The New Testament consists of 27 books:
Four Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
The Acts of the Apostles
Thirteen Epistles written by Paul
The Epistle to the Hebrews
Seven general Epistles
The Book of Revelation
Citation - Most of the content below is derived from the Life Application Bible, Third Edition, New International Version, is published by Tyndale House Publishers and Zondervan, copyright 2019. Next to the name of each book is how God appears in the bible and is credited to "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer. Thanks to my sister in Christ Rachael for her help typing these!
Matthew wrote this book in the AD 70s, primarily for Jewish readers. The Gospel of Matthew serves as a transition that connects the story of the Old Testament with the story of the New Testament, helping you understand how the life and teaching of Jesus built on what had come before. One of the major themes of Matthew’s Gospel is the kingdom of heaven. The Gospel of Matthew is a foundational text for Christianity, providing a central account of Jesus' life, teachings, and significance.
Mark portrays Jesus as the powerful Messiah, the Son of God, through his miracles, teachings, and authority. Look for the humanity of Jesus - the Son of God and the Son of Man. Watch for the emotional impact of this action-packed Gospel. More than 40 percent of Mark focuses on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus during his final week on Earth.
Unlike Mark's fast-paced style, Luke presents a more chronological and detailed account of Jesus' life and ministry, starting with his birth and ending with his ascension. The Gospel of Luke offers a unique and compassionate perspective on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He emphasizes the call to discipleship, following Jesus' teachings, and living out his message in daily life.
The book of John plays a significant role in shaping Christian theology, particularly regarding the nature of Christ, faith, and the relationship between humanity and God. Profound simplicity: John used the images of light and life to describe God’s activity in the world. John also recorded nine miracles (which he called signs) - the last being Jesus’ resurrection, which John saw as proof that Jesus is the Son of God. John also included several of Jesus’ sermons not found in the other Gospels that explain the purpose of Jesus’ life (6:25-66, 10:1-42, 13:1-16:33).
The church today is sometimes persecuted, ridiculed, or even ignored, and it often needs encouragement. The book of Acts will remind you that despite modern challenges, the church can be alive and well. Acts show that revival and church growth come not by human effort but through the power of the Holy Spirit. These difficulties faced by the early church can encourage the present-day church. The Spirit so active in Acts is the same Holy Spirit that is currently at work today in the church.
This book, rich in theology and teaching, communicates the ins and outs of how a person is redeemed, transformed, sealed, and sanctified for that day when we will all stand before the Lord (14:10-12). It explains that salvation is received by grace through faith. It articulates the foundation of Christian belief, explaining how the goodness of salvation has been made available through Jesus’ death on the cross and is worked out through the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Watch for the major themes of faith, grace, righteousness, and justification. You’ll find the foundation of the gospel that comes by grace through faith in the first 11 chapters. Then in the last five chapters, you’ll discover the practical implication of faith and righteousness- how faith works itself out in everyday life.
In the First Corinthians, Paul gave the Corinthians what they needed: straightforward advice. Watch for direct, practical information relevant to Christian living and church relationships. You will also encounter great inspiration on these pages. Much of what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts is found here. It also offers uplifting words about life (13:1 - 13) and the future resurrection (15:12-17).
In the Second Corinthians letter, the apostle Paul wrote about the joys, sorrows, ambitions, frustrations, and assurances he had for the believers at Corinth. Watch for practical examples and advice on resolving conflict: personality conflicts between church members, theological conflict over false teaching, and cultural conflict between the church and the world. It emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and Christ-centered living.
Galatians will take you back to the basics - what the gospel is, how you receive it, and how you can apply it in your daily life. Paul used several techniques (his own conversion story, and illustration from the life of Abraham) to persuade the Galatians to return to the pure gospel. Salvation is a gift from God received through faith in Jesus, not earned by human merit or adherence to external laws.
Following Christ doesn't require adhering to additional religious requirements beyond faith.
Ephesus was one of the most prominent churches during this time, established by Paul in AD 52 toward the end of his second missionary journey. In this letter to the church during his third trip, jam-packed full of wisdom, Paul affirms the nature of the church and its implications as one body of Christ. Paul explains the wonderful things that we have received through Christ and refers to the church as a body to illustrate the purpose of unity. (note: Church is defined as a group of people and not just a building - a building is where we gather, but then we scatter to spread the love of Christ) Paul goes on in Chapter 4 about how each person is given a spiritual gift by God and should have a commitment to the use of these gifts. Paul finishes the letter with a reminder of how followers of Christ are in a constant battle with the dark forces of the spiritual realm and gives us tools (6:10-17 -Armor of God) to combat evil.
There is joy in suffering and we can learn about it here in this book, which is Paul's letter to the Philippians from a dark prison cell. The secret is that true joy can only be grounded in your relationship with Christ. We all desperately want happiness but are tossed and turned by the daily struggle of life. Jesus is both our source of power and our guide and developing our character begins with God's work in us, but it also requires self-discipline, obedience to God's Word, and concentration. Christ showed us true humility when he laid aside his rights and privileges as God to become human. He poured out his life to pay the penalty we deserve. Laying aside self-interest and taking Christ's attitude is essential to us living with joy, love, and kindness. Believers can have profound contentment and serenity no matter what happens and this only comes with knowing Christ personally and depending on His strength rather than our own. Joy does not come from outward circumstances but from inward strength that only God can provide.
Jesus Christ is God in human form. He is over all creation, head of the church, the body, and his true believers. He is eternal, preexistent, omnipotent, and equal with the Father. Because Jesus is supreme, our lives must be centered on Him. When we believe Jesus is Lord of all, our sin is forgiven, we have been reconciled to God, and we have a union with Christ that can never be broken. We identify with his death, burial, and resurrection. Because of this, we should live in constant contact with God. This book also educates us about false teachers, who back then were promoting heresy, or a false religion, that stresses self-made rules (legalism). This belief system often created pride in its followers' self-centered efforts. We see so much of this in today's world. We must not cling to our ideas and try and blend them into Christianity. Christ alone is our hope and our true source of wisdom.
The Thessalonians were young in their faith and struggled with persecution. We too can expect trials and troubles. We need to stand firm in our faith amid adversity. The Holy Spirit helps us remain strong in faith even when we are being persecuted or slandered, yet continue to show genuine love to others. Later in this book and in 2 Thessalonians, Paul assures them of Christ's return. This is a reminder that while we wait, we must try to live virtuous and holy lives. We shouldn't be idle but continue to work for a living. We should make the most of our talents and time, doing what we can to provide for ourselves and our dependents.
Paul writes to Timothy who was a young leader and one of his closest companions. He advised him on qualifications for church leaders, public worship, confronting false teaching, and how to treat various groups of people within the church. Right belief and right behavior are critical for anyone who desires to lead or serve effectively in a church. False teachers are spoken of often in the bible, and it is again brought up here in 1Ti 6:3-5. We need to be wary of those who want to make money from preaching, from those who stray from the sound teaching of the gospel, and who just want to debate the minutia of the Bible as if our salvation depended on the specific interpretations of minor points. The essential truths of Scripture are clear and not up for debate. 2 Timothy are final instructions and encouragement, more education on false teachers and to keep a strong foundation during difficult times.
This book is very similar to 1 Timothy with its instructions to church leaders. Paul is writing to Titus who is supervising the churches on the island of Crete. Paul calls for church order and godly living on an island known for laziness, gluttony, lying, and evil. Christians are to be self-disciplined and orderly as one body, the church. Discipline these days is not often respected or rewarded by society. This book is a reminder that no one can be saved by living a good life, we are only saved by faith in Jesus Christ. But the gospel transforms people's lives and those who are saved perform good deeds. Your life should reflect Christ's love.
This small book is an example of tact and grace, a demonstration of true Christian fellowship and how Christ can unite those who have been separated by barriers. This is a personal letter that Paul writes to his friend Philemon (a wealthy member of the Colossian church). Philemon has a slave (which was very common in the Roman empire) named Onesimus who has stolen from his master and fled to Rome. There Onesimus met Paul, heard about the Gospel, and accepted Christ as his savior. So Paul writes to Philemon asking him to accept him as a brother and forgive him.
My favorite book of the Bible. The book of Hebrews summarizes the sufficiency and superiority of Christ. This book was written for possibly second-generation Christians who were considering a return to Judaism, possibly because of the rising persecution of Christ's followers. The blueprint of this book demonstrates the superiority of Christ over everyone and everything. In biblical times, Judaism was not an easy religion, it expressed true worship and devotion to God. But then Jesus Christ came, fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, conquering sin, shattering all barriers to God, and freely providing eternal life. Christianity supersedes all religious systems and other attempts to reach God. Read Hebrews and see the history and life from God's perspective.
James was Jesus's half-brother. He wrote this book to teach Christians how they should live. He calls followers into action contrasting empty faith with faith that is shown through good works. When we love and serve others is evidence of true faith. Each chapter goes through what a Christian has, what a Christian does, what a Christian says, and what a Christian gives.
1 Peter offers encouragement to suffering Christians, giving them hope of eternal life and challenging them to continue their walk with Christ. Persecution makes us stronger because it distills our faith.
1 Peter warns Christians about false teachers and urges them to grow in their faith and knowledge of Christ. False teachers are subtly deceitful and Christians need to be vigilant against falling into false doctrine. If it's new, it's not true. We must have discernment to be able to resist them and God can rescue us from their lies if we stay true to his Word, the Bible, and reject those who distort the truth.
1 John reassures Christians in their faith and counters false teachers. A key verse is "..do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.."
2 John emphasizes the basics of following Christ - truth and love. Following God's Word, the Bible is essential to Christian living because God is the author of all truth.
3 John writes to encourage those who are kind to others. If we are to live in the truth of the Gospel, we must look for ways to support pastors, Christian workers, and missionaries today.
Jude (also a brother of Jesus and James) wrote to motivate Christians, recognize the dangers of false teaching, protect themselves and other believers, and win back those who had already been deceived.
Revelation is apocalyptic - a type of Jesus literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope in the ultimate triumph of God to those suffering persecution. This book reveals the full identity of Jesus Christ and gives warning and hope to believers. It reassures us that good will triumph over evil and gives us hope as we face difficult times.
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