The Old Testament
What the Bible is All About- Part 1
Part of What the Bible is All About—June-July 2025

The word Bible means

  • It was written over a period of

    years in over a dozen countries on three continents by people in different languages.

  • The Bible was written by poets, prophets, farmers, kings, soldiers, shepherds, princes, priests, historians, fisherman, tax collectors, scholars, businessmen and doctors.

  • There is only one Author of the Bible.

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

The Old Testament vs. The New Testament

The Old Testament tells the story about a


The New Testament tells the story about a

The Old Testament gathers around

and
The New Testament centers around and the

The Old Testament gathers around


The New Testament gathers around the

The Old Testament shows the

of God against sin
The Old Testament writes the law on
The New Testament writes the law on

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” —Matthew 5:17 (NIV)

The Story of the Old Testament

Law: 5 books - Genesis through Deuteronomy
History: 12 books Joshua through Esther
Poetry and Wisdom: Job through Song of Solomon
Prophets: 17 books - 5 Major Prophets – Isaiah through Daniel, 12 Minor Prophets – Hosea through Malachi

31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it in their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. —Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NIV)