New Testament Survey

Transcription

1 New Testament Survey Introduction There are four ways to approach the study of the Bible. The Synthetic approach is an overview of the Bible and gives the reader a good grasp of the overall message. The second approach is Analytical and views the text verse by verse giving an in depth understanding. The Topical or Doctrinal approach is a study of the many pictures and doctrines found in the Bible and with a Typical approach that focuses on the pictures and doctrines focusing on the Old Testament that portrays the truth of the New Testament. The Synthetic approach is useful for the beginning Bible student who has never taken a deeper study of the Scriptures. Through the synthetic approach, we are not only able to grasp the big picture or see the whole forest, but such an overview will help in understanding the details later on in one s study of the Bible. In the New Testament we see a record of historical events which pertain to the saving life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, birth, life, death, resurrection, and the continuation of His work in the world today. The continuing work of Jesus is proclaimed by the Apostles that Jesus had chosen them to go out into the world and teach His gospel message. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the long anticipated prophecies of the Old Testament. It is a sacred historical account, which differs from secular history, which was written supernaturally under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Old Testament the New Testament is protected from human error and was written with divine authority for the Church today and until the return of the Lord Himself. The Meaning of the Term of New Testament The bible is divided into two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Testament in the Greek language means will, testament, or covenant. Its usage in term of the New Testament is best served by the word covenant, which is the best translation. As such, the New Covenant means a new arrangement made by God that whoever accepts may inter in to a New Covenant. Its meaning is that there is a new relationship that men can enter into and be received by God. The Old Testament is the relationship with God based on the old Mosaic Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The New Testament, or Covenant, (anticipated in Jeremiah 31:31 and instituted by the Lord Jesus, (1 Corinthians 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. In the old covenant God s holiness was revealed by the law. In the old covenant God promised a coming redeemer; the new covenant shows the holiness of God in His 1 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

2 righteous Son. The New Testament contains the writings which reveal the content of this new covenant. The message of the New Testament centers on two points. First, on Jesus Christ who gave Himself for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28) Second, the people, (Church) who have received His salvation. The main theme of the New Testament is salvation. The names Old and New Testament were applied to the two relationships in which God had entered into with men, and then to the two books which contain the recorded events 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. (Greshem Machen, the New Testament, an Introduction to Its Literature and History.) The Divine Preparation for the New Testament In New Testament time Rome was the dominate world power. In Palestine in a small town called Bethlehem was born the one who world change the world, in reference to this person Paul wrote, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law."(i.e., the Old Covenant) in a wonderful way God had prepared the world for the coming Messiah. Three factors contributed to this preparation by God. Preparation through the Jewish Nation The story of the Old Testament is the preparation for the coming Messiah. The Jewish nation was chosen by God through Abraham to be God s kingdom of holy priest. (Ex. 1:5-6) Beginning with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (Genesis 12:1-3 Romans 9:4) they were to be the keepers of God s word. (Romans 3:2) The Jewish nation, God s Chosen people, were the seed from which the Redeemer would come from. (Genesis 12:3 Galatians 3:8 Romans 9:5) The Old Testament points to Christ as the suffering Savior, the prophets of the Old Testament we very exact in detail of the coming Messiah s lineage, place of birth, conditions around the time of His birth, life, death, and even His resurrection. Israel was disobedient to God and was taken into captivity as God s judgment for the hardness of their heart. After seventy years in exile God returned a remnant back to their homeland of Palestine. God had promised their return for the preparation of the Messiah. 400 hundred years passed from the last writing of the Old Testament to the time of Jesus coming. There was a Pharisaic externalism filled with hypocrisy, still there was an anticipation of the coming Messiah. Preparation through the Greek Language God s Son Jesus, who would be the Savior of the world and would send His disciples out unto the world to spread the gospel message of God s free gift of eternal salvation. 2 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

3 (Matthew 28:19-20) Alexander the Great, who more than 300 years before the birth of Jesus, conquered the ancient world one nation after the other with a desire to create a one world language. Alexander established the Greek language as the lingua franca, the common tongue, and the Greek culture became the standard of life and thought. His empire was short lived but the Greek language endured. When the Romans swept over the known world becoming the predominate power, still the Greek language remained. Paul s letter to the Romans was written in Greek, and Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor, wrote his Meditations in Greek. The point is that God was preparing the world for a common language that was a clear vehicle to proclaim the message of the Savior. The result was that the New Testament was written in the common language of the day, Koine Greek. All the writers of the New Testament were Jewish except Luke, who was a Gentile. Yet all the books of the New Testament were written in the Koine Greek even though the writers spoke in their native language of Hebrew or Aramaic. Preparation through the Romans At the time of the birth of Jesus Rome ruled the world. Rome ruled with an insistence for Law and order. For 100 years Rome suffered a bloody civil war which ended with the rule of Augustus Caesar. As a result of the civil war Rome had vastly extended its borders and had built an excellent road system. Augustus was also the first Roman ruler to wear the imperial purple and crown as the sole ruler of the empire. Augustus was a wise and considerate ruler of his empire and the era has been called Pox Romana, the peace of Rome (27 B.C. A.D. 180). Because of Augustus rule and accomplishments it was said of him by the people of his day that he was a god. Into these conditions One was born who truly was the source of personal peace and could bring world peace also. This was in contrast to the false peace that man can bring, which is always temporary. He was also truly a God rather than just a man people looked at as a god. The Roman rule and law and order helped 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 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 3 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

4 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. (Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Times, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1965, p ) This is a picture of the scene that the Messiah come into and the church was founded under. It is much that same as it is today. The Composition of the New Testament There are 27 books in the New Testament written by nine different authors. Based on the characteristics of the books they fall into three different categories. 1. The historical (five books, the Gospels and Acts) 2. The epistolary (21 books, Romans through Jude) 3. The prophetical (one book, Revelation) New Testament Books History Letters Prophecy Paul s Letters General 4 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

5 Early during Missionary journeys Later After arrest at Jerusalem James First Imprisonment Release Second Imprisonment Matthew Galatians Colossians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Hebrews Revelation Mark 1 Ephesians Titus Jude Thessalonian Luke 2 Philemon 1 Peter Thessalonian John 1 Corinthians Philippians 2 Peter Acts 2 Corinthians 1 John Romans 2 John 3 John Historical Epistolary Prophetical Overview on Focus The Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Acts The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles. Epistles Letters to churches and individuals. Romans through Jude Revelation The apocalypse of the Lord Jesus Christ. Manifestation Telling the story of the coming of the Savior and His person and work. Propagation Proclaiming the message of the Savior who has come. Explanation Developing the full significance of the person and work of Christ and how this should affect the walk of the Christian in the world. Consummation Anticipating the end time events and the return of the Lord, His end time reign, and the eternal state. The order of the books of the New Testament by chronological order Book Date AD Book Date AD James Philippians, 63 Philemon Galatians 49 1 Peter & Timothy Thessalonians Mark 50s or 60s Titus P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

6 Matthew 50s or 60s Hebrews Corinthians 55 2 Peter 66 2 Corinthians 56 2 Timothy 67 Romans Jude Luke 60 John Acts 61 1,2,3, John Colossians, Ephesians 61 Revelation As the original letters or books of the New Testament were written they were individually distributed. As time passed they were collected together to become what we know today as a cannon of books known as the New Testament. There were many writings during the early Church days but by the preservation of God the twenty seven books of the New Testament were set apart from the many other writings. They were set apart because of their inspiration and apostolic authority. An excellent summary of this process is explained by Ryrie. After they were written, the individual books were not immediately gathered together into the canon, or collection of twenty-seven that comprise the New Testament. Groups of books like Paul s letters and the Gospels were preserved at first by the churches or people to whom they were sent, and gradually all twentyseven books were collected and formally acknowledged by the church as a whole. This process took about 350 years. In the second century the circulation of books that promoted heresy accentuated the need for distinguishing valid Scripture from other Christian literature. Certain tests were developed to determine which books should be included. (1) Was the book written or approved by an apostle? (2) Were its contents of a spiritual nature? (3) Did it give evidence of being inspired by God? (4) Was it widely received by the churches? Not all of the twenty-seven books that were eventually recognized as canonical were accepted by all the churches in the early centuries, but this does not mean that those that were not immediately or universally accepted were spurious. Letters addressed to individuals (Philemon, 2 and 3 John) would not have been circulated as widely as those sent to churches. The books most disputed were James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Philemon, but ultimately these were included, and the canon was certified at the Council of Carthage in A.D Although no original copy of any of the writings that comprise the New Testament has survived, there exist more than 4,500 Greek manuscripts of all or part of the text, plus some 8,000 Latin manuscripts and at least 1,000 other versions into 6 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

7 which the original books were translated. Careful study and comparison of these many copies has given us an accurate and trustworthy New Testament. (Ryrie) Application Question Match the four ways of studying the Bible 1. Synthetic Answer: 2. Analytical Answer: 3. Topical or Doctrinal Answer: 4. Typical Answer: 1. Focuses on the pictures and doctrines focusing on the Old Testament that portrays the truth of the New Testament 2. Overview of the Bible 3. Studies of the many pictures and doctrines found in the Bible 4. Views the text verse by verse The Historical Books Introduction As mentioned before the New Testament books fall into three categories based on their content, the historical, the epistolary, and the prophetical. The four gospels and the book of Acts make up about 60% of the New Testament. This makes 60% of the New Testament a historical document. Christianity then is based on historical fact tracing the roots and historical development of Christianity. "The gospel is news that something has happened something that puts a different face upon life. What that something is told us in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ." (Machen) Following the four gospels the book of Acts gives the account of the spreading of the good news from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth, into the Gentile world. Acts begins with these words. 1:1 I wrote the former account (the Gospel of Luke), Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 1:2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 1:3 After his suffering he had also presented himself alive to these apostles by many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth. 7 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

8 The Gospel of Luke is volume one and Acts is volume two of Dr. Luke s account of the history of the ministry of the Savior our Lord Jesus Christ. The work of the Savior was continued by the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Acts provides for us the history of the work of the Apostles ministry in the work of building the early Church. This historical lesson of Dr. Luke is crucial to our understanding of the epistles. The New Testament is the account of the good news of Christ, the living God at work in human history, in the living present, and in the future light of the promises of God. The Synoptic Gospels Each Gospel is distinct in emphases and purpose but the first three are referred to as the synoptic gospels. The first three are seen together as the authors have the same point of view to the life of Christ, and are in agreement on subject matter and order. They also present the gospel in a way that compliments the picture given to us in the Gospel of John. The following show a number of areas that are common to each of the first three Gospels: The announcement of the Messiah by John the Baptist (Matt. 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3). The baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3). The temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4, Mark 1, and Luke 4). The teaching and miracles of Jesus (The major portion of each Gospel). The transfiguration of Jesus (Matt. 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9). The trial, death, and burial of Jesus (Matt , Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23). The resurrection of Jesus (Matt. 28, Mark 16, Luke 24). The Purpose and Distinctive Focus of the Four Gospels Matthew 16: :13 When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? 16:14 They answered, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 16:15 He said to them, And who do you say that I am? 16:16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. In these verses we read the four stock answers as to what people thought of Jesus in His day. There were only a few, a believing remnant, who believed Him for who He was, the Son of God. Therefore, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the gospel writers set about to reveal just who Jesus really was as to His person and work. Each gospel in its own distinctive way, but in accounts that are complementary to each other, answer the question asked by our Lord to His disciples. They each testify to who Jesus is, the Messiah who was prophesized in the Old Testament, the servant of the Lord, the Son of 8 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

9 man and the Son of God, and the One who is the Savior of the world. The gospels present us with a portrait of the person and work of the Christ in four distinct pictures. Matthew s gospel is primarily written to convince the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah, the King of the Jews. Along with Jesus genealogy Matthew presents ten fulfillment quotations that shows Jesus, the rejected and crucified, is the prophesied Messiah. (Matt. 1:23; 2:15; 2:18; 2:23; 4:15; 8:15; 12:18-21; 13:35; 21:5; 27:9-10) Even though as a whole His nation rejected Him and crucified Him, the King of the Jews left an empty tomb and rose as the risen Savior. Mark is a gospel that seems to be addressed to the Romans. Mark presents Jesus as the Servant of the Lord who came to give His life a ransom for many. Mark is the shortest of the gospels and presents a clear eye witness account, with emphases on the last week of the Lord s life. A full 37 percent of this Gospel is devoted to the events of His last and most important week. (Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Talk Thru The Bible.) Luke, the doctor Historian, presents a portrait of Jesus as the perfect Son of man whose mission was to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) Luke stresses the humanity of Christ while declaring His true deity. Bible commentators believe that Luke had the Greeks in mind during his writing because of their interest in philosophy. John s focus is on the deity of Jesus by presenting Him as the eternal Son of God. (John 1:1-2) To those who receive and believe in Him, shall receive eternal and abundant life. ((John 1:12; 3:16-18, 36; 10:10) John s gospel is written to all of mankind but especially to the Church. Five of the chapters in John record Jesus farewell discourse to His disciples in effort to comfort them just prior to His departure. In addition, seven miraculous signs of Jesus are set forth to demonstrate that Jesus is the Savior and to encourage people everywhere to believe in Him that they might have life. (John 20:30-31) Matthew Title & Author All the four gospels receive their name from the author. Matthews s gospel, as well as all four, never names the author. The testimony of the early Church is that the Apostle Matthew wrote this gospel. Also the earliest textual witnesses attribute it to Matthew by giving it the title According to Matthew. (Kata Matthaion) Matthew was one of the original disciples and wrote to the Jews telling them about the One who was one of their own who was their own Messiah. Matthew's original name was Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Matthew worked as a publican collecting taxes in Palestine for the Romans until he was called by the Lord to follow Him. (Matt. 9:9-10 Mark 2:14-15) His quick response may suggest his heart had already been stirred by the ministry of Jesus. "At an early date this gospel was 9 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

10 given the title Kata Matthaion, According to Matthew. As this title suggests other gospel accounts were known at that time (the word gospel was added later)"(wilkinson/boa) Date: A.D. 50s or 60s it has been determined that the gospel of Matthew was written somewhere between AD 40 and AD 50, while others suggest that it could have been written as late as AD 60 s. (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition.) Theme and Purpose Recalling the questions Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:14, Matthew wrote to the Jews to answer their questions about Jesus. Jesus was their Messiah and plainly declared that He was. The question was is Jesus the Messiah that the prophets had spoken of? If He was, why didn t the religious leaders of the day receive Him and why did He not set up the promised Kingdom? Also will that Kingdom ever be established and if so when? Therefore, Matthew addresses the Jews to show them that Jesus was the promised and long awaited Messiah. This is seen in Jesus genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17); the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12); His entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:5); the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46); the often mentioning of the kingdom of heaven as is common with the other Gospels, and in the Old Testament fulfillment quotations mentioned previously. Key Verses Matthew 1:20-23 Matthew 16:15-19 Matthew 28:18-20 Christ as Seen in Matthew As stated before Matthew s goal is to testify that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Jesus was the son of Abraham and David and therefore is the One who comes to offer the Kingdom. The phrase the king of heaven occurs some thirty-two times in this Gospel. Further, to show that this Jesus fulfills expectations of the Old Testament, ten times he specifically stresses that what happened in the life of Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. Further, he uses more Old Testament quotations and allusions than any other book of the New Testament, some 130 times. Outline The nine sections of Matthew s gospel. The Person and Presentation of the King (Matthew 1:1-4:25) The Proclamation or Preaching of the King (Matthew 5:1-7:29) The Power of the King (Matthew 8:1-11:1) The Program and Progressive Rejection of the King (Matthew 11:2-16:12) The Pedagogy and Preparation of the King s Disciples (Matthew 16:13-20:28) 10 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

11 Mark The Presentation of the King (Matthew 20:29-23:39) The Predictions or Prophecies of the King (Matthew 24:1-25:46) The Passion or Rejection of the King (Matthew 26:1-27:66) The Proof of the King (Matthew 28:1-20) Author and Title Sometime around AD 125 the Greek title Kata Markon, According to Mark was added by a scribe, but there is strong indication that Mark is the author of the gospel. The early Church fathers all agreed that Mark, an associate of the Apostle Paul, was the author. In A.D. 112, Papias cited Mark as the interpreter of Peter. Dunnett points out, A comparison of Peter s sermon in Acts 10:36-43 with Mark s Gospel shows the former to be an outline of the life of Jesus which Mark has given in much greater detail. (Walter M. Dunnett, Professor of New Testament, Moody Bible Institute.) Mark was not an original disciple of Jesus and was the son of Mary, a woman of wealth and position in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a companion of Peter (1 Pet. 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). Mark s association with Paul, whom Paul called, Mark my son, gave him apostolic authority to his writing. (1 Peter 5:13) As Paul Ryrie writes of Mark s association with Paul: He had the rare privilege of accompanying Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey but failed to stay with them through the entire trip. Because of this, Paul refused to take him on the second journey, so he went with Barnabas to Cyprus (Acts 15:38-40). About a dozen years later he was again with Paul (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24), and just before Paul s execution he was sent for by the apostle (2 Tim. 4:11). His biography proves that one failure in life does not mean the end of usefulness. (Ryrie) Date: A.D. 50s or 60s It is somewhat difficult to date when the Gospel of Mark was written but many Bible Scholars believe it was first of the four gospels to be produced. Written within the Gospel of Mark the prophecy shows that it was completed before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70. (Mark 13:2) Ryrie as this commentary: In fact, if Acts must be dated about A.D. 61, and if Luke, the companion volume, proceeded it, then Mark must be even earlier, since Luke apparently used Mark in writing his gospel. This points to a date in the 50s for Mark. However, many scholars believe that Mark was not written until after Peter died; i.e., after 67 but before 70. (Ryrie) 11 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

12 Theme and Purpose Theme of Mark is Christ the Servant. The thrust of this is brought out in Mark 10:45, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many. Mark s gospel is primarily addressed to the Roman and Gentile audience. As a result of his audience the Sermon on the Mount is omitted and the condemnation of the religious leaders is given less attention. Mark presents Jesus as a servant of the Lord and his gospel focuses on Jesus activity as the faithful servant going about His work. Mark uses Greek euqus in the terms of immediately, at once, or then, so then, which occurs 42 times in this gospel. Key Verses Mark 8: Then Jesus called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it. What advantage is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? What can a person give in exchange for his soul? Mark 10: But it is not this way among you. But whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Christ as Seen in Mark Of course, Mark s contribution especially centers on presenting the Savior as the Sacrificing Servant who gives His life obediently for the ransom of many. The focus is clearly on His ministry to the physical and spiritual needs of others always putting them before His own needs. This emphasis on the Savior s servant activity is seen in the following: Only eighteen out of Christ s seventy parables are found in Mark some of these are only one sentence in length but he lists over half of Christ s thirty-five miracles, the highest proportion in the Gospels. (Wilkinson/Boa) Outline The theme of Mark is Christ the Servant. The book them follows two divisions, the Servants service (1:1-10:52) and the Servants sacrifice. (11:1-16:20) The book is divided into five simple sections. 1. The Preparation of the Servant for Service (1:1-13) 2. The Preaching of the Servant in Galilee (1:14-9:50) 3. The Preaching of the Servant in Perea (10:1-52) 4. The Passion of the Servant in Jerusalem (11:1-15:47) 5. The Prosperity of the Servant in Resurrection (16:1-20) 12 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

13 Luke The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are both addressed to Theophilus and is attributed to Luke as the author. There is a great deal of evidence pointing to the fact that Luke is the author. In Colossians 4:14 Luke is accredited as the author of booth books as the beloved Physician. Luke and Acts alone take up 28% of the Greek New Testament. The Name of Luke appears in the following places in the New Testament, Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 2:4. Luke was a close associate of Paul and a traveling companion of him on several of his mission, in which in his writing he referred to them as we. (Acts 16:10-17 Acts 20:5 Acts 21:18 Acts 27:1 Acts 28:16) By process of elimination, Paul s dear friend Luke, the doctor (Col 4:14), and fellow worker (Philemon 24) becomes the most likely candidate. His authorship is supported by the uniform testimony of early Christian writings (e.g., the Muratorian Canon, A.D. 170, and the works of Irenaeus, c. 180). (The NIV Study Bible Notes, Zondervan NIV Bible Library, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1985.) Luke was a Gentile as determined from Colossians 4:10-14 where Paul differentiates him from the Jews. Luke s obvious skill with the Greek language and his phrase their own language in Acts 1:19 also imply that he was not Jewish. (Ryrie) Date: A.D. 60 Two commonly suggested periods for dating the Gospel of Luke are: (1) A.D , and (2) the 70s or the 80s, but the conclusion of Acts shows us that Paul was in Rome, and since Luke is the former treatise, written before Acts (Acts 1:1), the Gospel of Luke must have been written in the earlier period, around A.D. 60. Theme and Purpose The prologue of Luke s Gospel clearly states the purpose of his writing. "1:1-4 Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 1:2 like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. 1:3 So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may have certainty regarding the things you were taught." Several things need to be noticed regarding his approach to presenting the gospel: Luke states that his own work was stimulated by the work of others (1:1), that he consulted eyewitnesses (1:2), and that he sifted and arranged the information (1:3) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to instruct Theophilus in the historical reliability of the faith (1:4). This is a carefully researched and documented writing. 13 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

14 As a Gentile, Luke must have felt responsible to write his two-volume account of the life of Christ so it would be available to Gentile readers. This seems evident from the fact that Luke translates Aramaic terms with Greek words and explains Jewish customs and geography to make his Gospel more intelligible to his original Greek reader-ship. (Wilkinson/Boa) Luke is the longest of the four gospels. His gospel presents our Lord the Savior as the Son of Man, the One perfect man who came to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) In Matthew we saw Jesus as the son of King David, Israel s King. Mark s gospel shows Jesus as the Lord s servant. In Luke we see Him as the Son of Man, meeting man s needs, a perfect man among men, chosen from men, tested among men, and supremely qualified to be the Savior and High Priest. Luke the Physician and historian shows a much more detailed account of the events described in the other gospels. We see the perfect human nature of the Son of Man and also the Son of God being brought out to us in the following. 1. His physical birth with his genealogy traced all the way back to Adam (3:38) (Matthew goes back only to Abraham). 2. His mental development is stressed in 2: His moral and spiritual perfection is also stressed as evidenced at His baptism by the voice of the Father from heaven and by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Christ as Seen in Luke The humanity and compassion of Jesus are repeatedly stressed in Luke s Gospel. Luke gives the most complete account of Christ s ancestry, birth, and development. He is the ideal Son of Man who identified with the sorrow and plight of sinful man in order to carry our sorrows and offer us the priceless gift of salvation. Jesus alone fulfills the Greek ideal of human perfection. (Wilkinson/Boa) Outline I. The Prologue: The Method and Purpose of Writing (1:1-4) II. The Identification of the Son of Man with Men (1:1-4:13) III. The Ministry of the Son of Man to Men (4:14-9:50) IV. The Rejection of the Son of Man by Men (9:51-19:44) V. The Suffering of the Son of Man for Men (19:45-23:56) VI. The Authentication (by resurrection) of the Son of Man Before Men (24:1-53) John Author and Title Church tradition in the early seconded century has attributed the forth Gospel to the Apostles John. John was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James whom Jesus 14 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

15 referred to as the sons of thunder. (Mark 3:17) John s mother Salome served Jesus and was present at His crucifixion. (Mark 15:40-41) Jesus described John as the beloved Disciple. (John 13:23 John 18:15-16 John 19:26-27) John, along with Peter and James formed the inner three of Jesus disciples and went with Christ to the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matt. 17:1) Paul identified John as the pillars of the Church. (Galatians 2:9) As with the rest of the Gospels the gospel of John does not name the author. This is not surprising as the literary from of the gospels is different than the Epistles. (Letters) All of the letters of Paul began with his name as the author which was the custom of the ancient world writers. Date: A.D There are some scholars that date the writing of John s gospel into the second century, about 150 AD. There are many reasons to see this as a false conclusion. Archeological finds supporting the authenticity of the text of John (e.g., John 4:11; 5:2-3), word studies (e.g., synchro ntai, John 4:9), manuscript discoveries and the Dead Sea Scrolls have given powerful support to an early dating for John. So it is common today to find non-conservative scholars arguing for a date as early as A.D An early date is possible. But this Gospel has been known in the church as the Fourth one, and the early church fathers believed that it was written when John was an old man. Therefore a date between 85 and 95 is best. John 21:18, 23 require the passing of some time, with Peter becoming old and John outliving him. (Walvoord/Zuck) Theme and Purpose More than any other book in the Bible the theme and purpose of John is clearly stated. You remember the story of doubting Thomas who would not believe that Jesus had risen from the grave without seeing for himself. (John 20:24-25) Jesus again appeared to the disciples and addresses Thomas with these words, Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe. Thomas then declared, My Lord and my God! The Lord then said to Thomas, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed. Following John brings to focus the need for believing in Jesus with this statement of the theme and purpose of his gospel. 20:30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 20:31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 15 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

16 In John s gospel John chose seven signs to reveal the person and mission of Jesus that it might bring people to believe that Jesus was the savior. The word used for these miracles is shemion, a sign, a distinguishing mark, and then a sign consisting of a miracle, a wonder, something contrary to nature. John always used the word shemion because it emphasized the significance of the action rather than the miracle itself. (John 4:54 John 6:14 John 9:16 John 11:47) The glory of Jesus was revealed by these signs. (John 1:14 Isaiah 35:1-2 Joel 3:18 Amos 9:13) The seven signs that John described consist of the following: the turning of water into wine (John 2:1-11) the cure of the nobleman s son (John 4:46-54) the cure of the paralytic (John 5:1-18) the feeding of the multitude (John 6:6-13) the walking on the water (John 6:16-21) the giving of sight to the blind (John 9:1-7) the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45) The theme and purpose of John s gospel is also clearly discerned by its nature in comparison to the other gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. When one compares the Gospel of John with the other three Gospels, he is struck by the distinctiveness of John s presentation. John does not include Jesus genealogy, birth, baptism, temptation, casting out of demons, parables, transfiguration, instituting of the Lord s Supper, His agony in Gethsemane, or His Ascension. John s presentation of Jesus stresses His ministry in Jerusalem, the feasts of the Jewish nation, Jesus contacts with individuals in private conversations (e.g., chaps. 3-4; 18:28-19:16), and His ministry to His disciples (chaps ). The major body of the Gospel is contained in a Book of Signs (2:1-12:50) which embraces seven miracles or signs which proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. This Book of Signs also contains great discourses of Jesus which explain and proclaim the significance of the signs. For example, following the feeding of the 5,000 (6:1-15), Jesus revealed Himself as the Bread of Life which the heavenly Father gives for the life of the world (6:25-35). Another notable and exclusive feature of the Fourth Gospel is the series of I am statements that were made by Jesus (cf. 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). The distinctiveness of this Gospel must be kept in perspective. The Gospels were not intended as biographies. Each Gospel writer selected from a much larger pool of information the material which would serve his purpose. It has been estimated that if all the words from the lips of Jesus cited in Matthew, Mark, and Luke were read aloud, the amount of time taken would be only about three hours. (Walvoord/Zuck) 16 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

17 Christ as Seen in John In all the gospels the deity of Jesus is a prominent theme, but the most powerful case for Jesus as the Son of God is found in John s gospel. The fact is that one who is identified as The man called Jesus (9:11) is also called God, the One and Only (1:18 NIV), Christ, the Son of the Living God (6:69 KJV) or the Holy One of God (6:69 NIV, NASB, NET). The seven I Am statements of Jesus in John s gospels is a further declaration of the deity of Jesus Christ. These seven statements are: I am the bread of life (6:35), I am the light of the world (8:12), I am the gate (10:7, 9), I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14), I am the resurrection and the life (11:25), I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6), I am the true vine (15:1, 5). There are also five witnesses that witness to the truth of Jesus as the Christ. His Father in verses John 5:32, 37, John the Baptist in verses John 5:33, His miracles in verses John 5:36, the scriptures in verses John 5:39, and Moses in verses John 5:46. Outline I. The Prologue: The Incarnation of the Son of God (1:1-18) A. The Deity of Christ (1:1-2) B. The Preincarnate Work of Christ (1:3-5) C. The Forerunner of Christ (1:6-8) D. The Rejection of Christ (1:9-11) E. The Acceptance of Christ (1:12-13) F. The Incarnation of Christ (1:14-18) II. The Presentation of the Son of God (1:19-4:54) A. By John the Baptist (1:19-34) B. To John s Disciples (1:35-51) C. At the Wedding in Cana (2:1-11) D. At the Temple in Jerusalem (2:12-35) E. To Nicodemus (3:1-21) F. By John the Baptist (3:22-36) G. To the Samaritan Woman (4:1-42) H. To an Official of Capernaum (4:43-54) III. The Opposition to the Son of God (5:1-12:50) A. At the Feast in Jerusalem (5:1-47) B. During the Time of the Passover in Galilee (6:1-71) C. At the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (7:1-10:21) D. At the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem (10:22-42) 17 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

18 E. At Bethany (11:1-12:11) F. At Jerusalem (12:12-50) IV. The Instruction by the Son of God (13:1-16:33) A. Concerning Forgiveness (13:1-20) B. Concerning His Betrayal (13:21-30) C. Concerning His Departure (13:31-38) D. Concerning Heaven (14:1-14) E. Concerning the Holy Spirit (14:15-26) F. Concerning Peace (14:27-31) G. Concerning Fruitfulness (15:1-17) H. Concerning the World (15:18-16:6) I. Concerning the Holy Spirit (16:7-15) J. Concerning His Return (16:16-33) IV. The Intercession of the Son of God (17:1-26) V. The Crucifixion of the Son of God (18:1-19:42) VI. The Resurrection of the Son of God (20:1-31) A. The Empty Tomb (20:1-9) B. The Appearances of the Risen Lord (20:10-31) VII. The Epilogue: The Appearance by the Lake (21:1-25) Acts A. The Appearance to the Seven Disciples (21:1-14) B. The Words to Peter (21:15-23) C. The Conclusion of the Gospel (21:24-25) Author and Title Although unnamed the overall conclusion is that Luke wrote the book of Acts. As mentioned before Acts is the second volume of a two part treatise written by Luke with the gospel of Luke being the first volume. These volumes were written to Theophilus about all that Jesus began to do and teach. Ryrie supports Luke as the author with the following comment. Theophilus Theories about who Theophilus was. 18 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

19 Coptic view Coptic tradition asserts that Theophilus was a person and not an honorary title. The Coptic Church claims that the person was a Jew of Alexandria. Roman Official Others say that Theophilus was probably a Roman official of some sort, because Luke referred to him as "most excellent" (Luke 1:3). The word "excellent" is used in other passages when referring to a Roman official. Such passages include Acts 26:25, "But Paul said, 'I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus" and Acts 24:2, "Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: 'Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, [...]" Honorary title Honorary title (academia) tradition maintains that Theophilus was not a person. The word in Greek means "Friend of God" and thus both Luke and Acts were addressed to anyone who fits that description. In this tradition the author's targeted audience, as with all other canonical Gospels, were the learned (academic) but unnamed males and females of the era. Likewise the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, and Gospel of James are not addressed to any particular gender, or any specific person. Jewish Priest A growing belief points to Theophilus ben Ananus, High Priest of the Temple in Jerusalem from In this tradition Theophilus would have been both a kohen and a Sadducee. That would make him the son of Annas and brother-in-law of Caiaphas, raised in the Jewish Temple. Adherents claim that Luke's Gospel was targeted at Sadducee readers. This might explain a few features of Luke. He begins the story with an account of Zacharias the righteous priest who had a Temple vision of an angel (1:5-25). Luke quickly moves to account Mary's purification (niddah), Jesus' Temple redemption (pidyon ha-ben) rituals (2:21-39), and then to Jesus' pilgrimage to the Temple when he was twelve (2:46), possibly implying his bar mitzvah. He makes no mention of Caiaphas' role in Jesus' crucifixion and emphasizes Jesus' literal resurrection (24:39), including an ascension into heaven as a realm of spiritual existence (24:52; Acts 1:1). Luke also seems to stress Jesus' arguments with the Sadducees on points like legal grounds for divorce, the existence of angels, spirits, and an afterlife (Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead). If this was the case then Luke is trying to use Jesus' rebuttals and teachings to break down Theophilus' Sadducean philosophy, maybe with the hope that Theophilus would use his influence to get the Sadducees to cease their persecution of the Christians. One could also look at Luke's Gospel as an allegorical reference to Jesus as "the man called the Branch" prophesied in Zechariah 3:8; 6:12-13, who is the ultimate high priest foreshadowed by the Levitical priesthood. 19 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

20 Most, if not all, of the commentaries on the Gospel of Luke say the "Question about the Resurrection" pericope presented in Luke 20:27-40 is the only account in Luke of Jesus confronting the Sadducees. It is true that Luke only mentions the Sadducees by name once but it is not true that this pericope is the only one concerning the Sadducees. The Parables about the Good Samaritan, the Unjust Steward, the Rich Man and Lazarus and the Wicked Tenants are directed to the Sadducees who controlled the temple establishment. These parables are about unfaithful priests. They are the wicked sons of Eli. All of the New Testament passages concerning alms and almsgiving, except one in Matthew, are in Luke-Acts. Therefore, these parables may be about alms, almsgiving and the proper use of the wealth controlled by the temple authorities. Luke s criticism focuses on the use of these temple resources by the religious aristocracy for their own selfish purposes. This means that the religious authorities controlled tremendous wealth that had been in times past properly distributed to the people as part of the institutional form of almsgiving. The priests in these parables are unfaithful, dishonest and disobedient because, inter alia, they have not invited the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind to the banquet table. Once the office of the High Priest became non-hereditary, and available to the highest bidder, the institutional role of almsgiving was abandoned or reduced as the purchaser had to recoup his purchase price. A minority view identifies Theophilus as a later high priest: Mattathias ben Theophilus who served from Note that Luke refers to high priest Joseph ben Caiaphas simply as "Caiaphas". Thus, the reasoning goes, Luke used this pattern when addressing Theophilus. (Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia) That the author of Acts was a companion of Paul is clear from the passages in the book in which we and us are used (16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16). These sections themselves eliminate known companions of Paul other than Luke, and Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 point affirmatively to Luke, who was a physician. The frequent use of medical terms also substantiates this conclusion (1:3; 3:7. 9:18, 33; 13:11; 28:1-10). Luke answered the Macedonian call with Paul, was in charge of the work at Philippi for about six years, and later was with Paul in Rome during the time of Paul s house arrest. It was probably during this last period that the book was written. If it were written later it would be very difficult to explain the absence of mentioning such momentous events as the burning of Rome, the martyrdom of Paul, or the destruction of Jerusalem. The title for the book comes from the Greek manuscripts that designate it Praxeis or by the title, The Acts of the Apostles. The title The Acts of the Apostles is not an adequate description as the book is mostly devoted to Peter and Paul. Although some of the events in Acts involved all the apostles such as the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 1:2-8) for this reason some feel that the book would be better titled the Acts of the Holy Spirit. 20 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word

21 Date AD The issues regarding the dating of the book are summarized by Stanley Toussaint as follows: The writing of Acts must have taken place before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Certainly an event of such magnitude would not have been ignored. This is especially true in light of one of the basic themes of the book: God s turning to the Gentiles from the Jews because of the Jews rejection of Jesus Christ. Luke scarcely would have omitted an account of Paul s death, traditionally dated from A.D , if it had occurred before he wrote Acts. Nor did Luke mention the Neronian persecutions which began after the great fire of Rome in A.D. 64. Furthermore, a defense of Christianity before Nero by using the Book of Acts to appeal to what lower officials had ruled regarding Paul would have had little point at the time of the Neronian antagonism. At that time Nero was so intent on destroying the church, the defense set forth in Acts would have had little effect in dissuading him. The date usually accepted by conservative scholars for the writing of Acts is around A.D Accordingly the place of writing would be Rome or possibly both Caesarea and Rome. At the time of writing, Paul s release was either imminent or had just taken place. (Walvoord/Zuck) Theme and Purpose The book of Acts stands out in the Bible as a bridge between the gospels and the other books in the New Testament. Acts begins at the Ascension of Christ and ends with the epistles. Acts is a continuing of Christ s work though the Holy Spirit as the Spirit worked through the Apostles spreading the gospel and establishing the Church. Acts also describes the life of Paul and provides the historical locations of the writing of his letters. Acts gives an account of the first thirty years of the Church. Toussaint writes this summary of various views on the purpose of Acts. The purpose of the Book of Acts may be stated as follows: To explain with the Gospel of Luke the orderly and sovereignly directed progress of the kingdom message from Jews to Gentiles, and from Jerusalem to Rome. In Luke s Gospel the question is answered, If Christianity has its roots in the Old Testament and in Judaism, how did it become a worldwide religion? The Book of Acts continues in the vein of the Gospel of Luke to answer the same problem. (Walvoord/Zuck) 21 P a g e God s Testimony through God s Word