Introduction Bible Study in Plain English By Bill Huebsch What s in this Bible Study in Plain English? This Bible Study in Plain English is your introduction to the whole Bible. Through it, you will meet every major character and revisit every major story of Sacred Scripture. The Bible Study in Plain English generally travels through the Bible from front to back, beginning with Genesis and concluding with the Book of Revelation. But at certain points, the study groups similar kinds of biblical books together in order to understand them more easily. Before you begin, review these notes and the charts below to learn about the most probable authorship, dating, and intended audience for each biblical book. You should own a map or a series of maps showing various historical periods of Bible history and the geography of the Middle East. There are probably good maps in the back of your Bible. The word Bible. The word bible derives from the Latin and Greek languages. In Latin, one might say biblia to refer to a book, or a collection of pages. In Greek, one might use the word (pronounced ta biblion), which means, literally, the book. And that s exactly what the Bible is; it s a collection of books that were written over a long period of time, beginning more than a thousand years before the common era and continuing up through about 130 in the common era. Dating terms. Throughout this Bible Study in Plain English, we ll refer to the period before Christ as BCE, before the common era, and the period since Christ as CE, during the common era. This is in accord with multi-faith practice. Likewise, in this Bible Study we ll follow the custom of Jewish scholars who prefer to call the first 46 books of the Bible the Hebrew Scriptures rather than the Old Testament. The name old testament does not show The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 1
respect for Jews and others for whom these texts are not old but still rather new. And we ll refer to the latter part of the Bible as the Christian Scriptures for the same reason. Various kinds of writing. The Bible contains as many different styles of writing as there are authors. Here are some examples of some of the writing styles you will find: Epic Stories: These are largerthan-life accounts of the growth and history of God s People. They were written down by unknown compilers based on tribal stories told over many generations. Read the story of Abraham or Moses, for example. They re part of an epic tale describing God s love for us and God s desire that we live faithfully. Parables and Allegories: These are teaching stories, told to make certain points. Parables were famously used in the Christian Scriptures, but they also appear in the Hebrew Scriptures. When you read of Nathan confronting David, for example, or of Jesus teaching about forgiveness, chances are you ll be reading a parable. Songs: Psalms and canticles in the Bible were set to music and sung by the people. And in the Christian Scriptures, the letter writers sometimes appear to be quoting hymns from the early church or from the Hebrew Scriptures. Read Mary s hymn in Luke and you ll hear an echo of Hannah s hymn from 1 Samuel. Laws: The Bible contains the many laws, rules, procedures, and traditions of the faith community. Almost the entire book of Leviticus, for example, tells about the laws observed by the Hebrew people. Read chapter 19 for a great example of this. Letters: Some of the most powerful literature in the Christian Scriptures are the letters from church leaders to individuals or communities in the early church. Other Literary Forms: The Bible also contains short stories, religious history, biographies, and many other forms of writing. All in all, the Bible is a fabulous book, full of mystery, and brimming over with the exciting word of God. Poetry: These are some of the oldest and most beautiful poems in human history. Read Psalm 16, for example, and you will understand the power of poetry to touch the human heart. The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 2
Who wrote the Bible? The Bible was written by many different authors over a period of more than a thousand years. In each case, the Holy Spirit inspired and guided the authors. The authors wrote in their own words and in their own styles, using their own skills and their own language. Most of the Hebrew Scriptures were written in Hebrew while the Christian Scriptures were all written in Greek. Over the years, there have been many translations of these original texts. Not all the translations are identical. The order of the books. Most people who read the Scriptures assume that the books of the Bible were written in the order in which they are presented there. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the order would be: first the Torah followed by the historical books next the wisdom and poetry books and finally the prophets And in the Christian Scriptures, the order would be: first the four Gospels then Acts of the Apostles followed by the letters of Paul and others and finally the Revelation of John That is not the order in which these books were written, however. It s an arbitrary order established when the Bible was formed. The charts below show the probable order and authors of the various books in the Scriptures. In speaking about the dating and authorship of the various books in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, one must understand that biblical scholarship (shared among Catholic, Jewish, Anglican, and Protestant scholars) is constantly unfolding a more and more accurate picture of these writings. Our understanding of when and by whom some of the documents in the Scriptures were written is growing. The writers. No one of these writers on this list sat down at his or her desk one day and said to him or herself, Gee, I think I ll write a book of the Bible today. Each of the documents in the Scriptures began as something else. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the purpose and audience for many of the books varies. In many cases, there is no doubt that the writer wanted to set down a permanent historical record of the people and events that formed the Hebrew people. Other texts were liturgical in nature. Some were poetry. And some may have been written originally as stories to encourage and celebrate their lives and victories. In the Christian Scriptures, Mark s Gospel, for example, may have been an early catechism book. Luke and Acts seem to be something of a travelogue of the faith. The various letters were The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 3
written to encourage, correct, or celebrate the faith in the early communities of Christians. None of the books found in the Bible was intentionally written as part of the Bible. Later, after generations had revered them, a collection of books and letters was finally drawn together as a Scripture. Even after a list of books to include in the Bible was agreed upon, disagreement about what should and should not be included in the Scriptures continued down through the centuries. Even today, not everyone agrees on what books should be included in the Scriptures. The method of study. We recommend that you simply follow the notes and move through each of the study guides provided in this series. Have Bibles open and handy. All notes and other jottings can be made right on these reproducible pages. Space is always provided, or use the back of the sheets for more elaborate notes. Bibles often have excellent short commentaries built right into them. We suggest you read those commentaries, marking them with your notes and questions, before meeting to study as a group. Make full use of the front matter and back matter in your Bible as well. Most groups have better outcomes when a facilitator is named. It might be possible to pass the duties of facilitator around from person to person, or one member of your group may emerge as your leader. In either case, you ll find the notes in this Bible Study in Plain English to be complete and user-friendly. The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 4
The Writing of the Sacred Books Bible Study in Plain English By Bill Huebsch Contents A summary of all the books of the Bible The dating, audience, and probably authorship of the books of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The dating, audience, and probably authorship of the books of the New Testament (Christian Scriptures) The Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy The first five Old Testament books are known as the books of the Law, or the Pentateuch or the Torah. The first 11 chapters of Genesis tell about God. Unlike the pagans of the ancient world, the Hebrew people (later known as Israelites or Jews) believed in only one true God. Through the stories of Creation, The Great Flood and The Tower of Babel we see that God created everything, and He loves and actively sustains all His creation. The remainder of Genesis tells the history of the patriarchs. The Jews trace their ancestry to a man named Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. The Muslim Arabs also trace their ancestry to Abraham, through his son Ishmael. Exodus and Numbers tell the story of Moses, who led the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt around 1300 B.C. They wandered for forty years in the desert before arriving at their Promised Land. During the time in the desert, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Leviticus and Deuteronomy discuss the relationship between God and His chosen people, the Hebrews. They also give details of the Law that regulated almost every aspect of Hebrew life. The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 5
Moses is traditionally considered to be the author of the Pentateuch, but as with many other books of the Bible, the author and date written are not known for certain. The Historical Books Joshua Judges Ruth 1st Samuel 2nd Samuel 1st Kings 2nd Kings 1st Chronicles 2nd Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Tobit* Judith* Esther 1st M accabees* 2nd M accabees* The Wisdom Books Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon W isdom* Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)* The Books of Prophecy Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah M icah Nahum Habakkuk The remainder of the Old Testament books are divided by the Jews into categories of prophets and writings. However, Christians organize it differently into sections of historical books, wisdom books, and books of prophecy. The historical books tell the history of Israel from the time of Moses until several hundred years before the time of Jesus. After 40 years in the desert, the Hebrews conquered their Promised Land of Canaan. For a time, the tribes of Israel were ruled by a series of judges. Then, in the eleventh century B.C., came the monarchy with Kings Saul, David, Solomon and several other kings. Israel suffered a number of military defeats. Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 B.C. and many captives were taken away to Babylon. Eventually, the people were allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem and their civilization. Psalms, Proverbs, Wisdom and Sirach contain many sayings of practical wisdom to help live a happy, successful and holy life. Job and Ecclesiastes deal with the weightier issues of the meaning of life, the existence of evil and our relationship to God. Song of Solomon is a love song glorifying romantic love between a man and woman, although it is sometimes interpreted allegorically as a story about the love of God for Israel or the Church. Prophecy means speaking the mind of God. Some prophecies predict the future. Others are special messages of instruction or warning from God. The prophets were called by God to give these predictions, messages and warnings to kings, other leaders and the people. Except for Lamentations and Baruch, Each of these books is named for one of the well-known Hebrew prophets, but there were many minor prophets also. The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 6
Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah M alachi *Included in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not in most Protestant editions. Books of the New Testament The Gospels M atthew M ark Luke John The four Gospels tell of the birth, life, ministry, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark was written around 70 A.D., about 40 years after Jesus was crucified. Matthew and Luke were written between 80 and 90 A.D. Finally, the Gospel of John appeared in its final form around 95 A.D. Matthew, Mark and Luke are very similar. It is commonly believed that Matthew and Luke incorporated much of the material in Mark and another common source that is now lost. Each author then added some unique material. The Gospel of John is quite different. It is much more of a spiritual and theological work, although it relates many of the same events as the other three Gospels. Acts of the Apostles The Letters of Paul Romans 1st Corinthians 2nd Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1st Thessalonians 2nd Thessalonians 1st Timothy 2nd Timothy Titus Philemon Acts of the Apostles is a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, written by the same author. It tells the history of the first 30 years of the Christian Church. The story is mostly centered on the apostles Peter and Paul who were the preeminent leaders of early Christianity. Many of the New Testament letters (also known as epistles) are traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul. 1st Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philippians, and Philemon are undisputed genuine letters of Paul. There is less certainty about the authorship of 2nd Thessalonians, Colossians, Hebrews, Ephesians, 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus. Paul probably wrote 1st Thessalonians and Galatians around 50 A.D., and they are the oldest books in the New Testament. Paul wrote his letters to various Christian communities The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 7
Hebrews Other letters The catholic letters James 1st Peter 2nd Peter 1st John 2nd John 3rd John Jude Revelation to instruct and encourage them in the faith and to address specific problems and disputes that had arisen in those communities. Many of the beliefs and practices of Christianity originated from Paul's teachings in these letters. These letters were also written to encourage, instruct and correct the early Christians. The catholic (meaning universal) letters were circulated among the various Christian communities and read at their meetings. Throughout the letters we see the need to put our faith and trust in Christ and to put that faith into action through Christian love (kindness and respect) for all people. Revelation is also a letter, but it is in the form of apocalyptic literature, which tells a story through symbols, images and numbers. Revelation offers comfort and encouragement to Christians of all ages that God is firmly in control. When the time is right, the forces of evil that seem to dominate our world will be utterly destroyed, and God's eternal kingdom will come into its fulfillment. The dating, audience, and probable authorship of the books of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Probable year Event or document Probable author about 1800 Abraham & Sarah in Canaan about 1700 Jacob & family move to Egypt 1240 The Exodus is underway 1200 Joshua leads people into Palestine between 1200 & 1000 The Book of Genesis unknown person who gathered oral stories from various tribes of Israel possibly about 1250 The Book of Exodus unknown author gathers stories as for The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 8
Probable year Event or document 1125 Deborah & Barak defeat Canaanite army between 1080 & 1040 The Books of 1 & 2 Samuel 1040 Saul is named first king of Israel 1000 David unites kingdom, establishes Jerusalem as capital 961-922 Solomon builds first Temple 922 Kingdom divides into north and south Probable author Genesis unknown author between 1000 & 800 The Book of Ruth unknown author during 900 s The Book of various scribes Deuteronomy 800 s or 700 s Joshua scribes steeped in tradition of Deuteronomic school 783 Amos Amos and scribes 755 Hosea Hosea and scribes 740 1 st Isaiah 1 st Isaiah 720 Micah Micah and editors 721 Assyrians conquer and end kingdom in north 663 Nahum Nahum 630 Zephaniah Zephaniah and editor 626 Jeremiah Jeremiah and Baruch 609 Habakkuk Habakkuk 550 2 nd Isaiah 2 nd Isaiah 593-573 Ezekiel Ezekiel and scribes 587 Babylonians conquer south and exile begins between 587 & 538 The Book of Numbers priestly scribe after 587 The Book of Judges unknown, in tradition of Deuteronomic school after 587 The Books of 1 & 2 Kings unknown, in tradition of Deuteronomic school The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 9
Probable year Event or document Probable author over many years The Book of Psalms many authors from 970 to after 538 The Book of Proverbs unknown, in the honorary name of King Solomon 587-538 The Book of unknown Lamentations 538 Cyrus of Persia ends exile after 538 3 rd Isaiah 3 rd Isaiah after 538 The Book of Leviticus member of priestly class 500 s, after exile The Books of 1 & 2 a Levite scribe Chronicles after Exile Baruch unknown compiler after Exile Obadiah Obadiah after 538 Song of Solomon unknown late 500 s Esther unknown after 515 Joel Joel and scribes 400 s Jonah unknown 520 Haggai Haggai 520 Haggai urges building of second Temple 520 Zechariah Zechariah and later editors 458 Malachi unknown 458 Ezra reads from scroll of Torah 445 Nehemiah rebuilds walls of Jerusalem after 400 The Books of Ezra & Nehemiah a scribe, possibly the same as the writer of Chronicles 332 Greeks conquer Holy Land 300 s Tobit unknown between 200-200 Ecclesiastes the Teacher about 180 Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) Jesus Ben Sira 167 Jewish persecution under Antiochus, Temple is defiled The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 10
Probable year Event or document Probable author 166 Maccabean revolt against Greeks 164 Temple is rededicated about 164 The Book of Daniel unknown 100 s Judith unknown after 100 1 Maccabees unknown about 100 2 Maccabees unknown unknown Job unknown 63 Romans conquer Holy Land about 50 Wisdom of Solomon unknown The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 11
The dating, audience, and probable authorship of the books of the New Testament (Christian Scriptures) Probable date Event or Document Probable author about 30 Jesus resurrection about 46-49 Paul s first missionary journey probably 50-51 1 st Thessalonians Paul about 50-52 Paul s second missionary journey about 54 Galatians Paul 54-68 Emperor Nero persecuted followers of the Way possibly 54-56 Philemon Paul possibly 55 Philippians Paul about 54-58 Paul s third missionary journey between 56-58 Romans Paul 56 1 Corinthians Paul 57 2 Corinthians Paul about 60 Paul is transferred to Rome as a prisoner between 65-70 Gospel of Mark an unknown Gentile Christian about 67 Paul dies as a martyr under Nero between 70-73 The Temple is destroyed in Jerusalem between 70-95 Ephesians a follower of Paul s between 60-62 Colossians most likely a follower of Paul s between 70-90 Gospel of Matthew unknown author between 70-90 2 Thessalonians probably a follower of Paul s The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 12
Probable date Event or Document Probable author between 70-90 1 Peter probably a follower of Peter s 81-96 Emperor Domitian persecutes Christians between 80-85 Gospel of Luke an unknown Gentile Christian about 80 Acts of the Apostles same author as Gospel of Luke about 85 Hebrews unknown between 90-100 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus probably followers of Paul s about 90 Jude unknown between 90-100 Gospel of John someone who may have been in the community founded by John between 92-96 Revelation of John a Jewish-Christian prophet named John after 100 James probably a follower of James about 100 1,2 & 3 John unknown person from the community which wrote the Gospel of John about 130 2 Peter unknown, writing in Peter s name The Bible Study in Plain English Version 2.0 2014 The Pastoral Center Page 13