Holy Bible, New Testament 5.9.1

The modern Bible is divided into two main sections: The Old Testament and the New Testament. Each of these consists of many individual books, which are subdivided into chapters and verses for easy reference. The chapter and verse designations are late developments, not extant in the earliest manuscripts. Though quite convenient for readers, they sometimes give a false sense of discreteness, resulting in a frequent divorcing of Bible quotations from their context. The division into chapters and verses is also often used in Bible-like works such as the Qur'an and the Book of Mormon.

The term "book" is a catch-all term for many different kinds of writing that vary enormously in length and purpose within the Bible. Books of the Bible may include historical accounts, laws, folk legends, lectures, poetry, mystical writings, or letters. Therefore, a Bible verse quoted in isolation needs to be interpreted differently depending on which part of the Bible it comes from.

The New Testament begins with the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These collectively tell the story of Jesus' time on earth, his crucifixion and resurrection, miracles attributed to him, and his philosophy. Following the Gospels are many letters to the early churches, primarily written by Saul of Tarsus after his conversion to Christianity and adoption of the name Paul. These letters are known as the "epistles." The New Testament concludes with the book of Revelation, which some interpret as a narrative about the end times or the decline of the Roman Empire.

The New Testament is predominantly written in "koine," the form of Attic Greek that was widely used in the Mediterranean during the early Roman Empire.

The New Testament is an anthology of Christian works written in common Greek by various authors who were early Jewish followers of Jesus. In most Christian traditions today, it consists of 27 books. The original texts were believed to have been written in Koine Greek no later than around AD 150.

The New Testament comprises:

• Four narratives of Jesus' life, teachings, death, and resurrection known as "gospels."
• A narrative on the Apostles' early ministries in the church called "Acts of the Apostles," likely authored by Luke.
• Twenty-one letters commonly referred to as "epistles," containing Christian doctrine, counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution.
• An Apocalypse known as the Book of Revelation with prophetic symbology about the end times and instructions to local congregations in Asia Minor.