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NEW TESTAMENT SUMMARY
[Mt]•[Mk]•[Lk]•[Jn]•[Acts]•[Rom]•[1Cor]•[2Cor]•[Gal]•[Eph]•[Phil]•[Col]•[1Th]
[2Th]•[1Ti]•[2Ti]•[Tit]•[Ph]•[Heb]•[Jam]•[1Pe]•[2Pe]•[1Jo]•[2Jo]•[3Jo]•[Ju]•[Rev]

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Author:   Matthew      Date:   60's
Authorship: Matthew, surnamed Levi (Mk2:14), was a jewish tax collector (publican) for the Roman government (Mt9:9). Because he collaborated with the Romans, who were hated by the Jews as overlords, Matthew (as all publicans) was despised by fellow Jews. Tradition says that he preached in Palestine for a dozen years after the ressurection of Christ and then went to other lands, but there is no certainty of this.
Distinction: Matthew was written to Jews to answer their questions about Jesus of Nazareth who claimed to be their Messiah. In this gospel, Jesus is often spoken of as the Son of David and the One who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of Messiah; and the kingdom of heaven is the subject of much of His recorded teaching. Jesus is also designated as the Son of Abraham (Mt1:1), for in Abraham "shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen12:3). Matthew records 22 miracles and uses 93 Old Testament quotations.
Date: Although this gospel sometimes has been dated in the 80's or 90's, the fact that the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is viewed as an event yet future (Mt24:2) seems to require an earlier date. Some feel that this was the first gospel written (50's), others do not.
Contents: The theme of Matthew is Christ the King.
You Must Read: The Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7), the Beatitudes (5:3-12), the parables of the kingdom (ch. 13), and the Olivet Discourse (ch. 24-25).
GOSPEL OF MARK
Author:   Mark      Date:   50's
Authorship: John Mark was the son of Mary, a woman of wealth & position in Jerusalem (Acts12:12). Barnabas was his cousin (Col4:10). Mark was a close friend (and possible convert) of the apostle Peter (1Pet5:13). He accompanied Paul & 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 (Acts15:38+). About ten years later he was again with Paul (Col4:10, Philemon24), and just before Paul's execution he was sent for (2Tim4:11).
Distinction: Mark wrote to Gentile readers in general, and Roman readers in particular. For this reason the genealogy of Christ is not included (it would have meant little to the Gentiles), the Sermon on the Mount is not reported, and the condemnation of the Jewish sects recieves little attention. Mark felt it necessary to interpret Aramaic words, and he used Latin words not found in the other Gospels. This Gospel emphasizes what Jesus did rather than what He said. Mark records 20 miracles and uses 49 Old Testament quotations.
Date: If Acts must be dated about 61, and if Luke, the companion volume, preceded it, then Mark must be even earlier, since Luke apparently used Mark in writing his Gospel. This points to a date in the 50's. However, many believe it was not written until after Peter died; between 67-70.
Contents: The theme of this book is Christ the Servant, and is divided by the key verse 10:45, into two major divisions: His service (1:1-10:52) and His sacrifice (11:1-16:20).
You Must Read:
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Author:   Luke    Date:   60
Authorship: Luke, the "beloved physician" (Col4:14), close friend of Paul, was probably the only Gentile author of any part of the New Testament. We know nothing about his early life or conversion except that he was not an eyewitness of the life of Jesus Christ (Lk1:2). Though a physician, he was primarily an evangelist, writing this book and the book of Acts, and accompanying Paul in missionary work. He was with Paul at the time of his martyrdom (2Tim4:11), but of his later life we have no certain facts.
Distinction: Luke records 21 miracles and uses 80 Old Testament quotations.
Date: Since the conclusion of Acts shows Paul in Rome, and since the Gospel of Luke was written before Acts (Acts1:1), it was probably written about 60, possibly in Caesarea during Paul's 2-year imprisonment there (Acts24:27).
Contents: The theme of this book is Christ, the Son of Man, and it narrates many of those events which demonstrate Christ's humanity.
You Must Read:
GOSPEL OF JOHN
Author:   John (?!)    Date:   85-90
Authorship: The writer of this Gospel is identified as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (21:20,24). He obviously was a Palestinian Jew who was an eyewitness of the events of Christ's life, for he displays knowledge of Jewish customs (7:37+, 18:28), and of the land of Palestine (1:44+, 5:2), and he includes details of an eyewitness (2:6, 13:26, 21:8,11). Eliminating the other disciples that belonged to the "inner circle" (James had been martyred before this time, Acts12:1-5, and Peter is named in close association with the disciple whom Jesus loved, 13:23+, 20:2-10), one concludes that John was the author. John was the son of Zebedee, and was the younger brother of James. He was a Galilean who apparently came from a fairly well-to-do home (Mk15:40+). He was known as a "son of thunder" (Mk3:17), and he played a leading role in the work of the early church in Jerusalem (Acts3:1, Gal2:9). Later he went to Ephesus, and eventually was exiled to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation (Rev1:9).
Distinction: This is the most theological (and 92% unique!) of the four Gospels. It deals with the nature and person of Christ, and the meaning of faith in Him. Repentance is not used once in this book, here believe is used to mean the same thing. John's presentation of Christ as the divine Son of God is seen in the titles given Him in the book: "the Word was God" (1:41), "the Son of God" and "the King of Israel" (1:49), the "Savior of the world" (4:42), and "Lord and ... God" (20:28). His deity is also asserted in the series of "I am" claims (6:35, 8:12, 10:7,9,11,14, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1,5). In other "I am" statements Christ made implicit & explicit claim to be the I AM - Yahweh of the Old Testament (4:24,26, 8:24,28,58, 13:19). These are the strongest kind of claims to deity that Jesus could have made. John records 8 miracles and uses 33 Old Testament quotations.
Date: There is some controversy as to when this book was written, ranging from 70-200. The discovery of the Rylands papyrus fragments found in Egypt forces a date prior to 135. Several decades would have been required between the original writing and its being copied and circulated. The Gospel was apparently being circulated betwenn 89-90, though it may have been written from Ephesus earlier.
Contents: This Gospel is sometimes called The Book of the Seven Signs, since the author chose seven sign-miracles to reveal the person and mission of Jesus. These miracles are; 1) water into wine (2:1+), 2) cure of nobleman's son (4:46+), 3) cure of paralytic (5:1+), 4) feeding of the multitude (6:6+), 5) walking on water (6:16+), 6) sight to the blind (9:1+), and 7) raising of Lazarus (11:1+). Other themes of this book include the Holy Spirit, Satan & the world, the Word, and the new birth. I recommend reading the Gospel of John, Romans, Galatians, and 1st John to all newcomers to the Bible.
You Must Read: Every chapter & verse, commit it to memory, meditate on it day & night!
ACTS
Author:   Luke    Date:   61
Authorship: That the author of acts was a companion of Paul is clear from the passages in which "we" and "us" are used (16:10+, 20:5-21:18, 27:1-28:16). Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 point affirmatively to Luke, who was a physician. Frequent use of medical terms also substantiate this. Luke answered the Macedonian call with Paul, was in charge of the work at Philippi for about six years, and later was with Paul at the time of his house arrest. It was probably during this last period that the book was written.
Importance: Acts gives us the record of the spread of Christianity from the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost to Paul's arrival in Rome to preach the gospel in the world's capital. the thiry years covered by the book were important years of transition. The gospel was initially preached to the Jews, and the early church was largely composed of Jewish believers. As more Gentiles were included, the Church became distinct from Judaism. Acts also furnishes principles for missionary work and reveals patterns for church life.
Contents: Doctrines which are later developed in the epistles appear in seed form here in Acts: the Spirit (1:8), the kingdom (3:21, 15:16), elders (11:30), and Gentile salvation (15:14). However, the book emphasizes the practice of doctrine more than the statement of doctrine. In the beginning, Peter, Stephen, Philip, Barnabas, and James are the important figures. But from ch.13 on Paul becomes the dominant person.
You Must Read:
ROMANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   58
The Church at Rome: Though both Paul and Peter were apparently martyred in Rome, it is unlikely that either was the founder of the church in that city. Possibly some who were converted on the day of Pentacost (Acts2:10) carried the gospel back to Rome; or it may be that converts of Paul or of the other apostles founded the church there. The membership was predominantly Gentile (1:13, 11:13, 15:15+).
Reason for the letter: Paul was anxious to minister to this church which was already widely known (1:8), so he wrote the letter to prepare the way for his visit (15:14+). It was written from Corinth, where he was collecting money for the poor. From there he went to Jerusalem to deliver the money, intending to continue on to Rome & Spain (15:24). These plans were changed by his arrest in Jerusalem, though Paul did eventually get to Rome as a prisoner.
Contents: The theme of this epistle is the righteousness of God. Romans sets forth the doctrine of justification by faith (and its ramifications) in a systematic way. Many basic Christian doctrines are discussed: natural revelation (1:19+), universality of sin (3:9+), justification (3:24), propitiation (3:25), faith (ch. 4), origin of sin (5:12), union with Christ (ch. 6), election & rejection of Israel (ch. 9-11), spiritual gifts (12:3+), and respect for government (13:1+). This is the first book I recommend reading to any and all newcomers to the Bible.
You Must Read: Every chapter & verse, commit it to memory, meditate on it day & night!
1ST CORINTHIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   56
City of Corinth: Located on the narrow isthmus between the Aegean & Adriatic Seas, Corinth was a port city & wealthy commercial center. The city boasted a 20,000 seat outdoor theater, athletic games second only to the Olympics; a Greek, Roman, and Oriental population; and the great temple of Aphrodite with its 1,000 prostitutes. The immoral condition of Corinth is vividly seen in the fact that the Greek term Korinthiazomai (literally, to act the Corinthian) came to mean "to practice fornication." Corinth was noted for everything sinful.
Church of Corinth: The gospel was first preached in Corinth by Paul on his 2nd missionary journey (50 A.D.). While living & working with Aquila & Priscilla, he preached in the synagogue until opposition forced him to move next door, to the house of Titus Justus. The Jews accused him before the Roman governor Gallio but the charge was dismissed, and Paul remained 18 months in the city (Acts18:1-17, 1Cor2:3). After leaving, Paul wrote the church a letter which has been lost (5:9), but disturbing news about the believers and questions they asked Paul in a letter they sent him (7:1), prompted the writing of 1 Corinthians. Problems there included divisions in the church (1:11), immorality (Ch. 5, 6:9-20), and questions concerning marriage, food, worship, and the resurrection.
Contents: This letter is mainly practical in nature, dealing with spiritual & moral problems. Important emphases include the judgement seat of Christ (3:11+), the temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19+), the Lord's supper (11:23-34), love (ch. 13), exercise of gifts (ch. 12-14), and the resurrection (ch. 15).
You Must Read: The chapters 6, and 8-10 on moral behavior & Christian Liberty.
2ND CORINTHIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   57
Occasion for letter: After writing his 1st letter to the Corinthian church, Paul found it necessary to make a hurried, painful visit to Corinth, since the problems that occasioned the 1st letter had not been resolved (2:1, 12:14, 13:1+). Following this visit, he wrote the church a severe & sorrowful letter, to which he refers to in 2:4, but which has been lost to us. Titus delivered that letter. Paul, unable to wait to meet Titus on his return to Troas, hurried on to Macedonia where Titus related the good news that the church finally had repented of their rebelliousness against Paul. From Macedonia Paul wrote 2 Corinthians and followed it up with his final recorded visit to the church (Acts20:1+).
Purpose of letter: The purpose of this letter was threefold: 1) to express joy at the favorable response of the church to Paul's ministry (1-7); 2) to remind the believers of their commitment to the offering for the Christians in Judea (8-9); and 3) to defend Paul's apostolic authority (10-13).
Contents: The letter contains many personal & autobiographical glimpses into Paul's life (4:8-18, 11:22-33).
You Must Read:
GALATIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   49 or 55
The Galatian Christians:
The Problem: How can men (sinful by nature) come to God (holy by nature)? Paul's answer is: There is ONLY ONE WAY... accept the salvation God's grace makes available through Christ's death & resurrection. Forget about merit-salvation through obedience to the law of Moses. Man is too weak by nature to accomplish self-salvation or self-sanctification. Certain Jewish Christians (the Judaizers) were teaching that such works are necessary, that Paul's gospel was not correct, and that he was not a genuine apostle. Paul's answer was to proclaim the doctrine of justification by faith plus nothing, and of sanctification by the Holy Spirit, not the Mosaic law. This answer was given in the full apostolic authority recieved from Christ. ALL theologies that teach salvation by faith plus human effort are forcefully negated by this great letter.
Contents: The theme, justification by faith, is defended, explained, and applied. Other subjects include Paul's 3 years in Arabia (1:17), his correcting Peter (2:11), the law as a tutor (3:24), and the fruit of the spirit (5:22+).
You Must Read:

EPHESIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   61
The Prison Epistles:
An Encyclical:
The City of Ephesus:
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PHILIPPIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   61
The Church at Philippi:
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COLOSSIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   61
The Church at Colosse:
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The Colossian Heresy:
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1ST THESSALONIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   51
The Work At Thessalonica:
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2ND THESSALONIANS
Author:   Paul    Date:   51
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1ST TIMOTHY
Author:   Paul    Date:   63
The Pastoral Epistles:
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2ND TIMOTHY
Author:   Paul    Date:   66
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TITUS
Author:   Paul    Date:   65
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PHILEMON
Author:   Paul    Date:   61
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HEBREWS
Author:   Paul (??)    Date:   64-68
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JAMES
Author:   James    Date:   45-50
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1ST PETER
Author:   Peter    Date:   63
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2ND PETER
Author:   Peter    Date:   66
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1ST JOHN
Author:   John    Date:   90
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2ND JOHN
Author:   John    Date:   90
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3RD JOHN
Author:   John    Date:   90
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JUDE
Author:   John    Date:   70-80
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REVELATION
Author:   John    Date:   90's
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