Page 3 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

Pentateuch Section 1: Introduction

1.1 Connect
The “Pentateuch” (Greek for “having five books”) refers to the first five books of the Old
Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books are also
called the Law or Torah. They tell us about the creation of the world, sins entrance into human
life, God’s promise of a Savior, his laws showing the right way to live, and the first part of his
dealings with his people. Other Old Testament and New Testament books often refer to verses
or events in the Pentateuch. These five books are the foundation for all the rest of God’s
revelation to us.

The books in the Hebrew OT (Masoretic Text) are often divided into several groups: 1.) the Torah; 2.) the
prophets including the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) and the latter prophets (Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, twelve minor prophets); and 3.) the writings including poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, Job),
rolls (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther), and history (Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah,
and 1 and 2 Chronicles). The total count was twenty-four books with Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and the
minor prophets listed as one each, Ezra and Nehemiah as one, Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with
Jeremiah. The last book, Malachi, was written around 424 B.C.

1.2 Objectives

1. You will review the basis for considering the Pentateuch inspired scripture.

2. You will survey some of the theological views in history about the use of the law for the
Christian.

3. You will have a clear understanding of how this course will present the use of the law for the
Christian today.

1.3 Introduction

Written primarily in Hebrew, the Old Testament had been translated into Greek by the time of
Jesus. This version, called the Septuagint, was written around 250 – 150 B.C. Jesus had a copy
of the OT in either Greek or Hebrew that was substantially like our Bibles today. From time to
time, other books have been suggested for inclusion, such as the fourteen books of the
Apocrypha. Yet none of these books were ever part of the Hebrew OT. The NT quotes none of
these books while it refers to all the OT books. Figure 1 is the oldest complete copy of the Pentateuch,
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an illustration of one way scripture was written.

The New Testament affirms the inspiration of the entire Old Testament, including the Pentateuch. “Not
the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until
everything is accomplished,” said Jesus (Matt. 5:18). “The scripture cannot be broken” refers to the Old
Testament (John 10:35). These writings are “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). God spoke to the prophets

1 F. F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture (Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 1988), 51.

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