Chapter 6: The New Testament Historical Books

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will discover:  

• The three divisions of the New Testament.
• Jesus as depicted in the Synoptic Gospels.
• Why John wrote his gospel. 
• The birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost. 

AS A RESULT, you will be able to:  

• Read the New Testament with greater understanding. 
• Know Jesus as Messiah, Servant, and Son of Man. 
• Believe more fully on the Son of God. 
• Experience the Holy Spirit in the power of Pentecost.

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 301-6.

Key Verse: "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you"' {Luke 22:20).

The New Testament

The Old Testament ends with a prophecy: God is coming! During a four-hundred year silence, the earth awaits his appearing. Suddenly the voice of John the Baptist shatters the air, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" {Matt. 3:2). The prophecy is completed; God's plan to bring salvation to the earth is fulfilled in Jesus. The theme of the New Testament is the messianic hope-God has come to redeem his wayward people.

The New Testament (or Covenant) is made up of twenty-seven books written by nine authors. The books may be arranged into three periods: the lifetime of Christ (four Gospels), the expansion of the church {Acts), and the consolidation of the church {after Acts). But the most common classification is this threefold division: Historical books, Pauline Epistles, and Non-Pauline Epistles and Revelation. {See the chart "The Structure of the New Testament" in TTB, p. 302.)

Key Concepts :

1. Both the Old and New Testaments show God's plan to bring ___________________ to the earth. [301]
2. The Greek word translated "covenant" speaks of a last will or ___________________.[301]
3. The New Testament was written in koine {koi-nay') __________________, the international language of the day. [301]
4. Of the New Testament writers, only ___________________ was a full Gentile. [301]
5. __________________ wrote most of the books in the New Testament. [301 ]
6. The five historical books depict the life of Christ, the foundation of the ____________________, and the early spread of Christianity. [302]
7. The letters of the New Testament are called (apostles, epistles}. [302]

The New Testament Historical Books

The New Testament begins with the Gospels because they form the foundation upon which Acts and the Epistles are built. The Gospels, named for their individual writers, were written in Greek, the common language of the day. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have a common viewpoint and similar characteristics (hence synoptic). John's gospel presents a different view of Jesus and thus supplements the Synoptics.

Each gospel is written to a particular audience, so four different views of Christ are presented. Matthew presents Jesus as the messianic King of the Jews; Mark shows him as the obedient Servant; Luke sees Jesus as the perfect Son of Man; and John perceives Jesus as the Son of God. The total of the distinctive dimensions of each gospel is greater than the sum of the parts.

God's timing is perfect! Christ came at the precise moment when conditions were ideal for spreading the gospel. The Roman Empire had brought improved travel, universal peace, and a common language. The people themselves were in great economic need because of high taxation, poverty, and unrest. Spiritually, Judaism was failing, and the Roman gods were dead or dying. These conditions paved the way for Christianity to flourish in its crucial beginning years.

Key Concepts :

1. The English word ___________________ can mean "God story" or "good story ." [303]
2. Which gospel was probably written the earliest? ___________________.[304]
3. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the ____________________ Gospels. [304]
4. The perspective of the gospel of __________________ is theological rather than historical. [304]
5. The _________________ Empire was the dominant political power in the first century .[305]

Life Application: God is still seeking true worshipers. Jesus said to the woman at the well, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (John 4:23). Study the "Characteristics of true worship" under "Worship" in the NIVTSB, p. 179. Do you worship God at home and work? How can you improve your worship?

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 307-34.

Key Words: King, Servant, Son of Man

Key Verses: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, 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)

Key Chapters: Matthew 12, Mark 8, Luke 15.

Matthew

Matthew held the dubious job of tax collector for the Roman government. He was very unpopular with his own countrymen, since tax collectors were usually very dishonest and considered traitors by the Jews. Yet when Jesus called Matthew, he responded. Jesus, who recognized Matthew's receptive heart, made him one of the twelve apostles. We know that Matthew traveled with Jesus for three years, but most of his later life is veiled in tradition.

The book of Matthew has been called the gospel written by a Jew to Jews about a Jew. The book was undoubtedly used by Jewish believers as an evangelistic tool to reach other Jews. Prominent in his gospel are Jewish customs and traditions, the place of Mosaic law in Jesus' teaching, and the development of the theme of the kingdom of heaven - all written for his Jewish audience. Matthew simply presents the facts so that his readers can make an intelligent decision about Jesus.

Fully sixty percent of his book contains the spoken words of Jesus. Rather than concentrating on small details, Matthew paints a broad picture by arranging discourses, miracles, parables, and questions around themes. His purpose is to proclaim the words and works of Jesus and to validate Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew's accounts of our Lord's miraculous birth, his obscure birthplace, his flight into Egypt, and his announcement by John the Baptist are part of the Old Testament prophecies already fulfilled.

The turning point for Jesus comes when the Pharisees formally reject him as the Messiah. Abruptly his ministry changes. As the time for his death looms nearer, Jesus spends more time with his disciples, preparing them for what is ahead. He predicts judgment on those who reject him and describes his glorious second coming. The empty tomb, Christ's resurrection, and his later appearances all prove that Jesus is the Messiah -- the King of Kings!

Key Concepts:

1. The book of Matthew was used by _______________ as an evangelistic tool to reach Jews. [309]
2. The turning point of Matthew occurs when the Pharisees attributed Christ\'s power to ________________. [310]
3. Matthew uses almost 130 Old Testament quotations and allusions to show that Jesus is the _____________________. [310]
4. To show God's love for ________________, Matthew ends his book with the Great Commission. [310]
5. Matthew provides a bridge between the two Testaments by beginning his gospel with the __________________ of Jesus. [311]
6. __________________ broke the four-hundred year prophetic silence. [311 ]
7. The __________________ presents new laws and standards for God\'s people. [311 ]
8. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. ______________, which resulted in the dispersion of the Jewish people. [312]

Mark

Mark grew up in a Christian home and church, for his mother Mary, a devout believer, used their home as a meeting place. His close friend Peter probably led Mark to Christ. A cousin Barnabas introduced him to the great apostle Paul. After some early difficulties, Mark and Paul became good friends.

The gospel of Mark is succinct, clear, and to the point. It is fast-moving with an emphasis on actions rather than words. You can feel the urgency underlying its brevity; Jesus is closer and closer to Jerusalem where death awaits. Mark relates only eighteen of the seventy parables of Jesus. Some of these have been reduced to only one sentence. On the other hand, the writer has chosen to record over one-half of the miracles of Christ - more than any other gospel.

Mark skips over the early years of Jesus and jumps right into the events immediately preceding our Lord\'s public ministry. The gospel begins with a quotation from Isaiah predicting the messenger who will "prepare the way for the Lord" (1:3). Even so, John the Baptist, who fulfilled the prophecy, is only briefly mentioned. The baptism of Jesus, the wilderness temptation, the calling of the twelve disciples, and numerous healings and deliverances are all packed into the first chapter.

Mark's gospel centers on the person and mission of the Son of God, who came to serve and to sacrifice. Jesus is shown as an active, compassionate, and obedient Servant who ministers through preaching, teaching, and healing.

The pivotal point of the book is the declaration by Peter, "You are the Christ" (8:29). From that time on, Jesus prepares his disciples for his coming death and resurrection. Hostility and opposition grow to a crescendo as Jesus refutes the religious leaders in the temple. Yet after the Last Supper, Jesus offers no resistance to his arrest, abuse, and agonizing crucifixion. Mark devotes almost half his gospel to the last eight days of Jesus' life. All the events culminate in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which proves his victory over sin and death.

Key Concepts:

1. Mark is the (shortest, longest) of the gospels. [318]
2. ________________ was Mark's cousin. [319]
3. ________________ may have been the person who led Mark to Christ. [319]
4. "A certain young man" in Gethsemane was probably a reference to _________________.[319]
5. Mark's disagreement with ___________________ was later reconciled. [319]
6. The confession of Peter, "You are the ___________________," is the pivotal event of Mark's gospel. [320]
7. Mark describes many ___________________ to demonstrate Christ's power and compassion. [320] .
8. Mark portrays two aspects of the Lord's ministry: to serve and to _________________.[321 ]

Luke

Words! Wonderful life-giving words! Dr. Luke is the most prolific writer in the New Testament, even more so than his traveling companion Paul. With a huge vocabulary and a command of the most refined Greek, Luke writes with a richness not found in the other gospels. He is a Greek physician who writes with the warm compassion of a family doctor. As he carefully documents the life of Jesus, Luke puts great emphasis on his ancestry, birth, and early life.

Luke highlights the compassion and humanity of Jesus, presenting him as the ideal Son of Man. Jesus, who alone can identify with the plight of sinners, offers the priceless gift of salvation. Through Luke's writing, we begin to comprehend the great authority of Jesus over demons, disease, nature, and the effects of sin. His divine ministry is one of preaching, healing, deliverance, and discipling.

The theme of Luke is "to seek and to save what was lost" (19:10), as illustrated so beautifully in the three parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. Luke uses these and other parables, along with revealing portraits of men and women, to show the universality of the Christian message. He attempts to strengthen the faith of gentile believers and to stimulate faith among nonbelievers.

Jesus has prepared thirty years for his public ministry, which only lasts three short years. As he ministers, there is a dual response of growing belief and growing rejection. While many are being saved and delivered, the religious leaders are becoming more hostile. When they degenerate by accusing Jesus of being demonized, he pronounces a series of divine woes upon them.

After that, Jesus turns his attention to the cross. Since time is of the essence, he instructs his disciples one last time before going to the Mount of Olives to pray. There in the Garden of Gethsemane he is arrested. No one will ever know the pain, agony, and humiliation that the Son of Man suffers - the trials, the beatings, and the ultimate torture of crucifixion. Words cannot describe what Jesus feels while hanging on the cross and bearing the sins of the world. But his story does not end here, for his glorious resurrection validates his Sonship. Truly the Son of Man is the Son of God!

Key Concepts:

1. Luke was with ________________ during his first Roman imprisonment. [327]
2. Luke may have been a Greek ________________ to a Roman family. [327]
3. A secondary purpose of Luke was to prove that was ________________not a politically subversive sect of the Jews. [328]
4. Luke repeatedly stresses the ________________ and compassion of Jesus. [328]
5. Luke is the (longest, shortest) book in the New Testament. [328]
6. Two of the beautiful hymns found in Luke are the ________________ and the ________________.[329]
7. Luke's gospel shows the Son of Man as the ________________ for all men. [329]
8. The Son of Man instructs his disciples for the last time before his betrayal in________________. [330]

Life Application: The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, presents the laws and standards of the Kingdom of God. Contrast the requirements of the Old Covenant with those of the New. Which are more difficult to fulfill? What inner thoughts, attitudes, and motivations does Jesus seek to change within you?

Reading:  Talk Thru the Bible, pp.335-49.

Key Words:  Son of God

Key Verses:  "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."  (John 20:30-31)

Key Chapter:  John 3 John and his brother James, sons of Zebedee and Salome, were probably followers of John the Baptist.  But when Jesus began his ministry, he called both of them to be his disciples.  With Peter, they made up the inner circle of the apostles.  Jesus humorously called the brothers "Sons of Thunder." After Christ's ascension, John became one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem along with Peter and James, the brother of Jesus.  Later he ministered in Ephesus and was eventually exiled to the island of Patmos.  

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"(3:16).  In one sentence, John has captured the essence of the gospel.  Clearly and simply stated:  salvation is a gift from God and can only be obtained through belief in Jesus Christ.  The whole book is like an extended twenty-one chapter tract.  Its purpose is to show that Jesus did not become the Son of God; he was and is God who has come in the flesh.  Those who reject Christ must be condemned by God, but those who believe will receive eternal life.

The gospel of John is a theological supplement to the Synoptic Gospels.  It revolves around seven miracles and seven "I am" statements, which serve to prove the deity of Jesus.  From the very first verse, Jesus is proclaimed as God.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God"(1:1).  Although John uses allegories instead of parables in his selective account, his simple style and vocabulary remind us of the way Jesus taught.

John gives a dramatic description of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus.  In his crucifixion, Jesus fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist:  "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (1:29). John closes his gospel with the post-resurrection appearances of our Lord, thus proving that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. 

Key Concepts: 

1. ________________was the brother of John. [336] 
2. In Galatians, Paul calls John one of the ________________ of the Jerusalem church. [336] 
3. John's meticulous attention to numbers and names indicates that he was an________________. [337] 
4. The key verb in John is ________________, which requires both knowledge and volition. [337] 
5. John uses allegories instead of ________________. [338] 
6. The miracles are called ________________, because they symbolize the life-changing results of belief in Jesus. [339] 
7. The ________________ Discourse, found in chapters 13-17, reveals God's pattern for Christian living. [340] 
8. John shows the ________________ as the ultimate sign that points to Jesus as the Son of God. [340]

Life Application: John wrote his gospel 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" (20:31). Have you personally believed; and if so, are you now experiencing life in Christ? Read the Topical Note "Life" in the NIVTSB, p. 1180. Following your study, commit yourself to living life "to the fullest."

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 351-61.

Key Word: Growth.

Key Verse: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Key Chapter: Acts 2.

Acts explodes with an event that rocks the foundation of the world's religious systems -- the Day of Pentecost. For forty days after his resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples. He himself has sown the seeds for a great revolution. Before ascending to heaven, Christ asks them to wait in Jerusalem. His last words are recorded in the Key Verse.

Ten days after the Ascension, the followers of Jesus are praying together in the Upper Room. Suddenly a violent wind comes from heaven, and tongues of fire separate and rest over each person's head. Instantly, they begin to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit empowers them. Jews visiting Jerusalem cannot believe their ears; they can understand every word in their native tongues. Peter begins to preach concerning the risen Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Hearts are stirred, and three thousand people are saved!

The theme of Acts is the resurrected Savior. Acts records the church's transition from Jewish to gentile believers in one generation (thirty years). Written to trace the development and growth of Christianity, Acts is the historical link between the Gospels and the Epistles. It begins where Luke leaves off  - with his version of the Great Commission - and records the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the rapid growth of the gospel.

Luke, the author of Acts, emphasizes the witness of Stephen, Philip, Peter, John, and Paul. Peter becomes so anointed by the Holy Spirit that people are healed when his shadow falls on them. Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr after accusing the Jews of killing the Messiah. Saul, a persecutor of Christians, is miraculously converted to become the great apostle Paul. Acts follows Paul's many journeys until he is finally arrested in Jerusalem. Consequently, Paul defends his faith before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. Acts ends as Paul is sitting in Rome under house arrest awaiting trial  -  and Christianity is spreading like wildfire!

Key Concepts:

1. Jesus in his last recorded words charged his disciples to be ________________ throughout the earth. [352]
2. Acts is the historical link between the Gospels and the ________________. [352]
3. The main theme of the sermons in Acts is the ________________ Savior. [353]
4. Before his ascension, Jesus promised that his disciples would receive power when the ________________ came upon them. [354]
5. ________________ came fifty days after Firstfruits (Resurrection). [355]
6. _______________ became the first Christian martyr when he accused the Sanhedrin of killing the Messiah. [355]
7. Although Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, ________________ actually introduced the gospel to them. [355]
8. Paul's three missionary journeys originated in Syrian _________________. [355]

Life Application: The Key Verse declares that you will be a witness "to the ends of the earth." What role in missions does the Lord of the harvest want you to play? Select a missionary or missions group with prayer and finances. Have you ever considered serving as a missionary? Many churches and missions organizations sponsor both long-term and short-term missions outreaches.