ORTHODOX CATECHISM
1. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
2. WHICH ARE THE BOOKS CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE?
1. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
The name Bible comes from the Greek word βιβλία, which means books or collection of books. Even though the biblical texts are gathered together in the form of a book, the Bible is not just one book, but several, written in different times and places, over a period of about 1500 years, by over 40 different authors.
2. WHICH ARE THE BOOKS CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE?
Considering the time in which they were written and the historical period in which the events covered in their content took place, the books of the Bible are divided into1:
- → The books of the Old Testament (written before Christ): 50 books;
- → The books of the New Testament (written in the 1st century AD): 27 books;
The following are all the books contained in the Bible:
- → The Old Testament2
- 1. Genesis;
- 2. Exodus;
- 3. Leviticus;
- 4. Numbers;
- 5. Deuteronomy;
- 6. Joshua;
- 7. Judges;
- 8. Ruth;
- 9. 1 Kings (1 Samuel);
- 10. 2 Kings (2 Samuel);
- 11. 3 Kings (1 Kings);
- 12. 4 Kings (2 Kings);
- 13. 1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles);
- 14. 2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles);
- 15. 1 Ezra;
- 16. 2 Ezra;
- 17. Neemiah;
- 18. Tobit;
- 19. Judith;
- 20. Esther;
- 21. 1 Maccabees;
- 22. 2 Maccabees;
- 23. 3 Maccabees;
- 24. Psalms;
- 25. Job;
- 26. Proverbs of Solomon;
- 27. Ecclesiastes;
- 28. Song of Songs;
- 29. Wisdom of Solomon;
- 30. Wisdom of Sirach;
- 31. Hosea;
- 32. Amos;
- 33. Micah;
- 34. Joel;
- 35. Obadiah;
- 36. Jona;
- 37. Nahum;
- 38. Habakkuk;
- 39. Zephaniah;
- 40. Haggai;
- 41. Zechariah;
- 42. Malachi;
- 43. Isaiah;
- 44. Jeremiah;
- 45. Baruch;
- 46. Lamentation of Jeremiah;
- 47. Epistle of Jeremiah;
- 48. Ezekiel;
- 49. Daniel;
- 50. 4 Maccabees;
- → The New Testament
- 1. Gospel according to Holy Apostle Matthew;
- 2. Gospel according to Saint Mark;
- 3. Gospel according to Saint Luke;
- 4. Gospel according to Holy Apostle John;
- 5. Acts of the Holy Apostles;
- 6. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans;
- 7. First Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians;
- 8. Second Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians;
- 9. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians;
- 10. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians;
- 11. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians;
- 12. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Colossians;
- 13. First Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians;
- 14. Second Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians;
- 15. First Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy;
- 16. Second Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy;
- 17. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to Titus;
- 18. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to Philemon;
- 19. Epistle of Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews;
- 20. Catholic Epistle of Saint James;
- 21. First Catholic Epistle of Holy Apostle Peter;
- 22. Second Catholic Epistle of Holy Apostle Peter;
- 23. First Catholic Epistle of Holy Apostle John;
- 24. Second Catholic Epistle of Holy Apostle John;
- 25. Third Catholic Epistle of Holy Apostle John;
- 26. Catholic Epistle of Saint Jude;
- 27. Book of Revelation;
___
1 The division of the books of Holy Scripture into the Old Testament and the New Testament was first recorded by the Church writer Tertullian in the book Adversus Praxean, in the twentieth chapter. The book was written by Tertullian in the late second or early third century.
2 The order of nomination of the books was made according to the one found in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.