A COLLECTION OF BIBLICAL SUPPORT AND MORE
How the Books of the Bible are Arranged
How the bible put together?
What I thought...
The bible is a giant book, I'm not sure I thought much past this.
What I learned...
Most “Christian” bibles are made up of 66 books. They are divided into two sections called testaments. Within each testament the books are further divided into 5 (10 sections total). WHAT?
Introduction
When I started reading the bible, I didn't understand the books of the bible were put together in a purposeful way. As I studied the bible, I had many realizations. To name a few, I realized the bible was not just a random grouping of verses and books put together haphazardly. I realized the Old Testament is the history of humanity told mainly through one family. I realized the sequential order of the books in the bible is not always chronological, but the information in the books does form a cohesive picture.
After all these "realizations," there was a lingering question in my mind. Why wasn't taught the way the bible is arranged? Why was I taught random stories and bible verses, before I was taught the bible has 10 sections? Why memorize a verse before being able to identify if the book is prophetic or poetic? How could I expect to put biblical content in context without this knowledge? When I took a step back, I had a larger realization. Learning the high-level framework is of benefit when approaching biblical study, which leads us to the next point.
The Hierarchy & Layers of the bible
Let's begin with a question, how do you understand the bible? Big book. Big task. Enter what I call the "biblical hierarchy." Since I assigned this term, I’ll provide a definition. The "hierarchy" refers to how the books in the bible are physically arranged. You may already be aware of how the bible is put together, and perhaps feel it is of little value. For me, this knowledge formed a crucial foundation.
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As mentioned earlier, the bible, is made up of 66 books divided into ten sections. That knowledge alone was mind bending. How could I not have known that? I went to Catholic schools my entire life. I digress. Back to the hierarchy. Below is how I picture the hierarchy in my mind.
Think of each level as a “layer.” The below chart starts with the bible as the first “layer,” the bible in its entirety, working down to the lowest layer, the verses. Very similar information presented in a different way.
The Hierarchy MORE Detailed
Now let’s separate the bible into the old and new testaments. Within each testament, there are 5 sections. We’ll identify the name for each section and its corresponding books. Once I was able to visualize these pictures in my mind, putting the books in their proper "section" was so much easier.
Creating these pictographs or whatever they are has been very useful for me and perhaps they will be for you too. If you'd like the pictorgraphs in printable format, click here.
Bible Verse Reference is an Address!
If the hierarchy pictures made your eyes roll in the back of your head, let me explain it in another way. Think of the layers as a geographic locations, with each "layer" providing increasing detail on said location within the bible. Making the bible reference an address.
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Bible ---> Earth
Testaments ---> Hemispheres
Sections ---> Country
Books ---> State/Province
Chapter ---> City
Verse ---> Street
Word --> Houses on Street
Please allow me to illustrate, take Isaiah 56:5. I may not have the verse memorized, but the address provides information. I can tell you Isaiah is a book in the Old Testament (Layer 2), the Major Prophets Sections (Layer 3). I know the Old Testament contains books that were written before Messiah. I know our Creator often spoke warnings through the prophets. ​​The point is, knowing where you are in the bible provides context!
Conclusion
I am of the opinion that learning about the bible itself has to be done in “layers.” Biblical knowledge needs to built like a house, and the hierarchy is the foundation. At least it was for me. Before I had the picture of the hierarchy in my mind, I was unable to retain what I tried to learn. It's like I had no where to catalogue or file the information. The hierarchy gave me a shelf or a binder to put the new information I learned. I hope this helps you too.