The Living Word of God
Sacred Scripture
The Bible is a library of 73 books, written over roughly 1,500 years, that tells a single story: a Father who creates, loves, and never stops pursuing His children — culminating in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament (46 books in the Catholic canon) tells the story of God's covenant with Israel — His chosen people, prepared across centuries to receive the Messiah. It divides broadly into the Law (the first five books), the historical books (Joshua through Maccabees), the wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach), and the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets).
The Pentateuch
The first five books — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — are traditionally called the Pentateuch (Greek for "five scrolls") or the Torah. They tell of creation and the fall, the call of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt under Moses, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and Israel's journey to the edge of the Promised Land. Nearly every major theme in the rest of Scripture — covenant, sacrifice, exile, and promise — is planted here.
| Division | Includes | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Law | Genesis – Deuteronomy | Creation, covenant, and the Exodus |
| Historical Books | Joshua – 2 Maccabees | Israel's life in the Promised Land |
| Wisdom Literature | Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and others | Prayer and the wisdom to live well |
| The Prophets | Isaiah – Malachi | God's call to fidelity, and the promised Messiah |
The New Testament
The New Testament (27 books) proclaims the fulfillment of that long promise in Jesus Christ. It opens with the four Gospels, continues with the Acts of the Apostles — the story of the early Church empowered by the Holy Spirit — moves through the Epistles (letters of Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude teaching and encouraging the first Christian communities), and closes with the Book of Revelation, a vision of the Church's ultimate victory in Christ.
The Four Gospels
Each Gospel tells the same essential story — the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — from a distinct perspective, traditionally represented by four living creatures from the vision of Ezekiel and Revelation.
Matthew
Symbol: the winged man
Written for a Jewish audience, emphasizing Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, and the new Moses who delivers the Sermon on the Mount.
Mark
Symbol: the winged lion
The shortest and most urgent Gospel, presenting Jesus as the powerful Son of God, moving swiftly toward the cross.
Luke
Symbol: the winged ox
Written by a physician for a Gentile audience, with special attention to mercy, the poor, women, and the sacrificial love of Christ.
John
Symbol: the eagle
The most theological Gospel, soaring immediately to Christ's divine origin: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
How to start reading
Scripture can feel overwhelming to open cold. A simple, time-tested path: begin with the Gospel of Luke for the life of Christ, then Acts of the Apostles to see the Church's birth, then the Psalms for prayer, and finally Genesis and Exodus to see where it all began. Many Catholics also follow the daily Mass readings, which walk through most of the Bible over a three-year cycle.
A word of Scripture
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16