Introduction to the New Testament

The New Testament brings together twenty-seven books. They were written over a period of about fifty years, roughly between the years 50 and 100. Before reading them in detail in the following levels, it is useful to have an overview.

When and by whom?

The exact dates are debated and depend on the scholars. According to a traditional dating, the earliest writings are the letter of James and the letters to the Thessalonians, around the end of the 40s or the beginning of the 50s. Then come Paul’s major letters, then the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. The writings of John, his Gospel, his letters and Revelation, are among the last, towards the end of the first century.

The human authors are:

• Matthew, Mark and Luke, authors of the Gospels that bear their names; Luke also wrote Acts;
• John, author of the Gospel, the three letters and Revelation attributed to him;
• Peter, James and Jude, authors of the letters that bear their names;
• Paul, author of thirteen letters.

The letter to the Hebrews is anonymous. Tradition has often attributed it to Paul, but its authorship remains debated.

Five literary genres

Written by various authors, in various places and at various times, the New Testament uses several forms. All of them point to Jesus, the Messiah.

1. Letters (or epistles) apply the teaching of Jesus to concrete situations. Hebrews looks more like a written sermon.
2. Narratives: the Gospels tell of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; Acts describes the life of the first Christians and the formation of the Church.
3. The apocalyptic genre: above all in Revelation, but also in some passages of the letters (1 Thessalonians 4:15 to 5:5) and of the Gospels (Mark 13).
4. Poetic passages, such as the prologue of John (John 1:1-18), the hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 or the song of Revelation 5:9-10.
5. Quotations, almost always taken from the Old Testament, often in its Greek translation, the Septuagint.

The Synoptic Gospels

Matthew, Mark and Luke are called synoptic. The word comes from the Greek synopsis, “overall view”. It was used in the eighteenth century by the German theologian Johann Jakob Griesbach, because these three Gospels can be placed in columns and read together, so closely do they resemble one another.

The Synoptics follow the same geographical route: the ministry in Galilee, the withdrawal to the north with Peter’s confession as the turning point, then the journey up to Jerusalem through Judea and Perea. John, for his part, is more interested in Jesus’ stays in Jerusalem.

The content also differs. The Synoptics recount many healings, exorcisms and parables. John reports striking healings, but no exorcisms and no parables of the same kind. Nor does he recount the sending out of the Twelve, the transfiguration or the institution of the Lord’s Supper, which are found in the other three.

So we have four testimonies about Jesus, each with its own emphasis, but all serving “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).

Where do these books come from?

Luke explains it himself at the beginning of his Gospel. Many had already undertaken to recount the events, as eyewitnesses had handed them down. He himself had “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” before writing an orderly account (Luke 1:1-4).

The evangelists therefore did not receive a dictation. They worked like historians, gathering their own memories, those of other witnesses and accounts already written. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit works through this human labour; it does not replace it.

Diversity and unity

Some see contradictions in the differences between the Gospels. Yet behind this diversity, the unity is striking. Towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus of Lyon wrote that Christ has given us the Gospel in four forms, but held together by one Spirit.

This plurality is even an advantage. On the one hand, it protected against heresies: one Gospel was recognised behind the four. On the other hand, it shows that the riches of Jesus Christ cannot be grasped and passed on by a single man.

According to Frank Thielman, five themes run through the whole New Testament:

1. the unique importance of Jesus;
2. faith as the response to Jesus;
3. the gift of the Spirit of God;
4. the Church as the people of God;
5. the final consummation of all things.

A canon within the canon?

To deal with diversity, some have chosen to favour a few books regarded as central. Martin Luther made justification by faith the cornerstone of all theology. He placed Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation at the end of his translation, without removing them. He was particularly severe towards James, which states that faith without works is dead.

The position of this course is that we cannot grant more authority to one canonical book than to another. Luther’s choice is explained above all by his reaction to the abuses of his time, rather than by any real problem with the inspiration of these books.

More than a Messiah

The New Testament authors show that Jesus fulfils the expectations of Israel. He is the Son and the anointed king of Psalm 2, the Lord of Psalm 110. But they go further. Jesus himself reads Psalm 110 to show that the Messiah is not only the son of David, but his Lord (Mark 12:35-37). John writes so that people may believe “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). For Paul, Jesus is the pre-existent Son, sent into the world (Galatians 4:4), through whom all things were created (Colossians 1:15-17). The whole New Testament converges on him.