The Bible is an incredible book filled with history, wisdom, and the story of God’s love for us. But if you’ve ever opened it and felt a little lost, you’re not alone! In this guide, we’ll walk through how the Bible is organized, who wrote it, and how to understand what you’re reading. Plus, we have a free printable to help kids dive deeper into the Word of God!
The Two Main Parts of the Bible
The Bible is divided into two main sections:
- The Old Testament – This part tells the story of God’s people before Jesus. It includes the creation of the world, the lives of important figures like Abraham and Moses, and the teachings of the prophets who prepared the way for the Messiah.
- The New Testament – This part focuses on Jesus’ life, His teachings, and the early Church. It includes the Gospels, which tell the story of Jesus, as well as letters from His disciples that teach us how to follow Him.
The Old Testament
Do you know Abraham and Moses?
They were very important figures in the history of Israel. But how do we know about their lives? Thanks to the Bible!
The Old Testament teaches us about the history, laws, prayers, and traditions of the people of Israel. God chose them to make a Covenant with Him, preparing the way for Jesus, our Savior. Everything in the Old Testament points to His coming.
You’ll hear many Old Testament readings at Sunday Mass—listen closely! These readings help us understand God’s plan and prepare our hearts for Jesus.
The Old Testament was the Bible that Jesus read. To know Him better, we can read these books too!
Here are some common stories from the Old Testament that you may know:
A complete list of all the books in the Old Testament is included in the printable at the end of this post.
The New Testament
The New Testament teaches us about the life of Jesus, His teachings, and the beginning of the Christian Church. It is important because it helps us grow closer to Jesus and understand how He wants us to live.
The Gospels
The Gospels are four books in the Bible that tell the story of Jesus—everything He did and said from His birth to His ascension into heaven. The word “Gospel” means “Good News” because Jesus came to bring us the Good News of God’s love and salvation! The Gospels were written by:
- Matthew – wrote for the Jewish people and showed how Jesus fulfilled God’s promises.
- Mark – focused on Jesus’ actions and miracles.
- Luke – included many stories about Jesus’ kindness and mercy. He wrote the most about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
- John – wrote about Jesus as the Son of God, focusing on His deep love for us.
Here are some common stories from the New Testament that you may know:
Learning to Read the Bible, Understanding Bible Citations
The Bible is divided into books, chapters, and verses. Here’s how to find what you’re looking for:
- The larger numbers indicate the chapters.
- The smaller numbers refer to the verses.
Looking Up a Single Verse
Another example: John 3:16
- John (Book)
- 3 (Chapter)
- 16 (Verse)
Looking Up Multiple Verses
Another example: Matthew 5:1–12
This means the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 1 through 12.Understanding Bible Citations
Who Wrote the Bible?
The Bible is the Word of God. God spoke through different authors, all inspired by Him. Here are some of them:
- Moses – Wrote the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
- David – Wrote many of the Psalms
- Luke – Wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles
- Paul – Wrote many letters (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and more)
- John – Wrote the Gospel of John, Revelation, and three letters (1 John, 2 John, 3 John)
Get Your Free Printable!
To help kids learn about the Bible, we’ve created a free printable!
Click here to download your PDF “Understanding the Bible Printable”
