Basic 3 · Religious and Moral Education · Religious Worship
The Bible
In this topic you will learn about the Bible, the sacred scripture of Christians.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain what a sacred scripture is
- Describe the two parts of the Bible
- Name some books of the Bible
What you already know
- Bible passages (Basic 1)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Religious Practices
- Sub-strand
- Religious Worship
- Indicator
- B3.2.1.1.1 – Name the sacred scriptures of the three major religions
Introduction
Christians read the Bible in church and at home. They believe it is the word of God.
1. Sacred Scripture
Sacred scripture: A holy book or writing believed to come from God.
2. Parts of the Bible
| Part | What it contains | Example books |
|---|---|---|
| Old Testament | the history of Israel, the law and the prophets, before Jesus | Genesis, Exodus, Psalms |
| New Testament | the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and the early church | Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts |
Most Protestant Bibles have 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Catholic Bibles have a few more Old Testament books.
3. Respect for the Bible
- Christians keep it clean and handle it with care.
- They read it during worship and at home.
New words
- scripture
- A holy writing.
- Old Testament
- The first part of the Bible.
- New Testament
- The second part of the Bible, about Jesus.
- gospel
- One of the four books about Jesus' life.
Summary
- The Bible is the sacred scripture of Christians.
- It has two parts: the Old and New Testaments.
- The four Gospels tell about Jesus.
Class activity: Bible Explorer
- Look at the Bible and the Christian scripture cards.
- Find the first book (Genesis) and the first Gospel (Matthew).
- List three books of each Testament.
You need: Bible, Printed Christian scripture cards, Exercise books
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. What is the holy book of Christians?
- A. Bible
- B. Qur'an
- C. Dictionary
- D. Atlas
Show answer
Answer: BibleChristians read the Bible.2. Which part of the Bible tells about Jesus?
- A. New Testament
- B. Old Testament
- C. Psalms only
- D. Index
Show answer
Answer: New TestamentIt records Jesus' life.3. Genesis is the first book of the Bible.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt begins the Old Testament.4. There are ten Gospels.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseThere are four: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.5. A holy writing is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: scriptureThat is scripture.6. Name the four Gospels.
Show answer
Answer: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.They tell of Jesus.
Homework
- Ask a Christian at home to show you their favourite Bible verse.