An Overview of the New Testament
...overbs we are taught that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. King Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In it he describes his futile attempt to find happiness in riches, power, fame, and education. It is the voice of experience admonishing, encouraging, and enlightening the reader to the fact that true happiness can only come from knowing the one true God. The last book of this section is the Song of Solomon. It is a prophetic love song expressing Christ’s love for His bride, the Church. The Books of Prophecy The last section of the Old Testament contains the Books of Prophecy. There are seventeen books in total bearing the names of the great prophets that wrote them. These prophets spoke for God. They brought words of encouragement but also of rebuke and judgment from God to His people. They saw into the future and told of things yet to come. They foretold of the coming Messiah, of His birth, His life and ministry, His death and resurrection, and His second coming and eternal reign. For about 400 after Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, God kept silent. No word from the Lord was to be heard until He began setting in motion the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist was to prepare the way. His message was one of repentance. “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!” This was the message that John the Baptist preached right up to his very last day when he was executed. The New Testament The second part of the Bible is the New Testament. It is known as the New Testament because a new covenant was made by God with those who believe and accept His son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The New Testament begins by introducing us to Jesus through the Gospels. We learn of His birth, His life and ministry, and His death and resurrection. It then goes on to detail the origins of the Church in the Book of Acts. It then continues by providing us with the commands and principles given to the Church by God through the apostles. The New Testament concludes with the prophetic book of Revelations where we get to witness the future events surrounding the second coming of Christ. There are twenty seven books in the New Testament that can be divided into five basic categories. These categories are: The Gospels History Paul’s Epistles General Epistles Prophecy Matthew Acts Romans Hebrews Revelation Mark I & II Corinthians James Luke Galatians I & II Peter John Ephesians I, II, & III John Philippians Jude Colossians I & II Thessalonians I & II Timothy Titus Philemon The Gospels The first four books of the New Testament are biographies of our Lord Jesus Christ written from four different vantage points. Each with a distinct purpose in mind in wanting to present Jesus as the Savior and God’s perfect lamb. The Gospels detail the ministry of Christ and establish His authority as God. Matthew Matthew, a tax collector called by Jesus to be His disciple, wrote the gospel that bears his name. The Jews were Matthew’s primary target audience. The emphasis is to present Jesus as the promised Messiah and rightful heir to the throne of King David. In fulfilling the Davidic covenant, which was God’s promise that David would never lack a man to sit upon his throne, and the Abrahamic covenant, which was God’s promise that through a descendant of Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed, Jesus confirms that He is the Jewish Messiah and King whose kingdom transcends the physical and reaches into the spiritual. Mark The Gospel according to Mark portrays Jesus as the ultimate servant and was written primarily to the Romans. Jesus says of Himself, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NKJV). The works of Christ are also strongly emphasized. This was to show that Christ served with action and deeds and did not simply provide lip service. Luke Luke, the beloved physician, emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ. We see Jesus go through the everyday human experiences of hunger, thirst, and tiredness. He is identified as the Son of Man, God’s perfect and ideal man who was the only One who could be offered as a blameless sacrifice for the world’s sins. John “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 1:4,14;3:16). John the Beloved proclaims the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is presented as the Son of God who took upon Himself humanity to become the acceptable sacrifice for the salvation of the world. History The New Testament has one book devoted to the history of the early Church. This history is found in the Book of Acts. Acts The Book of Acts is believed to have been written by Luke, the beloved physician, as a sequel to his Gospel. Acts gives the account of the birth and growth of the early Church. We see the spread of the gospel from the initial empowerment by the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room in Jerusalem that led to Peter’s first sermon and the salvation of 3,000 souls to the miraculous conversion of Paul that eventually led him on three missionary trips to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). This is a blueprint for the believe in the quest to evangelize the world. The Epistles The Epistles are doctrines of faith written to either local churches or individuals. These Epistles were inspired by God and were circulated among the churches and believers as God-inspired Scripture. Romans Romans is Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome. The book of Romans touches on all the major teaching of Christianity. It divides the lost nature of the human race into three categories: the heathen, the self-righteous, and the religious. Yet Jesus is the only solution and the only source for salvation. He made the sacrifice and paid the penalty for man’s sins on the cross. While man’s works are rejected, faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation. Through Christ, we have victory over the sinful nature we possess. The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us to live according to the spirit and not according to the flesh. I Corinthians Paul wrote this letter to address some issues that had arisen among the believers in Corinth. Paul deals with issues such as division, immorality, lawsuits, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, and general disorder in corporate worship. This letter is blunt and to the point, meant to bring discipline and correction. II Corinthians Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians was written to prepare them for his upcoming visit. He writes from a pastor’s heart to bring comfort to the Church. He establishes his authority as an apostle allowing him to minister and guide the Church away from false teachers and towards a sound Christian doctrine. Galatians In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he addresses the issue of a perverted gospel. Many were teaching salvation through works, but Paul corrected them establishing that salvation is a gift from God that is accepted by faith. The evidence of having accepted Christ’s salvation by faith is that we walk in the Spirit and bear His fruit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those that walk according to the Spirit will bear these fruits but those that walk according to the flesh will bear fruits of the flesh. Ephesians Ephesians is written to the believers in Ephesus and presents some of the most basic doctrines and practical applications for the Christian believer. It unravels the mystery of the Body of Christ presenting the three postures of the believer. First, the believer is sitting with Christ in the heavenlies. Second, the believer walks in a manner fitting his calling. Third, the believer stands against the wiles of the devil. Philippians Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome to the believers in Philippi. The main emphasis in this letter is Christian joy. The Christian has the inner resources through Christ to overcome any circumstance and experience the joy and peace of God. Colossians Colossians was written to the believers in Colosse. It emphasizes the all sufficiency of Christ. Paul confronted doctrinal errors that had infiltrated the Church and reinforced the fact that believers have everything they need in Christ. I Thessalonians In this letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addresses the questions of eternal life and resurrection. Some of the older believers had passed away and those left behind had questions about their fates. Paul reassures them that upon the Lord’s return, the dead in Christ would rise first and then be followed by those still alive. II Thessalonians Paul brings clarification in his second letter to the Thessalonians in regards to the “Day of the Lord”. He reassures them of what must take place before that day arrives. He comforts them in the fact that there can be triumph in the midst of tribulation. I Timothy This letter is written by Paul to the young pastor of the Church in Ephesus by the name of Timothy. He addresses the qualifications for pastors and deacons and expounds upon the teaching and preaching of God’s Word. He provides various warnings against apostasies and hearsays. II Timothy In this second letter, Paul encourages Timothy as a young pastor. This is one of Paul’s most personal letters as he senses that his life is drawing near to its conclusion. He encourages and exhorts Timothy to carry on in the ministry. He is charged with preaching the Word and fighting the good fight with boldness and faithfulness. He is warned against false teachers and heretics. Titus Paul wrote this letter to a young leader in charge of overseeing the church on the island of Crete. Paul instructs Titus on the responsibilities of a pastor. He also teaches on the duties and responsibilities of being servants and citizens. He also warns against false teachers. Philemon Philemon was a runaway slave who had become a believer. His master, Onesimus, was also a believer and a friend of Paul. This letter was written by Paul and it gives Philemon a basic explanation of his new faith and admonishes him to return to his master. Paul also entreats Onesimus to receive Philemon in grace and as a fellow brother in Christ. Hebrews The author of Hebrews is unknown. It was written primarily to the Jews. Hebrews proclaims Jesus Christ as the long awaited Messiah. It explains how the old Covenant of the Old Testament points towards Christ. “For the law, having a shadow of th...