The Bible is a collection of writings written by various authors and in various times, rather than a single work. The substance of each Bible book that is part of the New Testament—which was written after Jesus Christ was born as a human baby—is briefly described below.
We also have a longer summary article available for some of these Bible books; simply click on the link, if it is provided.
The Gospels: narrative books about the life, words and deeds of Jesus Christ
- Matthew – The gospel written by Matthew details the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus on earth. It places particular emphasis on Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and his fulfillment of numerous prophesies from the Old Testament.
- Mark: The life of Jesus is vividly and dramatically described in this gospel. In particular, he presents Jesus as the enduring Son of God who gives Himself as a ransom for transgressions.
- Luke – The gospel according to Luke emphasizes that Jesus is the Savior of all people and that He offers salvation to all racial and ethnic groupings.
- John: The most doctrinal of the four Gospels, the apostle John also writes about Jesus Christ. His main point of emphasis is that Jesus is the everlasting Son of God and the Father’s self-revelation.
One further historical book
- Acts of the Apostles: The book of Acts describes the apostles’ labors and the establishment of the worldwide Christian Church.
Letters of the apostle Paul to local churches
- Romans is a book that discusses difficult theological issues such as the justification concept, the purpose of God’s law, God’s purposes for Israel, and Christian living.
- 1 Corinthians: A letter addressing mistakes and problems the Corinthian church was having. Paul gives this church a severe rebuke for their transgressions and offers them loving encouragement.
- 2 Corinthians is Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthian church, in which he asserts his legitimacy as a Christ-appointed apostle and affirms the faith of his followers.
- Galatians: A letter to the Galatian church, which had been led astray by false professors. Paul emphasizes that our justification is based solely on our faith—not on rituals or legal compliance.
- [Thessalonians] a multi-topic letter sent to the Ephesian church. The two major ideas are that Christ has made peace between God and creation, and that in His church, He has brought people from all walks of life together. People should believe in Jesus and live lives of gratitude to His glory in light of this tremendous reality.
- Philippians – A letter of consolation: the Philippians are to live as citizens of the heavenly Kingdom, serving God and one another with delight; they are to imitate not only the example of Paul but also that of Jesus Christ.
- Paul informs the congregation in Colossae in Colossians about their identity in Christ and the proper way for them to walk in Him.
- Paul tells the Thessalonians about the coming of Christ and exhorts them to continue living in faith, hope, and love in 1 Thessalonians.
- Paul urges the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians to endure until Christ returns.
Letters of the apostle Paul to individual church leaders
- 1 Timothy: Paul instructs Timothy, his “spiritual son,” on how to guide a church with solid doctrine and a morally upright example.
- 2 Timothy: Paul, aware that his own life is about to end, exhorts Timothy to carry on preaching the Word of God.
- Titus: Paul gives Titus encouragement to carry out his duties as a preacher and church leader.
- Philemon: Paul is pleading with Philemon to recognize a fugitive slave as a fellow Christian.
General letters from various apostles
- An intricate discourse about Christ’s sovereignty written in Hebrew. He is the core of all the rites and rules found in the Old Testament. Christians ought to cling to Him as a result!
- James: A letter advising Christians to combine their good deeds with their faith.
- 1 Peter is a letter written to persecuted Christians urging them to uphold the truth and live moral lives.
- 2 Peter: A reminder of the real Gospel and a caution against impostorship.
- [1 John]: A call to live a life of obedience and devotion to the Lord, and to cling firmly to the truth.
- A brief epistle on walking in love and truth is found in [2 John].
- 3 John – An even shorter letter about Christian fellowship.
- Jude is a letter that exhorts believers to hold fast to their faith and chastise false teachers.
Revelation
- Revelation: This book mostly chronicles John’s visions of things that have been, things that are, and things that are [still to come]. It also includes a few brief letters.
These summaries are rather brief. You could sign up for one of our five Read Scripture courses to learn more about these Bible books. These provide overviews of every book in the Bible. You will receive a certificate upon completion of a course, and the courses are completely free. Please register so that you may give it a try!
