The Christian sacred writings are contained in the Holy Bible and Christians believe it to be the 'word of God'. The Bible is in two sections called testaments meaning agreements. The first section, or Old Testament, contains the same books as the Hebrew Bible but in a slightly different order, and is an account of God's agreement or covenant with Moses. The second part of the Bible is the New Testament which Christians believe is God's new agreement or covenant with humanity achieved by the death and resurrection of Jesus. In some Bibles there is a third section of book between the two Testaments called 'the Apocrypha' - it means 'things that are hidden'. It is made up of 15 books written between 200 and 100 BCE. They were part of the official Latin Bible - the Vulgate - but from the time of the Reformation have been omitted from most Bibles authorised by Protestant churches.

The New Testament is made up from different sections. The first four books known as the 'Gospels' or good news of the salvation of humanity were either written by, or attributed to, the people after whom the books were named. Strictly speaking John's Gospel in not a gospel as it is more a theological interpretation of Jesus' words and action rather than a narrative. The Gospels were written to preserve the stories and teaching of Jesus at a time when eyewitnesses were dying out. The Acts of the Apostles is a history of the early church but the majority of the New Testament is letters or Epistles. These are some of the earliest writings in the New Testament and are teachings about the Christian faith as it relates to everyday life and Christian lifestyle.

Christians believe that the Bible is God's word but there are differing opinions as to how this is to be interpreted. Some Christians believe that every word contained in the Bible is from God and the writers were 'secretaries' writing God's revelations. Others believe that the writings are from God but were interpreted by human authors. A further view is that the writings in the Bible contain the spirit of God's message to humanity but the details are less relevant.

These different interpretations are reflected in how Christians use the Bible. For some the authority of the Bible is unquestionable. Others believe that it is the responsibility of the Christian Church to interpret and apply Biblical teachings to new and evolving situations. Yet others believe that the Holy Spirit inspires individual Christians as they read the Bible and therefore act according to their conscience.

Furthermore the architecture of Christian buildings also reflects the position or authority of the Bible. The Bible is used in all Christian worship but in some church buildings the focal point is the altar underlining the importance of the liturgy and the Eucharist, while in other churches the pulpit containing the Bible is central reinforcing the centrality of the Bible and the preaching of God's word.