Introduction to New Testament: Introduction

Michael Ryan Stotler

Laughlin Community Church

Introduction to New Testament • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Why Study the New Testament

1. Christianity is one of the worlds most influential religions. Even if not a Christian people should study the New Testament. The New Testament has been a reason for care and war that have changed the history of the World. The Bible itself was the first book to be printed on the Gutenberg printing press. And the written word is one of mans greatest achievements. Literature, art, and science in various cultures have the stamp of the Christian religion upon them. The political and educational domains of humanity have been greatly influenced by the Christian movement, especially in the West. The Judeo-Christian ethic significantly impacts our ethical base. An influence so basic in our Western culture should be given special study, even by those who may be unsympathetic to the Christian movement at this point. Although books about Christianity may be helpful in understanding the movement, the primary source and beginning point for understanding is the New Testament.

2. It is Written with the truth of God. For those who know the truth we know that the Gospel is the written with the truth of God. Gospel is our view of God.

3. Importance to the Christian for doctrine of life. Important for how we should live our life. Shows us who Jesus was. If the New Testament reveals God’s ultimate act of revelation in Jesus Christ, which it does; and if God’s revelation is the revelation of truth for human beings, and it is; then intellectual honesty and personal integrity should lead persons to study the New Testament.

4. To Avoid Misinterpretations. Some persons have manipulated the New Testament—misappropriating, misapplying, or distorting it—for their own selfish goals. We certainly would not want to treat the New Testament witness in that way. We would not want to promote Jesus Christ for our own financial gain or the enhancement of our status and prestige, for example. Neither would we want to disregard the poor or homeless or justify racism in the name of Christ or the New Testament witness. Nor would we want to follow and support someone who did. Having a sound basis for understanding the New Testament will help us to be responsible in interpretation and application.

What is the New Testament?

It is a collection of documents of the early Christian movement that emerged in the 1st century CE, in the area surrounding the Mediterranean, it is unique to the Christian movement.

Collection of 27 Separate documents that, With the Old Testament have greatly influenced the world.

The Old Testament Precedes and Anticipates Jesus the New Testament Follows and Proclaims Jesus The Messiah.

These Books were not originally written to be part of the “New Testament”. Each of these Books were written to stand on their own. Written by many different authors.

The Terms Old and New Testament were not used until the 2nd century CE. Prior to This the Old Testament was referred to as “the Scriptures” or “The Law and the Prophets”

What does the New Testament Cannon consist of?

Canon is rule or a measuring rod. In reference to literature is the work that are held sacred by a group. In this case it is reference to the collection of writings regarded by the Christian community as unique and of normative significance. Represent the standard or norm of belief and practice for the Christian community.

In other words which books made it in to the NT and which ones were left out. Which is usually determined by, Common use and Test of Time. We as Bible readers often develop our own canons by avoiding Certain books of the Bible. It is also determined by Leaders in the Church.

Books of the New Testament

4 Gospels

A historical narrative

Acts

21 Letters

and 1 apocalypse

Nine of which are anonymously written

They are all written before AD 100

Introducing the New Testament (B&H) The New Testament Books

Another prominent factor in the formation of the structure of the New Testament was the use of the books by the church. Probably Matthew stands first in the canon because the church could easily use it in teaching new converts and in giving witness to Christ as the fulfillment of God’s revelation.

Box 1: A Listing of the

New Testament Books

Gospels

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Letters of Paul

Romans

1, 2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1, 2 Thessalonians

1, 2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

General Letters

James

1, 2 Peter

1, 2, 3 John

Jude

Revelation

The church saved letters and other writings, arranged them in collections, and used them to instruct the church and to witness to outsiders. Romans was the longest work of Paul, in which he gave instruction and theological development to a number of Christian concerns. In the New Testament the Letter to the Romans stands first in the collection of Paul’s letters. Yet Romans was not the first letter Paul wrote; that distinction likely belongs to 1 Thessalonians. Shorter or personal writings among the letters tend to follow longer writings. In the present arrangement of the New Testament canon, Philemon stands at the end of the Pauline collection. Paul wrote Philemon from prison, which would place it chronologcally with Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

Box 2: Chronological Listing of

the Books of the New Testament

1, 2 Thessalonians

1, 2 Corinthians

Galatians

Romans

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

Philemon

1, 2 Timothy

Titus

James

Hebrews

1, 2 Peter

Jude

Mark

Luke

Acts

Matthew

John

1, 2, 3 John

Revelation

The arrangement of the writings of the New Testament rarely follows a chronological order. One of the best ways to grasp the structure of the New Testament is to perceive the writings in their group arrangements. In the grouping of the New Testament books found in box 1, Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation stand apart from the other groups. Acts forms a transition between the Gospels and Paul’s letters; Hebrews stands between Paul’s letters and the General Epistles; and Revelation brings to a close the New Testament canon. Box 2 contains a listing of New Testament books in a suggested chronological order. Some scholars would order the books differently, pushing 2 Peter and Jude to a later date, while others might put 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus at earlier or later dates. Still others would put the Gospels and Acts much earlier. Generally, we can say that all the books were written between A.D. 45–100. In many cases we have so little information on which to base a decision that a great variety of suggestions emerge as to chronology. The writer and reader sections of the discussion of each New Testament book contain some of the considerations about dates of writings and their places of origin.

Different Angles

When We look at the New Testament we must look at it from different angles

Literary

Revelations is different than a letter. To ignore the literary differences and distinctive of each document will inevitably lead to misreading them. When you sit to read a letter you read it different than if you sat to read your text book. You read a news article different than you read a story.

Historically

We must realize that these books come from other times and places. We must then understand customs, cultures, history, and experiences tat are not our own. None of the Bible was written in English. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament is written in Greek under the Roman empire.

Religiously

These writings are the birth of a new religion. They were not originally for that purpose. They were originally written to modify the Jewish Faith. Fulfillment of the scriptures. Not start there own. Today the New Testament Writings are viewed as errors if not blasphemous by non-messianic Jews. It also tells us the history of the early Church, where did your church come from.

The Primary Bias of The New Testament is that it is Inspired by God

2 Timothy 3:15–16 LEB

15 and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,

What is right (Teach)

What is Wrong (reproof)

How to Get Right (Correction)

How to Stay Right (Training in Righteousness)

Integrity of the new Testament Text

Can the New Testament be trusted?

Evidence points to Historical accuracies. Written over a short period of time unlike the new testament there is little time between the events taking place and the writing of them down.

Test of time. Unlike many of the other religions and messiahs at the time. Christianity has survived. Points to the reliability of the religion.

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