Bible questions, answered simply

How many books are in the Bible?

Protestant Bibles have 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Catholic Bibles have 73, adding seven deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch) plus longer versions of Esther and Daniel. Eastern Orthodox Bibles include a few more.

How many chapters and verses are in the Bible?

Most English Bibles have 1,189 chapters (929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament) and about 31,100 verses. Psalms is the longest book, with 150 chapters.

How long does it take to read the whole Bible?

Reading three to four chapters a day takes you through the whole Bible in about a year, since 1,189 chapters divided by 365 days is about 3.3 chapters a day. Read aloud, the whole Bible takes roughly 70 to 80 hours.

Where should a beginner start reading the Bible?

Many people start with a Gospel, often Mark because it is short and fast-moving, or John. Then they read Genesis and Exodus for the beginning of the story, and Acts for what happened after Jesus. Psalms and Proverbs work well alongside as short daily reading.

What is the big story of the Bible, in order?

The Bible's story can be followed in ten eras: 1. Beginnings (Creation, Fall, New Start); 2. Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph); 3. Exodus (Freedom, Covenant, Journey); 4. Promised Land (Conquest, Judges, Ruth); 5. Kingdom (Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon); 6. Divided Kingdom (Israel, Judah, Prophets); 7. Exile & Return (Babylon, Persia, Rebuilding); 8. Jesus (Birth, Ministry, Cross, Resurrection); 9. Early Church (Pentecost, Peter, Paul); 10. New Creation (Letters, Revelation). Seeing the eras in order makes it much easier to know where any single story fits.

What is the difference between the Old and New Testament?

The Old Testament, written mostly in Hebrew before the time of Jesus, tells the story of creation, Abraham's family, the nation of Israel, its kings and its prophets. The New Testament, written in Greek in the first century AD, tells the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the growth of the early church.

Who wrote the Bible?

Christians traditionally hold that the Bible was written by about 40 human authors over roughly 1,500 years, inspired by God. They include Moses, David, Solomon, prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, and apostles such as Paul, Peter and John. Scholars discuss the authorship and dating of some books.

What is the World English Bible (WEB)?

The World English Bible is a modern English translation based on the American Standard Version of 1901. It is in the public domain, so anyone can read, copy and share it freely. Scrollway quotes it word for word.

How can I remember what I read in the Bible?

Short, regular review beats long, rare study. Read a little every day, connect each story to who, where and when it happened, and test yourself a day later, then a few days later, then a week later. This is called spaced review. Scrollway builds it in, so the facts you are about to forget come back at the right time.

Is there a Bible game that actually teaches the Bible?

Scrollway is a Bible study game for iPhone and iPad. Five-minute lessons and ten quick mini games (such as Jericho Walls, Old or New?, Name the Hero and Book Order) teach how the Bible's people, places, events and books connect. Right answers grow a Scripture garden, and a Bible IQ from 0 to 1000 rises only with real mastery.

Is there a Bible app with large, easy-to-read text for seniors?

Yes. Scrollway sets all text in Atkinson Hyperlegible, a typeface created with the Braille Institute for low-vision readers, at larger-than-usual sizes that follow your device's text settings. Lesson questions are never timed, and the Bible reader has its own text size control.

Is there a Bible app that works offline with no account?

Scrollway works fully offline and needs no account or sign-in. The complete World English Bible, every lesson and every game are built into the app. Your progress stays on your device, and there are no ads, analytics or tracking.

How much does Scrollway cost?

Scrollway is free to download, with the full Bible reader, the whole Beginnings era, the Daily Challenge, two reading plans and three arcade games a day free. Scrollway Premium unlocks everything: Annual $49.99 with a 7-day free trial, Monthly $9.99, Family Annual $79.99 for up to six people, or Lifetime $129.99 once (US prices; local prices may vary).

Does Scrollway work on iPad and Android?

Scrollway runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later. It is not available on Android yet.

Is Scrollway connected to a church or denomination?

No. Scrollway is an independent app. It focuses on the Bible's story and on facts that Christians broadly share, and where traditions differ it says so plainly.