The Bible’s Structural Layout
This is the Layout the Hebrew Children have for what we call the Old Testament
1. The Word Of God (The First Five Books of the Bible, and I think Joshua as well?)
2. The Prophets
3. The Scriptures (Writings) (Holy Writ)
Are there Similarities in the New Testament that would cause believers to Layout the New Testament in the same manner???
1. First Hand verses Second Hand Accounts?
2. Doctrinal Issues like Faith and Works, Law and Grace?
3. The Definite Distinction between ‘The word Of God’ and ‘Scriptures’?
4. The Fact that there is far to many Doctrinal Divides Separating All Of Christianity?
From my perspective laying out the Old and New Testament as the Hebrew Children have done seems to settle Many of The Doctrinal Problems?
1. Is the Believer a Son Of Noah?
2. Is the Believer a Son Of Abraham?
One problem I have not been able to settle for my own Faith is why the Book of Daniel is in the List of ‘Scriptures’ and not ‘The Prophets’? Daniel used the Hebrew and Chaldee Language to write the book of Daniel, and he used the singular form of ‘God’???
The TANACH
The Word Of God (TORAH)
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
The Scriptures (Writings) (Holy Writ)
Psalms Proverbs Job Song Of Songs Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra – Nehemiah Chronicals (I and II)
The Prophets
Joshua Judges Samuel (I and II) Kings (I and II) Isaiah Jerimiah Ezekiel
Minor Prophets
Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggia Zechariah Malichi
Now I will lay out the previous format for the Whole Bible.
The Word Of God (TORAH)
O.T. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
N.T. Matthew John Revelation (?)
The Scriptures (Writings) (Holy Writ)
O.T. Psalms Proverbs Job Song Of Songs Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra – Nehemiah Chronicals (I and II)
N.T. Mark Luke The Acts Romans I and II Corintians Galations Ephesians Philipians Colosians I and II Thessalonians I and II Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews
The Prophets
O.T. Joshua Judges Samuel (I and II) Kings (I and II) Isaiah Jerimiah Ezekiel
Minor Prophets
Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggia Zechariah Malichi
N.T. James I and II Peter I, II and III John Jude Revelation (?)
Now I suspect you are going to require Scriptures from me that back up my claims, or you are typing something that states I’m negating the Authority of the Word Of God (The Whole Bible)?
Well, I’ll try to present to you some Scriptures demonstrating my position.
Passages that lay out the Torah as the WORD OF GOD!
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Mar 7:10-13 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Luk 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
Here are some Passages Speaking of the SCRIPTURES!
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Exo 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Now I’ll show some Passages relating to Prophets.
Mat 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
So why did the Hebrews divide the Bible into three categories? I have some theories and I’ll present Passages that explain my conclusions.
Neh 7:6-7 These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city; Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
Neh 7:18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
Ezr 2:1-2 Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezr 2:13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.
These two Passages present Two different figures for the number of people that came back to Jerusalem. One says 666 and the other says 667!
Another example of why the Hebrew Children may have divided the Bible into Three Categories deals with Joshua, Moses’ Replacement.
Num 13:16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
JEHOSHUA
H3091 yeh-ho-shoo’-ah, yeh-ho-shoo’-ah
From H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (that is, Joshua), the Jewish leader: – Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Compare H1954, H3442.
Neh 8:17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
JESUA
H3442 yah-shoo’-ah
For H3091; he will save; Jeshua, the name of two Israelites, also of a place in Palestine: – Jeshua.
Please note that the Hebrew word Translated Joshua in Numbers 13:16 is 3091 of the Strong’s Concordance, and the Hebrew Word used in Neh 8:17 concerning Joshua was 3442 (Jeshua) from the Strong’s.
I have found similar examples like these two in the New Testament as well. But they seem to fix themselves when I look at the New Testament as Three Categories, The WORD Of God, Scriptures and the Prophets.
I do not look at these issues as being Contradictions within the Bible, and Jesus confirmed that The WORD OF GOD, The SCRIPTURES and The PROPHETS are to be Our Guide from the FATHER, the WHOLE BIBLE is to be Our Guide!
If Believers were to adhere to the Red Letters first and the Torah where applicable (Acts 15 and 21), and then conform Paul’s Writings to the Red Letters and the Torah I dare say the Vast Majority of the Theological and Doctrinal issues would go away!
Like it or not the Christian Faith is based on the Torah!
I patiently await the claims I’m Legalistic?