The New Testament Books Notes, Quizzes & Revision
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The New Testament Books
Subject: Christian Religious Education | Topic: The New Testament | Target age: 15 (Kenya)
- Organise the New Testament books according to distinct categories.
- Explain why the Bible can be called a library.
- Identify ways the Bible is used in Kenyan society today.
- Develop a simple plan to read the Bible daily and grow spiritually.
1. Quick overview
The New Testament (NT) has 27 books. It tells about the life of Jesus, the early church, teaching letters to Christians, and a vision of the future. Think of the NT as a set of different kinds of books (like chapters in a library) that work together to teach faith and how to live as Christians today. πβοΈ
2. The books β organised by category
Memorise the categories first. Each book belongs to one clear group:
3. Why we call the Bible a "library"
- Many authors: written by different people (apostles, church leaders, historians) over about 50β100 years.
- Different genres: biographies (Gospels), history (Acts), letters (epistles), poems (some Psalms in Old Testament), and visions (Revelation).
- Separate books collected into one volume: each book has its own purpose and audienceβlike books on a shelf in a library.
- Organised order and indexes (chapters, verses) so readers can find passages quicklyβjust like library classification systems.
- Unity of message: though many writers are involved, the NT focuses on Jesus Christ and the churchβs lifeβthis is the shelf that holds all the books together.
4. How the Bible is used in Kenyan society today
The Bible is used in many practical ways across Kenya:
- Church services: teaching, worship, sermons and sacraments. βͺ
- Education: CRE lessons in schools use Bible stories and ethics to teach values.
- Personal guidance and prayer: individuals read for comfort, decisions and encouragement. π
- Weddings, funerals and public events: passages are read for blessing and guidance.
- Counselling and community work: pastors, youth leaders and counsellors use scripture to support people in need.
- Cultural arts and media: music, drama, books, radio and TV programmes that draw on Bible themes.
- Social action and peacebuilding: churches and Christian groups use Bible teaching to support justice, charity and community projects.
5. Growing a desire to read the Bible daily
Daily Bible reading helps you grow spiritually and understand how to live as a Christian. Here are simple plans and tips you can try right away.
- Set a short time: 10 minutes each morning or evening. β°
- Pick a translation you understand (English or Kiswahili). In Kenya many use Good News Bible / Biblia Habari Njema or other clear versions.
- Read one short passage and ask three questions: What does this say about God? What does it say about people? How will I live differently?
- Keep a small notebook: jot one truth and one action for the day. π
- Join a youth Bible group or read with a friend to stay motivated.
- Day 1 β Matthew 5 (Jesusβ teaching on life and character)
- Day 2 β Psalm 23 (comfort and trust)
- Day 3 β Acts 2:42β47 (the early church & care for one another)
- Day 4 β Philippians 4 (practical faith and contentment)
- Day 5 β James 1 (faith and actions)
After 5 days, repeat with another short passage or a chapter from a Gospel.
6. Quick checks & memory helps
Use these mini-tasks to practise organising the books and remembering the structure:
- Mini-quiz: Which category does Romans belong to? (Answer: Pauline Epistles)
- Arrange these into categories: Matthew, Acts, James, Philippians, Revelation.
- Memory aid: Think "GAP-GR" to remember order roughly β Gospels, Acts, Paul (letters), General letters, Revelation.