What we know of Jesus and early Christianity comes largely from the New Testament.
Christian texts are composed into one book called the Bible. It is comprised of two parts: the Old Testament (Hebrew scripture before the time of Jesus), and the New Testament, the second, shorter part of the Christian Bible, and the core of Christianity.
Unlike the Old Testament, which covers hundreds of years of history, the New Testament only covers several decades, and is a collection of the religious teachings and beliefs of Christianity. The New Testament is not a single book written by one person, but rather a collection of twenty-seven books written in Greek by people from various places. There are many ways to interpret the New Testament. Millions of people view it as absolutely true scripture, while others study its ethical ideas, as its stories of the faithful attempt to instill certain values and outline an appropriate way to live.
The books of the New Testament were written in first-century Palestine, a region that at the time was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Many of the stories are based on the rituals and beliefs of Judaism, as Jesus Christ and his disciples were all Jews. As a result, both Greco-Roman culture and Judaic traditions dominate the political, social, and economic scene of the New Testament.
Early Christians viewed the New Testament as the fulfillment of promises made in the Old Testament, rather than as the replacement of the Jewish scriptures. The books that comprise the New Testament were mostly written in the century following Jesus' death, in response to specific needs of the early church and its leaders.
The books that comprise the New Testament can be separated into four broad categories: The Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and Revelation.
Unlike the Old Testament, which covers hundreds of years of history, the New Testament only covers several decades, and is a collection of the religious teachings and beliefs of Christianity. The New Testament is not a single book written by one person, but rather a collection of twenty-seven books written in Greek by people from various places. There are many ways to interpret the New Testament. Millions of people view it as absolutely true scripture, while others study its ethical ideas, as its stories of the faithful attempt to instill certain values and outline an appropriate way to live.
The books of the New Testament were written in first-century Palestine, a region that at the time was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Many of the stories are based on the rituals and beliefs of Judaism, as Jesus Christ and his disciples were all Jews. As a result, both Greco-Roman culture and Judaic traditions dominate the political, social, and economic scene of the New Testament.
Early Christians viewed the New Testament as the fulfillment of promises made in the Old Testament, rather than as the replacement of the Jewish scriptures. The books that comprise the New Testament were mostly written in the century following Jesus' death, in response to specific needs of the early church and its leaders.
The books that comprise the New Testament can be separated into four broad categories: The Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and Revelation.
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The GospelsThe Gospels describe the life and teachings of Jesus, and is written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What we know of the life of Jesus comes from the Gospels. They are filled with powerful stories and images which have greatly influenced Christian art. The first three gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are called the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John is not a part of the Synoptic Gospels because it relies on its own separate sources.
The Gospel of Matthew was written from 75-80 CE. It is thought to have been written for people with a Jewish background, as it portrays Jesus as the “new Moses,” a teacher who offers a “new Torah.” This gospel also contains many quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), showing that Jesus was their their fulfillment. The Gospel of Mark, written around 65-70 CE, contains no infancy stories. It begins with the adult public life of Jesus and ends with the resurrection of Jesus who is no longer found in his tomb. The Gospel of Luke, which was written in 85 CE, is filled with Jesus performing repeated acts of miraculous action. It is also called the “women’s gospel,” because there are many accounts of women, including Jesus' mother Mary, Mary's cousin Elizabeth, Jesus' follower Mary Magdalene, and his disciples such as Joanna and Susanna. This gospel is one of mercy and compassion. The Gospel of John, which stands by itself, was written from 90 to 100 CE. This gospel views human life as a struggle between principles of light and darkness. |
The Acts of the ApostlesThe Acts of the Apostles, written in 85 CE, is the second part of the Gospel of Luke. It speaks of of the initial spread of Christianity. Acts concerns the very vital period in Christian history between the resurrection of Jesus and the death of the apostle Paul, the time when Christian ideas and beliefs were being formulated and when the organization of the church into a worldwide movement was being developed.
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The EpistlesThe Epistles are letters to early Christians written to instruct, to encourage, and to solve problems. The themes of the Epistles vary widely but focus generally on proper belief, morality, and church order. The topics include include nature and work of Jesus, God’s plan for humanity, faith, good deeds, love, the ideal marriage, community harmony, Christian living, the conduct of the Lord’s Supper, and the expected return of Jesus. Several epistles are long and formal, while others are more brief. The epistles are divided into two groups. The first group, called the Pauline Epistles, includes books that have been attributed to the early missionary Paul. The Pauline Epistles date from about 50 to 60 CE. The second group is called the Universal Epistles, which dates to about 125 CE. It includes all the other epistles and is addressed to all believers.
One characteristic of the epistles that has made them much loved is their use of memorable images, many of which come from the Pauline letters. |
Links:
Molloy, Michael (2013-01-01). Experiencing the World's Religions, 6th edition (Page 346-352). McGraw-Hill Higher Education
https://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/pentecost.jpg
http://goodnewstext.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2-Corinthians-2_15.png
http://www.scripturessay.com/images/rev/Rev-2215.jpg
http://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/pentecost-the-descent-of-the-holy-spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQnJ3sifNQQ
Molloy, Michael (2013-01-01). Experiencing the World's Religions, 6th edition (Page 346-352). McGraw-Hill Higher Education
https://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/pentecost.jpg
http://goodnewstext.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2-Corinthians-2_15.png
http://www.scripturessay.com/images/rev/Rev-2215.jpg
http://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/pentecost-the-descent-of-the-holy-spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQnJ3sifNQQ