How to Use The Bible

Overview: this session's focus

• The Bible features content that appears in red ink which marks categories of the books
• What is listed in these notes: the categories, the books themselves, and the page numbers in the table of contents
• What is not listed here: individual characters or narrative table of contents; there is no single book named after a character (e.g., Moses) nor a single book that tells every story (e.g., Noah’s flood, Jesus’ resurrection) in isolation
• It takes practice to connect books of the Bible to specific characters and stories; be patient with the process
• Quick reading/notation practice: you’ll be asked to locate passages using the book, chapter, and verse format

Table of contents: what to expect and what not to expect

• The table of contents shows:
  • The categories of the books (e.g., Pentateuch, historical, wisdom, prophetic on the OT side; Gospels, letters on the NT side),
  • The books themselves, and
  • The page numbers for where to find them
• What you won’t find in the table of contents:
  • Names of characters as standalone entries
  • Specific story entries (e.g., the flood, the resurrection) as separate items
• Page-count note: the table of contents spans $2$ pages (a front and a back of a page)
• Practical classroom tip: if you plan to use a New Testament copy now, set it aside and bring the Old Testament book for the current module

The two major divisions: Old Testament vs New Testament

• The Bible is composed of two main parts:
  • Old Testament (OT)
  • New Testament (NT)
• Scope for this semester: we will focus exclusively on the Old Testament through Christmas break
• After break: the New Testament material will be studied (in January)
• Quick counts (as discussed in class):
  • Old Testament books: $46$
  • New Testament books: $27$
  • Total books: $73$
• Quick comparative takeaway: the OT contains more books and covers a broader historical span before the birth of Jesus; the NT begins with Jesus’ birth and continues to the end of prophetic revelation

First and last books in each testament

• Old Testament:
  • First book: Genesis
  • Last book: Malachi (part of the prophets)
• New Testament:
  • First book: Matthew
  • Last book: Revelation
• Thematic notes:
  • OT encompasses creation up to the period just before Jesus’ birth
  • NT begins with the birth of Jesus and continues through the apostolic era to Revelation

How the books are organized (by categories, not chronology)

• Books are not always in strict chronological order
• They are grouped by categories in the table of contents:
  • Pentateuch
  • Historical books
  • Biblical novellas (short narrative works)
  • Wisdom literature
  • Prophetic writings
• Pentateuch: definition
  • The prefix $ext{penta} = 5$; Pentateuch = the first five books
  • In Judaism, this block is also called the Torah (the five books of Moses)
  • The five books are:
  • Genesis
  • Exodus
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers
  • Deuteronomy
• Historical books: overview (not exhaustively listed here)
• Biblical novellas: explanation
  • A novella is a short narrative, longer than a short story but shorter than a novel
  • Some of these narrative works appear in the OT section
• Wisdom literature and Prophetic writings: brief notes
  • Wisdom includes books like Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, etc. (not enumerated in this excerpt)
  • Prophetic writings include major and minor prophets (Malachi is in this category, as noted)

The New Testament: three main categories

• Gospels
• New Testament letters (epistles) addressed to specific communities or individuals
• Catholic (general) letters
  • Catholic in this context means universal; these letters are included in Catholic Bibles and order from James to Revelation
• Note on terminology: the speaker labels the categories and gives a practical description for how they appear in their Bible

A few practical notes about the Bible’s physical design (why pages are thin)

• A thinner page design helps reduce the Bible’s overall weight and production cost
• A standard Bible can be heavy due to dense pages; thinner pages make it more portable and cheaper to publish
• Classroom takeaway: explore how page design impacts usability and readability in study materials

How to locate passages: book → chapter → verse

• Standard reading method used in class:
  • Start with the book name, then the chapter number, then the verse number
  • The format is: Book name, Chapter number, Verse number (e.g., Exodus 20:12)
• Observations about the layout on a page:
  • Chapters are large numbers within the text
  • Verse numbers are smaller superscripts
  • The top left corner of the page typically shows the first verse of the page range; the top right corner shows the last verse on that page
  • This layout is similar to how a dictionary shows a first and last word for a given entry
• Assignment practice example used in class:
  • Read Exodus 20:12 (the task demonstrates book → chapter → verses approach)
  • For Exodus 20:12, the reader cited the verse as: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land” (paraphrased for memory; exact wording can be checked in the Bible)
  • If given an assignment to read Luke 7:27–36, the instruction is to read exactly $27$–$36$, and to use the table of contents to locate Luke

Subheadings and subtitles in the Bible

• Many passages include subtitles/subheadings that appear in red italicized font in this Bible
• Example: Luke 7:27–36 is labeled with a subheading such as “Jesus’ testimony to John”
• Reading strategy with subheadings:
  • The story itself begins at verse 24 in this example, but the assigned reading may start at verse 27
  • The subheading indicates the broader narrative section or theme the verses belong to
• Key reading note: for Luke 7:27–36, the subheading indicates the story’s placement within the larger narrative of Jesus and John the Baptist

A sample exercise you’ll do in class

• Form groups of four to five students (groups can be the same as before)
• I will pass out a double-sided handout; you will focus on the front side (top side) only for this exercise
• Materials needed: a Bible and a pen/pencil
• Homework/reading task will involve locating passages using the book → chapter → verse format and identifying the relevant subheadings

Quick recap of key points (reference reminders)

• The Bible is divided into two main sections: $OT$ and $NT$
• Totals: OT has $46$ books; NT has $27$ books; total $73$ books
• OT first/last books: Genesis → Malachi (Prophets)
• NT first/last books: Matthew → Revelation
• OT organization by categories: Pentateuch (5 books), Historical, Biblical novellas, Wisdom, Prophetic
• Pentateuch meaning: ext{penta}=5
  ightarrow ext{five books}; Torah in Judaism
• New Testament includes Gospels, NT letters, Catholic letters
• Reading conventions: book → chapter → verse; page layout shows first and last verse on a page; verse numbers are superscripts
• Subheadings provide narrative context (e.g., “Jesus’ testimony to John” for Luke 7:27–36)
• In-class practice emphasizes group work, careful reading, and using the table of contents to locate passages