Your Access to the Bible
First Session: In the Beginning
Week 1: We begin at ground zero, the assumption that you are picking up a Bible for the first time. We will start with the Bible as a physical book—become acquainted with its basic structure and the options that you might find in your own particular Bible. We will then cover several ‘beginnings’ of actual texts in the Bible.
Parts of the Bible
Statement of translation (who, when, what were the things deemed most important).
Tables of Contents:
First table usually is the order of the Bible as printed.
Please note that customarily the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis 1.1) starts on page one and the numbering begins again at page one for the Gospel of Mark 1.1)
A second table of contents will list the page numbers for the Books listed in alphabetical order.
Optional Parts, varying from edition to edition:
Footnotes explaining word choices.
Footnotes describing in brief what a passage may be about.
Footnotes or side notes giving other Bible verses which are closely related (e.g. 1. In the Gospel of Luke when Jesus reads from the Scroll of the Book of Isaiah from the Hebrew Scriptures, and the passage quotes the actual words, a footnote may state chapter and verse from Isaiah. E.g. 2. When two different books, such as the Gospels, report the same event but with slightly different words, a footnote may direct you to the other passage).
A Concordance: at the back of the Bible, the listing by alphabetical order of key repeating words in the Bible. Example, if you want to find out how many times and ways the Bible uses the word ‘bread’ then the Concordance will list all of the passages in which ‘bread’ appears in all the scriptures.
A variety of other study materials, from maps to genealogies, to tables comparing weights and measures.
Bible citations: In the Bible there are many Books, identified by a specific name, e.g. Genesis, Exodus, the Gospel of Luke and so forth. Each book is divided into chapters, and then chapters into verses. E.g. So Genesis starts with 1, the first chapter, and in that chapter describes the creation of the fish and birds in verses 20, 21, 22, and 23 So the reference to find this passage would be Genesis 1. 20-23.
The Hebrew Scriptures are what we have received from the Jewish predecessors of Jesus and his followers. This was the only scripture which Jesus knew.
Going further:
The term Old Testament has been used widely to refer to these scriptures.
This term is considered by some as implying that the religion, promises, and beliefs have been replaced by the New Testament.
The Christian Church has, however, found great value and insight into faith through the Hebrew Scriptures.
The first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures are called The Torah by Jewish worshipers. These five books, the same as in our Bible, are the most sacred. Tradition teaches that they were dictated to Moses by God.
After the Torah, the Christian and Jewish Bible have the same books, but in a different order.
The New Testament is much shorter the Hebrew Scriptures.
Going further:
Instead of thinking in terms of new as opposed to old (old/new, like black/white, up/down…opposites) we regard the Christian Scriptures as additions to the Hebrew Scriptures.
Many Christian writers through the ages have looked at the Hebrew Scriptures from a Christian perspective and found symbols of Jesus and the church and so forth in those earlier writings.
The Apocrypha consists of writings that date from the end of the Hebrew Scriptures to the start of the Christian, about a 150 year period.
Going further:
The Roman Catholic Church regards these books as equal to all the others in Holy Scripture.
Anglicans regard these books as useful for edification but not of equal merit to the other books of the Bible as the word of God. While we may have a few readings from the Apocrypha in our worship, by and large they are not used in church.
Most Protestant denominations do not accept the Apocrypha as having status as the word of God.
Hebrew Scripture Purpose: To tell about God’s relationship with a chosen people, the history, expectations, rules, hopes, fears, doubts.
New Testament Purpose: To tell about Jesus Christ and his Church.
Exercise: look at Genesis 1.1-5
Next look at Genesis 2. 4-8
Finally look at the Gospel of John 1. 1-5
How are they alike?
How are the different?
How does each fit with the purposes of Hebrew and Christian scriptures?
If you didn’t know which scriptures each passage was from, how could perhaps tell?
Three things to remember from today’s lesson:
1. The Bible is divided into the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament, with the optional Apocrypha. Any copy of the Bible will have a Table of Contents at the front to assist you in finding where each begins and ends.
2. Each of the Testaments is divided into books, and then into chapters and verses, with a shorthand way of expressing these: (book name) (chapter): (verse/s), Genesis 1: 1-3
3. Each Testament has its own unique purpose. The first is to tell about the Jewish people and their God. The second is to tell about Jesus and his church.
