The Bible is made up of 66 smaller books and divided into two sections, the Old Testament (which has 39 books) and the New Testament (which has 27 books).
Each book of the Bible contains chapters and verses. A chapter is a small grouping of a similar topic. A verse is a smaller section of a chapter, usually a few sentences long.
When someone quotes a Scripture or reads it out loud, they will usually say the name of the book first, then the chapter and then the verse. For example, if we wanted to confirm God’s purpose for sending Jesus to earth, we would look up the name of the book (John), the chapter number (3) and verse number (16). John 3:16 (NKJ) says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The Bible has been translated into many languages. This is because it was originally written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. To translate one language into another is difficult because not everything in one language has a direct, clear meaning in another. Some translations are easier to read because they use modern words like we have today. However, these versions might not be as accurate – meaning, not as close to the specific thoughts expressed in the original text.
Over the years, many people have done the work of translating, sometimes with their own feelings and personal opinions influencing their word choices. As a result, a Scripture in one translation might have a slight change of meaning in another. To get a deeper understanding of a Scripture, try reading it in multiple translations. It's also helpful to use a reference book, such as Strong's Concordance with a lexicon, to look up the definitions of the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words.
To make the most out of your Bible study, try to memorize the books in order so you can look up Scriptures faster. Once you find the book, the rest is numerical; meaning, it goes in order by number. Find the chapter and the verse, and then you’re all set!
So, how is the Bible organized? By two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are 66 total books, and each book contains chapters and verses. MemorizIng the books in order will save you valuable study time!
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
