The New Testament: Gospels and Acts
Jesus' Life Revealed in the Gospels
The movie The Passion of the Christ portrays the events of Jesus' life as recorded in the first four books of the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all historic accounts written about the life of Jesus -- they give the good news about Jesus. This is why they're called 'Gospels'; gospel means 'good news.' The Gospels are named after the authors that wrote them: Matthew wrote Matthew, Mark, Mark, and so on.
Whereas the first three tend to present details of Jesus' life and are similar to each other, John puts greater emphasis on meaning and will help you understand the significance of the details of Jesus' life. Starting here, you will encounter Jesus: His life, His teaching, the mighty things He did, and the way in which people responded to Him 2000 years ago.
>> Read Luke and John now
Jesus' Proclaimed in Acts
After reading the historical accounts of Jesus' life in the Gospels, it makes much sense to read the book of the apostles' Acts, a historical account of how Jesus' followers shared the news of His life, death, and resurrection. Acts begins where the Gospels end. Luke wrote Acts. Originally, the book of Luke and Acts would probably have been read one after the other (i.e. volume 1 and volume 2).
Acts explains how God worked through Jesus' followers when they told other people about His life, death, and resurrection. In Acts, you will find out where people were first called 'Christians' and how the message about Jesus spread throughout the Roman Empire. Acts underscores the impact that the Gospel had during the first century.
>> Read Acts now
Summing up the first five books
Turn again to your table of contents. You've just become familiar with the first five books of the New Testament. Taken together, the four Gospels and Acts provide the narrative and history of the first 60 years of Christianity.
The Gospels and Acts provide the context during which all the remaining New Testament books were written.
The New Testament: Letters
Jesus' Significance Explained in the Letters
Whereas the first five books provide historical accounts, the remaining New Testament books are letters written by some of Jesus' first followers (disciples or apostles, later called saints, i.e. St. Paul, St. James, St. Peter, St. John, St. Jude) to specific churches and people within early Christianity. These letters unpack the significance of the news provided in the Gospels.
- Some letters are named after the authors who wrote them: James, Peter, John, and Jude are all named after them. Peter and John wrote multiple letters, so they are marked off by Roman numerals (i.e. I John, II John, III John).
- In contrast, the apostle Paul wrote many letters.
- Some of his letters are named after the region or city of the church(es) to whom his letters were addressed. Thus, Romans was addressed to the church in Rome, Italy. Galatians was originally sent to the churches in the region of Galatia (Asia Minor). Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, Greece, and so on.
- The rest of Paul's letters were written to individuals; these are named after the individuals to whom Paul wrote: i.e. Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
- Hebrews, is addressed to Jewish Christians apparently living in a wide region. Some think Paul wrote this letter as well.
- The Revelation was penned by John (likely the same disciple who wrote the Gospel of John, and the 3 letters). Tradition takes this as the last book of the Bible to be written. It differs from the other New Testament letters in that not only is it a letter (to some churches in Asia), it is also prophetic and an apocalypse -- types of literary genres no longer used in modern literature.
Most letters are not very long -- they are best read in one sitting so that their chief points are most clearly understood. As you read the suggested five letters, try to get a feel for the styles of different authors and to hear what they have to say about the Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and its significance for people, churches, and society.
>>Read I John, II Timothy, Colossians, I Peter & Romans now
Bridging back to the Old Testament: Romans
Having read through these five books to get a taste of the New Testament letters, Romans provides a good bridge back into the Old Testament. Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome is very theological: he's trying to help the Romans understand how God's activity through history has culminated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
He does so by making a case similar to one a lawyer would use to convince people of the truth. Many of the illustrations and references in this letter -- sometimes points that are pivotal for the case he's making -- come from the Old Testament. So turn back to the Table of Contents and we'll explore the Old Testament.
Next>>The Old Testament: Understanding the Background to Jesus' Life
A Guided Tour through the Bible
Copyright 2004 © by Paul Engstrom. Reprinted with permission of Author. May not be used without permission.
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