Poll: Five Most Important Books Of The Bible

[Czarcasm]

What are the five most important books of the Bible, in order of importance.
Please remember that this is a poll, not a debate. Thank you.

[FriarTed]

Oh boy-

Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Luke, Romans

because they give us

The Beginning, The Ten Commanments & initial Covenant of the Law, The Songs, The Most Detailed Gospel, The Message of Salvation by Grace.

[dalej42]

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Mark
4. John
5. Psalms

[HeyHomie]

John
James
Psalms
Genesis
Matthew

[palindromemordnilap]

1. Luke
2. Matthew
3. Mark
4. Genesis
5. Revelations

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

Top five in the Jewish version of the Bible.

1. Genesis (Bereshit)
2. Exodus (Shemot)
3. Leviticus (Vayikra)
4. Numbers (Bamidbar)
5. Deuteronomy (Devarim)

[Shodan]

Luke Genesis Exodus John Romans RevelationRegards,
Shodan

[si_blakely]

1. Genesis
(The Beginning, why the world is like it is)
2. Exodus
(The model for Salvation, the giving of the Law)
3. Isaiah
(The Suffering Servant)
4. Luke
(The Gospel)
5. Romans
(Grace and Salvation, freedom from the Law)

Si

[cwthree]

Top five? All of them.




What?

[Eureka]

Genesis
Luke
Acts
Psalms
John

(Although I reserve the right to answer differently should you ask this question of me later).

[Nars Glinley]

John
Genesis
Psalms
Romans
Job - I put this in mainly to be different, but it does ask some important questions.

[Czarcasm]

Luke Genesis Exodus John Romans RevelationRegards,
Shodan
Maybe you should have considered Numbers. :D

[Mahaloth]

1. Matthew - Jesus' best sermons are in this book.
2. Romans - The best layout of basic Christian beliefs
3. Genesis - The beginning
4. John - The best written Gospel and a runner up to Matthew.
5. Psalms - Cool poetry and profound contemplation

[AppallingGael]

Genesis
Exodus
Samuel (II if I can't use both)
Psalms
Matthew

[GameHat]

John
Romans
Acts
Genesis
Exodus
Psalms

Yeah, I'm cheating and picking six.

[Just Some Guy]

Genesis for the creation myth.
Exodus for the foundations of Judaism.
Matthew for the overview of Christianity (I think that's where the Sermon on the Mount is covered).
Job for God being a dick.
Revelations so you can pick up on the references in pop culture.

[Nicolas Bourbaki]

John
Genesis
Matthew
Romans
Psalms

[JThunder]

Oh boy-

Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Luke, Romans

because they give us

The Beginning, The Ten Commanments & initial Covenant of the Law, The Songs, The Most Detailed Gospel, The Message of Salvation by Grace.

I agree with your list, except that I would replace Psalms with the Gospel of John.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Importance to us, or importance to history? If the latter, I think Revelation has to be in there somewhere. If the former, then I doubt anyone will pick it.

[Skald the Rhymer]

How are you defining "important"?

I'll define it as "influential to the overall Christian worlld-view," which gives me a different answer than if I had typed "Judeo-Christian."

1. Genesis
2. Luke
3. Luke/John (tie)
5. Romans.

[Thing Fish]

Top five in the Jewish version of the Bible.

1. Genesis (Bereshit)
2. Exodus (Shemot)
3. Leviticus (Vayikra)
4. Numbers (Bamidbar)
5. Deuteronomy (Devarim)


Yeah, from a Jewish POV this is pretty much a no-brainer. My second tier would be Psalms, Job, Isiaiah, Ecclesiastes, and...oh heck, let's say Ezekiel.

[Humble Servant]

Top 5 influences on Western literature:

1. Genesis
2. Job
3. Isaiah
4. Psalms
5. Ecclesiastes

[Zeldar]

Genesis -- First in the OT
Malachi -- Last in the OT

Matthew -- First in the NT
Revelation -- Last in the NT

Psalms -- Middle of the Bible (KJV) (If you open it at the halfway point)

Take these away and you'd have a whole new group.

[kelly5078]

Depends who you are.

If you're me:
Genesis (only because you have to know this stuff)
Job
Ecclesiastes
Psalms
Mark (see Genesis)

If you're a Jew (any flavor)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
(even though 3 and 4 are mostly astoundingly irrelevant).

If you're an Evangelical Christian:
John
Revelation
Romans
Genesis
and an NT wildcard of your choice.

[handsomeharry]

Genesis
Psalms
Luke
Romans
Galatians

[don't ask]

The one where Scooby Doo wears that Egyptian outfit to infiltrate the bad guys.

[Czarcasm]

Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally.

[Nars Glinley]

Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally.

Well, that's a whole different kettle of fish:

John
James
Romans
1st and 2nd Corinthians (cheating, I know)
Acts

[Shodan]

Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally.

Oh.

Then Matthew Luke Mark Ecclesiastes Genesis

In my previous, there was a two-way tie for fifth. ;)

Regards,
Shodan

[Czarcasm]

The one where Scooby Doo wears that Egyptian outfit to infiltrate the bad guys.I don't think we'll accept The New Hanna-Barbera(Revised) edition as canon.

[Czarcasm]

1. Exodus
2. Psalms
3. Ruth
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Luke

[baronsabato]

1. Exodus- I believe it lays the entire foundation for the overarching Biblical narrative (both Hebrew Bible and New Testament) of liberation.

2. Mark- the oldest Gospel we have, and what Matthew and Luke partly based their Gospels on.

3. The Minor Prophets (really twelve books for Christians, but I believe that in the Jewish canon they're all lumped under one book)- the recurring theme of social and economic justice is very much a cornerstone for my faith.

4. 1 Corinthians- the argument for equitable distribution of food during the Lord's supper, the passing mentions of women as church leaders and preachers, the passage on love- this book is beautiful!

5. Genesis- just because there are a lot of familiar stories, and it's just interesting to read.

[Skald the Rhymer]

1. Exodus
2. Psalms
3. Ruth
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Luke

Why does Luke rank below Ruth & Ecclesiastes? Below PSALMS, for that matter?

[12Tribes]

1. Job - The book that asks THE question; Why do bad things happen to good people. It doesn't give a satisfying answer, but it brings the question up for discussion.
2. Exodus
3. Genesis - These two books have some of the best stories ever told. So what if they're all fictional (or at least 95% so) That doesn't mean that they don't contain Truth, or that we cant' learn from them.
4. Psalms - An all purpose prayer book
5. Matthew - Not a Christian myself, but no thinking person can argue that Jesus wasn't important, and Matthew tells the story best to my taste.

[FireSpeaks]

I think it depends on why we are listing them.
just my favorites are
1. Gospel of John
2. Romans
3: Genesis
4.Acts
5.Psalms

However if you think in being a Christian I would Say
1.Gospel of John
2. Romans
3. Acts
4. 1John
5. James (the proverbs of the New Covenant)

Troy "FireSpeaks (http://firespeaks.blogspot.com)" Pearsall