About this puzzle
On the Hard level, this puzzle covers the whole New Testament, all 27 books, using 20 words, while Easy starts with the best-known books, like the four Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Books that share a name, such as 1 and 2 Corinthians or 1, 2, and 3 John, appear once without their numbers, because a word search grid only holds letters. That means John stands for both the Gospel and the three letters, and Peter, Timothy, and Thessalonians each cover two books.
Memorizing the books in order is a classic Sunday school goal, and finding them in a grid is a friendlier way to practice than reciting a list. After solving, students can number each word in its Bible order using the notes below. The puzzle also suits confirmation classes, homeschool Bible lessons, and adult study groups looking for a light start to the evening.
The 20 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Acts
- The Acts of the Apostles, written by the same author as Luke. It tells of Pentecost, the growth of the early church, and Paul's missionary journeys.
- Galatians
- Paul's letter to churches in Galatia, a region in what is now Turkey. Chapter 5 lists the fruit of the Spirit, beginning with love, joy, and peace.
- Hebrews
- A letter whose author is unknown. Chapter 11, sometimes called the hall of faith, honors Abraham, Moses, and many others.
- James
- A practical letter traditionally credited to James, the brother of Jesus. It teaches that faith without works is dead.
- John
- Stands for the Gospel of John, which begins In the beginning was the Word, and the three short letters 1, 2, and 3 John.
- Luke
- Traditionally written by Luke, a physician who traveled with Paul. It tells of the shepherds at Jesus' birth and the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
- Mark
- The shortest of the four Gospels, with 16 chapters. Many scholars believe it was the first Gospel to be written.
- Matthew
- The first book of the New Testament. It opens with the family line of Jesus and contains the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5 to 7.
- Peter
- Stands for 1 and 2 Peter, letters attributed to the apostle Peter that encourage believers to stay faithful through hard times.
- Revelation
- The final book of the Bible, written by John on the island of Patmos. Its title is singular, so it is Revelation, not Revelations.
- Romans
- Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, the longest of his letters. It explains the gospel message in careful detail.
- Timothy
- Two letters from Paul to Timothy, his young coworker. Together with Titus, they are called the Pastoral Epistles because they guide church leaders.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Colossians
- A letter from Paul to the church in Colossae, a small city in Asia Minor that Paul had not visited himself.
- Corinthians
- Two letters from Paul to the church in Corinth, a busy Greek port city. First Corinthians 13 contains the famous words Love is patient, love is kind.
- Ephesians
- Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. Chapter 6 describes the armor of God, including the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation.
- Jude
- A single-chapter letter written by Jude, who calls himself a brother of James. It is the second-to-last book of the Bible.
- Philemon
- A one-chapter letter asking Philemon to welcome back Onesimus, a runaway servant, as a brother in Christ.
- Philippians
- Paul wrote this joyful letter to the church in Philippi while he was in prison. It includes the verse I can do all things through Christ.
- Thessalonians
- Two letters to the church in Thessalonica, today the Greek city of Thessaloniki. First Thessalonians is often considered one of the earliest New Testament writings.
- Titus
- Paul's letter to Titus, whom he left on the island of Crete to organize the churches there. It is one of the three Pastoral Epistles.
A few facts to share while you solve
- Paul is traditionally credited with writing 13 of the 27 New Testament books, all of them letters.
- Five books of the Bible have only one chapter: Obadiah in the Old Testament, and Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude in the New Testament.
- The Bible was not originally divided into numbered chapters. Stephen Langton added chapter divisions in the 1200s, and Robert Estienne numbered the New Testament verses in 1551.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 15 × 15 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 20 | 16 × 16 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard books of the bible word search: all 20 words on a 16 × 16 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print books of the bible word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 11 × 11 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
Why does the full puzzle have only 20 words for 27 books?
Several New Testament books share a name and differ only by a number, like 1 and 2 Timothy. Since a word search can only use letters, each shared name appears once. Corinthians, Thessalonians, Timothy, and Peter each stand for two books, and John stands for four.
Does this puzzle include the Old Testament?
No. It focuses on the 27 New Testament books so the list stays complete and easy to learn in order. For a broader puzzle with people and places from both testaments, try our Bible word search.
How can I use it to help kids memorize the books?
After the grid is solved, have students write the words in New Testament order, from Matthew to Revelation, checking the notes for hints. Repeat the puzzle on a harder level the following week and see who can list the order from memory.
Is there an answer key for this books of the bible word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 20 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
