New Testament I: Gospels & Acts Week 1 Introduction to the New Testament

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1 Jeremiah 31:31 34 (ESV) 31 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Malachi 4:5 6 (ESV) 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. Luke 1:13 17 (ESV) 13 But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. Galatians 3:23 4:5 (ESV) 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ s, then you are Abraham s offspring, heirs according to promise. 1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 1

2 The point of all Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is to show that a sovereign and righteous God is seeking to redeem Himself a people for His praise by reconciling sinners to Himself through Jesus Christ and establishing in the hearts and minds of His people that Jesus Christ is the eternal King and worthy of all worship. There is also a tendency to separate the Old Testament from the New. There is no divine direction for printing them separately with a new table of contents between them. Of course, there are important distinctions between the two Testaments.Unfortunately, these distinctions often seem more obvious to us than the unity of the Bible. Let us remind ourselves that there is continuity between the Old and New Testaments in that the New fulfills the Old and the Old testifies to the Christ of the New. There is discontinuity between them in that the Old must give way to the New, and the people of God must embrace the solid reality of Christ and let go of the shadows in the law of Moses and the worship of Israel. According to Plan, Pg. 202 I. New Testament Basics a. Consists of 27 books b. Multiple human authors, but only one divine author The New Testament covers just the first century of human history after Jesus' coming. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. Every book was completed by the close of the first century. Authors of the New Testament include a doctor, tax collector, fisherman, former persecutor of Christians, and Jesus' own two brothers. On the New Testament, Location 75 The belief that God wrote Scripture in concert with human authors whom he inspired to perfectly record his words is called verbal (the very words of the Bible) plenary (every part of the Bible) inspiration (divinely inspired revelation). Very simply, this means that God the Holy Spirit inspired not just the thoughts of Scripture, but also the very details and exact words that were perfectly recorded for us as Scripture. On the New Testament, Location 102 The Holy Spirit Moving Men of God 2 Peter 1:19 21 (ESV) 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Scripture is God Breathed 2 Timothy 3:16 17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 2

3 righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. c. Has 260 chapters and 7,957 verses i. Modern chapter divisions devised by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, starting in 1227 AD ii. System of verses in use today were put into printed Bibles around 1551 to 1555 AD d. Acts is the longest book and 3 John is shortest e. Written during the last 50 to 60 years of the 1 st Century f. The New Testament is arranged by type of book: Gospels, History (Acts), Epistles, and Apocalypse (The Revelation) II. How was it assembled? In summary, the primary test of canonicity in New Testament times was apostolic or prophetic authority. Those writings that came to local churches (or individuals) were read, circulated, collected, and even quoted as a part of the canon of the Scriptures. Those writings supplemented and formed an integral part of the inspired Word of God along with the previously recognized Old Testament Scriptures. A General Introduction to the Bible, Pg. 288 The synods at Hippo (A.D. 393) and Carthage (A.D. 397) were under the influence of Augustine. At those regional councils the New Testament canon that was ratified agreed with the present-day canon of twenty-seven books The canon adopted by Hippo and Carthage is verification of the contention of Athanasius with regard to the New Testament. Therefore, the councils followed the example of leading individuals and canons in recognizing those New Testament books which God had inspired. A General Introduction to the Bible, Pg. 293 III. Why should we study the New Testament? So I hope I have been clear: the point of the New Testament, indeed, the point of the whole Bible, is that God has made promises to us, he has kept those promises to us, and we are called to trust him because he is the keeper of promises! God has revealed himself to humanity through his promises. The Message of the New Testament, Location 512 a. To understand what the gospel means The goal of religion is to get from God such things as health, wealth, insight, power, and control. The goal of the gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 3

4 God as the gift given to us by grace. Religion is about what I have to do. The gospel is about what I get to do. Religion sees hardship in life as punishment from God. The gospel sees hardship in life as sanctifying affliction that reminds us of Jesus' sufferings and is used by God in love to make us more like Jesus. Religion is about me. The gospel is about Jesus. On The New Testament, Location 305 b. Understand the extent to which God went to redeem a people unto Himself c. Understand the purpose of the church and how it came about d. To learn about God s plan for the future of His people and His creation e. To learn how we please Christ through our lives of faith and reliance on His Spirit IV. How will we approach this study? The study will begin with a survey of the Gospels and Acts. While Acts will be surveyed sequentially, the survey of the Gospels will look at what many have referred to as a harmony of the Gospels. This simply means that we will be looking at all four Gospels each week and work sequentially through the incarnation to the resurrection. V. Quick Summary of the New Testament Books (On the Old Testament, Location 557ff) Matthew Matthew wrote his Gospel primarily to convince Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Mark Mark is the shortest of the Gospels and was written for Romans who did not care much about Jesus' family lineage but did care about whether or not he accomplished his mission of salvation. Therefore, Mark is filled with action, present tense verbs, the miracles of Jesus, and Jesus' own teachings. Luke Luke was a well-educated doctor whose Gospel carefully tells the story of Jesus in chronological order with special attention to Jesus' healings of those who were sick, his emotional life, and the ministry of angels. Luke also highlights Jesus' love for social outcasts and women. John John is written primarily to Greeks who are not as familiar with the Old Testament, which also explains why, among Americans whose culture is influenced so greatly by the Greeks, John perennially remains the most popular Gospel. In reading John you will learn to love Jesus as your God and worship him alone. Acts As much as his Gospel focuses on Jesus, Acts focuses on the Holy Spirit, who opens the understanding of people to trust in Jesus, gifts them for FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 4

5 ministry, and empowers them to bring the good news of Jesus to others in word and deed. Romans Romans is the longest letter in the New Testament. Paul wrote it to clearly explain the universality of human sinfulness and the work of Jesus to save us from Satan, sin, death, and ourselves. Romans, therefore, is about what the gospel, or good news, of Jesus is and how we receive it by faith in and grace from him. 1 & 2 Corinthians Paul's first letter is a response to a series of questions they asked him; his answers often begin with the statement Now... or Now concerning.... While 1 Corinthians is basically a stern series of rebukes, 2 Corinthians takes a kinder and more personal, pastoral tone, which shows that they heeded his commands and changed their ways after reading the previous letter. Galatians Galatians explains what the gospel of Jesus is not. In Galatians you will learn that who you love (Jesus) is more important than what you do (works of the law) because you can be a good person and still go to hell if you don't love Jesus. But if you love Jesus you will live like a loving and good person, because he will transform you. Ephesians Ephesians is a general letter written to a number of churches, not to address a crisis, but rather to explain how Jesus has taken away sin to reconcile us to himself as Christians and to each other as the church. Philippians Philippians is about life together where we are following the example of Christ by considering other more important than ourselves and walking worthily before Him. Colossians Colossians is a letter written to exalt Jesus as the eternal God over all creation, in refutation of some false teachings from the local folk religions that had corrupted the church's understanding of Jesus. Paul also wrote this letter while sitting in prison. 1 & 2 Thessalonians Written to a church that is zealous for the gospel, but confused about the return of Christ and surrounding events. Paul teaches them the laziness until the coming of Christ is not an acceptable stance. 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are commonly referred to as the Pastoral Epistles because they are written from Paul to young pastors whom he loved as sons These great personal letters are particularly beneficial to those Christians who care about the health of their church, church leaders, emerging church leaders, and young men who aspire to be elders in God's church. Philemon Philemon is written by Paul to a Christian slave owner named Philemon regarding one of his Christian slaves named Onesimus His letter seeks to bring the gospel of Jesus to bear in the life of one slave. It shows God's great concern for individual people even if they are poor and powerless. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 5

6 Hebrews Hebrews is an amazing book that connects the great themes of the Old Testament to Jesus as the fulfillment. 1, 2 & 3 John 1, 2, and 3 John were written to refute false teachings about Jesus and to defend the truth against critics and heretics who had infiltrated the church and threatened to destroy all that Jesus had accomplished. 1 & 2 Peter 1 and 2 Peter were written by Peter, the leader of Jesus' disciples, in response to a crisis, as Christians were being persecuted and slaughtered for their faith Peter's two letters help those people undergoing trials to extend their horizon beyond the grave and persevere both for and like Jesus. In the second letter, we see how persecution can tempt some Christians to compromise their doctrine and holy conduct to gain a reprieve. James While Paul is prone to stress what Jesus has done, James stresses what we should do in response to what Jesus has done. James is quite helpful to lazy Christians who are glad Jesus got out of his tomb for them but are unlikely to get off of their couch for him. Jude Jude is a short little book that is a great encouragement to faithful Bible teachers everywhere who spend significant amounts of time cutting the cancers out of their church body before they spread and become fatal. Revelation What is often overlooked in studying the book, however, is the what and who of Revelation. The who, as stated in the opening line of the book, is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The what of Revelation is worship, which is the end goal of all things, and explains why Revelation is the final book of the Bible. VI. What Happened in the 400 Years of Silence? a. The Hellenistic Period ( B.C.) The Persian Empire, that allowed the Jews to go back, settle the land, and rebuild the Temple, was defeated by Alexander the Great. This brought about the use of the Greek language and why the New Testament was written in Greek. i. 320 to 198 B.C. under the Egyptian Ptolemaic Empire ii. 198 to 164 B.C. controlled by the Seleucid Empire & temple was turned into a pagan shrine. Sacrifices were restored in the temple after a revolt. The restoration of the temple is celebrated by the observance of Hanukkah. b. The Maccabean Period ( B.C.) were ruled by different individuals from the Hasmonean priestly family. c. The Roman Period (63 B.C. to A.D. 135) Due to strife among the Jews, they asked the Roman Emperor Pompey to help resolve the situation. Therefore, he did by the Romans taking control of the Jews. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 6

7 VII. Where did come from? Works Cited There are some terms in the gospels regarding the Jewish faith and their practices that were not referenced in the Old Testament. So where did these come from? a. Pharisees During the Maccabean Period the Jewish leadership eventually walked away from the principles that freed them from Greek influence. Therefore, a group arose to combat the apostasy represented by the leadership. The Pharisees began to rise in prominence about this time. The Pharisees were prominent in the synagogues as teachers of the law and an oral tradition that purportedly stemmed from Moses. They were inspired with an urgent sense of the need for two things: (1) revolutionary change in the nation, to separate Israel completely from the ideas and practices of the pagans; and (2) radical obedience to the Torah among God s faithful ones. The Drama of Scripture, Pg. 125 b. Essenes Also fed up with the leadership, the Essenes chose the path of withdrawal. Since they believed that the corruption of Hellenism had become so deeply rooted in Israel, reaching even into the temple and the priesthood, the Essenes turned their backs on all of it. They believed they alone were the true Israel. The Drama of Scripture, Pg. 125 c. Sadducees Primarily of wealthy, priestly families in Jerusalem. Josephus claims they were unfriendly The Sadducees rejected the extrabiblical traditions of the Pharisees, perhaps embracing that only the Pentatuech as canonical. ESV Study Bible, Pg d. Zealots Were also not happy with the pagan leadership of the Jews, and were not afraid to use force to combat that leadership and their influences. e. Synagogues Believed to have started during the Babylonian exile since the Temple was destroyed and the Jews could not gather in Jerusalem. However, the first undisputed evidence of a synagogue comes from Egypt in the 3 rd Century B.C. From the 1 st Century B.C. onwards the evidence of synagogues is abundant. he first undisputed evidence of a synagogue comes from Egypt in the 3rd century B.C. From the 1st century B.C. onwards the evidence of synagogues is abundant. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Bartholomew, Craig G., and Michael W. Goheen. The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 7

8 Dever, Mark. The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, Driscoll, Mark. On the New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, Geisler, Norman L., and William E. Nix. A General Introduction to the Bible. Chicago: Moody, Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: the Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 8