Cliffs Notes on the Bible (Electronic book text)

Finally Summaries and Commentaries for Both the Old and New Testaments, including the Apocrypha, are available in one easy-to-access volume. The importance of the Old Testament as reflected in the influence it has had through the centuries can scarcely be overestimated. Its religious significance is indicated primarily by the fact that it is recognized as a part of the inspired sacred literature of three of the major religions of the world: the Hebrew scriptures of Judaism, the Bible of Christianity, and a sacred religious text of Islam, along with the Koran. But the importance of the Old Testament has not been confined to the adherents of these religions: It has permeated the cultures of many countries of the world and has been one of the main sources of the moral and political ideals that have played so vital a role in the history of Western civilization. The ideas of democracy, individual worth, freedom in its various forms, the right of humans, divine purpose in the world, human destiny--all partly find their origin in the Old Testament. No single book has influenced the course of Western civilization more than the New Testament, the collection of sacred writings in which different persons set forth their convictions concerning the meaning and significance of the earthly career of Jesus of Nazareth. In the New Testament biographies of Jesus, usually referred to as the Gospels, we find the most extensive records of what Jesus did and of what Jesus taught. Additionally, letters written by the apostle Paul constitute nearly one third of the New Testament. Written long before any of the Gospels that we have now were in existence, Paul's letters interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and have had a profound impact on Christian history. The remaining portions of the New Testament, although concerned with specific problems and situations of the early Christian church, also reflect the accepted beliefs about Jesus.