Catechism Question 47
What are the two major sections of the Bible?
The two major sections of the Bible are the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Focus and Purpose of this Question
In this question, we are noting the most important structure of the Bible – it has two major parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. As noted above, without a basic familiarity with the structure of the Bible, it is unlikely that we will truly study God’s Word and build our lives upon its teaching.
Additional Questions:
What are the two big parts of the Bible?
What are the two Testaments in the Bible?
What are the two halves of the Bible?
Questions for Further Discussion:
See the Questions for further discussion on question 46.
Additional Information:
The questions for further discussion and the additional information given in chapter 3 are really only for older children and adults. Younger children simply need to know that the Bible contains 66 books, divided into the Old and New Testaments.
This question is based on question 2 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Any resources you find on Westminster catechism will have a good discussion on this question.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapter 3, discusses the canon of Scripture – which books belong in the Bible.
For further information on what books belong in the Bible, see the BRCC seminar “How I Got My Bible.” This seminar covers in-depth the question of how we determined which books God had given us to be in the Bible.
For additional information on the structure of the Bible, see the teaching “Exploring the Book: Understanding the Structure of the Bible” (February 28, 2010).
Suggested Worship Song:
How Firm A Foundation (R. Keen, Public Domain)
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.”