One Book Rightly Divided (DRAFT Unpublished 2018 edition)
Chapter 2: Bible Overview?
Read Chapter 1 first!
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Having established the purpose of this work in the previous chapter, our attention now turns to establishing the groundwork upon which
future chapters will build. The Lord Jesus Christ clearly identified the foundational principles involved in
methodical Bible study. In one instance, He pointed to three distinct divisions
calling them “the
law of Moses,” “the prophets,” and “the psalms.”
Luke
24:44 … written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their
understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures,
Christ referred to
these three divisions within “the scriptures.” It is important to
note that His referencing these three divisions helps visualize the fact that God intended for the body of scripture to be divided.
Yet, even these three simple divisions do not cover the entirety of the Old
Testament. These
designations simply illustrate that the scriptures can be (and should be)
divided into parts because of the need for methodical Bible study.
Word of Caution
Dividing the scripture into sections can
become
quite complex with its own unique set of potential
pitfalls. For example, the last seventeen books of the
Old Testament (Isaiah through Malachi)
present a prominent prophetic emphasis. This does not
exclude other books from containing prophecy. In fact, prophecy can be traced
all the way back to the opening chapters of Genesis (Genesis 3:15).
Additionally, the Book
of Psalms contains an extensive amount of prophecy. These truths are important to note since the Lord Jesus Christ declared that all “scripture” (meaning the entirety of the Old Testament) testified or prophesied of Him. In fact, Jesus frequently spoke of the existing
Old Testament scriptures as prophesying of events in His day. Along with the
example from Luke chapter 24 mentioned earlier, here is another example:
John
5:39 Search
the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Unlike the charts from the previous chapter, the next few charts
are not intended to illustrate any type of timeline. Instead, these charts serve as
a basic overview of the divisions of the books of the Bible as found in the Old and
New Testaments. Take note that
these are not
intended to be hard, fast divisions, but reflect the primary emphasis of the specific
contents
within each division.
Old Testament Book Divisions
Section A—The Pentateuch: Five Books, Genesis through Deuteronomy, primarily covering the 2,500 years from the
creation of man to the death of Moses. After detailing God’s creative work, focus almost
immediately shifts to God’s dealings with the first couple in a garden in Eden. The time period ends with God focused upon one nation wandering through the wilderness.
Section B—History: Twelve Books, Joshua through Esther, covering nearly a 1,000-year period reflecting an emphasis
on Israel’s historical record.
This record begins with the initial conquest of
Canaan and ends with the Jews
scattered (some into captivity while others remained in the land of promise). This
section chronicles the rise of the judges and the establishment
of the kings along with the captivities and the multiple returns of
the Jewish people into their promised land.
Section C—Poetry: Five Books, Job through Song of
Solomon, grouped
more for the type and nature of the content rather than any chronological order. This section is noted for its
literary beauty (from the tale of Job’s loss turned to triumph, to the songs of
the Old Testament saints, to the great thinker Solomon who wrote about the sheer vanity of all
things under the sun).
Section D—Prophecy (Old Testament): Seventeen Books, Isaiah through Malachi, commonly divided into Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel) and Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi) with these
designations based
on the length of their respective messages. (Note: Lamentations is smaller than several of the
so-called Minor Prophets, yet it sequentially falls within the Major Prophets and has a
direct association with the Major Prophet Jeremiah.)
These seventeen books center around the
captivities and restoration of God’s chosen people, the Jews. Much of its
content has been fulfilled in part and will find a complete fulfillment when God restores the Jewish people. Sometime following the Rapture of the Church
Age saints, God will turn His attention back to the
nation of Israel.
New Testament Book Divisions
Section E—The Gospels: Four Books, Matthew through
John, covering approximately thirty-three years of events,
commencing with the conception of John the Baptist and ending with the final ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back into Heaven.
Although the specific themes vary in
each of the gospel books, they serve the general purpose of presenting the
person and overall work of the Lord Jesus Christ amongst the Jews. Among other
details, this section chronicles: Christ’s baptism, His ministry, His calling
and equipping of twelve disciples (later called apostles), His betrayal, His
unjust crucifixion, His triumphant resurrection, and His final ascension back to
the Father in Heaven.
Section F—The Acts of the Apostles: One Book, Acts, commencing with the time period immediately preceding Christ’s ascension back into Heaven which aligns with the
final event recorded in the previous section. The book of Acts concludes with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome.
This book chronicles the acts (or actions) of the apostles similar to how the Old
Testament books of First and
Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles covered “the acts of” the kings. It spans approximately forty years, purposefully majoring upon the historical record.
The nature of this book
necessitates its standing alone especially because of its transitional nature
(i.e., Peter to Paul, Jew to Gentile, signs to no signs, etc.). Much of the applicable
doctrine and practical instructions taught during this period are more
extensively covered in the epistles following the book of Acts. However, not every church practice found in the book continues throughout the
epistles.
Note: Although the purpose of the book
of Acts primarily serves as a historical record, remember that “All scripture … is
profitable for doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16). As with any application, the reader’s crucial
starting point when reading Acts involves considering by whom, to whom, and at what time the doctrine was being
conveyed. Most false teachers, religious sects, and cults have ignored this important
study feature to the detriment of themselves and those whom they influence.
Section G—The Epistles: Twenty-One Books, Romans through Jude, containing the vast majority of the doctrinal
and practical teachings received by the early Church. While it is true that these teachings
directly applied to churches and individuals living during the first century,
the doctrines and practical instruction were intended to apply to saints for
the duration of the Church Age.
It
is important to note that the majority of the teachings within this section were
specifically given to the apostle Paul for the Church. In fact, by design, his name is the first word in the first
thirteen epistles in this section which are combined together to focus the reader
on the truths taught therein. Check it out by reading the first word in the
book of Romans through Philemon in a King James Bible.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a
servant of Jesus Christ
…
1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul,
called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ …
2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ …
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, …
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ …
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of
Jesus Christ …
Colossians 1:1 Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ …
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus …
2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus …
1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God …
2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ …
Titus 1:1 Paul, a
servant of God …
Philemon 1:1 Paul, a
prisoner of Jesus Christ …
Note: This section of twenty-one
epistles has often been further divided and classified
into the Epistles and the General Epistles with a single division placed
between the books of Philemon and Hebrews. Not
only does this division create potential misconceptions, but it is
inaccurate. An epistle is a General Epistle when
addressed to a general audience. John’s second and third
epistles do not fit this description.
Unfortunately, any rigid
application of this classification creates additional problems. For instance, those
who adamantly apply this rule to the so-called General Epistles (like Hebrews) sometimes
claim that the books of Hebrews through Jude lack application to Christians in
the Church Age.
Furthermore, far too many teachers teach these two designations because they
de-emphasize
the application for the Church any writings outside the thirteen epistles
beginning with Paul’s name (Romans through Philemon). Obviously, this error leads
to the teaching that the books following Philemon are completely excluded from containing
Church Age doctrine and application.
Yet, the entire twenty-one
epistles should be classified more by the general or specific audience to whom each
epistle is addressed. The point is that a general
audience epistle is addressed to a broader audience. Yet, Third John addressed “unto the well beloved Gaius” reveals a
more specifically defined audience.
Thus, the more appropriate designation would be a division between the Epistles and the General
Epistles as follows. The Epistles include Romans
through Hebrews along with Second John and Third John; whereas, the General Epistles include
James through First John and Jude.
These twenty-one epistles are where the Church finds its primary doctrine, practice, and purpose. This does not mean that variations in these epistles do not exist based upon
the audience receiving the epistle. The next verse could explain why God led
Paul [1] to write the book of
Hebrews to the Jewish Christians in the early Church and not designate it with
his customary style found in all his other thirteen epistles.
1
Corinthians 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to
them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are
under the law;
Under the direction
of the Holy Ghost, Paul tailored his message and methods to his target
audience. In the case of the book of Hebrews, it is quite obvious that his
target audience was uniquely Jewish in nature.
Footnote: [1] Discussion and explanation of Pauline authorship of Hebrews will be covered at length in later chapters.
Section H—Prophecy (New Testament): One Book, Revelation, beginning with
letters to seven first century literal New Testament churches and culminating
at the commencement of eternity future. Although seldom considered by most
Bible teachers, Revelation is very much a historical book.
Revelation begins with a historical record of messages delivered to seven
churches and then describes the history of John’s reception of the Revelation.
Finally, it describes future history as it chronicles end-time events. The
focus of Revelation is not so much on instruction of practical truths, but more
on the past, present, and future unfolding of events.
Another Perspective
The next chart of
the New Testament shows another basic division of the books of the New
Testament. Its layout also closely correlates to that of the Old Testament with
the three divisions of historical, practice, and prophetic.
Notice the
similarities of the New Testament layout to the following Old Testament layout.
It too has the three divisions of historical, practice, and prophetic.
Timeline Restrictions
It is important to recognize
the inherent difficulties of placing books of the Bible on a time-line which by
its nature is restrictive. Many of the books of the Bible contain overlapping
and transitional features that a finite timeline simply cannot adequately
illustrate. As has already been stated, much of the Bible contains prophecy covering
periods thousands of years ahead of its initial revelation and recording.
In addition to these
complexities, most prophecy finds its fulfillment fragmented. The prophecy has
a partial fulfillment in the past with the completed fulfillment yet to come in
a future time. There are also many instances of dual fulfillment: past and
future.[2]
Thus, a book of the
Bible may be placed upon the chart in the Old Testament but have content (especially
concerning prophecy) yet to be fulfilled far into the New Testament. In such
cases, each book shows up on the timeline in the period giving precedence to when
it was revealed rather than when the prophecy will be realized. (Please note
that the purpose for dividing the book of Revelation into several parts will be
explained later.)
Footnote: [2] There are many examples of Bible prophecies which have their complete fulfillment in the long term while exhibiting a short-term partial fulfillment. For example, Moses writes of a prophecy of a nation “from far” which God would send against Israel if they forsook Him (Deuteronomy 28:49). The fulfillment of this verse takes place with the Assyrians (Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 33:19; Hosea 8:1), Babylonians (Jeremiah 4:13; Jeremiah 5:15), as well as Rome (Luke 21:24).
Book Division Timing
The book of Genesis also speaks of the wanderings of the patriarchs
(the Jewish
fathers) ending with their settling in the land of Egypt. The remainder of this section chronicles Israel’s deliverance from Egypt along
with their journey to the land of promise. Specific emphasis in this section is placed upon the provision of laws or commandments to be obeyed by the Jewish nation upon
entering the land.
Section B—History: (~1500 BC to ~500 BC) This section
begins with one man (Joshua) leading a mostly united nation into the land of
promise. It ends with one woman (Esther) risking her life to spare a remnant of
that same nation while being held captive within a heathen land. The nation
repeatedly ignored God’s laws (mentioned in the previous section), resulting in
their ultimate demise. As they rejected the God that brought them into the land,
they turned to the idols that had been the root cause for removal of the land’s
previous inhabitants.
Just as God warned, their rebellion led Him to give both the northern (Israel) and the
southern (Judah) kingdoms into the hands of their enemies. This section covers their captivities in detail. Also of
notable interest: Section A to Section B has no overlap although
the Pentateuch does continue; Section B to Section D overlaps by approximately 300 years. This overlap will be
further explored with the details
of Section D.
Section C—Poetry: No defined charitable time element
Section D—Prophecy (Old Testament): (~800 BC
to ~400 BC) For approximately
500 years, Israel as one united
nation dwelt within the Promised Land. Solomon’s collecting of pagan wives and
his compromise with idolatry and the worship of false gods caused the kingdom to
be divided into two kingdoms following Solomon’s death. It split into the ten northern
tribes and the two southern tribes. The southern kingdom (Judah) retained a
king from David’s lineage while the northern kingdom (Israel) was not ruled by
a descendent of David.
Unfortunately, both kingdoms were forced into
captivity because they rebelled against God. Israel suffered the Assyrian captivity while Judah found itself in
the Babylonian captivity.
In advance of their respective captivities, God, in His grace,
sent prophets to warn of the impending judgment.
These warnings were mostly ignored. For instance, Amos and
Hosea were sent to Israel, while Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk were
sent to Judah.
During
their captivities, God sent Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These prophets were sent to exhort the
people, to warn of immediate judgment, and to promise deliverance. God used
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi to minister during and after each return of the
Jews to the land to help them to become reestablished.
Many
of the prophecies in this section spoke of immediate deliverance taking place
at the time of their writings. Their partial fulfillment indicated the deeper prophetic
nature of the writings. These writings pointed forward to the work that God’s
Son would accomplish in His first and second coming to earth.
Note: This section contains frequently misapplied promises
usurped by those attempting to assimilate the Jewish promises into the New
Testament Church. God will fulfill His promises with those to whom He made them—the
future believing Israel. A lack of spiritual understanding in this matter has led
to confusion, error, and even heresies. Continued ignorance will simply lead to
increased confusion, additional error, and further heresies.
Section E—Gospels: (~5 BC to ~AD 29) The four Gospels are the first
books of the New Testament. These
books follow the thirty-nine “Old Testament” books and the roughly 400 years of silence from God. The books of Matthew through John cover a period of time of approximately thirty-three years overlapping each other in content more so than
any other section of scripture. They end with the ascension of Jesus Christ,
the same event which kicks off the book of Acts. (Note: “5 BC” has been used to recognize the perceived errors in the
calendar dating systems.)
The
four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are both logically and
theologically grouped together as a unit. For this reason, the four Gospel
books should be studied together as a unit. However, it should be noted that
there is an obvious division between the Synoptic Gospels (that is, Matthew,
Mark, and Luke) and the Gospel of John. Although there are likely many reasons
for this distinction, John’s Gospel was written “that ye
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
Note: John is the
only writer that has a book in three of the four New Testament sections with Luke
as the only other writer with a book in two of the four sections.
Section F—Acts: (~AD 29 to ~AD 64) The book of Acts follows the Gospel of John. As has been previously discussed, the book of Acts serves
primarily as a historical and transitional book. It begins with the ascension of
the Lord Jesus Christ—the last major event recorded
in the Gospels (Luke 24:51). The
last half focuses upon Paul’s missionary journeys and ends with the apostle Paul
in a Roman prison.
As a historical book, Acts sets forth the act(ion)s of the
apostles. Every diligent Bible student quickly notices that the book of Acts is
not primarily a book of doctrine but predominantly historical in nature. As a transitional book, Acts transitions
from the Gospels (covering the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter, and the other eleven
apostles ministering primarily to the Jews) to Paul and his writings. It is very important to notice that the book of
Acts features a definite and defined transition
from one primary spokesman (Peter) to another (Paul).
As alluded to in Luke
22:32, Peter became the obvious leader of the apostles. The earliest chapters of the book of Acts further demonstrate Peter’s leadership role in
the Church’s embryonic stages. Following
Acts chapter 12, the complete shift in prominence and focus from Peter to Paul
becomes quite pronounced. This point is critical for understanding the Bible!
For instance, Peter’s
name appeared a total of 58 times in Acts, but only once after Acts chapter 12 (Acts
15:7). Even this occurrence in Acts chapter 15 shows Peter supporting
the ministry of the apostle Paul. On the other hand, Saul (whose name is changed
to Paul) appears 157 times in Acts with 141 of those occurrences after Acts
chapter 12.
Section G—The Epistles: (~AD
40 to ~AD 95) The twenty-one epistles were authored by five
men with the bulk of the writing being the work of the apostle Paul (obviously
via the Holy Ghost)—(1 Corinthians 2:13). Seventeen of these epistles begin with the name of the
author. Interestingly, John did not use his name in his epistles or his Gospel.
The book of Hebrews uniquely stands apart from the other books in this section
(which will be discussed later in this work).
These epistles take
the Church from its infancy all the way to the throne in Heaven, providing
doctrinal and practical instruction for its purification all along the way (Ephesians
5:25-27). Many of the epistles begin with doctrinal teaching followed
by the practical execution of the doctrines taught. The life of the Church parallels
the life of an individual. In infancy, the Church operated with the signs and
wonders required by the Jews, but later blossomed into the abiding strengths of
“faith, hope, and charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Section H—Prophecy (New Testament): (~AD 33 to Eternity) This section is divided into three parts on the timeline because it
contains relevant content covering
three distinct periods: the Church Age (Revelation
chapters 1-3 through 4:1); Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Revelation chapters 4-18); and the Second Coming, kingdom, and
eternity future (Revelation chapters
19-22).
The first three chapters of Revelation contain
letters to seven churches similar
to epistles sent by Paul and the other apostles to churches (although the Revelation letters
are very short). The fourth chapter sets forth John’s
rapture into Heaven to receive additional revelation (also representing a
wonderful PICTURE of the Church’s
Rapture and its presence in Heaven prior to the onset of any part of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
(commonly called the Tribulation Period).
Revelation chapters 5 through 18 expound
upon the persecution of the Jews and outpouring of Satan’s wrath.
As it was in the days of Job, the Devil and man will only be able to do
to the Jews that which God allows.
Therefore, the wrath depicted in these chapters is ultimately God’s
wrath.
At that time, God’s attention and prophetic plan again focus
upon the Jews. Chapter 19 chronicles the return of
Christ with His armies. Chapter 20 describes the kingdom, the Great White Throne, and the Second Death. The final two chapters of Revelation introduce
the New Jerusalem and the beginning of eternity future.
