What books of the Bible are most important to Christians? I realize that this is going to be different for different Christians and that many might say "they're all important", and so on, but I'm trying to get a decent overview here. I'd also like to know if the different books, primarily in the new testament, have different importances in different areas, for instance, the gospels may be more important than the epistles for a recounting of Jesus' life, whereas the epistles might be more important for instructions or things like that.
Come on, now, people. I'm not looking for an exhaustive list, just some pointers of what parts are more relevant.
The Gospel of John is many Christians' favorite because only there will you find Jesus' teaching on being born again and living warter. Romans clearly describes the need for salvation and the means for attaining it. Galatians shows why we should not be bound by ancillary regulations. Acts is easy to read and gives the early history of the church. Revelation is fun and will keep you guessing about the significance of current events for life. In the Old Testament, Christians love Isaiah because Jesus is mentioned in so many ways. Proverbs gives practical advice on almost everything. Psalms gives great comfort under stress. I'm partial to I and II Samuel because it shows real people in real situations, coping with only occasional divine assistance.
God deemed that they are all important that is why He preserved them all for His people today, even though not everything in the Bible is applicable for them in it. The Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle that if any picture is missing the picture will not be complete.
I find the gospels fascinating, because when we read them as separate accounts of Christ, we can easily see the evolution of the mythology of Christ. As the first gospel Mark shows us, we see Christ not talking about his divinity at all. As we move through them we see greater and greater declarations of his deity, until we get to John and his nearly constant declarations of his oneness with God. It is a progression that happens over time as the myth increases exponentially. The passion story changes radically, too. In Mark, Christ never utters a word as he is marched to Calvary. He appears devestated and foresaken, beaten and alone. His last words show him wondering why he has been foresaken. Compare that with the chatty Christ in John who talks to his mom, giving out comfort, soothing the fears of the thief next to him on the cross, confidently wishing mercy upon his torturers. He goes to his death not in fear, but in triumph. These are two different stories altogether, and show the evolution of the deification of Christ as the oral traditions expand, and are then recorded by different people from different countries. If Christ had constantly declared that he was God, do you think that would have gone unnoticed and unmentioned by Mark? That simply defies all credibility.
