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Survey of the New Testament
Author: Mike Scott
Type: TV Question
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Q. Can you do a brief overview or summary of the New Testament books as you did for the Old Testament?
Here is what the Old Testament says about the new:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.
33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
The New Testament was written over a relatively brief period of time of about 50 years. The Old Testament was written over a 1,500 year period. It is referred to as the “New Testament” or “New Covenant” because it reveals a covenant made with man by God through the blood of the Son of God.
1 Cor. 11:23-25
23* ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24* and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25* In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
Heb. 8: 6-8
6* ¶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
7* For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
8* For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
The New Testament brings to completion the process of revelation from God that began with the Prophets and Moses.
Heb 1: 1-2
1:1* ¶ God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2* in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
As the Various books of the New Testament were written they were regarded as Scripture and therefore held to be authoritative from the time of their original writing.
2 Pet 3:15-16
15* and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
16* as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Notice the use of the word “Scriptures” in verse 16 above. This is the Greek word “Graphe” and when used by the writers of the New Testament always refers to inspired writings.
Let me show you an example of this in a quote from the Old Testament found in the new:
1 Tim. 5:18
18* For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."
The books we have in our New Testaments were regarded as Scripture and authoritative from the time of their original writing. All Scripture is important to the Christian, the New Testament is of primary value because it reveals the will of God for people today and it is the standard by which we will be judged.
Jude 3
3* ¶ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
John 12:48
"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
With that brief introduction, lets begin to look at the New Testament books one at a time.
THE GOSPELS
The first four books of the New Testament carry with them the name “Gospels,” which means “Good News.” In the New Testament this term “gospel” is used to refer to the truth revealed through Jesus Christ and the apostles:
Rom. 1:16
16* ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Philippians 1:27
27* ¶ Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
While there is only ONE “gospel” or system of Truth revealed through Christ and the apostles (i.e. the New Testament), we use the term “Gospel of John” simply to refer to the Good News about the Christ found in the book of John.
The facts of Jesus’ life and teachings circulated first in oral form, then the Holy Spirit guided four men to write the four gospels we now have in our New Testaments. Here is how Jesus told the apostles it would work:
John 16:13
13* "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
So, we have four “gospel” accounts, three of them are what we call “Synoptic” , Matthew, Mark, Luke. “Synoptic means “to see together from the same perspective.” Matthew, Mark and Luke present basically the same material concerning the life of Christ. These books are not biographies, neither are they intended as “history” books, the gospels have a much higher purpose. They each address an intended audience with the truth about the Son of God who became flesh and lived among us. There are three that are very similar not because the Holy Spirit uses pointless repetition but because each one has its distinctive purpose and audience. I will deal in more detail on this subject as we look at each book individually.
M A T T H E W
The book of MATTHEW was written by the apostle Matthew. He was also known by the name “Levi” (Matt. 9:9-13). He was a tax collector when he met Jesus. Jesus selected Matthew as one of the Twelve (Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13)
While we don’t know the exact time or place of it’s writing, we know from the internal contents of Matthew that it had to be written before 70 A.D. The reason is there is a mention of the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew chapter twenty-four, but no description of its fulfillment.
Matthew is generally assigned to around 60 A.D. Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience. Matthew is clearly the most Jewish of the four gospels. It was by far the most popular of the four gospels in the early days of the church. The Old Testament is quoted extensively and Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the Messianic hope revealed in the Old Testament (Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 17).
We can summarize the purpose of Matthew by saying it is to present “Jesus as King over the kingdom of heaven.” Many of the parables found in Matthew center on the kingdom concept. Jesus taught
Matt. 3:2
2* "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Over thirty times Matthew refers to the Kingdom of Heaven. In Mark and Luke we find the synonymous expression “Kingdom of God.” The Kingdom of heaven, or the Kingdom of God is the rule of God in the hearts and lives of human beings and the blessings associated with being in the Kingdom.
The Bible tells us that all of mankind is under the rule of Satan:
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John 12:31
31* "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
Jesus came to defeat Satan, which He did, and at the same time establish God’s Kingdom, or reign on earth over His people, which the New Testament reveals was fulfilled in the coming of the church (Dan. 2:44;
Acts 2).
Therefore, Matthew presents Jesus as King over the Kingdom of Heaven. This was a very important concept for the first century Jewish readers to realize.
After thousand of years as servants to various kingdoms (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Grecian, Roman), all of God’s citizens would now serve the Lord of Lord’s and King of Kings Jesus Christ.
Matthew begins by giving the Genealogy of Jesus, and then tells us the story of the life of Christ. Like the rest of the Bible, chronological order is not the most important factor in telling the story. While Matthew follows a general chronological order, most of the story of the life of Christ is grouped by subject.
Here is one of my favorite passages in Matthew:
Matt. 16: 13-16
13* ¶ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
15 He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16* Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And that brings us to the second gospel account :
M A R K
The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary tour (Acts 13:13). For some reason unknown to us Mark wanted to return home from this missionary trip which caused a dispute between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-40). We also know that Mark was closely associated with the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:13). Many scholars believe that John Mark was taught about Christ by Peter.
While Matthew wrote for the Jews, Mark appears to have been written for Gentile readers and perhaps specifically for the Gentiles of the Roman empire. The emphasis in Mark is on the Miraculous power of Jesus the Christ. While Matthew gives us many details of what Jesus said, Mark gives us details of what Jesus did. Since Roman civilization gloried in the idea of government and power the gospel of Mark tells of the Miracles of Jesus demonstrating His superhuman power. Mark was likely written around 60 A.D..
Remember, each of the Gospels was intended ultimately for all mankind but each of them was specifically targeted to a specific segment of the first century world, each gospel emphasizing some aspect of Jesus’ life and teaching which would impress that particular segment of society with the Truth that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God.
In Mark chapter nine we have a good example of the way that Mark empathized the power of Jesus:
Mark 9:1
9:1 ¶ And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."
And that brings us to:
L U K E
Luke was written by the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament (Col. 4:10-17; note v. 11 b). He was a medical doctor (Col. 4:14) who was with Paul during his imprisonment at Rome (Philemon 24).
It is the only gospel account addressed originally to one individual. The opening verses of Luke are quite interesting.
Luke 1:1-4
1:1* ¶ Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
2* just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
4* so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
These verses tell us the reason for the writing of the entire New Testament. That we may know “the exact truth” about Jesus Christ.
Although addressed to Theophilus the book is obviously intended for public consumption, in fact, this was a common literary device of the time. First Century Greek society emphasized culture, the arts and philosophy, wisdom and education. To address this audience the gospel of Luke presents the most complete and orderly account of the life of Christ. Luke has been acknowledged throughout the centuries as a literary classic, it has been called “the most beautiful book ever written.” Luke depicts Jesus as the ideal Son of Man who bore our sins. Luke should be studied with the book of Acts, also written by Luke. Luke was likely written around 60 A.D..
And that brings us to John:
J O H N
The book of John is unique among the Gospels. The special emphasis in John is upon the Deity of Jesus, and appears to have been written as a gospel aimed at a universal audience. John was probably written several years after the other gospels had already been in circulation (perhaps 90 A.D.) and therefore it was not necessary to repeat what had been recorded and circulated with regard to the Genealogy of Jesus or the selection of the Apostles. John supplements the other gospels by providing details and additional material which would give further evidence about Jesus the Christ. John tells us why he wrote the book in John chapter twenty:
John 20:30-31
30* Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31* but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved...who wrote these things...” (John 21:20, 24). He had been a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn. 1:35-40, he and his brother James and their father were partners in a fishing business with Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:19-20; Luke 5:10). He and his brother were called ”Sons of Thunder” by Jesus (Mark 3:17) and he was a member of that “inner circle” of the apostles during Jesus’ ministry.
And that brings us to the book of ACTS:
A C T S
The book of ACTS was written by Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke. Acts takes up where Luke leaves off, look at the first two verses in Acts:
Acts 1: 1-2
1:1* ¶ The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2* until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
The book of Acts is essential to understanding the rest of the New Testament. It tells of the establishment of the church which Jesus promised in: Matthew 16:18
18* "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
19* "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
This is the same “kingdom” which Jesus spoke of in Mark 9:1:
Mark 9:1
9:1 ¶ And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."
In this place Jesus has reference to the “kingdom” which he spoke of in Matthew 16:19. The terms “kingdom” and “church” are synonymous. When Jesus said that he would build “My church” and then he said to Peter that he would give him the “keys to the Kingdom” he was speaking of one in the same. Peter was given the “keys to the Church” in the sense that he gave the first recorded gospel sermon which established the church in Acts chapter two. To the disciples Jesus said:
Acts 1:8
8* but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
We find the fulfillment of all three of these passages (Matt. 16:18-19; Mk. 9:1; Acts 1:8) in Acts 2:1-4.
Here the “church-kingdom” comes with power:
Acts 2:1-4
2:1* ¶ When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2* And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3* And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
4* And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Here is the fulfillment of the long awaited Messianic Kingdom promised in the Old Testament.
So we know, from a careful study of the New Testament that the book of Acts tells us of the establishment of the church and the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Antioch and on to the uttermost parts of the world.
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The title is somewhat misleading (coming to us from about the second century A.D.) because it does not tell us about all of the acts of the apostles, in fact, it doesn’t even relate some of the acts of all of the apostles.
The book of Acts tells us that the Kingdom was established in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Jerusalem when the first gospel sermon was preached by the apostle Peter (Acts 2).
On the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus, His promise about the coming Spirit was fulfilled (Acts 2:1-13) and the message of the gospel began to be preached (Acts 2:14-44).
The gospel then spreads to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4-11:18) as a result of the persecution of Christians, and then on to the remotest part of the world (Acts 11:19-30). The first half of the book talks mainly about the work of Peter, the second half talks mainly about the work of Paul. Acts is a book of conversions. It tells us how sincere people respond to the preaching of the gospel.
Acts 2:38
38* Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39* "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."
40* And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"
41* So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
That brings us to the book of Romans:
R O M A N S
We now enter the section of the New Testament known as the “epistles.” There are 21 “epistles” from Romans through Jude. It was common in the first century to send an “epistle” or letter to an individual or group which was intended to be shared with a larger audience, in a public way. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said
1 Thess. 5:27
“I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.”
There are thirteen Pauline Epistles (Romans - Philemon) and there are eight “General Epistles” (Hebrews - Jude).
Rome was the largest and most important city in the first century world. It was a large city by any standards, two to four million people. It was the capital city of the Roman Empire and had a sizable Jewish colony there. In Rome there were the rich and there were the poor. There was no such thing as a middle class. You either had means, or you had none. As a result there were many more slaves than free people living in Rome. Paul writes:
Rom. 1:7
7* to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of the establishment of the church at Rome we really know nothing, we do know that it had existed for some time by the time of Paul’s writing (Rom. 15:23).
The church at Rome was comprised mainly of Gentiles (Rom. 11:13) but there were also some Jewish Christians in the congregation.
Paul wrote this letter in about 56 A.D. from Corinth. Most of Paul’s epistles were written in response to problems in congregations, but Romans is an exception. The theme of the book is stated in:
Romans 1:16
16* ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The book of Romans is a book of fundamental principles of the gospel. It is the most “doctrinal” of all of the New Testament books. One who would seek to understand the deeper riches of God’s Word must diligently study Romans.
After the introduction of the theme in Rom. 1:16 the apostle uses the rest of the book to explain the importance of the gospel.
All men need salvation, both Jews (2:1-3) and Gentiles (1:18-32), because all are under condemnation as all have sinned (3:9-20), therefore the source of salvation from sin is found in the redemptive work of Christ (3:21-26), He being the means of our receiving salvation, not by works but by faith (3:27-31, and thereby we are granted peace with God (5:1-21) and have a new life in Christ (6:1-11:36). Paul also talks about the practical challenges of serving God (12:1-15:13).
One of my favorite sections in Romans is:
Romans 12: 1 - 2
12:1* ¶ Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2* And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Important teachings in the Book of Romans include: Justification by faith, Life in the Spirit, and Church-State Relations.
If you want deep study the book of Romans is for you!
That brings us to First Corinthians.
F I R S T C O R I N T H I A N S
1 Cor. 1:1
1:1* ¶ Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2* To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
As you read and study First Corinthians you should keep these verses in mind . God refers to the church at Corinth as “the church of God” he calls the members “saints” and says that they are “sanctified in Christ.”
These are important points to remember because the church at Corinth was beset with very serious problems. The books of First and Second Corinthians are the writings of the apostle Paul to a church which he established in an effort to help them solve these problems.
Corinth was the capital city of the province of Achaia with a population of over 500,000 people. It was located on the main trade routes through the ancient world. It was a very prosperous city which led to a pleasure-mad and immoral atmosphere.
The Greeks had coined the phrase, “to Coninthize” (korinthianzesthai=to behave as a Corinthian) which means to live a debauched life. The cult of Aphrodite, who’s priestesses were prostitutes, had a very large following in Corinth.
Paul established the church on his second missionary tour in the year 50 A.D. It is very likely that First Corinthians was written while Paul was in Ephesus in 55 A.D. (1 Cor 16:8).
The apostle Paul had learned of the problems at Corinth through Chloe’s family. The church was divided over a number of important doctrinal issues, and there was also division over moral issues among them. Paul answers questions he had received from them regarding marriage, things sacrificed to idols, worship, gifts of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection and the collection for the saints of Jerusalem.
Paul says to them:
1 Cor. 1:10
10* ¶ Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Interesting verse, is it not? How could they ALL agree? Only if they had the same standard of authority.
Because Corinth was a very prosperous and modern city (for it’s day) there are many similarities between it’s society and our ours today. The issues the church at Corinth needed to face with integrity are issues the Lord’s church must face today.
Important doctrines found in First Corinthians include Church Unity, Marriage, Miraculous Gifts and Love.
Likely the most important lesson the church at Corinth needed to learn was the lesson of Love. First Corinthians chapter thirteen is one of the most frequently quoted passages in the entire bible. Christians who do not understand the concept of “agape” love will likely repeat the problems experienced by the Corinthians. Love is the bond which holds God’s people together. Love conquers problems which seem insurmountable to human thinking.
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S E C O N D C O R I N T H I A N S
Second Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth late in the year A.D. 55. The situation in the church has changed since they had received First Corinthians. New Problems were beginning in the church.
Jewish Christians had come to Corinth after Paul’s writing and claimed to be apostles. They worked at undermining Paul’s authority . Paul writes to defend his ministry.
Paul had great love for the Corinthians and it hurt him deeply that someone was sowing the seed of discontent among them. He defends himself so that the Work of Christ would not be ruined. He rejoices to learn that they had put to practice the matter of church discipline against a sinful brother and he encourages the church to forgive the brother who repents. He then describes his ministry in detail and then urges the Corinthians to get their collection ready for the needy saints in Jerusalem.
Important teachings in Second Corinthians include, Church Discipline, Collection for the Saints, The Blessings of Trials and the importance of Apostolic Authority.
And that brings us to:
G A L A T I A N S
Galatians is likely the first of Paul’s letters. It is a very important little book in the Bible. It has been frequently dubbed the Magna Charta of Christian Freedom. It tells us clearly what the marks of a New Christian are, according to Scripture. Some were saying in Paul’s day that circumcision, or kosher food, or works of the Law of Moses were important for the Christian. The Biblical answer is :
Gal. 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
This letter is written to the “churches of Galatia” referring to a region rather than a city. Not long after the church was established in the region of Galatia Judaizers came along teaching another gospel. Paul is very direct in his confrontation of this error:
Gal. 1:6-9
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have
preached to you, he is to be accursed!
9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
You see these Judaizers demanded that all Christians obey the requirements of the Law of Moses (Gal. 3:1-3), and at the same time they were challenging the apostolic authority of Paul. Galatians seems to have been written before the famous “Jerusalem Conference” (Acts 15), probably in the year 48 A.D.
The Book of Galatians teaches us how to avoid the error of legalism and liberalism in Christianity. Legalism says that man’s duty to God requires of him a strict performance of rituals and ceremonies, sometimes affliction of the body and asceticism. Liberalism in Christianity teaches that man should be totally free to do as he pleases and that any restraint placed on man is man made and not God ordained.
Paul’s response is to say that freedom and joy in genuine New Testament Christianity are found in neither legalism or liberalism (Gal. 3:10-5:10; 5:19-21). Real freedom and Joy are found in voluntary bondage to Christ.
Gal. 5:1
5:1 ¶ It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Important teachings in Galatians include, Freedom in Christ, We are save by Grace, not by Law, The Christian’s relationship to the Law of Moses, Warnings about false teachers and a chronology of the life of Paul.
New Testament Christianity is what is important to God, not man made rules and regulations which take away from our freedom to serve Christ. Christians are saved by grace through faith, not by law keeping. There are many similarities between the book of Romans and the book of Galatians. Some have even called Galatians a condensed version of Romans.
and that brings us to:
E P H E S I A N S
Ephesians may have been intended, like Galatians, for a region rather than a specific congregation. Written by the apostle Paul during his Roman imprisonment (61-63 A.D.), it addresses the concept of the Glorious Church.
The New Testament presents the church of Christ as the body of Christ.
Eph. 1:22-23
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Paul wanted his readers to understand that in the mind of God there was but one church.
Eph 4: 4-6
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Not a “Jewish church” and a “Gentile church” but ONE CHURCH, the body of Christ.
Ephesians tells us how important the church is in the mind of God. Many today have the tendency to minimize the significance of the church. Denominationalism has destroy the concept of the New Testament church. Most people think of the church as an institution rather than a fellowship and therefore disregard its importance. Paul presents the divine origin of the church and prays that his readers will realize the significance of their relationship to God through the church (Eph. 1:15-23).
Important doctrines in Ephesians include: The importance of the church, The Unity of the Church, How God “chose” the church from the foundation of the world, God’s great love for the church compared to the love between a husband and his wife, The armor of the child of God and the kind of lives that Christians are to live.
One of my favorite verses:
Eph 5:1-2
5:1 ¶ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
And that brings us to:
P H I L I P P I A N S
The book of Philippians was written by the apostle Paul from a Roman prison to one of his favorite congregations in about 61-63 A.D.. Paul established the church in Philippi (Acts 16) and they helped to support Paul’s ministry in other locations (Phil. 4:14-17).
Philippi was in Macedonia, the northern part of what we know as Greece today. It was a very strategic city on the trade routes from East to West and was noted for its gold mines. It had the distinction of being a Roman “colony” which gave it great status in the Roman Empire. The city could govern itself with the blessing of the Caesars, and its citizens had citizenship rights in the Roman Empire (Cf. Acts 16:20f).
Philippians is often referred to as the Epistle of Joy. “Joy,” and “Rejoice” are found some sixteen times in the book.
Phil. 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
When you consider that Paul was writing from a Roman prison and he talks predominantly about Joy and Contentment, you realize just what a remarkable and important book in the New Testament this is.
Paul tells us that the key to confidence and joy in life is Jesus Christ. He urges Christians to imitate the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:1-11), and then he says something that the world really needs to remember:
Phil. 2:6
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Jesus Christ is God. He is divine and has existed from all eternity (John 1:1). He became a man (Phil. 2:7) to accomplish our salvation. He is now our exalted Lord (Phil 2:8-11).
If we as Christians can keep this perspective on things everything else falls into place. No matter what circumstances life will bring we can say with Paul:
Phil 4:11
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
and:
Phil. 4:13
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Important teachings in Philippians include: The Deity of Christ, His preexistence, His equality with the Father, His incarnation, His perfect humanity, His death on the cross and His glorious exaltation, The organization of the church, Warnings about false teachers, the Need to defend the Truth, and the art of Rejoicing.
Part 5
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And that brings us to:
C O L O S S I A N S
This is another of Paul’s epistles, written from a Roman prison in about 60-62 A.D. Colossae was a city of Phrygia in Asia Minor, about 100 miles from Ephesus. Paul did not begin the church in Colossae,
it was likely started by Epaphras (Col. 1:7-8) who was Paul’s faithful co-worker.
In the first century there were two serious threats to the church from false teachers within the church. The Judiazers and the Gnostics. Paul warned the church at Galatia about the Judiazers, here he warns the church about the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed that they had “higher knowledge” (Greek word- Epignosis) that must be learned exclusively from them. If you wanted to be a “real” Christian, you must follow their teachers.
The Gnostics denied many things about the humanity and deity of Christ, so Paul begins his address to the Colossians by reminding them that:
Col. 1:13-20
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
These verses reveal some of the cardinal doctrines which the Gnostics denied. Jesus is God. That’s what the Bible wants us to know. Today there are still groups which call themselves “christian” who deny the deity of Christ.
The Colossians also needed to reminded to be careful about pagan influences, since most of the church there had been converted from the pagan world. The pagan influences in the Roman Empire were strong. The Government encouraged and promoted pagan beliefs. It was an age of fear and superstition. The moon and the stars and the planets were often thought of as affecting the welfare and destiny of human beings being associated with deities that could make life and eternity miserable. If you had “special” knowledge you might be able to manipulate the Gods.
Paul warns:
Col 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.:
Col 2:18
18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
Important teachings in Colossians include: The preeminence of Jesus Christ, Warning about false teaching, The importance of holding fast to the Word, The importance of genuine Christian living, The reminder that our hope is not in human wisdom, ritual, or self-denial; our hope is in Christ.
And that brings us to:
F I R S T T H E S S A L O N I A N S
Again, we have a letter from the apostle Paul to a congregation of the Lord’s church. The two letters to the church at Thessalonica are likely some of Paul’s earliest writings, Galatians being the earliest. The church in Thessalonica was founded on Paul’s second missionary Journey (Acts 17:1-9).
Thessalonica was the capital city of the province of Macedonia, situated at the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea, it had a fine harbor, it was located on the main trade routes and was very prosperous.
Paul’s work in Thessalonica began in the local synagogue of the Jews (Acts 17:2-4), and a number of converts were made there. Jewish opposition stopped Paul’s ministry, causing a riot, his enemies accused him of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). The primary topic Paul addresses in this epistle is the Second Coming of Christ. After Paul’s departure from Thessalonica it is apparent that false teaches were attempting to discredit his teaching on this subject.
Paul begins the letter by tracing his work among them, and expressing thanksgiving to God for their conversion and the good example they set for others. He recalls that he had sent Timothy to them to help build them in the faith and that he was encouraged by the report that Timothy brought to him regarding their continued faith. The second half of the letter is Paul’s response to the bad news that Timothy had brought with him regarding the church at Thessalonica. He encouraged them to remember their continued need for growth as a Christian, and said, quite clearly in Chapter four:
1 Thess. 4:1-7
4:1 ¶ Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.
7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.
Paul also talks about the right relationship among believers and then discusses the nature of the Lord’s return.
Important doctrines in First Thessalonians include:
Hold fast to that which is good (i.e. the Word - 1 Thess. 5:21), The glorious return of Jesus Christ, Events and circumstances of the Second Coming, Exhortations to Sanctification and godly living.
And that brings us to:
S E C O N D T H E S S A L O N I A N S
Second Thessalonians is a continuation of the teaching on the Second Coming, probably written within a few months of the writing of First Thessalonians in about 52 A.D. After the church at Thessalonica had received the First epistle more questions arose on this subject, and it’s obvious that false teachers were troubling the church. Paul says:
2 Thess. 2:13-15
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
In light of the fact that false teachers were causing misconception regarding the Second Coming Paul taught that the Lord’s coming will not happen until the apostasy happens first. The false teachings that were circulating in Thessalonica were evidence of the coming apostasy. The “man of Lawlessness” is anyone who assumes authority to speak for God without the benefit of revelation. In other words, the false teachers who were teaching contrary to the apostles teaching on this subject. A great falling away from the faith would happen in the Lord’s church before the Second Coming.
Important doctrines in Second Thessalonians include: The “man of lawlessness, The falling away, The importance of christian conduct, and the Second Coming.
Certainly one of the most important things we can learn from these letters to the Thessalonians is the importance of following the Word of God, remaining strong in it, and to be ever vigilant against false concepts which would take us away from God.
Part 6
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And that brings us to :
F I R S T T I M O T H Y
First and Second Timothy and Titus are commonly referred to as the “Pastoral Epistles.” If by this terminology it is intended to convey the idea that the material contained in these letters helped to “pastor” or “shepherd” or “oversee” the church, I find no objection. However, if one is thinking that Timothy or Titus were “pastors” I have an objection. They were Preachers. There is a biblical distinction to be made.
These three books in our New Testament make up the last of the apostle Paul’s writings. They give personal counsel to young preachers about their work in the church. These letters are intensely personal and practical. First Timothy was probably written during the year 63 A.D.
Timothy was a native of Lystra (Acts 16:1) , his mother was a Jewess, his father a Greek. He was converted by the apostle Paul (1 Tim. 1:2) and joined Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:3). He was with Paul various places too numerous to mention here (see Acts) and sent by Paul on other occasions to preach the gospel to the Lord’s church.
One of the themes seen in First Timothy is stated this way:
1 Tim. 1:3-5
3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The goal of the study of God’s Word is always Love from a pure heart.
As you can see from the verses above Paul begins this letter warning Timothy to be on guard against false teachers. In chapter two he gives instructions about prayer, and the role of men and women in the church, in chapter three Paul talks about elders and deacons qualifications, and in chapter four there is found a stern warning about false teachers.
1 Tim. 4:1 - 3
4:1 ¶ But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
Important teachings in First Timothy include: The concept of False Teachers, the Role of Women in the church, Elders and Deacons, The care of widows, and instructions to slaves and the rich.
And that brings us to:
S E C O N D T I M O T H Y
Second Timothy was written during Paul’s second Roman imprisonment around 64 or 65 A.D. A great fire had destroyed a large part of Rome, which the Emperor Nero blamed on the Christians. Paul sat in prison, waiting to be executed and lonely for Christian companionship. This letter is a personal charge to Timothy concerning his Work for the Lord. These are Paul’s final words.
This letter recalls Paul’s great love for Timothy, and he once again charges Timothy to be faithful to his calling. He tells him:
2 Tim. 1:13
13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
This is a charge the church of Christ would do well to listen to today in a time when “doctrine” and “teaching” have been replaced by subjective “feelings.” It is interesting how many New Testament passages warn of False Doctrine, yet, if you listen to most of the “christian” world today there is no such thing. Paul tells us that the Scriptures are NOT the product of man’s thinking, they are inspired by God and therefore must be defended when contradicted.
Paul tells Timothy that some had turned away from the faith, he encourages Timothy to remain strong and endure hardships. He tells Timothy that apostasy is going to come, and that Timothy can expect the situation in the church to become even worse. Timothy can avoid being caught up in this apostasy by holding fast to the teachings of Paul:
2 Tim. 3:10-17
10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Important teachings in Second Timothy include: Timothy was to be an example of sincere service to the Lord, The Doctrine of Inspiration, Warnings about false teachers, encouragement to Christian living.
And that brings us to:
T I T U S
Titus was written by the apostle Paul about the same time as First Timothy in 63 A.D.. From Paul’s epistles we know that Titus was a close and trusted associate, Paul was responsible for his conversion (Titus 1:4) and we also know that he was of Greek ancestry.
Titus was left in Crete by the apostle Paul to help the church there learn the Word of God. Crete was a large island in the Mediterranean Sea. Paul had visited the island on his journey to Rome as a prisoner
(Acts 27:7-21). Cretans were widely known as immoral people:
Titus 1:12
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."
13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
So Paul writes to encourage Titus in his ministry and to give him some specific instructions about how to deal with the false teachers he is encountering. This letter in many ways is similar to First Timothy.
Important teachings in Titus include: The preacher in his work, Elders qualifications, Warnings about false teachers, the importance of Good Works.
And that brings us to:
P H I L E M O N
Philemon is a unique little book. It was written by the apostle Paul to a slave owner by the name of Philemon. This is one of the prison epistles (along with Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians). This little epistle was likely written in 60-62 A.D.
Philemon owned a slave by the name of Onesimus who had run away and somehow came into contact with the apostle Paul and was baptized into Christ (Phile 10). For some time Onesimus stayed with Paul and ministered to him. Paul knew that it was necessary for Onesimus to return to Philemon to make restitution for what he had done (Phile 12-14) so he sends him back to his owner with this letter.
It is extremely important that this letter be studied against the background of slavery in the Roman world of the first century. Estimates are that over one half the population of the Roman empire was made up of slaves. Men and women were considered as possessions and could be dealt with as their master wished. Often people became slaves as the result of war, the circumstances of their birth or poverty. Many served as slaves simply to stay alive, to have a roof over their heads and to be fed with some regularity. Roman civil law offered some protection to slaves, but penalties remained severe for those who ran away.
Paul writes to urge Philemon to forgive and take Onesimus back. Onesimus was once useless to Philemon, now, Paul says:
Philemon 10-16
10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.
15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,
16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
Philemon is a practical application of the gospel to a complicated social problem.
Important teachings in Philemon include: The brotherhood in Christ, Christian integrity in difficult times, Christian duty.
Part 7
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And that brings us to:
H E B R E W S
The New Testament can be divided into the following categories:
The Gospels (4 books - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
History (1 book - Acts)
The Pauline Epistles (13 books - Romans - Philemon)
The General Epistles (8 books - Hebrews - Jude)
The Revelation (1-book - Revelation)
The term “General Epistles” is used to identify letters intended for widespread circulation among Christians rather than letters delivered originally to a specific church or individual.
The book of Hebrews is not included in the Pauline Epistles list because the author is unknown. There are many who believe that Paul wrote this very important part of our New Testaments, but his name is nowhere assigned to this work in the book itself. The KJV adds, without justification,“The Epistle of Paul,” to the title of this book. That title is not found in the oldest manuscripts. It is not necessary for an apostle’s name to be attached to an epistle to prove that it is inspired. The content of this epistle proves that it is inspired. This is an extremely important part of the New Testament. It was clearly written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. because of the nature of this book this event would have certainly been mentioned if it had already taken place.
It is called the “Book of Hebrews” because it is clearly addressed to Jewish Christians of the first century. The context of the book make it clear that the recipients of this book had been converted to Christ some time ago (Heb. 3:1, 12; 6:9), and yet they were immature in the Faith (Heb. 5:11-14), after their conversion they had endured suffering for Christ (Heb. 10:32-34), and as a result of their suffering they were now growing weary (Heb. 10:35-38), they were in danger of apostasy (falling away)(Heb. 3:12-12).
The theme of the book of Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant over the Jewish system under the Old Covenant.
After the church was established on Pentecost the church grew by leaps and bounds among the Jewish community. For about ten years the church was comprised almost exclusively of Jews. Persecution then came upon the church which caused Jewish Christians to be spread all over the world (Acts 8). The tone in the book of Hebrews indicates that by the writing of this book (my guess is in the 60’s A.D.) the Jewish Christians were beginning to hide their Christian beliefs and practices to avoid persecution. When Nero began to persecute the church Jews were spared persecution if they were practicing Judaism. Evidently some Jewish Christians were hiding behind the practice of Judaism to avoid persecution.
Hebrews was written to demonstrate that it is impossible to be justified with God in a religion, even a previously God given religion, if it does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Messiah and obey Him. Speaking of Jesus the Hebrew writer said:
Heb. 5:9
9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Important teachings in Hebrews include: The doctrine of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, The Biblical significance of blood Sacrifice, The wages of Sin, The concept of Atonement, the value of studying the Old Testament today.
The Hebrew writer begins by showing the supremacy of Christ over all that the Old Covenant has to offer, His Priesthood is superior to the order of Melchizedek and Aaron, Christ performs the role of priest from His heavenly sanctuary with a better sacrifice for sin, therefore Christians have very special privileges before God which can be forfeited by apostasy. Hebrews ends with a call to commitment to Christ. This book is one of the most eloquent and systematic defenses of Christianity ever written.
And that bring us to:
J A M E S
James is one of the most practical and needed New Testament books for a Twenty-First Christian to study today. It contains a stinging rebuke of wordiness that our world needs to hear:
James 4:4-10
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
The author of this book was James, the Lord’s brother. Although James did not believe in Jesus’ claims about His Messiahship early in His ministry (John 7:3-5) , Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection and thereby removed his doubts (1 Cor. 15:7, Acts. 12:17). James because a leader in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13ff). Paul referred to him as one of the “pillars” of the church at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:9).
The recipients of this book were:
James 1:1
1:1 ¶ James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
The reference to the 12 tribes does not mean that James is writing exclusively to Jewish Christians only. In the New Testament the 12 Tribes represents all of God’s people in a covenant relationship to Him in His church. Consider Paul’s view of Israel in Galatians:
Gal 6:16
16* And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
The “Israel of God” today is the church of Christ which is comprised of both Jew and Gentile, those who have been obedient to God and have been added to His church.
Many scholars believe that this is one of the earliest books of the New Testament, likely written about
45 A.D.
Important teachings in James include: The purpose of Trials, how to gain Patience, the acquisition of Wisdom, Dealing with Riches and Temptation, warnings about the Tongue, Pure Religion, Faith and Works, warnings against Worldliness.
James begins by telling the Jewish Christians who are scattered because of persecution that their trials will accomplish something good in their lives. Perseverance is the way to overcome, God blesses those who endure, when temptation comes it is not from God, while the Christians may be tempted in many ways a correct response is to accept the Word of God and demonstrate one’s faith by his works.
Part 8
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And that brings us to:
F I R S T P E T E R
Peter is one of the best known Bible characters. He and his brother Andrew, along with James and John were partners in a fishing business when Jesus called them to be “fishers of men” (Luke 5:9-11).
Peter writes to the churches in Asia Minor (1:1) which had been established by the apostle Paul and who were on the verge of a terrible persecution. Nero began his persecution of Christians in about 64 A.D. at which time he encouraged their persecution not only in Rome proper, but throughout the Roman Empire. It was very common in the first Century to find the church of Christ undergoing persecution, sometimes at the hand of local officials, at other times at the hand of the Roman Government. First Peter was probably written in about 64-66 A.D..
First Peter tells us that being a Christian often brings problems, it was certainly true for the First Century Christians, and they were about to face a “fiery trial” which would demonstrate to all their sincerity in Christ. The persecution was going to be so severe that many would doubt their salvation. To them Peter wrote:
1 Pet. 1:10-13
10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, they were reminded to be obedient children and be holy, remain strong, feed on the Word of God like newborn babes, remember their place in God’s plan as a Chosen people, live in imitation of Christ’s example under persecution and keep fervent in their love for the cause of Christ.
Listen to these words:
1 Pet. 5:6 - 7
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Important teachings in First Peter include: Trials will come to all faithful Christians, but they will not take away your salvation, Christ is our Example in times of Persecution, What Godly Living does in difficult times, How to serve God willingly.
And that brings us to:
S E C O N D P E T E R
Second Peter is written shortly after First Peter to warn the now severely persecuted church of Christ against Apostasy. Most of the Epistles are addressed to some locality, not so with Second Peter.
2 Pet. 1:1-3
1:1 ¶ Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
God’s Word has given us “everything pertaining to life and godliness.” How could that be true with an incomplete revelation?
Second Peter begins by reviewing the virtues necessary to keep from stumbling and then a reminder of the inspiration of God’s Holy Word.
2 Pet. 1:19-21
19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
By this time in the first Century False Teaching was everywhere (like it is today), and therefore Peter warns of the consequences of accepting False Doctrine. He writes:
2 Pet. 2:21-22
21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.
22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and,
"A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."
Peter reminds us that the passing of time does not hinder the purpose of God, the Second Coming will occur precisely when God plans to bring it about in spite of the teachings of the False Teachers, therefore Christians must be people of holy conduct and godliness.
Important teachings in Second Peter include: Christian Virtues, Warnings about False Teachers, The Second Coming, A new Heaven and a New Earth.
And that brings us to:
F I R S T J O H N
Although First, Second and Third John do not identify the author, long standing tradition based on internal evidence points to the Apostle John.
Consider the opening verses:
1 John 1:1-3
1:1 ¶ What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life--
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Remember the opening of John’s Gospel?
John 1:1
1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
It is likely that the apostle John wrote First John near the close of the first Century, A.D. 90-95.
By this time the church was facing dangers from both outside the church and inside the church. First John is a warning against false teachers in the church.
False teaching was prevalent. Several groups are evident.
Judaizers - probably the “best known” false teachers of the first Century (c.f. Acts 15). Galatians, Romans and Hebrews were written to combat the error of the Judaizers who proclaimed that all must obey the Law of Moses as well as the New Covenant.
Docetics - taught that Christ’s body was a mere phantom because matter was evil therefore Christ could NOT have had a real body.
Gnostics - Believed they were the possessor's of “higher-knowledge” gained from a few “sages” (like the ‘Kabbalah’ sages of the 21st Century). Gnosticism was a mixture of paganism and corrupt Christianity. It was mystical (transcending human understanding) and metaphysical (based on excessively abstract reasoning).
Nicolatians - While it is very clear what the Judiazer, the Docetics and the Gnostics taught in specific, it is more difficult to identify exactly what the Nicolatians believed. Apparently they sought to work out some kind of a compromise between true New Testament Christianity and Paganism which would allow Christians to take part in some of the social and religious activities of their culture without embarrassment.
The church Historian Eusebius identifies the sect of the Nicolatians as coming from “Nicholas of Antioch” one of the deacons appointed by the apostles for the purpose of ministering to the poor (Acts 6). (Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia Ecclesia, Book III, Chapter 29). Some believe that this extremist group promoted asceticism and denied all earthly pleasures in order to gain control over the flesh.
Greek scholars point out that “Nicolatians” comes from two Greek words “nikos” (conquer) and “laos” (people), which can mean “conquer the people.” The word Balaam (used in Revelation) is a Hebrew word meaning “not of the people" or “destroy the people.” Some have suggested that perhaps Nicolatians and Balaam mean the same thing in Greek and Hebrew, so they may represent false prophets who infiltrated the church to destroy through idolatry and sexual immorality.
The point being, for our purposes, it’s not Christianity plus something that pleases God, it’s New Testament Christianity period. We must “walk in the light”
1 John 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Important teachings in First John include: Jesus is the Son of God and our Advocate, Walk in Obedience, The recognition and confession of sin, Righteous Living, Love for one another, and warnings against false teachers and the Antichrist.
Part 9
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S E C O N D J O H N
Second John Is a personal letter from John to “the chosen lady and her children” (1:1) which some identify as a congregation of the Lord’s church, while others believe that this was literally a woman in the congregation who was being taken advantage of by the false teachers. Either way, the lesson is the same
2 John 9
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
Important teachings in Second John include: Warnings against false teachers, Identification of the Antichrist.
T H I R D J O H N
Third John is a personal letter from John to his friend Gaius. We’re not sure precisely who Gaius was because it was a common name at the time. Here is a great verse to memorize:
3 John 2
2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
John warns Gaius about yet another brand of false doctrine promoted by “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, (and) does not accept what we say” (3 John 9). In the church there are always those who struggle to have preeminence.
Important teachings in Third John include: Warnings against false teachers, the importance of doing what is good.
And that brings us to:
J U D E
Jude was probably written by Judas the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55) around A.D. 67. Jude clearly identifies the purpose of his epistle:
Jude 3
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
This points to a common theme we have seen many times in the New Testament. We must be concerned about New Testament Christianity without the influence of the doctrines of men. So many of the teachings of man take us away from simple New Testament Christianity. Jude minces no words about these teachers in verse four:
Jude 4
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Believers in Christ must hold to the faith of the gospel:
Jude 17
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Important teachings in Jude include: The Faith Once for all time handed down to the Saints, Warnings against false teachers.
And that brings us to:
R E V E L A T I O N
The book of Revelation comes at the end of our Bibles for good reason. It is necessary to understand all of the other books in the Bible before one attempts to interpret Revelation.
Revelation is a book of visions, figures and symbols. It contains a very important message of encouragement to God’s covenant people, members of the Lord’s church. It has become the most controversial book of the Bible simply because it is easy to confuse people with the many symbols because most people have little familiarity with the Bible teaching as a whole. This seems, to me, to be one of the greatest problems with the study of this wonderful book. People would prefer to take the word of one individual as to the teaching and application of this book than to study the entire Bible for themselves and make an educated application based on the way the symbols are used throughout the Scriptures.
Some say that the visions in Revelation have already been fulfilled while others believe they will be fulfilled sometime in the distant future. Some attempt to relate specific events in history to the symbols, and many believe the symbols are referring to certain events taking place in the world today. This makes the study
of Revelation very difficult because there can be little agreement on the meaning of the symbols. The meaning of a particular symbol to one person may not even be close to what it means to another.
This much we know for certain, the book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John near the close of the first Century. I believe the best date is A.D. 96.
Revelation 1:9
“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
There is a method of studying Revelation which uses only Scripture to interpret the symbols. By using such a method, all should be able to come to the same understanding of the symbols because each is defined by the Bible rather than some speculative theory.
Revelation is a series of apocalyptic images shown to John by the Holy Spirit to set forth Christ as eternally victorious over all world conditions, and thus to encourage the Christians of John’s day, and of every succeeding day until the return of the Lord in judgment. This was a message that the Lord is coming to the rescue of His people shortly; therefore, fear none of those things. The book of Revelation must be kept close to Asia Minor of the first century if its message is to be rightly understood today. No interpretation can be regarded as the correct one if it would have been meaningless to those who had first received the book. They were suffering, they were being threatened and killed. They needed the message of hope and courage, and the Lord gave them the Revelation. it tells us that God can defeat all enemies. No one can stand against Him, neither can anything stop His people from doing His will. He is in control. Revelation has a message of hope for all people who will follow God and do His will, and a message of certain destruction for all who disobey him (Rev. 21:1-8).
The basic message of the book of Revelation is this: God loves his church and He will protect members of the church of Christ (both individually and collectively) throughout the centuries of man’s existence on earth despite the persecution that may come in various forms to ensure that she is safe from the attacks of Satan and his demons, and in the end, all who are faithful to God will live in His presence for all eternity while those who refuse to obey will be separated from Him in severe suffering for all eternity.
Important teachings in Revelation include: Why the church of Christ will be persecuted, Identity of God’s church, The Wrath of God, The assurance of God’s protection for His Covenant related church.
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