https://www.litchapala.

org/new-testament-survey/

Prologue
What is a “New Testament Survey?”
A survey course is, by definition, only an introduction and overview. Our purpose is
to develop a clear view of both the context and content of the New Testament. To
cover all of the New Testament in limited classes will necessarily mean we will not
get into great detail, and that we will not delve very deep into theological issues.

What can and should you expect from this “New Testament Survey?”

By the end of this class, assuming you attend the lectures and read the materials,
you should have a good sense of the historical and cultural context in which the New
Testament was written; along with a comprehensive understanding of what is
contained in the writings of the New Testament, and why we believe it is God’s Word
to us.

Reasons for Studying the New Testament

Understanding the verses meaning are challenging

A. Diversity & unity of bible
1. Over a long period of time
● About 1600 years
● A span of 40 generations
2. By approximately 40 authors from every walk of life
● Moses, political leader trained in the universities of Egypt
● Peter, fisherman
● Amos, herdsman
● Joshua, military general
● Nehemiah, cup bearer to the king of Persia
● Daniel, prime minister in the courts of Babylon
● Luke, physician
● Solomon, philosopher king
● Matthew, tax collector
● Paul, rabbi and tentmaker
3. At different times
● David in times of war
● Solomon in times of peace
4. During different moods
Some writing from the heights of joy
 Others from the depths of sorrow and despair
5. On three continents: Asia, Africa, Europe
6. In three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
With subject matter involving hundreds of controversial topics, such as:
The origin of man and the universe
The nature of God
The nature of man, sin, and man's redemption
YET THERE IS HARMONY AND CONTINUITY...
For example:
"The Paradise Lost of the book of Genesis becomes the
Paradise Regained of Revelation."
"Whereas the gate to the Tree of Life is closed in Genesis, it
is opened forevermore in Revelation."

B. Contradictory views of verses

1. Seeing God
“… I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” — Genesis 32:30
“No man hath seen God at any time…”– John 1:18

2. Temptation
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted
with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” — James 1:13
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham…” — Genesis
22:1

3. Justification (salvation) Faith / Work

Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

C. Time gap and words meanings

1. unfriend (n): This word originally referred to an enemy. This is very

different from today’s use as a verb, related to removing someone as a
friend from a social media contact list.
2. meat (n): Meat was used to describe any kind of solid food. Now, it
specifically refers to the flesh of animals, e.g. steak, chicken etc.
3. silly (adj): This word used to mean you felt blessed, happy or fortunate.
Now, it means to lack a good sense of judgment or to be foolish.
4. naughty (adj): Naughty used to mean that a person was poor or did not
have anything. Nowadays, it is used to describe when a person misbehaves
 or is lacking in manners. Often, the word naughty is used to talk about
children.

4. Memory -

D. Different Context (uses of examples, parables, etc)

Matthew 25:6 At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is
coming! Come out and meet him!’

John 1:1

E. Custom and manners (Parable, examples)

Luke 15:8-10
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp,
sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls
her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost
coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of
God over one sinner who repents.”

F. Significance of original translation (Hebrew & Greek)

John 1:1 Logos , Genesis 1:1 Created
G. 1Translation mistakes
Hebrews 1:7 New Century Version (NCV)
This is what God said about the angels: “God makes his angels become
like winds. He makes his servants become like flames of fire.”
Malayalam opposite
7
“അവൻ കാറ്റുകളെ തന്റെ ദൂതന്മാരും അഗ്നിജ്വാലയെ തന്റെ ശുശ്രൂഷകന്മാരും ആക്കുന്നു” എന്നു ദൂതന്മാരെക്കുറിച്ചു പറയുന്നു.

H. Contextualization (lilly, Lotus, Crow )

https://ransilberman.blog/2017/01/10/rose-or-lily/

https://www.ibelieve.com/christian-living/what-does-it-mean-to-consider-the-lilie
s-of-the-field.html

​What is the New Testament?

The New Testament is the story of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ (the Four
Gospels), the birth and growth of the Early Church (Acts), and the development and
articulation of the Christian faith and theology (the Epistles).
​We believe the Bible is God’s Word…

Revealed
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have
spoken to you. Jeremiah 30:2-3

Inspired
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Authoritative
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:3-5

Living
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any doubleedged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
THE BIBLE

The word bible is the English form of the Greek name biblia, meaning “books.”
having the root meaning of a type of reed from which papyrus was made. In the
time of Jesus Christ it referred to either a parchment scroll or a collection of
papyrus sheets. The name Bible was first used by John Wycliffe, one of the first
men to translate the Bible into the language of the common man. . It is separated
into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament (sometimes also
called the Old and New Covenant). The Old Testament has 39 books, which were
all written before the common era. The oldest were written about 1500 B.C. while
the most recent ones were likely written before 300 B.C. The New Testament
consists of 27 books that were all written in the first century A.D. Many of the
books have odd-sounding names because they are named for their authors or for
the main person in the book.
STRUCTURE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE LAW = (Pentateuch)- 5 books (Foundation for Christ)

1. GENESIS 2. EXODUS 3. LEVITICUS 4. NUMBERS 5. DEUTERONOMY

HISTORY – 12 books (Preparation for Christ)

6. JOSHUA 7. JUDGES 8. RUTH 9. 1 SAMUEL 10. 2 SAMUEL 11. 1 KINGS 12. 2
KINGS 13. 1 CHRONICLES 14. 2 CHRONICLES 15. EZRA 16. NEHEMIAH 17.
ESTHER

POETRY – 5 books (Aspiration for Christ) 18. JOB 19. PSALM 20. PROVERBS 21.
ECCLESIASTES 22. SONG OF SONGS

MAJOR PROPHETS – 5 books (Expectation for Christ) 23. ISAIAH 24. JEREMIAH
25. LAMENTATIONS 26. EZEKIEL 2 27. DANIEL.

MINOR PROPHETS – 12 books (Expectation for Christ) 28. HOSEA 29. JOEL 30.
AMOS 31. OBADIAH 32. JONAH 33. MICAH 34. NAHUM 35. HABAKKUK 36.
ZEPHANIAH 37. HAGGAI 38. ZECHARIAH 39. MALACHI.

Divisions of the Hebrew Bible

1. Torah (Law) – five books

2. Nevi’im (Prophets) – eight books
3. Ketuvim (Writings) – 11 books
STRUCTURE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

GOSPELS – 4 books (Manifestation of Christ) 1. MATTHEW 2. MARK 3. LUKE 4.

JOHN

HISTORY – 1 book (Propagation of Christ)

5. ACTS

EPISTLES – Pauline – 13 books (Interpretation/ Application of Christ)

6. ROMANS 7. 1 CORINTHIANS 8. 2 CORINTHIANS 9. GALATIANS 10.

EPHESIANS 11. PHILIPPIANS 12. COLOSSIANS 13. 1 THESSALONIANS 14. 2
THESSALONIANS 15. 1 TIMOTHY 16. 2 TIMOTHY 17. TITUS 18. PHILEMON

EPISTLES – General – 8 books (Interpretation/ Application of Christ)

19. HEBREWS 20. JAMES 21. 1 PETER 22. 2 PETER 23. 1 JOHN 24. 2 JOHN 25.
3. JOHN 26. JUDE

PROPHECY – 1 book ( Consummation of Christ) 27. REVELATION

Books of the New Testament

The Languages of Scripture

The language in which the OLD TESTAMENT was written

a. Primarily, Hebrew - a Semitic language, Oriental in character (arose in Asia).

Emphasized action and experience; few adjectives, but vivid nouns; originally no
vowels. Sample: Genesis 1:1- Urah taw Mymsh ta Myhla arb tysarb

b. A few sections are written in Aramaic (Dan. 2:4 - 7:28; Ezra 4:8 - 6:18, 7:12-26;
Jer. 10:11) - a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. Universal language of the
business world in the Fertile Crescent. Sample: Daniel 7:25 - rboyw alby Nynwyle
ysydqlw llmy ayle dul Nylmw Nde glpw Nyndew Nde-de hdyb Nwbhytyw tdw hynshl

The language in which the NEW TESTAMENT was written

a. Completely written in Greek - the universal language of the New Testament era
and the Roman Empire. Alexander the Great spread the Greek language. Many
years ago, people said the New Testament was written in "Holy Ghost Language" (a
"special" Greek); however, it is written in common Greek ("koine"), not classical
Greek or any other kind. Sample: Matthew 4:4- o de apokriqeij eipen gegraptai ouk
ep artw monw zhsetai anqrwpoj all epi panti rhmati ekporeuomenw dia stomatoj
qeou

b. Some think Matthew or other portions of the New Testament were written in
Aramaic in the original autographs. Most fundamentalists, however, believe it was all
written in Greek.

The span of writing

a. The Old Testament - c.a. 1000 years (Moses, c.a.1400 B.C. - Malachi, c.a. 400
B.C.)

b. The New Testament - completely written during the first century A.D. It was written
during a 50-year period (the first book, James, was written in 45 A.D. and the last
book, Revelation, was completed around 95 A.D.), and closed by 100 A.D.

Dates for NT Books in Chronological Order

The New Testament books below are listed in chronological order using dates on the
latter end of the spectrum.
Book Date Comments

Galatians AD 48 Possibly AD 49, depending on when the Jerusalem

council happened (Acts 15)

James AD 48

Mark AD N/A
40s–60s

Hebrews AD The Jerusalem temple appears to still be standing

40s–60s due to present tense verbs in Hebrews 7–9

1 AD 51 During Paul’s second missionary journey while at

Thessalonian Corinth
s

2 AD 51 During Paul’s second missionary journey while at

Thessalonian Corinth; six months after 1 Thessalonians was
s written; Silas and Timothy probably rejoined Paul
at Corinth and related further questions that they
had about the sequence of eschatological events

1 Corinthians AD 55 Correlated to Paul’s missionary trips

Romans AD 55–59 N. T. Wright, Romans in The New Interpreter’s

Bible Commentary, vol. 9 (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 2015), 396.

Luke AD 55–62 Acts was written just after AD 62; 2 Timothy and
Clement both reference Paul being set free and on
trial again after the two-year stint in Acts 28

2 Corinthians AD 56 Correlated to Paul’s missionary trips

Philippians AD 57–59 Written from Caesarea

Jude AD Eusebius cites Hegesippus, who refers to the

50s–60s grandsons of Jude, who lived during the reign of
Emperor Domitian (AD 81–96) in Eusebius Hist.
Eccl. 3.19.1—3.20.7. So Jude himself may have
already died by this time
Ephesians AD 60–61 During Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (Act
28:16–31)

Colossians AD 60–61 During Paul’s first Roman imprisonment of Act

28:16–31

Philemon AD 60–61 During Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (Act

28:16–31)

Matthew AD 60s Eusebius comments that Matthew wrote his

Gospel while Peter and Paul were in Rome

Acts of the AD Acts was written just after AD 62; 2 Timothy and
Apostles 60s–70s Clement both reference Paul being set free and on
trial again after the two-year stint in Acts 28

1 Peter AD 63 or Before Peter was martyred in AD 64–66 (2 Peter

earlier 1:14)

2 Peter AD 63 or Before Peter was martyred in AD 64–66 (2 Peter

earlier 1:14)

Titus AD 63–67 After 1 Timothy was written

1 Timothy AD 63–67 In AD 62 after Paul’s release from two-year

imprisonment (Acts 28:16–31)

2 Timothy AD 63–67 After Titus was written, while Paul awaited his trial
in Rome (2 Timothy 4:6, 9–18)

Revelation AD 68–95 Depending on whether after Nero’s death or

toward the end of Domitian’s reign

1 John AD N/A
70s–90s

2 John AD N/A
70s–90s

3 John AD N/A
70s–90s

John AD 90s The “P52 Fragment” of John dates to AD 95–125

The Inter-Testamental Period (420 BC to John the Baptist’s ministry starting around
20 AD)

Also known as the “silent years”

Covers a span of about 400 years
God’s plan of salvation (OT review)
Israel awaiting the promised Messiah

• Persian Period – 538-333 BC.

587-586 BC – Jerusalem falls, Babylonian Captivity begins
• 539 BC – Persia conquers Babylon
• 538 BC – King Cyrus allows 42,000 Jews to return under Zerubbabel and Joshua.
• c. 450s BC – Ezra leads more returnees back, teaches & encourages Torah focus
• c. later 400s –Nehemiah returns and rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls.
• 430 BC – Malachi, the last OT prophet.

• Hellenistic (Greek) Period – 333-323 BC.

• 356 BC – Alexander III (“the Great”) born in Pella in Macedonia, to King Philip II,
who conquers all of Greece and region.
• 336 BC – Philip is assassinated; Alexander takes over at age 20.
• 334 BC – Alexander launches campaign against Persians, as planned by Philip.
• 334-323 BC – Alexander and his armies conquer most of the known world, but
Alexander dies in Babylon on way back.
• 323-320 BC - The War of the Diadoche.
● United culture of the ancient world
● Made Greek the common language (reason for the Greek NT)
●
The Maccabean Era ( Ptolemaic Period – 320-198 BC).
● 323 BC – Alexander the Great dies
● The Ptolemies and the Seleucids (320 BC)
1. • Jews remarkably free under Ptolemies.
2. • A time of much assimilation of Jews into Hellenistic language, culture, arts,
etc.
3. • 250 BC - Creation of Septuagint – Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.

​• Seleucid Period – 198-166 BC.

• 198 BC – Seleucids take Palestine.
• 190 BC – Rome shows strength, defeating Seleucids at Magnesia and controlling
Asia Minor
• 175 BC – Antiochus IV takes over Seleucids,.
• 168 BC – Antiochus tries to conquer Egypt.
167 BC – Jews, led by pious Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons, revolt against
Syrian King Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

● 164 BC – the Seleucids are removed from power, reopening and rededication
of the temple
● 142 BC – the Jewish people gain full freedom
● 63 BC – Palestine is conquered by the Roman
The Roman Empire
63 BC – Roman General Pompey captures Jerusalem for Rome.
Julius Caesar
The dominant world power
40 BC – Rome appoints Herod King of Judea.
● Known for lavish building projects, renovated the temple (19 BC)
● NT account
●
Developing the Jewish Sects

The Pharisees
● Began during the Maccabean era
● Passionate about keeping the law
● Traditions of the elders (Mark 7)

The Sadducees
● In the gospels (the chief priests)
● Advisors to the Maccabean family
● Denied the resurrection.
● Control over the temple and temple treasury

The Zealots
● Restore Israel
● Overthrow the roman empire
● Eventually wiped out by the romans

CANON

The New Testament Canon

From Greek: a model, rule, or standard; a defined list of authoritative

scriptures.

The need for canonicity

When the apostles were alive and operating in the first century, no great need
existed for a canon to be defined. This was because the apostles were divinely
appointed and ordained men who had in themselves the authority of the Lord Jesus
(Matt. 10:40; 1 Cor. 9:1-2).(1)

The apostles got the church "off the ground," in a manner of speaking. They were
God's authority on earth between the time of the Lord's ascension into heaven and
the completion of the New Testament Scriptures, which would then become the final
and continuing authority. As long as the apostles and their immediate disciples were
alive, people could easily determine what constituted apostolic teaching. Certain
developments, however, prompted the need for defining a canon of New Testament
Scripture.

What factors helped speed the formation of the New Testament canon?

Several factors encouraged Christians to discuss and decide amongst themselves

which books should be considered scripture.

Heresies.
The famous heretic Marcion compiled his own list of books in Rome around 140
A.D., including edited versions of Luke and Paul’s epistles, but rejecting other books.
In order to argue doctrine against such heretics, Christians needed to know which
books could be relied upon for true doctrine.

Forgeries.
In the second, third, and fourth centuries, books suddenly “appeared” that claimed to
be lost or secret works written by early Christian leaders. A definite list of New
Testament scripture would help to protect the church against these false books.

Persecution.
In 303 A.D., the emperor Diocletian ordered that all Christian scriptures be collected
and burned in order to promote official religion. This edict lasted for 10 years and
carried a possible death sentence for those who tried to hide sacred writings. This
law encouraged Christians to discuss which books were truly inspired and worthy of
protecting with their lives.

Who chooses the books of the New Testament canon?

As there was no centralized church authority in the early church, believers

everywhere recognized the importance of following the doctrine and traditions laid
down by the churches that were founded by apostles, called apostolic churches.
These churches included Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippi.
The books of the New Testament were recognized as inspired very early, but the
church needed a long time to agree on the specifics. A document written around 170
A.D. called the Muratorian fragment lists all the canonical New Testament books
except Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John. In 367 A.D., Athanasius, bishop of
Alexandria, was the first to propose a list of 27 books that are the same as we have
today in our Bible. Later church councils confirmed the canon.

What criteria were used to choose the New Testament canon?

Apostolic authority.
The first test of New Testament scripture was whether it represented the teachings of
the 12 disciples of Jesus or other apostles such as Paul or James, the Lord’s
brother. For example, the Gospel of Mark was considered to have the authority of
Peter because tradition held that Mark compiled Peter’s “memoirs.” Some books
which were widely recognized as authentic were not included in the New Testament
canon because they were written by the “second generation” of Christian leaders
after the apostles, such as 1 Clement.

Content.
The New Testament books needed to deal with spiritual matters. The
superiority of our New Testament books over other books in terms of content is
clear when compared.

Universality.
Because there was no central authority, consensus or near-
consensus among apostolic churches about the authenticity of a book was a very
important consideration. It was because some books were so widely accepted by
Western churches that the Eastern church (Syria, Egypt, and Asia) also eventually
accepted those books.

Inspiration.
Books considered as New Testament scripture needed to have the
mark of inspiration from God.

What books were considered for, but not included in the New Testament
canon?

1 and 2 Clement. around 90 A.D.

The Didache. Teaching of the Apostles or the Two Ways. 120 A.D.

Epistle of Barnabas. 130 A.D.

Shepherd of Hermas. 140 A.D.

Apocalypse of Peter. 145 A.D.

Acts of Paul. 170 A.D.

Old Testament Cannon – 4th century B.C. (Ezra) New Testament Cannon – 397 A.D.
Council of Carthage

The chapter and word divisions were developed long after Scripture was written,
from the 13th to the 16th centuries A.D. (the Hebrew had its own divisions; The KJV
contains 1,189 chapters, 31,100 verses, and 777, 133 words).

TRANSLATION
The Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek at Alexandria, Egypt (c.250-150
B.C.) = Septuagint (LXX)

Greek to Latin (= the Vulgate) by Jerome (c.383-405) Adds the Apocrypha

Hebrew / Greek to English (John Wycliffe – 1320-1384; 1st to translate the whole
Bible into English) (William Tyndale = Protestant Bible; 1492-1536)

Geneva Version (1557) – William Whittingham (John Calvins brother-in –law)

1 st version to divide text into verses
1 st to omit Apocrypha
Bible of Shakespeare / John Bunyan
Bible of the pilgrims on the Mayflower (1620)
King James Version – (1611)
English Revised Version – (1881)
American Standard Version – (1901)
Revised Standard Version – (1952)
The Amplified Bible – (1954)
New American Standard Bible– (1971) 54 scholars– 11years.(Lockman Foundation)
New International Version – (1973) – 100 scholars – teams -8 years. (Zonderman)
New King James Version – (1979)
New Living Translation – (1996) Tyndale House

Historical Setting & Context

To understand the New Testament as well as possible, we have to know as much as
we reasonably can about the historical and cultural context that created the
environment in which these events occurred and in which they were recorded.
Highlights of Jewish History

• c. 2090 BC – Abram is called by God and becomes Father to the Hebrew people.
• c. 1445-1405 BC – Exodus from Egypt; God gives the Law thru Moses; 40 years in
desert; entry into Promised Land.
• 1050 BC – United Monarchy (Saul, David Solomon)
• 931 Kingdom Divided – Southern Kingdom of Judah; Northern Kingdom of Israel.
• 722 BC – Assyria destroys Northern Kingdom of Israel. (10 Lost Tribes)
• Neo-Assyrian Empire – 934 – 609 BC
• 722 BC – Destroys Northern Kingdom of Israel
• 721 BC – Miracle prevents destruction of Judah under King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18;
2 Chron. 32)
• 612 BC – Assyria conquered by Babylonians
• Neo-Babylonian Empire – 626-539 BC
• 599 BC – Babylonians conquest of Judah; 1st Deportation (includes Prophet
Ezekiel)
• 586 – Babylonians destroy Jerusalem; 2nd Deportation
• 586-538 BC – the Babylonian Exile.
• 582 BC – Third Deportation.

How Babylonian Exile Challenged the Jews

1. Does this mean YHWH God is NOT as powerful as the Babylonian gods?
2. Does God no longer love us, or no longer accepts us as His Chosen People?
3. How do we continue without the things that represent our election by God – the
Promised Land and the Temple?
4. How do we worship without the Temple?
5. Are we to be assimilated into a foreign culture – as happened to Israel?
1. They began to use the Aramaic (OR Chaldean) language as their common
tongue. It was a Semitic language, related to Hebrew, but common in Assyrian and
Babylonian Empires.
2. Believing lack of faithfulness to God caused their fall, there was a renewed
interest in prayer, Scripture and other pious studies, and community life – all
centered around the new synagogue system.

Highlights of Jewish History

Jesus in Four Gospels

• Matthew – Presents Jesus as King of Israel, the Christ, Son of David, Messiah
greater than Moses. • Mark – Presents Jesus as Suffering Servant of the Lord;
probably the earliest Gospel.
• Luke – Presents Jesus as the Son of Man, the perfect man, providing salvation for
all humanity. The most complete biography of Jesus.
• John – Presents Jesus as the divine, eternal Son of God who came to earth in
human form. The most theological and symbolic of the Gospels.

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

• Authorship: trad. Matthew the Apostle.

The authorship of this Gospel was undisputed in the early churches. This Gospel is
traditionally ascribed to Matthew Levi, a tax collector or publican. One may see the
name of “Matthew” in Matt 9:9-13; 10:3. He was termed “Legendary” . This is mainly
because he was disappeared from the history of church after he was mentioned in
Acts 1:13. The early church father strongly admits that the author of this Gospel is
Matthew himself. “‘Eusebius (c. A.D. 325) quotes Papias (c. A.D.100) as saying that
Matthew had composed in Aramaic the oracles of the Lord, which were translated in
to Greek by each man as he was able’” . Many scholars think that Matthew wrote a
rough description of life of Jesus in the Aramaic language before Mark’s Gospel was
written. After Mark has written the Gospel in 65-70 A.D., Matthew revised his Gospel
and included much of Mark’s in his own hand. “The final revision of this Gospel was
a later edition work by himself or someone” . Therefore there was a Gospel before
the Gospel of Matthew was written but in Aramaic language which was very much
accepted and widely used in the early churches before Mark’s Gospel. Papias states
that “Matthew wrote the words in Hebrew dialect and each one interpreted as he
could” . But scholars considered it not as Hebrew dialect but of Aramaic. “Many have
explained papias statement as referring to Aramaic original form which Greek
Gospel is translated”.

• Date and Place of Composition:

c. AD 58-68 (though some suggest as early as AD 50)
We cannot specifically suggest the date of this Gospel. The internal evidence throws
some light on the date of its composition. It might have probably written “before the
first dispersion of Jerusalem Christians (Acts 8:4)”6 . In Matt 24:1-28, we see
prophecy on Jerusalem’s destruction that which took place after A.D. 70. It might
have probably written between A.D. 50- A.D. 70. This implies that the Gospel was
written during the reign of Nero. Antioch is the place well-accepted by many scholars
as the place of this Gospels composition. As the church in Antioch consists of both
Aramaic and Greek speaking Gentiles, “no other place is suitable for it” .

• Theme:
The most Jewish of the Gospels, showing Jesus to be greater than Moses, the Son
of David, the kingly Messiah who fulfills Jewish prophesy.
• Purpose:
To prove to Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.
To show that the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus.
For the benefit of the church in Antioch and for the Gentiles.
For the Jewish community and also for Jewish converts.

Readers
This Gospel is mainly intended to the Jewish community, Jewish converts and to the
Gentiles living in Antioch. This Gospel is considered as “the favorite of the
Syro-Jewish Church”8 . This Gospel is well-suited for the church which was closely
related to Judaism.

Central Message

The central message in this Gospel is the fulfillment of the Messianic Promises in
Jesus Christ. This message revolves around Christ’s son ship and Kingship. It also
preserves the old tradition. “…the essence of the Abrahamic covenant, which
stressed God’s benefits to Abraham and to his seed as a separate people, and yet
added: “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3)”9 .

• Outline:
*Presentation of Jesus as the King (1:1-4:11) *Proclamation of Jesus (4:12-7:29)
*Power of Jesus (8:1-11:1)
*Progressive Rejection of Jesus (11:2-16:12) *Preparation of Jesus’ Disciples
(16:13-20:28) *Presentation/Rejection of Jesus (20:29-27:66) *Proof of Jesus as the
King (28)

Book of Matthew – Key Verses

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
The Book of Mark
• Author: trad. John Mark, associate of Peter and Paul
• Date: c. AD 57-60
• Theme: Probably the first Gospel written, and a likely source document for the
other synoptic Gospels, Mark probably is recording Peter’s memories of Jesus.
• Purpose: To show Jesus as God’s Son and Suffering Servant.
• Outline:
*Presentation of Jesus as Servant (1:1-2:12) *Opposition to Jesus (2:13-8:26)
*Instruction from Jesus (8:27-10:52)
*Rejection of Jesus (11:1-15:47)
*Resurrection of Jesus (16)

The Book of Luke

• Author: trad. Luke, companion of Paul
• Date: c. AD 58-63
• Theme: Written by a Gentile, the Gospel of Luke is the most universal, showing
Jesus as the compassionate Savior of the whole world.
• Purpose: To show Jesus as the Good News who cares for the poor and broken,
and desires salvation for all.
• Outline:
*Intro of Jesus as Son of Man (1:1-4:13)
*Ministry of the Son of Man (4:14-9:50)
*Rejection of the Son of Man (9:51-19:27) *Crucifixion & Resurrection (19:28-24:53)

The Gospel of John

• Author: trad. John the Apostle
• Date: c. AD 65 - 85
• Theme: The most theological and most clearly evangelistic of the Gospels,
emphatically presenting Jesus as God’s divine Son and our Savior.
• Purpose: To give both historical and theological support for the divinity of Jesus &
salvation thru Him.
• Outline:
*Incarnation of the Son of God (1:1-18) *Presentation of Son of God (1:19-4:54)
*Opposition to the Son of God (5:1-12:20) *Preparation of the Disciples (13:1-17:26)
*Crucifixion & Resurrection (18:1-21:25)

The Acts of the Apostles

• Author: trad. Luke, companion of Paul
• Date: c. AD 63
• Theme: Written by a Gentile, Acts tells the story of the Early Church and its growth,
especially through the work of the Holy Spirit & the ministries of Peter and Paul.
• Purpose: To show the Old Testament promises of God are fulfilled, and that Jesus
was and is the Messiah, as shown in the miraculous way God blesses and expands
the Church.
• Outline:
*Witness in Jerusalem (1:1-8:4)
*Witness in Judea & Samaria (8:5-12:25)
*Witness to Ends of the Earth (13:1- 28:31)

The book of romans

Author: Apostle Paul
• Date: c. AD 56-57
• Theme: The whole Gospel: God’s plan of salvation and righteousness to Gentile &
Jew, written to the church in Rome, power center of civilization at that time.
• Purpose: To prepare for his coming visit to Rome; present the plan of salvation;
explain how Jews & Gentiles fit into God’s plan.
• Outline:
*Revelation of God’s Righteousness (1-8) *Vindication of God’s Righteousness
(9-11) *Application of God’s Righteousness (12-16)

Introduction to the new testament

The New Testament is the ‘good news’ of the life, death, resurrection and
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ; the birth and early growth of the
Christian Church; and the development of the Christian faith. This course
examines the writings and content of the New Testament, as well as the
historical and cultural context in which the New Testament was written,
and how it has come down to us today.
Origin and Meaning of the Term “New Testament”

Our Bible is divided into two sections we call the Old Testament and the New Testament, but
exactly what does that mean? The Greek word for “testament,” diaqhkh (Latin, testamentum),
means “will, testament, or covenant.” But as used in connection with the New Testament
“Covenant” is the best translation. As such, it refers to a new arrangement made by one party
into which others could enter if they accepted the covenant. As used of God’s covenants, it
designates a new relationship into which men may be received by God. The Old Testament or
Covenant is primarily a record of God’s dealings with the Israelites on the basis of the Mosaic
Covenant given at Mount Sinai. On the other hand, the New Testament or Covenant
(anticipated in Jeremiah 31:31 and instituted by the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 11:25), describes the
new arrangement of God with men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation who
will accept salvation on the basis of faith in Christ.

The old covenant revealed the holiness of God in the righteous standard of the law and
promised a coming Redeemer; the new covenant shows the holiness of God in His righteous
Son. The New Testament, then, contains those writings that reveal the content of this new
covenant. The message of the New Testament centres on (1) the Person who gave Himself for
the remission of sins (Matt. 26:28) and (2) the people (the church) who have received His
salvation. Thus the central theme of the New Testament is salvation.2 The names Old and
New Covenants were thus applied first to the two relationships into which God entered with
men, and then, to the books that contained the record of these two relationships. “The New
Testament is the divine treaty by the terms of which God has received us rebels and enemies
into peace with himself.”

Divine Preparation for the New Testament

In the time of the New Testament, Rome was the dominant world power and ruled over most
of the ancient world. Yet in a small town in Palestine, Bethlehem of Judea, was born one who
would change the world. Concerning this Person, the apostle Paul wrote, “But when the
fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law (i.e.,
the Old Covenant).” In several special and wonderful ways, God had prepared the world for
the coming of Messiah. Several factors contributed to this preparation.

Preparation Through the Jewish Nation

The preparation for the coming of Christ is the story of the Old Testament. The Jews were
chosen of God from all the nations to be a treasured possession as a kingdom of priests, and a
holy nation (Ex. 1:5-6). In that regard, beginning with the promises of God given to the
patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12:1-3; Rom. 9:4), they were to be the
custodians of God’s Word (the Old Testament [Rom. 3:2]), and the channel of the Redeemer
(Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:8; Rom. 9:5). The Old Testament, therefore, was full of Christ and
anticipated His coming as a suffering and glorified Savior. Furthermore, these prophesies
were not only many, but very precise giving details of Messiah’s lineage, place of birth,
conditions around the time of His birth, life, death, and even His resurrection.

Though Israel was disobedient and was taken into captivity as God’s judgment on her
hardness of heart, God nevertheless brought a remnant back to their homeland after seventy
years, as He had promised in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Though four
hundred years had passed after the writing of the last Old Testament book, and though the
religious climate was one of Pharisaic externalism and hypocrisy, there was a spirit of
Messianic anticipation in the air and a remnant was looking for the Messiah.

Preparation Through the Greek Language

It is highly significant that when Christ, the one who came to be the Savior of the world and
the one who would send His disciples out to the ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel
(Matt. 28:19-20), there was what A. T. Robertson called, “a world speech.”4 This was the
result of the conquests and aspirations of Alexander the Great, the son of King Philip of
Macedon, who more than 300 years before the birth of Christ, swept across the ancient world
conquering one nation after another. His desire was one world and one language. In the
aftermath of his victories, he established the Greek language as the lingua franca, the
common tongue, and the Greek culture as the pattern of thought and life. Though his empire
was short lived, the result of spreading the Greek language endured.

It is significant that the Greek speech becomes one instead of many dialects at the very time
that the Roman rule sweeps over the world. The language spread by Alexander’s army over
the Eastern world persisted after the division of the kingdom and penetrated all parts of the
Roman world, even Rome itself. Paul wrote the church at Rome in Greek, and Marcus
Aurelius, the Roman Emperor, wrote his Meditations … in Greek. It was the language not
only of letters, but of commerce and every-day life.

The point here is that God was at work preparing the world for a common language and one
that was a matchless vehicle of communication for clarity and preciseness to proclaim the
message of the Savior. As a result, the books of the New Testament were written in the
common language of the day, Koine Greek. It was not written in Hebrew or Aramaic, even
though all the writers of the New Testament were Jews except for Luke, who was a Gentile.
Koine Greek had become the second language of nearly everyone.

​Preparation Through the Romans

But God was not finished preparing the world for the coming Savior of the world. When
Christ was born in Palestine, Rome ruled the world. Palestine was under Roman rule. Above
all else, Rome was noted for her insistence upon law and order. The longest, bloodiest civil
war in Rome’s history had finally ended with the reign of Augustus Caesar. As a result, over
100 years of civil war had been brought to rest and Rome had vastly extended her boundaries.
Further, the Romans built a system of roads, which, with the protection provided by her army
that often patrolled the roads, contributed greatly to the measure of ease and safety by which
travelers could make their way back and forth across the Roman empire. Augustus was the
first Roman to wear the imperial purple and crown as the sole ruler of the empire. He was a
moderate, wise and considerate of his people, and he brought in a great time of peace and
prosperity, making Rome a safe place to live and travel. This introduced a period called “Pox
Romana,” the peace of Rome (27 B.C.– A.D. 180). Now, because of all that Augustus
accomplished, many said that when he was born, a god was born. It was into these conditions
One was born who was and is truly the source of true personal peace and lasting world peace,
versus the temporary and false peace which men can give—no matter how wise or good or
outstanding. He also was truly God, the God-Man, instead of a man called God. The presence
of Roman rule and law helped to prepare the world for his life and ministry so the gospel
could be preached. Mark 1:14-15. And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came
into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom
of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The Religious World at the Time of the New Testament

Before surveying the New Testament, it would also be well to get a general picture of what
the religious world was like when the Savior came on the scene and when the church was
sent out into the world. As you read the quote by Merrill Tenney, note the great similarity to
our world today. The message of the Savior as revealed in the New Testament is like a breath
of fresh air after being in a smoke filled room.

​The Christian church was born into a world filled with competing religions which may have
differed widely among themselves but all of which possessed one common
characteristic—the struggle to reach a god or gods who remained essentially inaccessible.
Apart from Judaism, which taught that God had voluntarily disclosed Himself to the
patriarchs, to Moses, and to the prophets, there was no faith that could speak with certainty of
divine revelation nor of any true concept of sin and salvation. The current ethical standards
were superficial, despite the ideal and insights possessed by some philosophers, and when
they discoursed on evil and on virtue, they had neither the remedy for the one nor the
dynamic to produce the other.

Even in Judaism revealed truth had been obscured either by the encrustation of traditions or
by neglect …

Paganism and all religions apart from knowledge and faith in God’s Word always produces a
parody and a perversion of God’s original revelation to man. It retains many basic elements
of truth but twists them into practical falsehood. Divine sovereignty becomes fatalism; grace
becomes indulgence; righteousness becomes conformity to arbitrary rules; worship becomes
empty ritual; prayer becomes selfish begging; the supernatural degenerates into superstition.
The light of God is clouded by fanciful legend and by downright falsehood. The consequent
confusion of beliefs and of values left men wandering in a maze of uncertainties. To some,
expediency became the dominating philosophy of life; for if there can be no ultimate
certainty, there can be no permanent principles by which to guide conduct; and if there are no
permanent principles, one must live as well as he can by the advantage of the moment.
Skepticism prevailed, for the old gods had lost their power and no new gods had appeared.
Numerous novel cults invaded the empire from every quarter and became the fads of the
dilettante rich or the refuge of the desperate poor. Men had largely lost the sense of joy and of
destiny that made human life worthwhile.