What is the New Testament?
 The
New Testament is composed of twenty-seven books which were written in
Greek between 50 A.D. and 140 A.D. It consists of the Gospels, the Acts
of the Apostles, the Epistles or Letters and the Book of Revelation.
The central theme of the New Testament, or Christian Scriptures, is
Jesus Christ; his person, his message, his passion, death and resurrection,
his identity as the promised Messiah and his relationship to us as Lord
and brother.
Why was the New Testament written in Greek?
The
New Testament was written in Greek because it was the most commonly
spoken language of the Mediterranean world.
What are the
Gospels?
The
word gospel comes from the Old English word god-spel which means good
news. There are four Gospels. Each Gospel is an account of the life,
teachings, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels
are:
The
gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke together are referred to as the synoptic
gospels. "Synoptic" is derived from a Greek word meaning "one eye,'
because these gospels look alike in structure and content. The Gospel
of John, while not in conflict with the synoptic gospels, differs in
structure and contains some stories and sayings of Jesus that are not
found in them.
Many
familiar Bible stories about Jesus can be found in the gospels, including
the story of his birth in Bethlehem, the many stories about his healing
of the sick, and parables like the story of the Prodigal Son.
What is the Acts of the Apostles?
The
Acts of the Apostles was written by St. Luke about 70 A.D. to 75 A.D.
It describes the faith, growth and way of life of early Christianity.
The story of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, the coming of the Holy
Spirit to the church at Pentecost, the martyrdom of St. Stephen and
the conversion of St. Paul can all be found in this book.
What are the Epistles?
The
Epistles or Letters make up the largest part of the New Testament. They
are usually divided into two categories: the Pauline Letters and other
Apostolic Letters. All the letters follow the format of letter writing
in the ancient world. Each letter usually begins with a greeting and
an identification of the sender and the recipients. This is followed
by a prayer, usually in the form of a thanksgiving. The body of the
letter is an exposition of Christian teaching, usually responding to
the circumstances of the recipients. It may be followed by a discussion
of the author's future travel plans and conclude with practical advice
and a farewell.
The
Pauline Letters were written by St. Paul or one of his disciples; not
long after the death and resurrection of Jesus, between 54 A.D. and
80 A.D. They indicate early developments of Christian theology and practice.
Included in the Pauline Letters are: | 
