Did you know that the books of the Bible are not in chronological order? Although most people would assume they are arranged by date, the Bible jumps back and forth in time, not by the year they were written.
for people who want to study the bible from a historical perspective, knowing the order of the books according to their date of writing can be a good way to read the bible.
You are reading: Books of the bible in chronological order list pdf
In this article I will share the chronological order and provide a free printable pdf that you can share with others.
go back in time
The year was 1978. My husband and I visited the Natural History Museum in London, England, and saw that there was a conference scheduled for that morning on ancient civilization and archaeology.
When we walked into the room and noticed the topic, I braced myself for the biblical cynicism we always hear in college. the archaeologist took the stage, the room fell silent.
The first thing he said was, “Isn’t it amazing that the further back we go in history, the more the biblical stories are confirmed?” wow. then he lectured for an hour on the Hittites and other tribes whose existence had recently been verified through archaeological excavations.
as you read this short article on reading the bible, keep in mind that it is the word of god. contains the true story from start to finish.
Let’s be real. the bible is confusing.
sixty-six separate books collated into one volume, written by numerous authors, labeled “old” and “new”, then translated into seemingly endless versions.
Deemed fiction by some, ridiculed by others as fairy tales, most writings have been validated through historical and archaeological discoveries. However, one question in particular has baffled Bible readers every day and that is, “Why is it organized the way it is?”
As a high school teacher I enjoyed teaching biblical literacy classes. it also required me to learn quite a bit that I didn’t know until then (also read my bible reading plan for beginners).
what a joy it was to share with others the truth of ancient historical writings.
how the bible is organized by books (39 books of the old and 27 of the new testament)
The Hebrew Bible (or “Old” Testament as the modern Christian church refers to it), is the original Bible or the writings of the original Hebrew scriptures. scribes, prophets, poets, kings, and judges wrote these important and historic documents about the Jewish people.
this was the only bible that jesus knew. It is organized by sections beginning with the Torah, Judges, Prophets, Poetry, and Wisdom Writings.
the new testament of course was written after the birth, death and resurrection of jesus. it is organized first by the four gospels, then the beginnings of the church and the letters written to those churches.
Finally, the revelation is appropriately at the end, describing the end times and the return of Jesus.
Regarding the collection of these writings in particular, I found an excellent and easy to understand explanation here:
new testament canon: why these books? December 15, 2020 by krisan marotta
the new testament was what the early church used to teach and share the gospel. the letters were collected and sent to the churches. of course, they were handwritten just as you might receive a letter today.
I find it interesting that james, the brother of jesus, wrote the first letter. Of all the men who wrote, he probably would have known Jesus best. he was martyred soon after.
66 books of the bible in chronological order (list)
here is a list of biblical books arranged chronologically by date which is quite interesting. I have seen other book lists in order but never with dates attached. at the bottom of the list, feel free to download my list of bible books in pdf format (also read my article on funny bible verses).
old testament
job-unknown
genesis-1445-1405 BC
exodus-1445-1405 BC
leviticus-1445-1405 b.c.
numbers-1445-1405 BC
deuteronomy-1445-1405 BC
psalms-1410-450 b.c.
joshua-1405-1385 BC
judges-ca. 1043 BC
ruth-ca. 1030-1010 BC
song of solomon-971-965 b.c.
proverbs-ca. 971-686 BC
ecclesiastes-940-931 BC
1 samuel-931-722 BC
2 samuel-931-722 BC
obadiah-850-840 BC
joel-835-796 BC
jonás-ca. 775 BC
amos-ca. 750 BC
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hosea-750-710 BC
micah-735-710 BC
Isaiah-700-681 BC
nahum-ca. 650 BC
zephaniah-635-625 b.c.
Habakuk-615-605 BC
ezekiel-590-570 BC
lamentations-586 BC
jeremiah-586-570 b.c.
1 kings-561-538 BC
2 kings-561-538 BC
daniel 536-530 b.c.
haggai-ca. 520 BC
zechariah-480-470 b.c.
ezra-457-444 BC
1 chronicles-450-430 BC
2 Chronicles-450-430 BC
esther-450-331 BC
malachi-433-424 BC
nehemiah-424-400 b.c.
new testament
james-a.d. 44-49
galatians-a.d. 49-50
mathew-a.d. 50-60
brand-a.d. 50-60
1 Thessalonians-a.d. 51
2 Thessalonians-a.d. 51-52
1 corinthians-a.d. 55
2 corinthians-a.d. 55-56
romans-a.d. 56
luke-a.d. 60-61
ephesians-a.d. 60-62
filipinos-a.d. 60-62
philemon-a.d. 60-62
colossians-a.d. 60-62
acts-a.d. 62
1 timothy-a.d. 62-64
titus-a.d. 62-64
1 pedro-a.d. 64-65
2 timothy-a.d. 66-67
2 pedro-a.d. 67-68
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hebrews-a.d. 67-69
jude-a.d. 68-70
john-a.d. 80-90
1 john-a.d. 90-95
2 john-a.d. 90-95
3 john-a.d. 90-95
revelation-a.d. 94-96
here are my books of the bible in chronological order printable pdf
why is the bible not in chronological order?
the books of the bible are not grouped by historical order. they are organized by type of literature and are therefore not ordered by publication date.
here is the breakdown of the hebrew scriptures:
moses books; genesis to deuteronomy,
history books; joshua to 2 chronicles,
wisdom books; office to song of songs
books of the prophets; Isaiah to Malachi.
in the new testament there are:
four gospels; Mateo, Marca, Lucas and Juan
a history book: the acts of the apostles (this was written by luke and is a continuation of his gospel)
letters to churches; Romans to Judas
a book of prophecy; revelation.
Although it makes it a bit confusing to study, it makes sense. for example, 1 or 2 kings lists each king according to its wins and flops.
but if we want to see what the prophets warned the kings, there has to be a bit of back and forth between the books, one of the solutions for this is called “annotation”, where many bibles now have references built into the books. texts.
>> also read: meaning of forgiving the rod, spoiling the child
For example, Isaiah prophesies to four kings of Judah and lived 90 years. his book is the most quoted in the new testament and has references to the coming messiah. Isaiah 53 is one example but there are many more.
how should the bible be read (in chronological order or not?)
I’ve heard people say they read the entire bible every year, and of course that’s an admirable thing.
Personally, I would find it difficult, especially in certain parts where it’s just genealogy lists or I can’t figure out what’s going on. So, I have two suggestions.
Number one, if you plan on just sitting down and reading cover to cover, buy a chronological bible. I’m listening to one right now.
In a chronological bible the editors have organized it in a way that makes sense. For example, when it comes to the books of 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and 1 and 2 Samuel are combined.
o when king david has a problem and writes a psalm in response, it is not separated in the book of psalms but included as part of his story. Some of these types of bibles also have sections to explain some history or background which is helpful. I really enjoy that guy.
Second, if you’re going to study the Bible and not just sit around reading it, you’ll find that having it organized the way it is makes the study much easier. Biblical studies are usually presented by topic or by book.
Thematic studies may include sin or the fruits of the spirit or creation. book studies are more common.
bible study fellowship is an international organization that studies a different book of the bible each year. community Bible study is another.
how do I read the bible
I read and study the Bible in different ways. As I mentioned earlier, I like to read or listen to a chronological bible from cover to cover. As a devotional, I often select a book and then use a free app called “verse by verse” as a guide.
the gentleman who teaches guides the listener or “observer” through each book of the bible and elaborates the text.
my favorite way to study the bible is inductively. Kay Arthur “Precept Bible Studies” are some of the best. They can also be found online, but it’s best to do it with a group for big discussions.
conclusion
Like I said at the beginning, the Bible can be confusing. many people give up after a short time and conclude that it’s not important anyway.
nothing could be further from the truth. the bible is the word of god and is for everyone. For hundreds of years, the average person had to rely on religious leaders to know what was in it.
this caused a lot of problems and wrong people. Fortunately, Gutenberg and Martin Luther’s press changed that forever.
We now have so many options that it’s hard to select just one. it is best to stick with the traditional and highly recommended bibles that do not add to or subtract from the original.
here is a great website that answers the question “which one should I read?”
books of the bible in pdf
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