The Bible is a collection of books in two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. These books were written over many centuries. They tell how God has acted among people and spoken to them and through them.
The writers used their own words, shaped by their language, culture and time in history. In different ways, they all shared their faith in God.
The Bible shows how God makes Godself known, most clearly in Jesus Christ. God still speaks through the Bible today, by the Holy Spirit. When we read the Bible, either on our own or discussing it with others, the Holy Spirit can reveal things to us about God, the world, and ourselves. It can teach us about God and inspire us to live God’s way.
Old Testament
The Old Testament is also called the Hebrew Scriptures: these writings are holy for Jewish people. It is the first part of the Christian Bible. It was written before Jesus was born and tells the story of God’s people over many centuries. It describes how God created the world, made promises, and called people to live in God’s way.
These writings reflect the beliefs and experiences of the people who recorded them, and include passages that Christians today wrestle with, including accounts of violence that are not understood as God’s will.
The Old Testament includes many kinds of writing:
- Stories about people like Abraham, Ruth and David.
- Laws that guided God’s people.
- Songs, poetry and prayers, such as the Psalms.
- Messages from prophets who spoke about God’s justice and hope.
These books tell how God cared for people and stayed faithful, even when they turned away. They show God’s love and promises and point forward to what God would do through Jesus.
Christians read the Old Testament because it helps us understand who God is and what God wants for the world. It is the Bible that Jesus and the first Christians knew. It teaches about God’s faithfulness and reminds us that God’s purpose is for all people to live in love and peace.
Reading the Old Testament also connects Christians with the faith, questions, and hopes of those who came before, whose traditions continue to shape how we live and believe today.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second part of the Bible. It was written after Jesus was born and tells the story of Jesus and the early Church. It shows how God’s promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
The New Testament includes different kinds of writing:
- The Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story of Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection.
- Acts of the Apostles – tells how the first Christians shared the good news of Jesus, and how the Church began.
- Letters – written by leaders like Paul to encourage, challenge and guide Christians.
- Revelation – A book recounting a vision of the end of time. The meaning of the book is much debated.
Gospels
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They tell the story of Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection. Each Gospel gives a different view, but together they share the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
The word Gospel means “good news.” The Gospels were written so that people could know Jesus and believe in him. They tell us what Jesus said and did, how he cared for people, and how he gave his life for the world.
The Gospels include:
- Stories of Jesus’ birth and childhood
- His teaching and miracles
- Parables (short stories Jesus told to explain God’s kingdom and how we should live)
- His death on the cross and rising to life again
The Gospels are at the heart of the Bible because they tell the story of Jesus, who is the centre of our faith.
Epistles
The epistles are letters found in the New Testament. Most were written by early Christian leaders, like Paul, Peter, James and John. These letters were sent to churches and individuals to teach, encourage and guide them in following Jesus.
The epistles include:
- Advice for living as Christians
- Encouragement to keep faith in hard times
- Teaching about God’s love and grace
- Practical guidance for church life and relationships.
The letters were written to real people in real places, but their message still speaks to us today. They help us understand what it means to live as God’s people and share God’s love in the world.
Who wrote the Bible?
The question of who wrote the Bible is not simple. Some people say, “God wrote it,” but even that can mean different things to different people. Here we are thinking about the human writers through whom the books of the Bible came into being.
Many different people were involved in writing the Bible. Some books name their authors and were written for a particular person or community. Others do not name a writer at all.
Scholars also ask whether a book was always written by the person it names. This is especially discussed with some New Testament letters. For example, some believe that the letters of Peter were written by a community of his followers after his death. They may have written in his name to pass on his teaching. This was not meant to be dishonest, but a way of keeping Peter’s message alive.
The books of the Bible were written in many different situations – times of persecution, war, slavery, monarchy, conflict and uncertainty. Even when these settings are not described directly, knowing the background helps us understand the feelings, ideas and viewpoints in the text.
We should also remember that writers never work alone. They are shaped by the ideas, stories and traditions around them. Sometimes they collect material that already existed. For example, the Gospel writers likely used both spoken stories and written accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Philippians 2:6–11 may even quote an early Christian hymn. Each part of the Bible belongs to a wider tradition or shared understanding of faith.
Different ways people approach the Bible
People engage with the Bible in different ways, often holding several approaches together at the same time.
Many read it devotionally, seeking guidance, wisdom and a deeper relationship with God – sometimes described as reading it as “God’s supreme rule of faith and practice” for life. At the same time, readers may also pay attention to historical questions about who wrote particular books, when and why, to better understand their original setting and meaning.
Others look for deeper spiritual or symbolic meanings, reading the Bible allegorically or reflectively, while also being attentive to how its words speak into contemporary concerns. Many readers are shaped by social-justice perspectives, informed by liberation and feminist theology, which highlight God’s concern for those who are marginalised or oppressed.
These different layers of reading remind us that the Bible is both human and divine: written across many times, cultures, and perspectives, and yet trusted by Christians to speak today through the Holy Spirit. Holding these approaches together can help readers listen more carefully, hear more fully, and apply the Bible’s message thoughtfully in their own lives.
This paper gives a good overview of different lenses for reading the Bible.
There are lots of different Bible translations. There are also study Bibles, journal Bibles, youth Bibles, justice Bibles, and many other Bibles which take different approaches to suit different needs. It’s important to take some time choosing the right Bible for you and it can often be helpful to use more than one version.
The Methodist Church encourages the use of the NRSVA or NRSVue for accuracy and use of inclusive language.