FOUNDATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN GROWTH Lesson ONE THE BIBLE ƒ³ THE WORD OF GOD
...y 3:16) and so has all the integrity and dependability of God. Any attempt to understand God and His ways without the Word of God is fruitless. The Bible must be the starting point of all doctrinal discussion, because it is Godƒs revelation of Himself to mankind. II. WHAT IS THE BIBLE? The Bible is made up of 66 books, divided into two testaments (i.e. covenants): the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was written down by approximately 44 inspired authors over a period spanning 1600 years. The Old Testament contains 39 books, spanning the time period from the creation of the world to the return of the Israelites from Babylonian exile. The New Testament contains 27 books, covering the time from Jesusƒ birth to the end of the 1st century. (See the end of this lesson for an overview of all the books of the Bible.) A. THE OLD TESTAMENT The 39 books of the Old Testament can be divided into five major parts: Pentat...