For those of us in the Christian community, the New Testament is irreplaceable. It is our earliest written record of the teaching, preaching, and healing of Jesus. Passages from the New Testament are among the most beautiful passages from any literature anywhere. The Lord’s Prayer, the Sermon On The Mount, the parables, the great chapter on love written by Paul, the healing ministry of Jesus, those moving scenes at the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest of Jesus, and those sad but moving scenes of His crucifixion, followed by the glory of His resurrection. It is still hard for me to read the parables of the Prodigal Sons, and the Good Samaritan without tears coming into my eyes.

The New Testament has been distributed all over the world and is still, singly and with the Old Testament, the best selling book in the world. It merits all the attention that we can give it.

1. Romans: When Jesus was born in 4 B. C., the Roman Empire was in control of all of the Middle-East. The Romans were generally effective in the administration of their provinces. Oftentimes Rome appointed powerful local leaders they could trust to be loyal. Such a leader was Herod the Great who ruled Judea when Jesus was born. Herod reigned from 39 to 4 B.C. and died shortly after the birth of Jesus. His kingdom was divided, with Rome’s blessing, among his sons. Herod Antipas reigned over Galilee and Peraea until 39 A.D. Herod Archelaus reigned over Judea and Samaria for about 10 years. But in 6 A.D., he was deposed by Rome, and Judea and Samaria were placed under Roman Procurators. Pontius Pilate was the procurator when Jesus was crucified in 29 A.D.

a. Sadducees (priestly party): Caiaphas and Annas were Sadducees. The Temple priests in Jerusalem were all Sadducees. They exercised considerable political as well as religious power. The name "Sadducee" means "righteous one." Educated. Wealthy. Few in number. Limited to doctrines found in written Law or Torah. Denied belief in the resurrection, angels, and spirits.Denied validity of oral tradition and the "unwritten Torah". Many Sadducees were on the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. Interested in putting down any disruptive individual or group.

b. Pharisees (the separated): They were primarily a society or school of zealous students and teachers of the law. Pharisees were influenced by Hellenistic doctrine of dualism: flesh and spirit. They believed in God’s guiding providence and unswerving obedience to the Law. They were the moving force in adding the Prophets (200 B.C.) and the Writings (100 A.D.) to the Torah to complete the canon. Promoted the Messianic hope. In a real sense, the Pharisees preserved Judaism. The became extremely zealous in preserving, interpreting, and teaching the Law. The Pharisees determined who was worthy of admission to synagogues.

c. Essenes (a brotherhood): A monastic order or community in Palestine devoted to asceticism (165 B.C.—200 A.D.). Main colonies were near the Dead Sea. Supported themselves by manual labor. Possessed but one set of the simplest garments. Were exceedingly devoted to the Torah. Against animal sacrifice. Implicit faith in immortality. Shared their earnings. Renounced marriage. Forbade membership to women. Ardently opposed to slavery. John The Baptist may have been an Essene. Because some of the Essene Teachings have a similarity with some of the teachings of Jesus, some scholars have advanced the theory that Jesus may have lived with the Essenes during some of the "lost years". The Essenes recruited by adopting children and accepting mature proselytes. They disappeared in the second century A.D., becoming either Christians or better Jews.

d. Zealots: A movement largely unorganized made up of Jewish Patriots opposed to outside rule. They opposed Rome as they would have any other government that was not Jewish. They cut across the lines of other groups or sects. Many of them were originally Pharisees. One of the Disciples (Simon, not Simon Peter) was a Zealot.

e. Jesus And His Followers: Into this political and religious milieu, Jesus came forth. He was born in Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem in 4 B.C. His earthly parents were Mary and Joseph. He grew up in the town of Nazareth of Galilee. He had four brothers (James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas), and an unknown number of sisters. Jesus spoke Aramaic as did his family and the other Jews in the area. It is conjectured that he was conversant with Greek, but Aramaic was the language in which he conversed, taught, and preached. From the time of his infancy until he began his ministry, there are many "lost years". We frankly don’t know where he was or what he did. Joseph was a carpenter and it has generally been conjectured that he grew up working in his father’s carpenter shop. But, frankly, we don’t know that. Was he an Essene for a time? We just don’t know. His appearance is again a mystery. Every indication is that he was healthy with tremendous energy. His complexion was probably dark as were most Middle-Eastern men. We know he wore a seamless robe and sandals. He probably had a beard and shoulder length hair. He was obviously a person of enormous intellect with great intuitive understanding and a very charismatic personality. When he was about 30 years of age, he began his ministry which only lasted for three years. In 29 A.D. Jesus was crucified due to the determined efforts of certain Jewish religious leaders who persuaded the Roman authorities to go along. So they joined forces, brought Jesus before the Sanhedrin, condemned him to death, and crucified him. As we study each individual Gospel, we are struck by the impact of this man, Jesus, as he went about the business of teaching, preaching, and healing. His teachings are absolutely outstanding by any standards applicable. No only was he a charismatic personality, but his teaching were breathtaking. He was an intellectual weaver. He took the various threads of thought of the most outstanding prophets and wove them all together into a very special fabric. Isaiah talked of Holiness. Jeremiah talked of the indwelling presence of God. Amos talked of Justice. Micah talked of mercy and humility. Hosea talked of love. In a most remarkable way, Jesus combined all of the prophets at their best. Key words and phrases in the teachings of Jesus are: Kingdom of God; Father; son; Fatherhood of God; and the brotherhood of man. Above all, Jesus talked of love. This was his key word.

Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments thusly: love God with all your heart, mind, and strength; and, love your neighbor as yourself (love of God, and love of persons). New Testament love (Agape) may be defined as an active, aggressive good-will toward everyone irregardless of reward. We shall see that his term, "Kingdom of God" meant the indwelling sense of the presence of this creator God (either on earth or in heaven) who loves us as his children—a God who accepts us but challenges us to do our best.

Jesus gathered around him 12 disciples: Simon Peter; Andrew the brother of Simon; James (the Elder); John the Beloved; James the Less; Jude; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew (Levi); Thomas; Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot. One betrayed him. Eleven eventually followed him in life and in death.

B. Geographical: During Jesus’ lifetime, the action geographically took place in Palestine in the provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Gallilee. All were under the control of the Roman Empire. Judea and Samaria were ruled by a Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate. Gallilee had a local ruler authorized by Rome, Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.

C. Language: The prevalent language was Aramaic a branch of the Semitic family of languages which included Hebrew. Greek was spoken through-out the Mediterranean area and was the dominant language, but the street language in Palestine was Aramaic.

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1. Mark, the Synoptic Source: Mark was the first gospel to be written with a date of around 65 A.D. We will talk about the author and the content later. Of interest now is that both Matthew and Luke incorporate nearly all of Mark into their Gospels both of which were written at a later date. Matthew and Luke share a generally common presentation of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection which they derived from Mark. This is why these three Gospels are very closely intertwined and are called the Synoptic Gospels. Synoptic means "of common or like origins." The Gospel of John is a very different Gospel written much later, somewhere between 105 and 125 A.D. John’s Gospel appears to have been a sermon preached in one of the churches and preserved for posterity.

2. Other Sources: Despite the similarities of the three Synoptics due to the use of Markan material, there are also dissimilarities. For example, the three begin and end differently. Only Matthew and Luke have birth narratives. Neither Mark nor John have any. Yet the birth narratives are different in Matthew and Luke, indicating they had separate sources for them. So scholars have theorized that another source dealing with the sayings of Jesus probably circulated in various writings and many oral traditions and they have called this source, "Q". Along this line, many scholars think that the Sermon on the Mount first circulated as a separate document which Matthew incorporated into his Gospel. The birth story source for Matthew is called "M" and birth stories in Luke came from "L". Each of the Synoptic Gospels presents Jesus in a slightly different way. Matthew shows us Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of every Old Testament Prophecy. Mark is the Gospel of action, showing Jesus in dynamic activity. For Mark, Jesus is the Son of man. Luke reflects the humanity of Jesus and stresses his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.

B. The Gospel of Mark: Mark’s Gospel is the shortest and simplest of the Four Gospels. Historically it is the most important of the Gospels, for it is the basis of Matthew and Luke and underlies John to some extent. It is therefore the earliest surviving written record of Jesus’s life. Was it written by John Mark the young man who fell out and then in favor with Paul. The John Mark who was so close to Simon Peter in his last days in Rome. Many scholars have thought so until recent years. In fact, it was long felt that Mark simply served as a secretary to whom Peter dictated his remembrances and thoughts. For several reasons, many scholars now believe it was someone else. It does appear to have been written from Rome and possibly to Christians in Rome, but also to Christians in Alexandria. Mark appears to be writing more for the benefit of Gentiles rather than Jews.

Mark’s Gospel is by far the shortest and it displays Jesus as a person of boundless energy. It is sometimes called the "go-go" Gospel for Jesus is always on the move. "Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized." "Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news." "As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee---." "They went to Capernaum "As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house---." "In the morning, while it was still dark, he got up and went---." "Jesus departed with his disciples---." Something is always happening!

a. Beginning of the Gospel—1:1-13

(1). Ministry of John The Baptist—1 :2-8

(2). Baptism and temptation of Jesus—1:9-13

b. The Galilee ministry of preaching healing, and the conflicts with religious authorities—1:14-8:26

(1). About the Sea of Galilee—1:14-5:23

(2). More distant journeys—6:1-8:2

c. The Messiah and the coming Passion—8:27-l0:45

(1). Peter’s confession—8:27-33

(2). Predictions of Passion—8 :32, 9:30-32, 10:32-35

(3). Doctrine of discipleship—8:34-9:1, 9:33-37, 10:13, 31, 3 5-45

(4). Transfiguration—9:2-13

d. The Passion Narrative—10:46-15:47

(1). On the way to Jerusalem—lO:46-52

(2). Entry into Jerusalem—11:1-11

(3). Ministry in Jerusalem—11:12-13:2

(4). Apocalyptic discourse—13:3-37

(5). Jesus’ death—14:1-15:47

e. The empty tomb—16:1-8

f. Appended conclusion—16:9-20

C. The Gospel of Matthew: Though written later than Mark, this Gospel was placed first among the collected four Gospels because it was early recognized as the authoritative and most comprehensive record of Jesus’ life. Early Christians saw it as an improved edition of Mark, nine-tenths of whose contents it reproduces. It also contains a full and clear account of Jesus’ teaching. It is obvious that it was written primarily to Jews and to convince them that Jesus is indeed the long awaited Messiah. He begins his Gospel with an impressive genealogy. Again and again similar phrases such as this one appears throughout his Gospel: "---so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled". While tradition has it that the author is the Disciple, Matthew (or Levi), this is probably not true. For one thing, the Gospel was written in Greek. Matthew probably did not speak Greek. Also it was not written before 75 A.D. and probably later than that which, from an age factor alone, would probably eliminate Matthew the Disciple as the author.

1. Outline of Matthew’s Gospel

a. The Messiah is introduced—1:1-4:16

(1). Genealogy—1:1-17

(2). Birth—l:18-25

(3). Infancy—2:1-23

(4). Call and preparation—3:l-4:16

b. The Ministry in Galilee—4:17-16:28

(1). Beginning of the ministry—4:17-25

(2). The new Law: Sermon on the Mount—5:1-7:29

(3). Miracles—8:1-9:34

(4). The evangelistic charge to the Disciples—9:35-1 1:1

(5). Jesus and his opponents—1 1:2-12:50

(6). Parables of the Kingdom—13:1-58

(7). Jesus in exile—14:1-16:28

c. The New Messiah—17: 1-20:34

(1). The Transfiguration and after—17:1-27

(2). Discourse on true discipleship—18:l-35

(3). Teachings on the way to Jerusalem — 19:1-20:34

d. Jesus in Jerusalem—2 1:1-25:46

(1). The challenge of Christ—2 1:1-22:46

(2). Denunciation of scribes and Pharisees — 23:1-39

(3). Eschatological discourse on the end of the age — 24:1-25 :46

e. Jesus death and Resurrection—26:1-28:20

(1). Final preparations—26:1-16

(2). The last evening—26-17-46

(3). Arrest and trial—26:47-27:31

(4). Crucifixion and burial—27:32-66

(5). Resurrection—28: 1-15

(6). The great commission—28:16-20

D. The Gospel of Luke: How can you not like this Gospel? It is by far my favorite (although I wish it contained the Sermon On The Mount in the same style as Matthew). Luke is the best written, demonstrating his knowledge of Greek. Luke’s language simply flows. It’s just a wonderful book. There is evidence throughout of great compassion. Only Luke has what are perhaps the two greatest parables: The Prodigal Sons and The Good Samaritan. This Gospel, as well as the Book of Acts, appears to have originally been written by Luke to convince his dear friend, Theophilus, to become a Christian by learning more about Jesus. I don’t know if Theophilus was converted or not, but Luke’s Gospel has been the instrument of salvation for millions through the years.

There appears to be little doubt as to the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. So many things point to Luke, the physician, as the author that it seems to be a closed case. Luke was probably a Hellenistic Jew and he grew up in Antioch. He may have been a Gentile. If so, he would probably be the only non-Jewish author in the Bible. He is referred to as a physician several times and was a traveling companion of Paul on some of his missionary journeys. 1-fe was with Paul in his last days in Rome. He is referred to as "The Evangelist."

Nearly half of Luke’s material is peculiar to his Gospel. This special material usually designated as "L" includes such stories as: The birth narratives; Jesus sermon at Nazareth; the Parable of the Good Samaritan; Mary and Martha; the Parable of the Friend at Midnight; the Parables of the Lost Coin and the Prodigal (lost) sons; the Parable of Dives and Lazarus; the conversion of Zacchaeus; and the penitent thief on the cross. What a treasure this Gospel is!!

1. Outline of the Gospel of Luke: Luke’s Gospel can be quickly and easily outlined.

a. The introduction—1:1-4

b. Early years of Jesus—1:5-2:52

c. The ministry in Galilee—4:14-9:50

d. Journey to Jerusalem—9:51-19:44

e. Crucifixion and Resurrection— 19:45-24:53

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V. Gospel of John

John, the Fourth Gospel is considerably different from the three Synoptic Gospels, but has always been beloved by the Church. It was probably originally a sermon. It has a unique quality: historical fact is blended in it with religious interpretation, dramatic narrative, and profound theology, all fused into a literary unity. It was the last of the Gospels to be written and, while the author is named John, it is not John The Beloved Disciple. For the Gospel was not written until at least 105 A.D. and more probably as late as 125 A.D. John The Beloved would certainly have been dead by this time. Whoever it was, it is obvious that he was very intelligent and very much at home with the Greek language.

1. Outline of John’s Gospel:

a. The Prelude—1-l:51

b. The Manifestation of Christ’s glory and power—2-6

c. Deepening conflicts of the Light with the darkness—7-12

d. Christ’s fuller revelation of himself to His Disciples—l3-17

e. The final revelation of Christ’s glory—18-20

f. The appendix—21

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The Book of Acts

(The Great Travel Guide)

The book of Acts is a sequel to the story of "all that Jesus began both to do and to teach" as narrated in Luke, and was written by the same author. It begins soon after the Crucifixion, and records outstanding events in the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, from the Jewish to the Gentile world. It is a historical record of the period, written in superb literary form. The hero of Acts, as with all the New Testament, is Jesus. But for Luke, there is no doubt about who is the Great Apostle, and that is

Paul. Most of Acts is about the missionary journies of Paul and how the faith was being spread into the Gentile world. But there are also the exploits of Peter and many other early Christian leaders. Truly the Book of Acts is the great travel guide as to how Christianity was to become a worldwide religion. How poor we would be without it!!