THE BIBLE Notes, Quizzes & Revision

Learning Goals

• Understand what the Bible is and why it is important to many Kenyans.
• Identify the main parts (Old Testament and New Testament) and common literary types.
• Recognise key themes and a few well-known stories or passages.
• Learn basic ways to look up and cite Bible passages and compare translations (including Swahili and English).

Overview: What is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of religious books sacred to Christians. It is divided into two main parts: the Old Testament (which records events and teachings before Jesus) and the New Testament (which tells about the life of Jesus, the early church, and letters to Christian communities).

Structure and Genres

• Old Testament: Law (e.g., Genesis–Deuteronomy), History (e.g., Joshua, Kings), Poetry & Wisdom (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs), Prophecy (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah).
• New Testament: Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Acts (early church history), Letters (Pauline and other epistles), Revelation (apocalyptic).
• Genres you will meet: narrative, laws, songs/poetry, wise sayings, prophecy, letters, and symbolic visions.

Key Themes to Remember

1. Creation and God’s care — stories of how life and the world began.
2. Covenant and law — agreements between God and people, rules for living together.
3. Prophecy and justice — calls for right living and care for the poor and vulnerable.
4. Jesus, salvation and love — New Testament focus on Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection.
5. Community and service — how believers are encouraged to care for one another and for society.

Kenyan Context

The Bible plays an important role in many Kenyan churches, schools and homes. Many people read it in English and Swahili (for example, "Biblia Takatifu" or "Biblia Habari Njema"). The Bible is used in worship, community guidance, and celebrations like Easter and Christmas. Local churches often use passages when teaching about social issues such as justice, community service and reconciliation.

Study Tips

• Start with short readings: try a psalm or a Gospel story (Luke or John) for clear narratives about Jesus.
• Learn how to cite a verse: Book Chapter:Verse (e.g., John 3:16). This makes finding passages easy.
• Compare translations: read the same passage in English and Swahili to understand wording and meaning.
• Use simple tools: Bible Society of Kenya publications, YouVersion app, or BibleGateway for quick searches.
• Discuss with others: ask a teacher, church leader or parent when a passage is hard to understand.

Activities

• Find and write out one verse from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament (include citation).
• Create a simple timeline of major Bible events (Creation, Moses, Kings, Jesus, Early Church).
• Compare one short story in English and Swahili and note any words that change meaning—discuss with a friend.
• Memorise one short verse that highlights a key theme (e.g., love, kindness, or justice).

Assessment Ideas

• Short quiz: name the two main parts of the Bible and give one example book from each.
• Explain briefly (3–4 sentences) the main message of a chosen short passage.
• Practical test: show how to locate John 3:16 in a physical Bible or app.

Resources

• Bible Society of Kenya — local translations and study aids.
• YouVersion / Bible apps — many translations and reading plans in English and Swahili.
• BibleGateway.com — search and compare translations online.
• Local church leaders, Sunday school teachers and school textbooks for guided reading.