The book of James is traditionally considered to be written by James, the brother of Jesus. (The author of this book is not to be confused with the disciple James, the brother of John, who were both disciples of Jesus.) There is a tendency to misunderstand the book of James as setting aside following Jesus […]
First Peter was written by Jesus’s disciple, Peter. Its audience was Gentile (that is non-Hebrew) followers of Jesus, joining together many aspects of Jewish history with Christian beliefs. This book is a warm and attractive read that is ideal for those who have just begun to follow Jesus, yet it’s equally instructive for more seasoned […]
Second Peter was written by Jesus’s disciple, Peter. It addresses Jesus’s return to earth (his “second coming”) and counters misunderstandings and false teachings (“heresies”) about it. The literary style of the letter is that of a last will and testament of Peter to the church. This was not done to ensure Peter’s place in history […]
The book of 1 John was written by Jesus’ disciple John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. As such there are many similarities between the two books. He is also the author of 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. First John is written more as a sermon than a letter. Its purpose is to […]
The author of the book of 2 John (as well as 3 John) is identified only as “the elder,” but is attributed to Jesus’ disciple John, who also wrote the Gospel of John, 2 John, and Revelation. This is a personal letter seemingly to an unnamed woman and her children, although the greeting could euphemistically […]
The author of the book of 3 John (as well as 2 John) is identified only as “the elder,” but is attributed to Jesus’ disciple John, who also wrote the Gospel of John, 1 John, and Revelation. This is a personal letter and although it has an audience of one (Gaius), the principles John shares […]
The book of Jude was named after its author. Jude (Judas), a common name of the day, was most likely a brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). Jude is written to all followers of Jesus, as opposed to a specific church, as is the case with the other letters (also called epistles) in the Bible. The […]
The book of Revelation was written by John, most likely the disciple John (who also wrote the Gospel of John, First John, Second John, and Third John). Revelation is about the apocalypse. Revelation is the second apocalyptic book in the Bible; the first is Daniel. The book starts with an introduction in chapter one, laying […]
Genesis starts with the familiar phrase, “In the beginning God…” This is a fitting introduction to Genesis and for the entire Bible, as God is the reason and purpose that the Bible exists. Genesis contains stories of some of God’s followers and other notable characters whose actions are sometimes hard to understand and occasionally, shocking. […]
The word “exodus” means “going out.” It refers to a time when the enslaved descendants of Abraham are released from their bondage and “go out” from Egypt, heading toward the land God promised Abraham. Exodus is basically in two parts: a narrative and a set of regulations. The narrative details their enslavement and emancipation, along […]