Introduction to the New Testament

What is it?

27 different documents

Written in Greek

Gathered together and joined to the Old Testament

This is the Bible as Christians know it

Relationship to Old Testament

What is the Old Testament?

Why is it called "Old"

Predates revelation of Christ

Do Jews call it old?

Where is the New Testament in relationship to the Old?

Meaning of testament

Testament is another word for covenant

Thus this is a book about a new covenant

E.g.s of Old Covenant?

Jesus is the new covenant God makes with humanity

Christians believe everything God promises us in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus

Types of Writing

What type of writing is in the NT?

Gospels (4)

gospel is a Greek word meaning good news

Gospels are the specific gospels of the Bible

Matt, Mark, Luke and John

A gospel

Not meant to be read as a literal biography

Try to explain the teachings of Jesus

Only period thoroughly investigated is the last week of Jesus' life

Types of writing

Second type of writing in the NT is HISTORY

Especially history of the early church

Acts of the Apostles is the only historical book in the NT

Speaks of the spread of the Church up to Paul's visit to Rome

Types of writing

The third type of writing are letters aka epistles (21)

Written to various communities by famous apostles or their disciples

Paul wrote most of the epistles

Types of writing

Apocalypse (1)

Highly symbolic book

Signifies battle between God and Satan

Evil is eventually defeated and God's kingdom becomes reality

Book of Revelation

Daily life in the time of Christ

Major Groups

Priests: Acted as mediators between God and humans

Offered sacrifice in the temple

High priest was very important politically

E.g. Caiaphas

Major Groups

Sadducees: elite upper class

Were very strong politically and were committed to the Temple

Didn't believe in life after death

Major Groups

Pharisees: sect focusing on the law

The Law governs daily life

Rivals of Sadducees

Believed life after death is possible

Major Groups

Zealots: revolutionaries wanting to overthrow the Romans

At odds with Jewish leaders because of their brutal tactics

Generally from poorer classes

Major Groups

Sanhedrin: group of community elders

Priests, Pharisees and Sadducees

Religious, political, judicial body

Major Groups

Essenes: group that withdrew from society

Believed society was impure

Believed the messiah would soon arrive

Important places

The Temple

Destroyed when Israelites were exiled

Rebuilt by Herod

Handled sacrifice, prayer, governance

Important places

Synagogues

Place of daily, local worship

Politics and Culture

Israel had been part of the Greek empire for years

Heavy Greek influence

Greek was the commercial language

Politics and culture

Jews had a king - e.g. Herod

Also a Roman governor - e.g. Pilate

Romans asked only for taxes - didn't force conversions to their religion

Politics and culture

Jews believed a messiah would deliver them

Messiah: Hebrew for "anointed one"

From David's line

Would free Jews from foreign oppression

NOT DIVINE BUT HUMAN - A human can't be God

The Gospels

What are they

Four Gospels - who are the authors?

Written at different times with different objectives

No two gospels are exactly the same

Timeline

Mark: 65-70 AD

Matthew: 80-85 AD

Luke: 85-100 AD

John: 90-110 AD

Mark

Tradition says Mark was a disciple of St. Peter (I.e. He never met Jesus)

Written for gentile Christians, possibly in Rome

Message: be faithful to Jesus - the road to heaven goes thru suffering

Matthew

Matthew: Tax collector who became a disciple of Christ

Matt probably not the author

Written for Jewish converts to Christianity

Message: Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies

Luke

Luke: Gentile Christian, doctor, friend of St. Paul (also didn't know Jesus)

Writer uses brilliant, clear language

Not from Palestine because of geography errors

Written for non-Jewish Christians

Message: Jesus can save everyone

John

John: Disciple of Jesus

Written for Jewish-Christians expelled from synagogues

Interested in theology

Message: Jesus is God and reveals his father

Synoptic Gospels

Mark, Matthew and Luke are known as the SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

Synoptic: Taking a common view

These three gospels are very similar though not identical

John nothing like the other three

Synoptic Problem

How did this happen?

Known as Synoptic Problem

Synoptic Problem

Mark written first

Luke and Matthew both used Mark and another source - the Q Source

Q short for "Quelle"

Material from Q is in Matt and Luke

But not Mark

Q Source

Q source thought to be a collection of sayings by Jesus

No longer exists