Title: Regarding the Books of the Bible Question: Following is the list of the books of the Bible: Genesis Isaiah Romans Exodus Jeremiah 1st Corinthians Leviticus Lamentations 2nd Corinthians Numbers Ezekiel Galatians Deuteronomy Daniel Ephesians Joshua Hosea Philippians Judges Joel Colossians Ruth Amos 1st Thessalonians 1st Samuel Obadiah 2nd Thessalonians 2nd Samuel Jonah 1st Timothy 1st Kings Micah 2nd Timothy 2nd Kings Nahum Titus 1st Chronicles Habakkuk Philemon 2nd Chronicles Zephaniah Hebrews Ezra Haggai James Nehemiah Zechariah 1st Peter Esther Malachi 2nd Peter Job Matthew 1st John Psalms Mark 2nd John Proverbs Luke 3rd John Ecclesiastes John Jude Song of Solomon Acts Revelation Are the books of Bible mentioned above came in the same sequence as I wrote it above? Are these all the books of Bible in the Old and New Testament? Which of the above books are considered a part of Old Testament and which are parts of New Testament? In which language did the Old Testament and the New Testament is originally written in? Did any books of Bible originally written in Greek language? if yes then which ones? if no then why most of the times Muslims prefers Greek Bibles to prove Muhammad is mentioned by name in the Bible? Does Aramaic language similar to Arabic language. if they are similar then name Muhammad (pbuh) can be a coincidence and might really not be Muhammad (pbuh). may God forgive what I'm saying but need to know the answer to this question so that I can have an answer for anyone. Does New Testament include the books of Jesus (pbuh) only? please mention which books are those? After the Jesus (pbuh) departed from this earth did any prophet came after him in Jews and brought a message of God? Why there was a need of New Testament when Old Testament was available for the people of Jews? Did Jesus (pbuh) succeed in his mission for which god sent him? Did Jesus (pbuh) change any laws of the Old Testament? Do the Christians use Old Testament for their guidance now a days? Do the Christians think that the New Testament is enough and they don't need the Old Testament? If the New Testament doesn't have a solution to a problem then do the Christians consider the Old Testament for the solution? how much the Christians follow the Old and New Testament now a days? e.g. I can't find any punishment for rape in the New Testament but in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 22:28 and Deuteronomy 22:25 is about the punishment of rape which I think Christians will not agree with. please through some light on this point What does 1st john, 2nd john, 1st peter etc. what does "1st" and "2nd" represent which is mentioned before the books of john , peter etc.? What are the books of acts ??? Were they written by Allah's messengers? Khalid Jamil Pakistan Answer: Answers to your questions follow: I am not quite sure what you mean by "came in the same sequence." The books of the Bible are held by the Christians to be "inspired" at varying times and varying places. Since some of the history is obscure, we cannot say with any certainty who some of the writers were and when they were written. Nevertheless, the books of the Bible are not necessarily in chronological order. An example of this would be the Gospel of Matthew, which is placed first in the New Testament but was not written until after the Gospel of Mark. These are all the books of the Old and New Testament of the Protestant Bible. The Catholic Bible differs in that it has seven more books and it contains parts of other books not found in the Jewish Old Testament. Genesis through Malachi forms the Old Testament. Matthew through Revelation forms the New Testament. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was written in Greek. The answer to number four addresses this question. I am not sure of your information that "most Muslims prefer the Greek" to prove that the Prophet Muhammad is referred to in the Bible. If you could be more specific I would be better able to address your question. Arabic and Aramaic come from the same family language known as Hamito-Semitic and they do share similarities. I could not quite comprehend what you were implying regarding the Prophet Muhammad. You said it could be a "coincidence," but I am not clear as what you are referring to. The New Testament is partially a narration of Jesus' life and ministry. There is no such thing as the "books of Jesus." However, you will find the most detailed information dealing with the personality of Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. No. The prophet that came after Jesus was the Prophet Muhammad who was not of the lineage of the Israelites. To answer we must differentiate between Jesus' mission and the New Testament. Jesus came to purify the Law of God from the Jews corruption. His mission was to correct the ways of the Jews who had strayed from the message of God. Jesus did not come to change anything but to correct what had been tainted by tradition, over time. The New Testament developed after this took place. Jesus did as he was told and fulfilled his duties. Jesus, according to our understanding did not change anything from the Law of God as it was sent down to the prophets. He clarified and purified beliefs and practices and was to correct the hypocrisy of the Jews. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. ( Matthew 5:17-18 ) The Ten Commandments are an example that Christians use the Old Testament for guidance, however many other parts of the Old Testament are seen as laws directed to certain groups only. We cannot speculate on Christian beliefs. They vary from denomination to denomination and even individual understandings. Typically, the New Testament is emphasized because of Jesus' role and the way Christian doctrine is setup. There are laws and some form of guidance in the Old Testament not contained in the New Testament that I'm sure Christians adhere to. As for the rest of the question, I can only answer by saying that such rulings amount to understanding and interpretation. The division seems to represent various things. In some cases it represents a division of a single book whose contents vary in theme. Also, some books were called by a particular name yet the author was different than that of the title or than the original writer. In other cases various narratives and pieces of information were gathered and compiled under a title. Another reason for the separation is because some of the books of the Bible were letters written at different times but addressed either the same subject or people. According to the New King James Version "The Word in Life Study Bible," the book of Acts relates to the application of faith in everyday life. The author is not really known, however Christian tradition ascribes the book to Luke who also is given credit for writing the Gospel of Luke, though he was not a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have attempted to answer in your questions to the best and most honest ways of my abilities. I would suggest that questions regarding Christianity maybe better answered by Christian scholars. If you were looking for the Christian perspective then I would recommend seeking those scholars to give you their point of view and their understanding. I hope I have clarified the issue God knows best Ronnie Hassan June 9, 2003