• How to read the Bible online
• An introduction to the Bible
• Advice for reading the Bible
1. Click on the link for Bible Gateway.
2. Look for the box called "Passage Lookup".
3. In that box, type the name of a Bible book and chapter that you want to read. For example, you could type: John 1 or John 2, etc.
4. Click on the "Lookup" button or press your Enter or Return key.
You can use these steps to read, online, all books and chapters of the Bible. In fact, you can select which English translation you wish to read. The Bible Gateway site offers several English translations, including New International Version, King James Version, Young's Literal Translation, etc. The site also offers translations into other languages.
The Christian Bible contains 66 "Books." The Books are divided into Chapters. The Chapters are divided into Verses. So, if you wanted to locate John 3:16, you would open the Bible to the Book of John, then turn to Chapter 3, and then look for Verse 16. And there you would find one of the most popular Bible passages:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 (from the New International Version (NIV) English translation)
If you wanted to see this verse via BibleGateway.com, you would input "John 3:16" into the Search box.
1. Genesis (50 chapters).
2. Exodus (40 chapters).
3. Leviticus (27 chapters).
4. Numbers (36 chapters).
5. Deuteronomy (34 chapters).
6. Joshua (24 chapters).
7. Judges (21 chapters).
8. Ruth (4 chapters).
9. 1 Samuel (31 chapters).
10. 2 Samuel (24 chapters).
11. 1 Kings (22 chapters).
12. 2 Kings (25 chapters).
13. 1 Chronicles (29 chapters).
14. 2 Chronicles (36 chapters).
15. Ezra (10 chapters).
16. Nehemiah (13 chapters).
17. Esther (10 chapters).
18. Job (42 chapters).
19. Psalms (150 chapters).
20. Proverbs (31 chapters).
21. Ecclesiastes (12 chapters).
22. Song of Solomon (8 chapters).
23. Isaiah (66 chapters).
24. Jeremiah (52 chapters).
25. Lamentations (5 chapters).
26. Ezekiel (48 chapters).
27. Daniel (12 chapters).
28. Hosea (14 chapters).
29. Joel (3 chapters).
30. Amos (9 chapters).
31. Obadiah (1 chapters).
32. Jonah (4 chapters).
33. Micah (7 chapters).
34. Nahum (3 chapters).
35. Habakkuk (3 chapters).
36. Zephaniah (3 chapters).
37. Haggai (2 chapters).
38. Zechariah (14 chapters).
39. Malachi (4 chapters).
1. Matthew (28 chapters).
2. Mark (16 chapters).
3. Luke (24 chapters).
4. John (21 chapters).
5. Acts (28 chapters).
6. Romans (16 chapters).
7. 1 Corinthians (16 chapters).
8. 2 Corinthians (13 chapters).
9. Galatians (6 chapters).
10. Ephesians (6 chapters).
11. Philippians (4 chapters).
12. Colossians (4 chapters).
13. 1 Thessalonians (5 chapters).
14. 2 Thessalonians (3 chapters).
15. 1 Timothy (6 chapters).
16. 2 Timothy (4 chapters).
17. Titus (3 chapters).
18. Philemon (1 chapters).
19. Hebrews (13 chapters).
20. James (5 chapters).
21. 1 Peter (5 chapters).
22. 2 Peter (3 chapters).
23. 1 John (5 chapters).
24. 2 John (1 chapters).
25. 3 John (1 chapters).
26. Jude (1 chapters).
27. Revelation (22 chapters).
Catholics regard an additional 7 books -- Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch -- as Deuterocanonical. Protestants view those 7 books as Apocrypha, as being instructive but not sacred. Those 7 books were written during the time of the Old Testament, before the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah.
• Christians believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.
• The Bible contains 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation. (The Catholic Bible includes an additional 7 books.)
• The books of the Bible were written by about 40 different people, including prophets, poets and historians.
• The Bible is divided into two parts - the Old Testament and the New Testament.
• The 39 books of the Old Testament were written during a period of time that lasted about 1,000 years. It began with Moses, who lived about 3,400 years ago. It ended with Malachi, who lived about 2,400 years ago.
• The 27 books of the New Testament were written about 2,000 years ago, during the first century of this era, which is when Jesus carried out his public ministry. They were written by apostles and other disciples of Jesus.
Some scholars estimate that Jesus' public ministry lasted three-and-a-half years, from late AD 26 to early AD 30. At the end, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, resurrected by God, and then ascended into heaven. He is to return in the future for Judgment Day, and to reign eternally over the Kingdom of God, also known as the Kingdom of Heaven, and simply as heaven.
• The New Testament contains the four Gospels, which refers to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also contains "epistles" or "letters" that were written by Peter, Paul, James and other followers of Jesus. It also contains the book of Revelation.
Books 1-5: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. These books were written about by Moses about 3,400 years ago. They are called the Pentateuch, or Torah, or the books of Moses. They introduce God's plan of salvation. They explain that sin is a problem, which separates people from God, and that there is a need for a solution -- a savior, who is often called the Messiah or Christ. These are Hebrew and Greek words that mean anointed, as in anointed to be the savior to the world.
Books 6-16: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. These books explain more about the history of God's plan of salvation, about how God chose a land (Israel), and a people (the Israelites), to write the Bible, and to be the people from whom the Messiah would be born.
Books 17-22: Ester, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.
These books are sometimes called the books of Writings, or the books of Poetry, or the books of Wisdom. These books help to explain more about God's plan of salvation.
Books 23-27: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel.
These four prophets -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel -- are the four major prophets of the Old Testament. They gave many prophecies involving God's plan of salvation, including his promise to bring forth the Messiah, who would suffer and die for the sins of others, to reconcile a sinful people with the perfect God.
Books 28-39: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
These books are sometimes called the books of the minor prophets. They are called "minor" because their books are shorter in length than those of the major prophets. They too gave many prophecies involving God's plan of salvation, including his promise to bring forth the Messiah.
Books 1-4: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
These four books are called the Gospel, or the Gospels. They were written about 2,000 years ago by the followers of Jesus. These books are the record of Jesus' birth, life, ministry, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. The Gospels explain that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, that he is the culmination of God's plan of salvation, that he died for the sins of others and was restored to life after his death. The Gospels explain that Jesus is God incarnate, that he is the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Son of David.
All three of these "Son" titles are Messianic. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, making him the Son of God. He was born of a human mother, making him the Son of Man. He is the promised son born to the House of David, making him the promised Son of David. Christians believe that Jesus is fully human and fully God, that he is God incarnate, as in "God with us," as foretold in Isaiah 7:13-14.
Books 5-26: Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude.
These 22 books are sometimes called Letters or Epistles. They were written by followers of Jesus. They help to explain Christianity. They affirm and reaffirm that Jesus is the promised Messiah, that he is the means of salvation.
Book 27: Revelation.
This book was written by John the Apostle about 1,900 years ago. He was shown visions of the future by Jesus. This book contains many prophecies about the so-called End Times, or Apocalypse, when the world as we know it comes to an end, and Jesus returns for Judgment Day and to fully realize the Kingdom of Heaven, which will be eternal.
Where can I get a Bible?
Many bookstores sell copies of the Bible. We recommend a Bible with footnotes that explain the meaning of different Bible passages. Our favorite English translation of the Christian Bible is the "Concordia Self-Study Bible NIV." You also can look up Bible verses, or download a complete copy of the Bible, from various Web sites here, some of which are listed below.
If you wish to learn more about Christianity, consider starting with the Gospel of John. It is a short book with 21 chapters and it can be read in about two or three hours. It explains the life, mission, ministry, teachings, miracles and significance of Jesus the Messiah.
There are several English translations of the Bible. We recommend the New International Version (NIV).
BibleGateway - You can conveniently look up Bible verses online. Offers several English translations, including King James Version, New International Version, Young's Literal Translation, etc.
Blue Letter Bible - Look up Bible verses in English and view their original Hebrew and Greek texts.
Next: Bethlehem - Messiah's birthplace: A detailed look at Micah 5:2 and the objections that skeptics have
Go to: List of all articles