles Author: Ezra

Originally, the Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were a single book. The translators of the Septuagint separated them. Therefore, this book of the Bible has the same ascribed author: Ezra.

Ezra Author: Ezra

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 440-300 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

Ezra is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Ezra even though the author is not specifically stated in the scriptures. Some scholars believe that the same author who wrote the Book of Ezra also authored Nehemiah and 1–2 Chronicles. Originally, Ezra and Nehemiah were counted as one book of the Bible but were divided into two when these books were translated into Greek. It is generally accepted by scholars that the Ezra–Nehemiah book forms a unified work separate from Chronicles.

Nehemiah Author: Nehemiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 445-400 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

Nehemiah is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Nehemiah even though the author is not definitively stated. Nehemiah served as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Some scholars believe that Ezra may have written the Book of Nehemiah because Ezra–Nehemiah was originally a unified work.

Esther Author: Mordecai

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 450-330 B.C. Genre: Historical Narrative

Mordecai is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Esther . Mordecai was the cousin and guardian of Esther, who became the Queen of Persia, which this Bible book tells the story. However, the Book of Esther does not specifically name its author. It is evident from the details in the record that the writer was familiar with Persian court life. Some scholars believe that Ezra or Nehemiah could have been the authors because they would have been familiar with Persian customs. As a result, the true authorship of the Book of Esther is unknown but Mordecai gets the most credit for writing it.

Job Author: Unknown

Biblical Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: Unknown (possibly 1440-950 B.C.) Genre: Wisdom Literature

The Book of Job does not specifically name its author and even the approximate date for the writing is uncertain. The most likely candidates for the authorship of this book of the Bible are Job (the central figure in the book), Elihu (one of Job’s friends), Moses, and Solomon.

Psalms Authors: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 1500-450 B.C. Genre: Poetry

The Book of Psalms has multiple authors. Seventy-three of its chapters are attributed to David, two to Solomon ( Psalms 72 , 127 ), one each to the Heman and Ethan ( Psalms 88 , 89 ), one to Moses ( Psalms 90 ), and twenty-three to Asaph ( Psalms 50 , 73–83 ) and the Sons of Korah ( Psalms 42-49 , 84-85 , 87-88 ). The other forty-nine Psalms are anonymous.

Proverbs Authors: Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 970-680 B.C. Genre: Wisdom Literature

The Book of Proverbs has three authors. Solomon is credited for Proverbs 1-29 , Agur for Proverbs 30 , and Lemuel for Proverbs 31 .

Ecclesiastes Author: Solomon

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 940-930B.C. Genre: Wisdom Literature

Solomon is traditionally ascribed to the Book of Ecclesiastes because the superscription introduces the text as “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem” ( Ecclesiastes 1:1 ) and a later verse states, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12). On the contrary, there are many passages that do not fit Solomon’s character ( Ecclesiastes 1:16 , 9:14–16 , 10:16–17 ) or the time period of his reign ( Ecclesiastes 4:14, 5:8 ). However, no other candidate for this book of the Bible is better suited to serve as the author than Solomon the tradition is still being held.

Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) Author: Solomon

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 970-930 B.C. Genre: Poetry

The author of this book of the Bible is clearly stated in the introduction: “The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s” ( Song of Songs 1:1 ). Solomon’s name is also mentioned as the major character repeatedly ( Song of Songs 1:5 ; 3:7 , 9 , 11 ; 8:11 , 12 ). Additionally, there are scriptural references in the book that indicate Solomon was the author such as Songs 1:4 and 1:9 . The Song of Songs is also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon .

Isaiah Author: Isaiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 700-680 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Isaiah is identified as the author of the Book of Isaiah in the first verse: “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” ( Isaiah 1:1 ). However, the agreement among scholars is that Isaiah wrote only the first 39 chapters and an unnamed author wrote the last 27 seven chapters of because the literary styles are distinctly different.

Jeremiah Author: Jeremiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 627-586 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Jeremiah is identified as the author of the Book of Jeremiah in the first verse: “The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin” ( Jeremiah 1:1 ). Scholars believe that Jeremiah wrote this book of the Bible with the assistance of his scribe and disciple, Baruch ben Neriah.

Lamentations Author: Jeremiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 586-575 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Jeremiah is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Lamentations although it does not specifically state his name anywhere in the text. Two factors that favor Jeremiah’s authorship include a similar tone of writing with the Book of Jeremiah and shared perspectives as to the cause of the fall of Jerusalem. It is assumed that the final form of the Book of Lamentations was put together with the help of Baruch ben Neriah, Jeremiah’s scribe and disciple.

Ezekiel Author: Ezekiel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 593-565 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Ezekiel is named as the author of the Book of Ezekiel in two verses. The first verse reads, “the LORD’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the LORD’s hand was there on him ( Ezekiel 1:3 ). The second verse reads, “Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD” ( Ezekiel 24:24 ).

Daniel Author: Daniel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 536-530 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

Daniel is identified as the author of the Book of Daniel in chapter 8: “When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it” ( Daniel 8:15 ).

Hosea Author: Hosea

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 750-710 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Hosea is named as the author of the Book of Hosea in the first verse: “The LORD’s word that came to Hosea the son of Beeri” ( Hosea 1:1 ).

Joel Author: Joel

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 835-800 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Joel is named as the author of the Book of Joel in the first verse: “The LORD’s word that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel” ( Joel 1:1 ).

Amos Author: Amos

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 760-750 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Amos is named as the author of the Book of Amos in the first verse: “The words of Amos, who was amongst the herdsmen of Tekoa” ( Amos 1:1 ).

Obadiah Author: Obadiah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 850-840 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Obadiah is named as the author of the Book of Obadiah in the first verse: “The vision of Obadiah” ( Obadiah 1:1 ).

Jonah Author: Jonah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 785-750 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Jonah is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Jonah in the Bible because the first verse reads: “Now the LORD’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai ( Jonah 1:1 ). However, the authorship is in dispute. Some scholars argue that the Book of Jonah is a work of fiction that was written after Jonah’s time; not a record of his own experiences with God and Nineveh.

Micah Author: Micah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 735-700 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Micah is identified as the author of the Book of Micah in the first verse: “The LORD’s word that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem” ( Micah 1:1 ).

Nahum Author: Nahum

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 663-612 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Nahum is named as the author of the Book of Nahum in the first verse: “A revelation about Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” ( Nahum 1:1 ).

Habakkuk Author: Habakkuk

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 615-605 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Habakkuk is identified as the author of the Book of Habakkuk in the first verse: “The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw” ( Habakkuk 1:1 ).

Zephaniah Author: Zephaniah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 640-620 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Zephaniah is named as the author of the Book of Zephaniah in the first verse: “The LORD’s word which came to Zephaniah” ( Zephaniah 1:1 ).

Haggai Author: Haggai

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 520 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Haggai is identified as the author of the Book of Haggai in the first verse: “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet” ( Haggai 1:1 ).

Zechariah Author: Zechariah

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 520-470 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

The Prophet Zechariah is named as the author of the Book of Zechariah in the first verse: “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah” ( Zechariah 1:1 ).

Malachi Author: Malachi

Bible Section: Old Testament Approximate Year Written: 440-400 B.C. Genre: Prophecy

Malachi is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Malachi in the Bible because the title reads: “A revelation, the LORD’s word to Israel by Malachi” ( Malachi 1:1 ). However, Malachi is the Hebrew expression meaning “my messenger”. Some scholars suggest that it could be a play on words for the author’s name or that Malachi could be interpreted as the title; not the prophet’s proper name.

Matthew Author: Apostle Matthew

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 50-65 A.D. Genre: Gospel

The Apostle Matthew is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Matthew , which is the first book and Gospel of the New Testament of the Bible. However, this book of the Bible is anonymous because nowhere in the Gospel does it say exactly who wrote it. Several clues in scripture aid in identifying the Apostle Matthew as the author such as Matthew 9:9 and 10:3 where he is referred to as a tax collector, which is a key identifier for him among the twelve apostles of Jesus.

Mark Author: John Mark

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 55-65 A.D. Genre: Gospel

Mark is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Mark . He also goes by the name John Mark which is a combination of his Hebrew given name and the Greek name that he used among the Gentiles. Although this Gospel book is anonymous (the author never identifies himself directly) the Early Church ascribed this Gospel to Mark the Evangelist, who was not an apostle himself but a disciple of the Apostle Peter. Mark is given credit for recording and arranging the memories of Peter in this book based on apostolic witness.

Luke Author: Luke

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 58-65 A.D. Genre: Gospel

Luke is traditionally identified as the author of the Book of Luke even though the author never mentions himself by name in this Gospel. Luke’s authorship has been strong since the Early Church without much questioning because internal and external evidence supports it. It is also believed that both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were originally a single work. The author was clearly the “beloved physician” and traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. (See notes for the Book of Acts below for more details.) Luke wrote this Gospel by collecting eyewitness testimony of the followers of Jesus ( Luke 1:2 ).

John Author: John

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 80-95 A.D. Genre: Gospel

The Apostle John is traditionally named as the author of the Book of John . Although this Gospel book of the Bible has an anonymous author, the evidence is clear that John the son of Zebedee, who was one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles, was the person who wrote it. The author describes himself with a title that was well known: “the disciple whom Jesus loved” ( John 13:23 , 19:26 , 21:7 ).

Acts Author: Luke

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 61-64 A.D. Genre: Historical Narrative

Luke is traditionally named as the author of the Book of Acts . Although the author makes no mention of himself by name, it is clearly the work of the “beloved physician” who wrote the Gospel of Luke. Many scholars believe that Luke-Acts was a single work that was divided into two separate books of the Bible due to the length limitations of the scrolls (around 30 feet). Both books begin with a greeting to a man named Theophilus ( Luke 1:3 , Acts 1:1 ). The end of Luke overlaps with the beginning of Acts which expands on the previously mentioned events. And, the author’s writing style and attention to specific themes remain constant throughout the Book of Acts and the Book of Luke.

Romans Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 56-58 Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Romans in the first verse: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God” ( Romans 1:1 ).

1 Corinthians Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 55 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of 1 Corinthians in the first verse: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes” ( 1 Corinthians 1:1 ). Sosthenes is likely acting as Paul’s secretary for writing down his words to the Corinthian Church.

2 Corinthians Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 55-56 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of 2 Corinthians in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother” ( 2 Corinthians 1:1 ). Paul is the primary author of this Epistle, but there is debate on whether Timothy, Paul’s disciple, was a co-author or just a co-sender.

Galatians Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 49-50 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Galatians in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle—not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” ( Galatians 1:1 ).

Ephesians Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 60-62 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Ephesians in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God” ( Ephesians 1:1 ).

Philippians Author: Paul

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Philippians in the first verse: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ” ( Philippians 1:1 ). Paul is the primary author of this Epistle, but there is debate on whether Timothy, Paul’s disciple, was a co-author or just a co-sender.

Colossians Author: Paul

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Colossians in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother” ( Colossians 1:1 ). Paul is the primary author of this Epistle, but there is debate on whether Timothy, Paul’s disciple, was a co-author or just a co-sender.

1 Thessalonians Authors: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 49-51 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul, his companion Silvanus, and his disciple Timothy are identified as the co-authors of the Book of 1 Thessalonians in the first verse: “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” ( 1 Thessalonians 1:1 ).

2 Thessalonians Authors: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy

The Apostle Paul, his companion Silvanus, and his disciple Timothy are identified as the co-authors of the Book of 2 Thessalonians in the first verse: “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” ( 2 Thessalonians 1:1 ).

1 Timothy Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 62-66 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of 1 Timothy in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope” ( 1 Timothy 1:1 ).

2 Timothy Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 66-67 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of 2 Timothy in the first verse: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus” ( 2 Timothy 1:1 ).

Titus Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Titus 64-65 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Titus in the first verse: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ” ( Titus 1:1 ).

Philemon Author: Paul

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 57-62 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Paul is identified as the author of the Book of Philemon in the first verse: “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother” ( Philemon 1:1 ). Paul is the primary author of this Epistle, but there is debate on whether Timothy, Paul’s disciple, was a co-author or just a co-sender. The Epistle was written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. Some scholars believe the two men were in prison together while others hypothesize that Timothy was able to visit and meet with Paul during his imprisonment.

Hebrews Author: Unknown

Bible Section: New Testament Possibly Paul Approximate Year Written: 61-69 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The author of the Book of Hebrews is unknown. Suggested authors have included Paul, Luke, Barnabas, Priscilla, Silas, Apollos, and others.

James Author: James

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 44-49 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle James is identified as the author of the Book of James in the first verse: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” ( James 1:1 ). James was the half-brother of Jesus and not one of the original twelve apostles. Also known as “James the Just” or “James Adelphos” to avoid confusion with the original apostle of Jesus named James.

1 Peter Author: Peter

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 60-65 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Peter is identified as the author of the Book of 1 Peter in the first verse: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ” ( 1 Peter 1:1 ). Peter was one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus.

2 Peter Author: Peter

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 65-68 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle Peter is identified as the author of the Book of 2 Peter in the first verse: “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” ( 2 Peter 1:1 ).

1 John Author: John

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 85-95 A.D. Genre: Epistle

The Apostle John is traditionally named as the author of the Book of 1 John and the other two Epistles (2 John and 3 John). The author of the first letter is not identified but the writer of the second and third calls himself the Presbyter or Elder ( 2 John 1:1 , 3 John 1:1 ) depending on the Bible translation, which could indicate that the Apostle John wrote these letters. Although authorship is concrete, most scholars agree that the three Epistles were written by the same author.

2 John Author: John

See author notes for 1 John for the Book of 2 John .

3 John Author: John

See author notes for 1 John for the Book of 3 John .

Jude Author: Jude (Half-brother of Jesus)

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 60-80 A.D. Genre: Epistle

Jude is identified as the author of the Book of Jude in the first verse: “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” ( Jude 1:1 ). Traditionally, the author has been understood to be a half-brother of Jesus ( Matthew 13:55 ; Mark 6:3 ) and the leader of the first Jerusalem Church.

Revelation Author: John

Bible Section: New Testament Approximate Year Written: 94-96 A.D. Genre: Apocalyptic Literature

The Apostle John is identified as the author of the Book of Revelation in the first verse: “This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John” ( Revelation 1:1 ). John is also mentioned by name in three other passages: Revelation 1:4 , 9 ; and 22:8 . Although the author does not identify himself as an apostle in the scriptures, scholars believe that it is unlikely that any other first-century Christian leader was associated enough with the churches of Asia Minor to have referred to himself as John alone.

References for the Authors of the Bibles and Their Books

The information about the authors of the 66 books of the Bible was cross-checked for accuracy by the following Bible dictionaries:

• Easton’s Bible Dictionary
• Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
• Holman Bible Dictionary
• New International Bible Dictionary
• New Unger’s Bible Dictionary
• Smith’s Bible Dictionary

We hope you enjoyed this list of the 66 books of the Bible and their authors.

As you discovered, there are many books with easily identifiable Bible authorship; however, some books still have some historical mystery around them in both the Old and New Testaments. With that said, it is important to keep in mind that every book in the Bible has dual authorship , which means that both God and Man were writing the bible at the same time regardless of who the human authors of the Bible and their books were. All scripture is inspired by a divine author (the Lord) through the Holy Spirit. It is all the Word of God, whoever its human authors might be for each Bible book.

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Books of the Bible

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We can't begin a study on the divisions of the books of the Bible without first clarifying the term canon . The canon of Scripture refers to the list of books that are officially accepted as " divinely inspired " and thus rightfully belonging in the Bible. Only the canonical books are considered the authoritative Word of God. The process of determining the biblical canon was begun by Jewish scholars and rabbis and later finalized by the early Christian church toward the end of the fourth century.

More than 40 authors in three languages during a period of 1,500 years contributed to the books and letters which make up the biblical canon of Scripture.

66 Books of the Bible

The Bible is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Testament refers to a covenant between God and his people.

• Jews and Protestant Christians recognize 39 inspired books of the Old Testament.
• Protestant Christians recognize 27 inspired books of the New Testament.
• Roman Catholic and a few Orthodox translations contain additional books, recognizing a portion of the Apocrypha.

The Apocrypha

Both Jews and early church fathers agreed on 39 divinely inspired books as comprising the Old Testament canon of Scripture. Augustine (400 A.D.), however, included the books of the Apocrypha. A large portion of the Apocrypha was officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as part of the biblical canon at the Council of Trent in A.D. 1546. Today, Coptic , Greek, and Russian Orthodox churches also accept these books as divinely inspired by God. The word Apocrypha means "hidden." The books of the Apocrypha are not considered authoritative in Judaism and Protestant Christian churches.

Old Testament Books of the Bible

The 39 books of the Old Testament were written over a period of approximately 1,000 years, beginning with Moses (around 1450 B.C.) until the time when the Jewish people returned to Judah from exile (538-400 B.C.) during the Persian Empire. The English Bible follows the order of the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint)​ and thus differs in order from the Hebrew Bible. For the sake of this study, we will consider the divisions of Greek and English Bibles only. Many English Bible readers may not realize that the books are ordered and grouped according to style or type of writing, and not chronologically.

The Pentateuch

Written more than 3,000 years ago, the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. The word Pentateuch means "five vessels," "five containers," or "five-volumed book." For the most part, both Jewish and Christian tradition credit Moses with primary authorship of the Pentateuch. These five books form the theological foundation of the Bible.

The Historical Books of the Bible

The next division of the Old Testament contains the Historical Books. These 12 books record the events of Israel's history, beginning with the book of Joshua and the nation's entry into the Promised Land until the time of its return from exile some 1,000 years later. As we read these pages of the Bible, we relive incredible stories and meet fascinating leaders, prophets, heroes, and villains.​

The Poetry and Wisdom Books of the Bible

The writing of the Poetry and Wisdom Books spanned from the time of Abraham through the end of the Old Testament. Possibly the oldest of the books, Job , is of unknown authorship. The Psalms have many different writers, King David being the most notable and others remaining anonymous. Proverbs , Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are primarily attributed to Solomon . Also referred to as "wisdom literature," these books deal precisely with our human struggles and real-life experiences.

The Prophetic Books of the Bible

There have been prophets throughout every era of God's relationship with mankind, but the books of the prophets address the "classical" period of prophecy—during the later years of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, throughout the time of exile, and into the years of Israel's return from exile. The Prophetic Books were written from the days of Elijah (874-853 B.C.) until the time of Malachi (400 B.C.). They are further divided by Major and Minor Prophets.

Major Prophets

• Lamentations - Scholarship favors Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations. The book, a poetic work , is placed here with the Major Prophets in English Bibles because of its authorship.
• Daniel - In English and Greek Bible translations, Daniel is considered one of the Major Prophets; however, in the Hebrew canon it is part of "The Writings."

Minor Prophets

New Testament Books of the Bible

For Christians, the New Testament is the fulfillment and culmination of the Old Testament. What the prophets of old longed to see, Jesus Christ fulfilled as Israel's Messiah and the Savior of the World. The New Testament tells the story of Christ's coming to earth as a man, his life and ministry, his mission, message, and miracles, his death, burial, and resurrection, and the promise of his return.

The Gospels

The four Gospels recount the story of Jesus Christ , each book giving us a unique perspective on his life. They were written between A.D. 55-65, with the exception of John's Gospel, which was written around A.D. 85-95.

The Book of Acts

The book of Acts, written by Luke, provides a detailed, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is considered a New Testament history book about the early church. The book of Acts supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The work also constructs a link between the Gospels and the Epistles.

The Epistles

The Epistles are letters written to the fledgling churches and individual believers in the earliest days of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote the first 13 of these letters, each addressing a specific situation or problem. Paul's writings constitute about one-fourth of the entire New Testament.

• The Epistles of Paul
• 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians
• Ephesians - Prison Epistle
• Philippians - Prison Epistle
• Colossians - Prison Epistle
• 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy - Pastoral Epistles
• Titus - Pastoral Epistle
• Philemon - Prison Epistle
• The General Epistles
• 1 Peter and 2 Peter
• 1 John , 2 John and 3 John

The Book of Revelation

This final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is sometimes called "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" or "The Revelation to John." The author is John, the son of Zebedee, who also wrote the Gospel of John . He penned this dramatic book while living in exile on the Island of Patmos, around A.D. 95-96. At the time, the early Christian church in Asia faced an intense period of persecution .

The book of Revelation contains symbolism and imagery that challenge the imagination and bewilder the understanding. It is believed to be a culmination of end times prophecies. The interpretation of the book has posed a problem for Bible students and scholars throughout the ages.

Although a difficult and strange book, no doubt, the book of Revelation is certainly worthy of study. The hope-filled message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the promise of blessing for his followers, and God's ultimate victory and supreme power are the prevailing themes of the book.

• What Is the Bible?
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• What Is the Apocrypha?
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• Structure of the Bible: The Old Testament Books
• What Was the Original Language of the Bible?
• An Introduction to the New Testament
• When Was the Bible Assembled?
• What Are the Epistles?
• The Main Divisions of the Bible
• Who Were the Major Prophets in the Bible?
• Introduction to the Minor Prophets
• Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel

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History Books » Historical Figures

The best books on jesus, recommended by robert morgan.

Jesus was a 1st century Jew from Galilee who had a ministry of teaching and healing. He gathered disciples around him, but was eventually arrested and executed by the Roman governor of Judaea from 26 to 36CE, Pontius Pilate. But what else do we know about Jesus and what is his significance in an increasingly secular age? New Testament scholar Robert Morgan talks us through his favourite books on Jesus.

Interview by Sophie Roell , Editor

Jesus and the Word by Rudolf Bultmann

The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer

The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen

The Birth of the Messiah by Raymond Brown

Born of a Virgin? by Andrew Lincoln

1 Jesus and the Word by Rudolf Bultmann

2 the quest of the historical jesus by albert schweitzer, 3 the shadow of the galilean by gerd theissen, 4 the birth of the messiah by raymond brown, 5 born of a virgin by andrew lincoln.

W hat’s the significance of Jesus in an increasingly secular age?

Broadly, both sides and all centuries have agreed that he is a historical figure , a 1st century Jew from Galilee, that he was baptized by John the Baptist, that he had a ministry of teaching and healing. He gathered disciples around him and spoke to crowds of God—and so how to live—through parables and wisdom sayings, emphasizing the nearness of God and the imminence of God’s rule already operative in his messianic activity, transforming the world, mending the broken and soon to be consummated by the Creator God who loves this good creation. It is also generally agreed that he was arrested and executed by the Roman governor from 26 to 36CE, Pontius Pilate. That’s common ground whether one is a believer or not.

In terms of how Christians see him, that historical way of looking at things has now affected how they too see him. Some see him in a traditional, stained-glass sort of way, others as a remarkable human being. The important thing is whether or not you think he reveals God. That’s the real dividing line, not whether he performed miracles or even how far his moral teaching is useful today, or how Christians can understand the central mystery of their faith: his vindication by God and risen presence with and in God, and by his Spirit, in the world.

I was going to ask you who he was, but perhaps you’ve already answered that?

Yes and no. Who was he and who is he? He was that historical figure about whom we know a certain amount. For believers, he is a living presence through whom they believe themselves to be in relationship to God. So his relationship to God, which was important for him, is also important for those who call themselves his followers today. The question ‘Who was he?’ puts the emphasis on the historical question. That’s a natural way of looking at it, for us, today, in a way that it wasn’t a few hundred years ago, but for Christians it remains subordinate to the question of God which they abbreviate by the doctrine of his divinity.

He has a lot of names: Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the Galilean, the Messiah, Christ. What does Christ mean?

Christ is the Greek for Messiah. The Hebrew word ‘mashiach’ means anointed. So ‘Christ’ means the one anointed by God. It’s one way that his followers said he was God’s special agent, more than a prophet and teacher, which he also clearly was.

But did he call himself the Messiah?

He probably didn’t call himself the Messiah, perhaps because that could easily be misunderstood in a political way. He wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—overthrowing the Romans —which is what some Jews of the time wanted. So he may have avoided the word. Whether in his lifetime or immediately afterwards, it’s clear that around the time he died, some of his people thought of him as Messiah, come at the end of the present age as the representative or agent of God. Then, within a very short time, a few months or years, it had become another name. We say Jesus Christ. But Jesus also remains ‘the Christ (of Israel)’ a designation showing his religious significance.

So if he had called himself ‘Messiah’ that would have denoted he wanted to overthrow the Romans?

No, because the word Messiah has a range of meanings. Many Jews were expecting a son of David—that is to say, a royal figure—who would rescue the nation from Roman imperialism. Others understood that prophets and priests were anointed by God. Contemporaries saw Jesus as a prophet, and he accepted that description while claiming a greater initimacy with God his father, or Abba. Some Christians also thought of him as a priest, even though he wasn’t of priestly descent like Caiaphas. They saw him as a mediating figure, bringing them into relationship with God.

So the Romans wouldn’t have objected to the word Messiah?

The Romans would have seen crowds welcoming him as Messiah as a political threat. So the notice on the cross, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’ meant Messiah, a warning to the population about where power lay.

What about Nazareth versus Galilee?

Nazareth is the village where he was brought up in Galilee, Galilee being the whole area.

And Bethlehem?

Bethlehem is down south, near Jerusalem, where, the legend has it, he was born, because it was expected, by some of the prophets, that the Messiah would be born in that city of David. David was a thousand years earlier, the greatest Israelite king. He was later expected to have a successor of his line.

Let’s get on to these books you’ve chosen. You mentioned as we were walking here that you’ve read more than 200 books about Jesus.

That’s a guesstimate. There are scores of historical books about Jesus and thousands of articles, hundreds of theological books, and thousands of religious books. There are also scores of scholarly books on each of the four gospels. In my lifetime I’ve read quite a lot . . .

Why is Jesus important to you?

Shall we start with the book by Rudolf Bultmann? This is quite a short one, so if people don’t have much time it could be a good choice. Its English title is Jesus and the Word , and it dates from 1926.

Rudolf Bultmann was the greatest New Testament theologian of the 20th century. He was an exegete, a Classicist and a historian, but also a theologian. He was a professor of theology relating what he knew as a historian to what he believed as a Christian. The reason I picked him out—in a book that is now 90 years old and therefore in some ways out of date (it was written before the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947)—is that he was writing after 60-odd years of people writing lots of lives of Jesus. What he is saying is, ‘That’s not the point.’ A positivistic historical picture of Jesus misses the main point about him, and misses the main point about history too. History is about an encounter with the past, it’s not just a description. It’s about our own relationship to the past, our identity. So when he was asked to write yet another historical book about Jesus, he agreed, but he thought he would try and write one which communicated some sense of why Jesus was important to him.

He saw his own history writing as a dialogue with history, and his own apprehension of Jesus as confronting him with a decision about the meaning of his life, God and the world. So he’s written a book that has included what we know about Jesus’s history, but somehow gives it a sense of what it all means for him.

What does it mean for him?

He’s not interested in the brute facts of Jesus’s life. Of course Jesus was crucified and that’s at the centre of things, but Bultmann sidesteps the whole dogmatic structure of Christian belief. He’s saying, ‘Here is someone or something that confronts me with a decision about my life and how I understand myself.’ To be a believer is to understand oneself in a particular way, in relationship to the transcendent. Jesus’s proclamation of God or the kingdom of God and the will of God, about how we should live, communicates something of that and says ‘It’s about you: are you going to go along with this and become a disciple or a follower? Or are you just going to look at it in the historical distance and say, “That’s interesting”.’

Here’s a passage from the book that I found intriguing: “We are accustomed to distinguish between the physical or sensuous and the mental or spiritual life. The life of the spirit is the meaning of existence…this is completely alien to the teaching of Jesus.” In translation, ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ just means life. So when Jesus says, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36) all that is meant by ‘loses his soul’ is ‘dies’.”

A lot of Bultmann’s remarks are gunning against the people who have written before him. That particular saying of Jesus—one of the ones he probably said—is an interesting one. The Greek word that we translate as soul—namely psyche— comes up 500 to 600 times in the Greek Old Testament as a translation of ‘nefesh,’ which means life. So you could read it as Jesus saying, ‘What’s the use if you’ve got everything and then drop dead?’ That’s a common sense interpretation. But then, when that got translated into the Greek as ‘soul’, it acquired new levels of meaning. You’ve got all these material possessions but you lose your personal integrity or your real ‘self.’ It’s worthless and pointless. That secondary meaning is also true, and more profound. It shows what happens to some of Jesus’s sayings as they are handed down in people’s reflection about God and the world.

So does the distinction between body and soul come in only with Descartes? Or was it always part of the Christian tradition?

It’s part of the Greek tradition and therefore comes into Christianity fairly early on. With Descartes and the modern world you again get a sharp mind/body dualism. Some people think that has messed up the whole of modern philosophy, and therefore a lot of modern theology as well. Going back to the Bible is partly a way of getting away from that the kind of sharp dualism, and saying, ‘No, the Greek idea that the body is just a tomb and the real self is the soul, is bad.’ We are bodies and to understand ourselves we have to recognize that. That’s much closer to Biblical ways of thinking about it.

Looking at Jesus as a historical figure, one of the books mentioned that the first mention of him in the secular literature comes only in the second century, in Tacitus. So all our knowledge of him comes from?

Believers. Tacitus, Pliny the younger and Suetonius all reflect what is widely known through the existence and witness of his followers.

You mentioned the Dead Sea Scrolls. What did they add in terms of our knowledge of Jesus? Do they mention him?

No, they don’t. They add hugely to our knowledge of one branch of sectarian Judaism at the time. Some people think John the Baptist may have had some contact with this monastic sect at Qumran, near the Dead Sea. But they were down in the south, so it’s unlikely that Jesus, in the north, in Galilee, would have had much contact with them, and his teaching was different. They had their own founder, the ‘teacher for righteousness’ who died 150 years earlier. Their community, at Qumran, by the Dead Sea, was wiped out by the Romans in the Jewish War. But there were a lot of Essenes living elsewhere and some of them probably became followers of Jesus. For example, some people think that the writer of the fourth Gospel may have been an Essene.

“Christ is the Greek for Messiah. The Hebrew word ‘mashiach’ means anointed. So ‘Christ’ means the one anointed by God.”

We know a lot about Judaism from the Old Testament and later Jewish writing. All the New Testament is written in Greek, and it contains our main sources of historical knowledge of Jesus. Having some Hebrew and Aramaic writings, some from that sect, enables us to know more about the Judaisms of Jesus’s time, and helps us construct historical pictures of Jesus. That’s what’s so good, when we come to it, about Gerd Theissen’s book, the use he makes of these. Bultmann couldn’t offer so much here because he was writing 20 years before the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and his focus was different.

Was Judaism breaking up into different sects at that time?

Not breaking up. There were just different points of view, and different sects and groupings — Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots. Some became followers of Jesus, seeing him as Messiah.

And Christians?

The followers of Jesus became first a Messianic sect within Judaism. Looking for a Messiah they think they’ve found him. Other Jews were looking for a Messiah but didn’t think they’d found him.

Islam was founded some 600 years later.

Also what I found interesting was that ‘Love to God and to one’s neighbour’ was part of rabbinical teaching at that time. I associated it more uniquely with Jesus.

Let’s go on to the second book you’ve chosen, The Quest for the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer. This is from 1906.

Yes, this book is nearly 120 years old, but I would put it top of my list of the classics. The reason I chose it is because it’s mainly about what other people have made of Jesus. I think to get at Jesus through what other people have made of him is the best way of going about it. If I were writing a book on Jesus, that’s how I would go about it, and the way Schweitzer did it is marvelous. Then he gives his own account of Jesus, which is partly wrong, I think. But that doesn’t matter. It’s still brilliant and stimulating and exciting. And he’s also a childhood hero: He was the missionary doctor in Africa from 1913 to 1965. We were brought up to admire him.

So he goes through the historiography, looking at how some 19th century scholars looked at Jesus.

Yes, and one rather earlier. Reimarus died in 1768 and was part published by Lessing in 1774-8. Liberal theologians disliked dogma or the doctrine, even though the Gospels are themselves interpretations. They wanted to get behind them to Jesus as he really was. But they can only give their own interpretations. Even their own historical accounts of how they think he really was, are interpretations. Schweitzer argued they were reading a lot of their own 19th century perspectives into Jesus’s teaching. Schweitzer says, ‘No. Jesus was totally and utterly and completely different. He was more like Nietzsche’s superman. He was expecting the end of the world and he was completely wrong.’ That’s an oversimplification about what Jesus thought about the future. Schweitzer’s accounts of all the other people are wonderful but I don’t buy his own reconstruction. Somebody has to do a Schweitzer on Schweitzer himself.

And your Schweitzer on Schweitzer would focus on Jesus saying the end of the world was nigh…

It’s what that might mean that’s difficult to get your hands on. I think Schweitzer was over-influenced by some newly discovered apocalyptic writings in the 19th century, and said, ‘Jesus must have been like that.’ It’s pretty clear to my mind that Jesus wasn’t like that. Even though one or two sayings do sound a bit like that, on the whole Jesus is much more of a prophet and a wisdom teacher. This nightmare scenario, of an apocalyptic end of the world like you get in the book of Revelation is really rather removed from my mental picture of Jesus. But that may be because I imagine the Jesus I love and want to follow.

So for you, Jesus is someone who teaches what?

He points us to God. Jesus was all about God. Being about God means being about the meaning of life, about how the world is and our moral responsibilities, to save the planet and to love our neighbours. It’s got a very strong ethical or moral dimension. It’s also got a strong future hope, because what we think about the world and God has to do with how we think about the future.

Does Jesus prophesy a lot?

Yes, he does a bit. Schweitzer picks up on him saying—which I don’t think Jesus actually said—in Matthew 10, “You will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Kingdom of God comes.” Like a number of sayings in the Gospels, I think that reflects a slightly later perspective of some people who did expect that end very soon, as Paul did. The reason historical pictures of Jesus differ is that we disagree to some extent about which sayings he actually said, and which ones he didn’t.

That’s what I found fascinating in a number of these books, the author going ‘Jesus is quoted as saying X. He would never have said that!’ The authors seem to have a strong opinion on what he did and didn’t say.

Yes, and of course it’s only probability judgments. We can’t be certain. Like the rest of them, I have opinions about what he did say, and what he probably didn’t say.

What’s the most meaningful saying for you, of the ones he did say?

I would find it very difficult to pick one. I would pick about 30-40, among them the ones you picked out. The love commandment is certainly central. Attitudes to material possessions are important. The Sermon on the Mount contains a whole lot of things that he did say and one or two things that he probably didn’t. I’d include most of the Sermon on the Mount. Although we haven’t got much information about his personality, we get a sense of the human figure that has been an icon for Christians ever since. Most people agree he was a good man, and that he was unjustly executed. I think he probably saw his execution as following through what God was wanting of him. His self-giving love inspired others to live that way.

I’m still not clear on why he was executed. The Romans felt threatened by him?

Probably, or by people getting excited.

And the Jews didn’t have much to do with it.

The Jews as a whole didn’t, no. But how much the high priest, Caiaphas did, is a nice question. I think he probably was helped by one of the inner group of 12 disciples to make the arrest possible away from the crowds. You’ve got a Roman occupying army with a very volatile people who think they shouldn’t be there. They’re always having to monitor the political situation and they’re relying on the local stooges—like the high priest, the aristocracy—to keep a lid on things. Hundreds of thousands of people come to Jerusalem at Passover, there’s a risk of riots. You can read all about it in Josephus’s history of the Jewish war. They would naturally be nervy and what St. John’s Gospel says Caiaphas thought—We need to get him removed otherwise we’ll be in trouble with the Romans—might actually be how it was. But clearly his crucifixion was a Roman decision and carried out by Romans. The idea that the Jews killed Jesus is a grotesque defamation.

You hear that people normally end up believing what their parents believe, so someone born in Syria is likely to be Muslim, Brits are likely to be Church of England. I’m Dutch so maybe it’s predictable I’ve come to think of myself as humanist. What I find interesting about Jesus is that there is much in this teaching that is attractive to a non-believer.

Yes, I agree. I thought you were going to say being Dutch you were Calvinist. I would say the Church of England has plenty of humanism in it and Jesus has a lot of humanism in his teaching. Thomas Jefferson’s Bible—which is the bits he liked—is generally good humanism. So, yes there has got to be common ground in terms of moral values between Christianity and a lot of other people. But, at the end of the day, it’s what you make of God that is the ultimate decider and what you make of God is also what you make of yourself and the world, at least if the believer is well-informed about what the tradition means.

So it’s not about the ethics.

Your third choice of book is yet again by a German. Why are there so many Germans on your list?

It’s because I’ve gone for classics and up until quite recently the Germans have been the great pioneers.

How did that happen?

It was the 18th century Enlightenment. In France, it was often anti-religious, or anti-Catholic. In Germany, the Enlightenment was quite religious and quite Protestant and therefore German theology, like German philosophy, took on board the Enlightenment early on, and a big strand in German academic theology was infused with Enlightenment beliefs and values. In the early 18th century, English Deists were pioneers in criticism of the Bible and dogma, but in the 19th century all the leaders were German or German influenced. That remained roughly true till about 1970. With some exceptions, it’s only in the last 40 years that the Roman Catholics and Americans have made major contributions.

Were German theologians not in danger of getting into trouble?

Some did, but generally no. Unlike Roman Catholicism there was no mechanism for chucking you out if you were a Bible critic. The conservative side of the German church was hostile to Biblical criticism. But the German theological faculties in state universities had some independence while closely tied to the provincial churches. Theologians were able to follow the evidence as they saw it. They divided into different schools but the radicals were allowed to publish books and teach students who then became clergy. So the German church as a whole was open to Biblical criticism sooner than the Church of England.

To be a New Testament scholar do you need to read German? What other languages?

If you don’t read German, you miss out on a lot that hasn’t been translated which is very good. Greek is your starting point, because the New Testament is written in Greek. But the Old Testament is written mainly in Hebrew, so you’ve got to know Hebrew as well. Aramaic is tricky, because we don’t know all that much about 1st century Aramaic, and the experts sometimes disagree.

Aramaic being what Jesus himself spoke?

Yes, probably. Most people in Palestine at that time would be speaking Aramaic. Jesus may have understood some Greek, and he would have understood Hebrew. But it was the Hellenistic age, Greek was the lingua franca and a few miles from Nazareth there were Greek towns. So Jesus would have heard Greek spoken and a couple of his disciples have Greek names: Andrew and Philip. Latin, not so much: The Roman authorities would have spoken Greek as well as Latin.

OK, so this book number 3. It’s called The Shadow of the Galilean and it’s by Gerd Theissen. I’m in the middle of it, I haven’t finished it yet, but I’m completely hooked. I’m constantly flicking to the back to read what’s in the footnotes, which is a definite first for me for any book on anything.

I’ve chosen this book by a contemporary. I knew him even before he was a professor, when he was teaching in a school and writing this book. He’s the most creative Biblical scholar of my generation, so he had to be on this list. The particular book I’ve chosen is amazing. Jesus never appears, it’s just the shadow of the Galilean. It’s getting at the truth of Jesus through a novel. But it’s absolutely loaded with scholarship and theological reflection. Some of the scholarship you’ll see in the footnotes. But those who know what to look for will see layers of theological reflection in there as well. It’s a wonderful book that one can go back to, and read at different levels. It’s a book I put in everyone’s hand when I get the chance.

Tell me more about what it’s about.

It’s a short novel about someone made to spy on Jesus by the Roman authorities, to see whether he really is a danger to them. In the course of that, it says a lot about the Judaism of that period and of the political situation between the Romans and the Jews. Theissen also manages to feed in some of the apocalyptic, the nightmare stuff.

It’s the indirectness I like. Anyone who gives a direct portrait of Jesus is likely to be partly looking in the mirror. To try and get at him through an indirect method, of which this book is the clearest example, actually catches some things that a straight biography might miss. Everything Theissen writes is creative.

What might a biography miss?

Biographies vary, but they do try to give the meaning of the person. Where the meaning of the person is essentially religious, it’s very hard to describe directly. A picture of the outer history of Jesus doesn’t get at the inwardness of it all. Attending to someone else reflecting on him can get more of the inwardness of what is going on in Jesus, which Christians call God. Of the outward picture, a number of important facts are pretty clear. But even when all agree that a central theme was Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of God, God ruling, God in charge, how Jesus understands that remains elusive. So I like to get different people’s perspectives on that and then make up my own mind. But you’ve got to be historically informed to do that responsibly. The thing about Gerd Theissen is that he’s a very good historian. He’s also a brilliant preacher. The book originated in a teacher entertaining the kids as well as informing them.

Is that why you haven’t yet written a book about Jesus, because it’s hard to write?

To write something really good, yes. Any New Testament scholar can write a book about Jesus, it goes with the turf. You wouldn’t be competent if you couldn’t. But to write a good book about Jesus is difficult. I’m still trying. I’ve always been interested in the history of the interpretation of the Bible as a way of getting at what it’s all about.

In a way, for me, reading these books you’ve chosen the other night, it felt like I was interacting with 2000 years of history.

Let’s talk about your fourth choice, Raymond Brown’s The Birth of the Messiah.

I put Raymond Brown in for two little reasons and one big reason. The little reasons are that it would be monstrous not to have a Roman Catholic, because there are now many good biblical scholars. I also needed to have an American, because in the last 40 years, Americans have been the most productive in writing about Jesus. I wish he’d been a woman because then I’d have a woman writer as well: I’m afraid these books are all by white males, and three of them are dead. But, more importantly, I wanted to include a commentary. The reason I wanted a commentary is that the four best books on Jesus are called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

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Of the hundreds of commentaries, I chose this one because it’s Christmas time, the story that’s told at the beginning of Matthew and Luke’s Gospel. This book is a commentary on those two chapters in Matthew and two chapters in Luke. Brown was an exegete. That means he’s trying to say what the texts are saying. He’s not so much saying, ‘We can’t know what happened: there’s hardly any history in the birth narratives,’ he’s trying to get at the meanings of the text. That’s the important thing.

Why is it important to include a commentary?

A commentary addresses the difficulties that a reader is likely to find in the biblical text, difficulties that are not only historical but also hermeneutical and to do with religious or theological meaning—what it’s all about. Some commentaries don’t give you very much on that, but Ray Brown does give quite a lot.

Just to clarify: he’s grappling with the fact that the stories of the birth of Jesus—which only appear in Matthew and Luke—are often ignored by theologians because they consider them silly in a post-Enlightenment age, with their exotic magi, a birth star, angelic messages and a Virgin birth. He writes, “The stories do not have the same historical value as the stories of Jesus’s Ministry.” But he still thinks they have enormous value doesn’t he?

There’s very little history in there, except that Jesus was born. Somewhere. And his mother was Mary. Not sure about his father, we don’t know. Joseph was presumably dead by the time Jesus was grown up, as he doesn’t appear. Nevertheless, these stories are fraught with both religious and deep theological meaning. They are important for that reason. Also, they’ve fed into the tradition in a lot of different ways. A lot of Christians have thought they were a straightforward matter of fact, which can’t be right, given the contradictions between Matthew and Luke. But they’re there in the creed, so they’re part of Christian doctrine, and therefore important to reflect on.

As a Catholic priest, Brown wants to say how these texts relate to Catholic doctrine, especially what Catholics believe about Mary. What actually happened, I don’t suppose he knows, but he’s very cautious and reverently agnostic about it. He isn’t wanting to be upset people by saying, ‘It’s a load of rubbish!’ He doesn’t think it is a load of rubbish. Nor do I.

Christmas is a huge part of the way people participate in Christianity!

That’s the Christmas story. How much of that depends on the historical reality? Except that Jesus was born and that Jesus was important. All the stuff—say the ox and ass in the stable—they’re not there in Matthew or Luke. It’s a detail taken from Isaiah. As is the crib.

Don’t tell me there was no ‘no room at the inn’…that’s in there isn’t it?

Yes, that’s in Luke. That’s the main Christmas story, in Luke, plus the wise ones, the Magi, in Matthew. That’s a nice story, because it has Jesus becoming a refugee.

He had to flee to Egypt?

According to Matthew’s account, they fled from Herod to Egypt. It’s important to me, when we think about refugees today, to remember that about Jesus. I doubt if it’s historically accurate, but Jesus did say, ‘Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ In my sermons over Christmas I’ll have that in mind. The Christmas story is vital, but not much of it is history, which doesn’t matter.

Brown is also focusing on the fact that the Christmas story has been put in there by Luke—and to some extent Matthew—for a reason, it was important to them, it signified their way of interpreting what had happened.

Exactly. So Matthew’s short birth narrative has a lot of quotations from the Old Testament. His main point is that all this happened to fulfill what the Old Testament prophets said was going to happen. It’s the story of Israel and the Messiah . . . and God. In Luke, which is a much longer one, he talks about John the Baptist’s birth as well as Jesus’s. He sees the spirit of God is at work in all this.

So you can have all these wondrous things happening…

Yes, Luke knew he wasn’t writing history. Luke wanted to write history when he wrote the Acts of the Apostles. It’s not a modern critical history, but it’s history of a sort. In the story of Jesus’s ministry and arrest and death there’s quite a lot of history too. But in the birth narrative Luke knows perfectly well that he is telling a story to bring out the real meaning, and he even does it in Biblical language. His style in chapters one and two is different from the rest of the Gospel, it’s echoing the style of the Greek translation of his Hebrew scriptures.

Brown mentions that the celebration of Jesus’s birth at Christmas dates from the 4th century.

We’re now on to your final book, by British theologian Andrew Lincoln. The title is a question: Born of a Virgin?

Yes, it’s nice to have one Brit and a recent book — the most recent I’ve read on the subject. He’s one of our two best New Testament theologians in England. The reason I included it was the sheer theological seriousness of it. This is a heavyweight book of theology on a subject I wouldn’t have thought it was still possible to write a major treatise. He’s saying, ‘Here’s something which some Christians think is absurd to think happened. Others think it’s really important that it’s historically accurate—fundamentalists really do think that—so let’s try and understand both sides and see all the different layers of meaning.’ What matters is what it means, but to unpack that, you have to get at why some people think it’s important that it happened, and to get the two sides to able to talk to each other — so that you don’t have the absurd situation where some Christians are not talking to other Christians because they think the others have got it all wrong.

He could have written a commentary on this like the Ray Brown book, but actually to have a big theological reflection on it, including what the greatest 19th century theologian—there is a chapter on Schleiermacher, the founder of modern of theology in the book—made of it all, is an amazing achievement

How does he pull it off?

He says all the things an exegete is going to say by looking at the text. But he also explains how it’s been understood in the subsequent Christian tradition, ancient as well as modern. And a certain amount about what it means to be a Christian today, which is to be loyal to the tradition but also critical of it. If you’re an intelligent Christian you need to see how you understand the tradition and he makes it clear how he does. I find it persuasive, right across the board. It’s a little theological education in itself, this book: you understand what it means to be a New Testament theologian by seeing him reflecting on these texts.

He’s goes into the mystery of the Virgin Birth in a very practical way doesn’t he? He says there are three possibilities: 1. Joseph was the father, 2. God was the father, but that’s a problem given what we now know about DNA. 3. Jesus was illegitimate.

That’s just level one. Is it historical? Now, for those of us for whom it isn’t historical that’s just mentioned to be got out of the way. Questions of DNA or the biological issue are a total non-issue for us. But they might be for someone who thinks these things actually happened. Lincoln realizes that a lot of Christians still think it is historical, so you’ve got to engage with those questions, and give reasons why others think it’s not historical. That has to do with the kind of writing we’ve got here. It’s more a story than a history.

Then, going into what people have thought and why they’ve thought it. Joseph doesn’t appear in the rest of the gospels. There’s a reference to Jesus in Matthew as the son of the carpenter, but Mark’s earlier account says ‘Is not this the carpenter?’ Presumably Joseph had died. But whether or not Joseph or somebody else is the father—and there’s all sorts of guesswork, even somebody saying Mary was raped by a Roman solider and goodness knows what—Christians would still say he is the revelation of God. Or that he is the son of God, meaning the revelation of God. It’s not an either/or between son of Joseph or son of God.

I found it surprising, the way he was willing to go into it.

Lincoln is more generous towards conservative views than many, but he’s a critical theologian too. In the introduction, he mentions how he said what he believed when he’d applied for a job at a conservative institution once. They wrote back saying, ‘Don’t bother to turn up for your interview!’ He’s a very impressive man, and has written a great commentary on St John’s Gospel as well.

The authors of these books, starting with the Germans, were never scared where their critical investigations of Jesus’s life would lead them?

I don’t know but I think they strongly believed that, ‘God is truth.’ So they weren’t scared to use their heads. Also, Christianity is a religion of the person, rather than a religion of the book. It centers on the person of Jesus. That means that we can challenge even something that the New Testament—which bears witness to Jesus—says. The decisive thing for modern, rational people is that religion can be self-critical and in the last 300 years, and earlier with Erasmus and others, Christianity has been very good at being self-critical and self-reforming. That is exemplary for religion in a pluralist world.

December 24, 2015

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Robert Morgan

Robert Morgan was Reader In New Testament theology at the University of Oxford and is vicar of Sandford-on-Thames. He has published books on Biblical Interpretation , The Epistle to the Romans  and The Nature of New Testament Theology. He is also the author of many articles and has translated various essays from German classics.

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Books of the Bible

The Bible was written over a period of about 1500 years and is comprised of 66 books.

• 39 in the Old Testament
• 27 in the New Testament

The Bible books were written by about 40 authors on the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. Besides the New and Old Testaments, the 66 books of the Bible are divided into sections or themes as follows. Please note: these divisions are not divinely inspired and each reader, historian or theologian often separates the books differently.

Old Testament

Books of moses.

• Deuteronomy

Books of History

• 1 & 2 Samuel
• 1 & 2 Kings
• 1 & 2 Chronicles

Books of Poetry

• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon

Major Prophets

• Lamentations

Minor Prophets

New testament, the gospels, paul’s letters.

• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Philippians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

Other Letters

• Discussions
• Reading Challenge
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Bible Biographies Books

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The Divine Message: All 66 Books Of The Bible In Order

The Bible! A collection of religious texts considered sacred by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The world’s bestselling book, with over 5 billion copies sold worldwide.

Full of stories of famous people, including Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and, of course, the all-star—Jesus Christ. 

A book that has influenced countless individuals throughout history, from ancient prophets and philosophers to modern-day leaders and thinkers.

A treasure that has survived many challenges throughout history, including censorship, persecution, and attempts to destroy it. Despite these challenges, it has endured as a vital source of inspiration and guidance for millions of people around the world.

I can write a whole book about the Bible, but that’s not why you came to this post, so let’s go with the real reason. I have listed all the books of the Bible in order and summarized them as briefly as I could. 

Let’s get started. 

All Books Of The Bible In Order

The Bible is made up of 66 books, written over a thousand years by numerous authors. It is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

The Old Testament tells the story of the Jewish people and their relationship with God, while the New Testament focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the early Christian church. Despite its diversity, the Bible delivers a solid message characterized by faith, hope, and redemption.

Old Testament:

The first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, tells the creation story as well as the early history of humanity, including the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah’s offspring.

The book of Exodus tells the story of the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Also known as the Third Book of Moses, the book of Leviticus is a collection of laws and instructions for the priests and the people of Israel.

The Book of Numbers recounts Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land and includes the census of the people and the rules for their conduct.

Deuteronomy

The book of Deuteronomy is a restatement of the law given to Moses and includes instructions for the people of Israel on how to live in the Promised Land.

The book of Joshua tells the story of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites and the division of the land among the tribes.

The book of Judges recounts the history of the Israelites from the death of Joshua until the establishment of the monarchy.

The Book of Ruth is a short story about a woman named Ruth who became the great-grandmother of King David.

The first book of Samuel tells the story of the rise of the kingdom of Israel, including the stories of Samuel, Saul, and David.

2 Samuel is primarily about the reign of King David over Israel, including his military conquests, personal life, family struggles, and preparations for his successor. It also highlights the theme of God’s faithfulness to His promises and the consequences of sin.

The first book of Kings tells the story of the divided kingdom of Israel and the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel.

The second book of Kings continues the story of the divided kingdom and the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians.

1 Chronicles

The first book of Chronicles gives a genealogy of the people of Israel and a history of the kingdom of Judah.

2 Chronicles 

The second book of Chronicles continues the history of the kingdom of Judah.

The book of Ezra tells the story of the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple.

The book of Nehemiah tells the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the restoration of the people of God.

The book of Esther tells the story of Esther, who became queen of Persia and saved her people from destruction.

The book of Job is the story of a righteous man named Job who suffered greatly but did not curse God.

The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, hymns, and poems that express the feelings and experiences of the people of God.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of adages and teachings on living a good life.

Ecclesiastes 

The book of Ecclesiastes is a philosophical work that explores the meaning of life and the futility of human efforts.

Song of Solomon 

The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, is a poetic and romantic book in the Hebrew Bible that portrays the love and passion between a man and a woman.

The book of Isaiah is a collection of oracles and visions given to the prophet concerning the judgment and redemption of God’s people and the nations of the world.

The book of Jeremiah is the story of the prophet Jeremiah and his messages of judgment and hope to the people of Judah.

Lamentations 

The book of Lamentations is a collection of poems expressing grief and despair over the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah.

The book of Ezekiel is the story of the prophet Ezekiel and his messages of judgment and hope to the exiles in Babylon.

The book of Daniel tells the story of the prophet Daniel and his experiences as a captive in Babylon, including his visions of the end of the world.

The book of Hosea is the story of the prophet Hosea and his message of God’s love and judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel.

The book of Joel is a message of judgment and hope to the people of Judah, calling them to repent and return to God.

The book of Amos is a message of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel and the surrounding nations, calling them to repent and return to God.

The book of Obadiah is a message of judgment to the nation of Edom for its oppression of God’s people.

The book of Jonah is the story of the prophet Jonah and his reluctant mission to Nineveh.

The book of Micah is a message of judgment and hope to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, calling them to repent and return to God.

The book of Nahum is a message of judgment to the city of Nineveh for its oppression of God’s people.

The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, questioning God’s justice and plan for the world.

The book of Zephaniah is a message of judgment and hope to the people of Judah, calling them to repent and return to God.

The book of Haggai is a message to the people of Judah, encouraging them to rebuild the Temple and renew their commitment to God.

The book of Zechariah is a collection of visions and messages given to the prophet Zechariah, encouraging the people of Judah to rebuild the Temple and renew their commitment to God.

New Testament

Here is a list of books from the New Testament, along with brief descriptions of each one:

This book is a biography of Jesus Christ and focuses on His teachings, miracles, and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

This book is also a biography of Jesus Christ, but with a focus on His actions and teachings. It is one of the shortest books in the New Testament.

The book of Luke is one of the four gospels in the New Testament that portrays the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also includes Jesus’ unique parables and stories, such as the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Emmaus Road encounter.

This book is also a biography of Jesus Christ, but it focuses on His divinity and emphasizes His claims to be the Son of God.

This book is a historical account of the early Christian Church, focusing on the gospel’s spread and the church’s growth after the ascension of Jesus Christ.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Rome. It deals with the themes of sin, justification, and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth, addressing issues such as division, immorality, and the proper use of spiritual gifts.

2 Corinthians 

This book is a follow-up letter to the first letter to the Corinthians, addressing further issues in the Church and encouraging them to maintain their faith in Jesus Christ.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, addressing the issue of false teachers who were trying to lead the churches astray.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Ephesus, focusing on themes such as the unity of the Church, the nature of Christ, and the importance of spiritual growth.

Philippians 

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Philippi, expressing his love and gratitude for the church and encouraging them to persevere in their faith.

Colossians 

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Colossae, addressing false teachings and emphasizing the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things.

1 Thessalonians 

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Church in Thessalonica, addressing issues such as the second coming of Jesus Christ and the end times.

2 Thessalonians 

This book is a follow-up letter to the first letter to the Thessalonians, addressing further issues related to the end times and the coming of Jesus Christ.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to his protégé Timothy, addressing issues related to the organization and leadership of the Church.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to Timothy as he nears the end of his life and encourages Timothy to remain faithful to the gospel.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to Titus, addressing issues related to the organization and leadership of the Church on the island of Crete.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to Philemon, addressing the issue of a runaway slave and encouraging Philemon to receive him back as a brother in Christ.

This book is a letter addressed to Jewish Christians, emphasizing the superiority of Jesus Christ as the ultimate High Priest and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament types and shadows.

This book is a letter addressing practical issues of the Christian life, including themes such as faith and works, trials and temptations, and living a righteous life.

This book is a letter written by the apostle Peter to Jewish Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, addressing issues such as suffering and perseverance in the faith.

This book is a follow-up letter to the first letter to Peter, addressing further issues related to false teachers and the importance of growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This book is a letter written by the apostle John, emphasizing the themes of love, truth, and the nature of Christ.

This book is a short letter written by the apostle John to a specific Christian woman, addressing the issue of false teachers and encouraging her to remain faithful to the truth.

This book is another short letter written by the apostle John to a man named Gaius, addressing the issue of hospitality to traveling ministers and the importance of supporting those who serve the Church.

This book is a letter written by Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, addressing the issue of false teachers and encouraging the recipients to defend their faith and remain steadfast in their love for God.

This book is a vision given to the apostle John, revealing the future events and the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ over all things. It is a book of prophecy and contains a series of vivid and sometimes symbolic images describing the end of the world and the establishment of God’s kingdom.

The books of the Bible are a treasure trove of ancient wisdom, history, and prophecy. They offer insights into the nature of God, the human condition, and the relationship between the two. 

As a collection of books, the Bible is diverse in its content, style, and message. It’s poetic, prophetic, and a historical narrative.

In total, most Christian Bibles have 66 books that offer a roadmap for how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, grounded in faith, hope, and love.

Recommended Reading...

Blind date with a book ideas: unique ways to discover your next favorite read, most popular book genres: a comprehensive guide, complete list of dr seuss books in order of publication, which book uses exactly 50 different words.

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Who Was John the Apostle? The Beginner’s Guide

by Ryan Nelson | Feb 6, 2019 | Bible characters | 7 comments

The Apostle John (also known as Saint John) was one of Jesus Christ’s 12 disciples , and a prominent leader in the early Christian church. Along with James and Peter, John was one of Jesus’ closest confidants, so he appears in more biblical accounts than the other disciples.

John is traditionally regarded as the author of five books of the Bible : the Gospel of John , the epistles 1 John , 2 John , and 3 John , and the Book of Revelation , although some Bible scholars dispute which of these (if any) he actually wrote. He is also believed to be the only disciple who died of old age (the others were allegedly martyred).

Ancient sources may or may not refer to the Apostle John by several other names including John of Patmos (because he was banished to the island of Patmos), John the Evangelist, John the Elder, John the Presbyter, and the Beloved Disciple, though it is unclear if all (or any!) of these names do in fact refer to this John. It’s also worth noting: John the disciple of Jesus is not the same person as John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin.

So who was the Apostle John? What do we really know about him? We’re going to explore what the Bible says about him, what we can draw from other ancient sources, and the things we still don’t know for sure.

For starters, here are some quick facts about this well-known biblical figure.

Who was John?

Most of what we know about John comes from the Bible itself, particularly the gospels. Interestingly, the Apostle John is mentioned by name in every gospel except the one named after him. According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) John was one of the first disciples Jesus called to follow him. Like many of Jesus’ disciples, he was a fisherman by trade.

“ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. ” —Matthew 4:21–22

A pillar of the early Christian church

When Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians , a false teacher had told them that in order to follow Christ, they needed to follow the Mosaic Law . This is the opposite of what Paul had been teaching them. In order to prove that he was right to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and to teach that they didn’t need to follow the Law to be saved, Paul appealed to the apostles. Particularly, the three apostles who had the most authority: Peter, James, and John.

Paul makes a point of saying that even these three apostles had nothing to add to the gospel he preached—so why would the Galatians listen to someone else, and let some random teacher add the weight of the Law to the good news of Christ?

“ On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas [Peter] and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. ” —Galatians 2:7–9

Paul refers to Peter, James, and John as pillars of the church because they played an integral role in supporting, building up, and maintaining the Christian movement. The early church stood on their leadership. When there were disputes about how exactly Christians should behave and what following Jesus looked like, the church appealed to these three original disciples of Jesus, who had witnessed more of his personal ministry than anyone else.

Sons of thunder

Mark 3 lists the names and nicknames of Jesus’ 12 disciples, and when it gets to James and John, there’s a note found nowhere else in Scripture:

“ These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. ” —Mark 3:16–19

This is the only place the nickname “sons of thunder” appears, and there’s no explanation as to why Jesus gave them the name.

James and John were brothers who may have had dangerous tempers, and it is often assumed that the nickname came from their “thunderous nature.” The most prominent example is recorded in Luke 9. A group of Samaritans didn’t welcome Jesus into their village, so James and John asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54).

Jesus did not, and he rebuked them. So is this nickname tongue-in-cheek for their explosive personalities? Is it an affirmation of their fervor? We will likely never know.

Part of Jesus’ inner circle

John was one of Jesus’ three closest disciples. There are three times in the synoptic gospels where Peter, James, and John get to witness Jesus do things no one else saw.

• Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead, and he doesn’t allow anyone else to watch besides these three (Mark 5:37).
• Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountaintop, where he is transfigured before them. Jesus speaks to Moses and Elijah, and John is one of the only three people to witness his glory (Matthew 17:1–11, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36).
• On the night of his betrayal, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him to pray, and asks them to keep watch (Matthew 26:36–46).

These three moments capture the special relationship John had with Jesus, and according to the gospel that bears his name, John may have had an even more privileged relationship with Jesus (or maybe he’s just bragging).

The one whom Jesus loved?

John (the disciple) is never mentioned in the Gospel of John. In ancient writings it was common for writers to omit themselves from an account or use third person descriptions to disguise their identity. In the Gospel of John, the author uses “the one whom Jesus loved” five times to refer to a disciple who was particularly close to Jesus. It appears in John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2, John 21:7, and John 21:20.

We know from context that this title isn’t referring to Peter (“the one whom Jesus loved” interacts with Peter), and scholars believe James died too early to have written this gospel (he’s executed in Acts 12:2).

The author clearly positions “the one whom Jesus loved” as one of the most important disciples, perhaps having the closest relationship with Jesus. Interestingly, with one exception, whenever the beloved disciple is mentioned, it tends to be in contrast to Peter .

For example, at the Last Supper, Peter asks “the one whom Jesus loved” to ask Jesus who will betray him:

“ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it? ’” —John 13:23-24

And once Jesus is betrayed and arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, only two disciples follow Jesus to his trial from a distance: Peter and the beloved disciple. While the beloved disciple pulls some strings to bring Peter closer to Jesus, Peter denies any association with the Lord (John 18:15–17).

But perhaps the most well-known example of “the one whom Jesus loved” comes in John 20 after Jesus died on the cross, when Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb.

“ So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.” —John 20:2–9

In case you missed the three references to it, the one whom Jesus loved was faster than Peter. Tradition has associated “the beloved disciple” with John since at least the second century, but not all scholars agree that this is referring to him.

A disciple of John the Baptist?

It’s possible that John was actually a disciple of John the Baptist before he started following Jesus. The author of the Gospel of John never reveals their identity, but there are hints throughout that it could be John the Apostle, and church tradition has accepted his authorship for well over a millennia. In the Gospel of John’s account of Jesus calling the disciples, some speculate that the author omits themself from the story (as the author often does in this gospel) while also suggesting that they were a disciple of John the Baptist:

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’ ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” — John 1:35–42a

In any case, we know that John was one of the closest followers of John the Baptist’s cousin (Jesus).

Did the disciple John write the Gospel of John?

In the final chapter of the Gospel of John, the author explicitly states that “the disciple whom Jesus loved” is the author:

“ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)  When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. ” —John 21:20–24

This is the only gospel that claims to be written by an eyewitness. And some ofthe earliest Christians claimed this eyewitness was the Apostle John.

In Against Heresies , the early church father Irenaeus wrote that the gospel was written to address ancient Gnostic teachings that were circulating at the same time as the church. Irenaeus specifically identifies the author as John the Apostle: “John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast [and] did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia . . .”

And Eusebius of Caesarea , known as the father of church history, quoted Clement of Alexandria (not to be confused with Clement of Rome ) as saying:

“Peter having preached the word publicly at Rome, and by the Spirit proclaimed the Gospel, those who were present, who were numerous, entreated Mark, inasmuch as he had attended him from an early period, and remembered what had been said, to write down what had been spoken. On his composing the Gospel, he handed it to those who had made the request to him; which coming to Peter’s knowledge, he neither hindered nor encouraged. But John, the last of all, seeing that what was corporeal was set forth in the Gospels, on the entreaty of his intimate friends, and inspired by the Spirit, composed a spiritual Gospel.”

Could someone else have written the Book of John?

There’s good reason to believe that the Apostle John at least wrote some of the gospel that bears his name, but scholars still dispute his authorship.

Some have argued that the gospel is the work of a later Christian writer who wanted to appear to be the Apostle John.

Others suggest it’s Lazarus, who appears just before the first instance of “the one whom Jesus loved.” Lazarus is the only person who the gospel explicitly states that Jesus loved. In fact, when Lazarus’ sisters tell Jesus that he has fallen ill, they don’t say, “Lazarus is sick”; they say, “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3).

It would be surprising if Lazarus was the author though, because we don’t see him until John 11, and we don’t hear about him after John 12. Plus, the other gospels don’t record him at some of the events the beloved disciple witnessed.

It could also be a man named John Mark , who traveled with Peter, and is believed to have written the Gospel of Mark . . . but John Mark wasn’t one of the Twelve, as the one whom Jesus loved seems to be (John 13:23, see also Matthew 26:20).

Other positions argue John wasn’t capable of writing this, or that geographical errors indicate it couldn’t have been written by an eyewitness, or that since some of the earliest Christian writers didn’t refer to the Gospel of John, it wasn’t accepted within the church.

Did John, the son of Zebedee write the Gospel of John? We might never know. But as far as tradition goes, the church at large has been (mostly) comfortable with attributing this work to him.

Did John write the Book of Revelation?

The Book of Revelation is traditionally attributed to the Apostle John, but Christians have contested this since as early as the fourth century.

John of Patmos

The Apostle John is sometimes referred to as John of Patmos, though some argue that John of Patmos was actually a different person. The Book of Revelation is pretty emphatic that it was written by someone named John, and that he was on the island of Patmos when he received the revelation from Jesus Christ.

“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’” —Revelation 1:9–11

In the early second century, Justin Martyr was the first to suggest this John was the Apostle John, and since then, many Christians have presumed that John the Apostle was exiled to Patmos for preaching the gospel.

But even as early as the fourth century, some historians believed this was a different Christian writer named John, who was close to Jesus. Eusebius of Caesarea argued that this person was John the Presbyter, an enigmatic figure who first appears in the writings of the first-century church father, Papias of Hierapolis. Eusebius was the first to distinguish John the Presbyter from John the Apostle based on Papias’ writings.

Wait … but who’s John the Presbyter?

Papias wrote a collection of Jesus’ sayings based on interviews with the earliest followers of Christ. His work is lost, but Eusebius preserved a fragment, which included a list of the people Papias’ based his work on:

“If, then, anyone who had attended on the elders came, I asked minutely after their sayings—what Andrew or Peter said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by James, or by John , or by Matthew, or by any other of the Lord’s disciples, [and] which things Aristion and the presbyter John , the disciples of the Lord, say.” (Emphasis added.)

Eusebius interpreted this list as clear evidence that there were two Johns—John the Apostle and John the Presbyter—but church tradition has generally assumed that Papias simply made two references to the same person.

Here’s Eusebius’ argument, based on the fragment from Papias:

“It is worthwhile observing here that the name John is twice enumerated by him. The first one he mentions in connection with Peter and James and Matthew and the rest of the apostles, clearly meaning the evangelist; but the other John he mentions after an interval, and places him among others outside of the number of the apostles, putting Aristion before him, and he distinctly calls him a presbyter. This shows that the statement of those is true, who say that there were two persons in Asia that bore the same name, and that there were two tombs in Ephesus, each of which, even to the present day, is called John’s. It is important to notice this. For it is probable that it was the second, if one is not willing to admit that it was the first that saw the Revelation, which is ascribed by name to John. And Papias, of whom we are now speaking, confesses that he received the words of the apostles from those that followed them, but says that he was himself a hearer of Aristion and the presbyter John. At least he mentions them frequently by name, and gives their traditions in his writings. These things we hope, have not been uselessly adduced by us.”

It’s worth noting as well: Eusebius wasn’t sure Revelation belonged in the biblical canon at all. He wasn’t alone—Revelation was a tricky book for the early church. People either ardently loved it and considered it Scripture, or they thought it had no place in the Bible. So perhaps he had some motivation to distance it from the apostles. Later scholars have used this possible motivation to discredit Eusebius’ interpretation of Papias.

Other scholars have maintained this distinction as well though, and they’ve dubbed this writer John the Revelator, John the Elder, John the Divine, and John the Theologian. All of these names are used to separate this John from John the Apostle. But it’s a bit messy, because these names are also sometimes used interchangeably with John the Apostle.

Did Saint John write 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John?

Most scholars today believe that the same author wrote 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, but not everyone believes that author was John the Apostle. Tradition holds that he wrote them all, and 1 John does have a lot of correlations in content to the Gospel of John (light, darkness, etc.), but there are some differences in grammatical style, too. (Those are pretty complicated, with conditional sentences, demonstrative pronouns, etc.)

Ancient writers have disputed the authorship of the Johannine epistles as well. Saint Jerome, the fourth-century theologian who produced the Latin Vulgate , agreed with Eusebius’ conclusion about John the Presbyter, and he went on to argue that while John the Apostle wrote the Gospel of John and 1 John, a different John wrote 2 John and 3 John.

“It appears through this catalogue of names that the John who is placed among the disciples is not the same as the elder John whom he places after Aristion in his enumeration. This we say moreover because of the opinion mentioned above, where we record that it is declared by many that the last two epistles of John are the work not of the apostle but of the presbyter.” — On Illustrious Men

Jerome and Eusebius also suggested that the introductions of these three letters made it appear as though they weren’t all written by the same person. (In other words, John the Presbyter wrote the second and third epistles.)

But Irenaeus, who lived earlier than Jerome and Eusebius, references 1 and 2 John and claims he is quoting the Apostle John.

So what do we make of this? Some of the earliest references to the letters attribute them to the Apostle John, and church tradition has held him as the author ever since. One can argue that he didn’t write them, but there are strong counter arguments as well. In the end, we can’t say for sure that he did or didn’t write them.

How did John die?

Church tradition holds that John was the only apostle to die of old age. The rest were martyred for their faith.

Before Jesus died on the cross, he entrusted his mother Mary to John’s care—assuming John actually is the beloved disciple (John 19:26–27). When Mary died, John went to Ephesus and wrote his three epistles. Then he was exiled to Patmos for preaching the gospel, where he received the revelation from Christ and wrote the Book of Revelation. Eventually he made it back to Ephesus and died an ordinary death sometime after 98 AD.

Tertullian, a Christian writer from the late second and early third century, wrote that before the Romans banished John, they brought him into a coliseum and dunked him in a vat of boiling oil. When he emerged unharmed, the entire coliseum converted to Christianity.

Throughout his later life, John also had some significant students. Polycarp (who eventually became bishop of Smyrna) learned from John and then taught Irenaeus. John taught Ignatius of Antioch as well, whom Peter eventually appointed as the bishop of Antioch. And Papias of Hierapolis learned directly from John as well.

A pillar the church still leans on

The Apostle John is a well-known gospel figure. Whether he was “the one whom Jesus loved” or not, he was one of Jesus’ closest followers, and he witnessed more of Jesus’ ministry than almost anyone else. That’s why the early Christian church leaned on his insight into the life and teachings of Christ, and why other leaders like Paul appealed to his authority (Galatians 2:8).

Centuries after his death, as the church deconstructed heretical beliefs , John’s writings would help anchor Christians in their understanding of Jesus’ preeminence (John 1:1–4) and his relationship to the Father (John 3:16).

Today, John’s gospel is one of the best tools for evangelism that Christians have—if not the best. Passages from his writings have become our definition of God (1 John 4:8), and others have become so ubiquitous that even many non-Christians know them by heart.

We may never know with absolute certainty how much the Apostle John wrote himself. And we will never be able to measure the impact he’s had on Christianity and the world.

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Is this particular study of the Book of John in audio format kind of like your whiteboard videos? I would really love the audio / video format of these studies because reading puts many of us to sleep which is why we do it before bed. I don’t want to be sleepy or tired when I’m studying the Bible, and it doesn’t matter if I wake up fresh and start reading it still makes me tired and it doesn’t matter what genre I’m reading it’s the active reading that makes me tired as it does most people. which is why I always gravitate towards video or audio studies Plus nowadays most of us travel so much or are visually impaired LOL which makes the audio/visual study materials the preferred go to. Thank you again for all the work you put into this I am just blown away by the vast amount of wisdom and knowledge and work that it has gone into this by you.

Following my last comment. James is often mentioned with Peter and John in the Books of Mathew, Mark and Luke, but in the Book of Acts, Peter and John were working together, and James just seems disappeared. True? and why?

Well, whatever happened, James was important enough for Herod to kill. When that made his subjects happy, he went after Peter, too. (Acts 12:1–3)

Thank you for the information of John the Apostle. I am curious that why John is always mentioned after Peter in the Book of Acts. Even in the Books of Mathew, Mark and Luke. John is usually mention with other names, especially after Peter and James. It seems John is rarely mentioned alone. Why?

Hard to say (and probably not terribly important). It’s possible James was older than John, but we don’t really know.

I am teaching a class on John, please send me all the material on John you have.

For now, this beginner’s guide is all we’ve written about the Apostle John. We do have another post exploring the Gospel of John though, and you’re welcome to download the infographic in this post. Good luck with your class!

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Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, I believe, if you're looking for the biography of Jesus. Most of The Bible is biography though, except for the letters.

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Meera Lester has written: 'Writing for the ethnic markets' 'The everything Mary Magdalene book' 'Saints blessings' -- subject(s): Biography, Christian saints, English, Prayer-books and devotions 'The everything women of the Bible book' -- subject(s): Bible, Biography, Women in the Bible

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