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Paul's letter to the Ephesians was written whilst he was imprisoned by the Romans, and it urges the need for a close relationship with God in the midst of persecution. Ephesians clearly states the imperative belief of salvation through the grace of God and not merely through good deeds or obedience to rules. Surrounded by worshippers of false gods, the church in Ephesus needed unity and strength in order to keep their new faith.

1 Thessalonians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Thessalonica to commend them for their faith and encourage them to continue to follow God faithfully. This book contains clear prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the rapture of the true believers to heaven. An encouraging epistle for all Christian believers, 1 Thessalonians is a reminder of the rewards that are to come at the end of this life for the servants of God.

The shortest book in the New Testament, the book of 3 John is only one page long and was written by the Apostle John during his exile on Patmos. This epistle uses an example of a false teacher to illustrate the importance of staying faithful to Jesus and his sincere followers.

Written shortly after 1 Peter, 2 Peter addresses the Christian believers and condemns the teachings of false prophets who entwined other theologies into the Christian faith. 2 Peter teaches that in order not to be swayed by the insidiousness of the false doctrines, it is essential to study the word of God and to develop a close relationship with his Son, Jesus.

Only one chapter long, the book of Jude is an epistle written by the half brother of Jesus, who became a Christian only after Jesus' crucifixion. This book uses examples from the Old Testament to show the importance of obeying God and following his teachings. Jude condemns the false teachers and urges the Christians to unite and strengthen each other's faith in order to withstand their deception.

The epistle of 2 John confronts the issue of false teachers infiltrating the Christian church and spreading doctrines that did not coincide with true Christian teachings. John urges the believers to stand by the truth and to love others while simultaneously being wary of whom they allowed into their homes and minds. 2 John is an important reminder to follow the words of Jesus as a guideline and not only the words of those claiming to speak for him.

Only one chapter long, Philemon is an epistle written by Paul to exhort a slave owner to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus. As a close friend of Philemon, Paul encourages him to no longer see Onesimus as a slave but as a fellow brother in Christ, whose forgiveness should be emulated by all his followers.

Written at the end of the Apostle Paul's life as he was once again imprisoned by the Romans, 2 Timothy was addressed to the pastor by the same name who accompanied Paul on many of his missionary journeys. In these chapters, Paul gives Timothy instructions for the growing churches so that he might be prepared to succeed Paul as leader of the Christian faith. Along with these important directions, 2 Timothy contains encouraging thoughts about death and the rewards which come to faithful servants of God in the next life.

The first book of Kings recounts the lives of the kings of Israel and Judea over a period of 400 years after the death of King David. His son, Solomon, features heavily in these chapters, first to show God's generous blessings to a faithful king and later as an example of the consequences of turning away from God. This book also details the split of the northern and southern tribes of Israel and the subsequent appointment of the prophet Elijah to bring hope to the true followers of God and vengeance on those who had renounced him.

Written shortly after its prequel, 2 Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul to reassure the Thessalonian church of the second coming of Christ and to refute the teachings of false prophets. After several forgeries of Paul's letters, the apostle himself alleviated their fears that the time of the end had already begun. In 2 Thessalonians, there are many prophecies depicting the rapture, the Antichrist and the times of tribulation which are detailed fully in Revelation.

The book of 1 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to a young pastor by the same name, who was based in the church at Ephesus. Paul instructs him on the importance of not being led astray by false teachings and to keep his faith in God. This book contains clear directions on the organisation and structure of a church as well as practical advice on how to lead one.

The second book of Kings depicts Israel as a land divided, being ruled by wicked kings who lead the Israelite people only further into idolatry and sin. Throughout this period, the prophets, notably Elijah and Elisha, bring hope for repentance and reformation by performing astounding miracles and spreading the word of God. Their efforts to lead the Israelites from their stubborn and disobedient path are chronicled in 2 Kings, and once again God shows how he rewards obedience with blessings but rebellion with tragic consequences.

The Prophetical books of the Old Testament are named for the many prophets chosen by God to warn the Israelite people of their waywardness and urge them to repent and stay faithful to him. The majority of these books were written before the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, but several of the Minor Prophets detail the return to Jerusalem from their exile to rebuild the city. Along with the prophecies of judgment, this volume also contains the most beautiful and detailed Messianic prophecies in the Bible, predicting the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ, who would redeem mankind from all their sins.

The genre of the book of Daniel is Narrative History, Prophetic Oracle, and it includes Apocalyptic material. The prophet Daniel wrote it around 530 B.C. and his writings records the events of the Babylonian captivity in 560-536 B.C. to which Daniel was a servant. It also describes the apocalyptic visions given by God, and reveals the events and plans for everyone's future. Key personalities of this book include Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Belshazzar, and Darius.

The Book of Deuteronomy begins in the final, fortieth year of Israel's wandering in the desert. Stationed east of the Jordan River, Moses addresses the new generation of Israelites in preparation for entering the Promised Land. He summarizes the events of the past four decades and encourages the young Israelites to remember God's miracles and covenant with Israel. He forbids the worship of other gods or idols in the new land and repeats the Ten Commandments given by God at Mount Sinai.

The book of Ecclesiastes contains Proverbs, maxims, sayings, and is largely an autobiographical story. Solomon wrote it late in his life, approximately 935 B.C. He had become aware of the mistakes that he made throughout his life and began to document them. The purpose of Ecclesiastes is to spare future generations the suffering and misery of seeking after foolish, meaningless, materialistic emptiness, and to offer wisdom by discovering truth in seeking after God.

The book of Ezekiel is Narrative History, Prophetic and Apocalyptic in genre and even contains Parables. The prophet Ezekiel wrote it approximately 571 B.C. (this date is accurately precise because this book contains more defined dates than any other book in the Bible.) Key personalities include Ezekiel, Israel's leaders, Ezekiel's wife, King Nebuchadnezzar, and "the prince". It was written to announce judgment upon Judah, to allow them one last chance to repent. It also foretells of the coming deliverance of God's nation from captivity in Babylon.

Ezra is a book of Narrative History and Genealogies. It was written by Ezra at approximately 440 B.C. and records events up to 450 B.C. Key personalities include Cyrus, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Darius I, Artaxerxes I, and Zerubbabel. Ezra's purpose was to accurately record the events of the return from the Babylonian exile, after a seventy-year period and the events that surround the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. God is faithful in fulfilling His promises and so the Jews return to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon.

The book of Micah is a Prophetic Oracle. The prophet Micah wrote it 742-686 B.C. shortly before the Northern Kingdom's fall in 722 B.C. Key personalities are all the people of Samaria and Jerusalem. The purpose of the book of Micah was to proclaim warning and judgment to both the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms. His message was similar to that of Isaiah and was written at about the same time. Micah described the impending judgment that would eventually exile the nation.

After Joshua's death, the tribes of Israel continue their conquest of the southern regions of Canaan, but they are unable to cleanse the land thoroughly of its native inhabitants. God declares that these remaining people will be an impediment to Israel's enjoyment of the promised land. Generations pass, and the younger Israelites turn away from God, intermarrying with the Canaanites and worshipping the local deities. God threatens to abandon Israel because of the disobedience of the youth, but he selects a series of judges, or rulers, to act as temporary leaders for the people.