Books of the Bible: Genres & Chronology
The Bible contains 66 distinct books written by over 40 authors over 1,500 years. Exploring the books by genre and time helps reveal the progressive story of God's redemption.
The 66 Books Grouped by Genre
Law (Pentateuch)
The books of beginnings, covenant, and the early law given to Israel.
Historical Books
Tracing the story of Israel from conquering the Promised Land to the exile.
Poetry & Wisdom
Prayers, songs of worship, and practical wisdom for daily life.
Major Prophets
Large prophetic books warning Israel and proclaiming the Messiah's coming.
Minor Prophets
Shorter prophetic messages warning of judgment and declaring hope.
Gospels
The life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
History (Acts)
The story of the early church and the spread of the Gospel.
Pauline Epistles
Letters written by Paul to early churches and leaders explaining theology.
General Epistles
Letters by other apostles (John, Peter, James, Jude) on faith and perseverance.
Prophecy (Revelation)
Apocalyptic prophecy detailing final judgments and the new creation.
Chronology of the New Testament Writing
The New Testament books are not compiled in chronological order. Here is the estimated timeline of when the 27 books were actually written.
James
Written by: James (Jesus' brother)
Galatians
Written by: Paul
1 & 2 Thessalonians
Written by: Paul
1 & 2 Corinthians
Written by: Paul
Romans
Written by: Paul
Gospel of Mark
Written by: John Mark
Prison Epistles (Col, Eph, Phm, Phil)
Written by: Paul
Gospel of Matthew & Luke
Written by: Matthew / Luke
Acts of the Apostles
Written by: Luke
Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Tim, Titus)
Written by: Paul
Hebrews & 1 & 2 Peter
Written by: Unknown / Peter
Gospel of John
Written by: John
John's Epistles (1, 2, 3 John)
Written by: John
Revelation
Written by: John
Explore a Book's Summary in Scripture Chat
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Analyze Book of Galatians with AIEmbed this books list
Display this visual breakdown of Bible books on bulletins, school guides, or blogs. It links back to ScriptureSide for the individual book verse index.
<a href="https://www.scriptureside.app/resources/books-of-the-bible" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> <img src="https://www.scriptureside.app/api/og?title=Books%20of%20the%20Bible&subtitle=66%20Books%20by%20Genre%20%26%20Timeline&type=guide" alt="Books of the Bible List Timeline | ScriptureSide" width="1200" height="630" /> </a>