It seems so simple. The Bible is divided into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament. In the simplest terms, this is true for many Christians, but the organization of the books of the Bible is really much more complicated than that. To state it more accurately, scholars refer to the Old Testament as the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as the Christian Bible. Considering that it was the life of Jesus that divided history in two, the Bible naturally divides into two parts---the writings before Jesus and the writings after Jesus. Thinking in terms of "The Hebrew Bible," and "The Christian Bible," will affect your approach when studying and understanding God's Word. You might ask yourself, "Am I studying Hebrew writers or Christian writers?" Further, you might wonder what the setting was, and to whom was the book or letter written? Indeed, the Holy Bible is the Word of God, but is the writer anticipating the coming of the Messiah or celebrating His arrival?
Another point to consider is your personal relationship to the Bible, especially to the Old Testament. I mention this because it has been claimed that Christians formed a new religion (The Jesus Cult) and then took all of Jewish sacred history, its heroes and writings and claimed them for their own. So, whose Bible is it? Is it a Bible belonging to Jews, Christians or both? For me to proceed further into this topic would involve exploring theology and individual beliefs---an area I purposely avoid. May I suggest this would make an interesting topic for your next Sunday/Sabbath School or prayer meeting? You might want to begin by discussing the meaning of Galatians 3:29, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." And, you might also wish to include Romans 3:29, "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but God."
Remember, the Bible is not a text book, a history book, or a set of lessons all laid out in a simple fashion. Instead, generally speaking, the Bible is a collection of holy books, written over 1600 years by some 36 authors. It is said that the Bible contains "Salvation History" or historical accounts of God working through His people to do His will. In short, the Bible, is about the coming of the Messiah and Savior. The people of the Old Testament looked forward by faith to His day. In our day, Christians look backward in faith to His life and teachings. Foremost, in faith, we all look forward to His coming again.

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin HuntThere is never a charge for my articles, and if you have a good reason, there is no limit to how many you may request. However, if you find them valuable you may want to order my latest book, History, Mystery and Facts About the Bible. Order at 1-800-845-7618 (ext. 301). You may also order from Amazon.com. Proceeds from the book go to support this ministry.

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