New Testament Final

The Gospels:

The Good News

Synoptic Gospels:

Matthew, Mark, Luke

Synoptic Problem

• Each relied on common oral tradition

• Each relied on common sources

• They relied on each other

Matthew’s Message:

Jesus is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah-King

Matthew’s Key Distinctives:

• Strong Jewish Orientation

• Emphasis on Christ’s Fulfillment of the OT

• Topically arranged around five speeches/sermons

• The Great Commission

Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount:

A collection of teachings by Jesus found in Matthew chapters 5-7, emphasizing moral principles and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew’s Fulfillment of the Law:

Jesus came not to abolish but to fulfill the Law

Matthew’s Birth Narrative:

Focuses on Joseph, magi, Herod, and fight to Egypt - emphasizes fulfillment of prophecy.

Mark’s Main Message:

Jesus, the Son of God, became a servant and a ransom for sin

Mark’s Key Features:

• No birth narrative

• Quick moving narrative

• The messianic secret

• ‘Markan Sandwiches’

• False Ending

Which Gospel has a false ending?

Mark

Luke’s Main Message:

Jesus is the Savior of all people, especially the marginalized

What are Luke’s Key Features?

• Emphasis on Outsiders, the Poor, Sinners, Samaritans, Gentiles, and Women

• Emphasis on Jesus’s Present Reign following His Ascension

Which Gospel highlights both Spiritual and Social Gospel?

Luke

Whose birth narrative focus’s on Mary, shepherds, Magnificent?

Luke’s Gospel

Luke’s Sermon on the Plains?

Shorter than Matthews, and more focused on blessings and woes.

John’s Main Message:

Jesus is he Word made flesh to reveal the Father and provide enteral life to all who believe.

John’s Keys Features:

• Emphasis on Jesus’s Divinity (The “I AM” Statements)

• Centrality of Belief/Enteral Life

• Spiritual Dual Sim

• Irony & Symbolism

• The promised Holy Spirt

Washing feet:

Emphasizes humble service, love, and imitating Jesus’ example

Who was the disciple whom Jesus loved?

John

The Glory of God in Suffering:

Jesus’ death is portrayed as glorious and purposeful.

Acts’ main message:

The ongoing work of Jesus through his new covenant people by the Power of the Holy spirit

Acts Key Features:

• Empowering of the Holy Spirt

• Love and Unity of the Church

• Missionary Journeys to the Ends of the Earth

• Gentile Inclusion and the Jewishness of the New community

• Persecution, Opposition, Martyrdom

Who was the apostle to the Jews?

Peter

Who was the apostles to the Gentiles?

Paul

What was Paul’s Jewish name?

Saul

What was Peter’s Jewish name?

Simon

Who converts the Gentiles household of Cornelius

Peter

Who is Stephen?

He preaches against Israel’s leaders and is stoned to death, marking the beginning of persecution

What is the Pentecost?

The Holy Spirt fills the community as the New Temple

What does the Jerusalem Council decalare?

Declares that Gentile believers don’t have to follow Jewish customs to become Christians

Act’s Main Conflicts:

1. The Racial/Cultural Division between Jews and Gentiles

2. The Political Tension between “Jesus is Lord” and Caesar is Lord”

Roman’s Main Message

The good news is that everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, is justified by grace through faith in Christ

Which of Pauls’ Epistles mentions Phoebe as a deacon of the church?

Paul

Who is Phoebe?

She is the carrier of the letter to the Romans

1 Corinthians Main Message:

Everything in life must be viewed through the good news.

Head Coverings:

Instructions for modesty and order in worship; as a cultural practice tied to honor.

The Lord’s Supper:

Paul corrects misuse of the meal, emphasizing unity and remembering Christ’s sacrifice

The Sign Gifts:

Spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and healing should be used with love and order in the body

Divorce:

Paul gives instructions about marriage, singleness, and divorce, emphasizing peace and faithfulness.

Resurrection:

A powerful defense of the bodily resurrection of Jesus and future resurrection of believers

Galatians Main Message:

Believers in Christ are justified as children of Abraham through faith and not by the law

Children of Abraham:

Believers in Christ, not just Jews, are the true children of Abraham

Circumcision:

Not required for salvation, Paul strongly defends salivation by grace, not by works of the Law

Fruit of the Spirt

Love, joy, peace, patience’s - results of walking in the Spirit

The Law:

The Law was a guardian until Christ came; now believers live by the Spirt, not under the Law

Ephesians Main Message:

The church must walk in a manner worthy of its calling in Christ

Household Codes

Instructions for relationships in marriage, family, and slavery, all grounded in submission to Christ

Armor of God

Spiritual resources for battle: truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, Word of God

Philemon

Philemon must forgive Onesimus and receive him as brother

Hebrew’s Main Message:

Endure in faith in Christ, who is superior in every way to the Old Covenant

Who is the author of Hebrews?

Anonymous

Apostasy:

Warnings against falling away or rejecting Christ after knowing the truth

Deliberate Sin:

Serious warning in Hebrews about continued sinning after receiving knowledge of the truth

Priesthood of Melchizedek

Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek, emphasizing an enteral and superior priesthood

Who is the Author of James?

James, half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church

James Main Message:

Faith without works is dead

Wisdom Tradition

Full of practical wisdom for Christian living

Sermon on the Mount (James)

Many parallels to Jesus’ teachings in Matthew, especially on anger, speech, and humility

The Rich:

Harsh warnings against the rich who oppress others and do not help the poor

Faith/Works:

True faith must be visible through deeds, not just belief

Living Stone:

Believers are built on Jesus, the Living Stone, and are themselves living stones in a spiritual house

Rome/Babylon:

Peter refers to Rome as “Babylon” - a symbolic name representing corrupt worldly power

1 Peter’s Main Message:

Endure unjsut suffering as a witness to Jesus

1 John Main Message:

Walk in the love and light of God

2 John’s Main Message:

Warning to a specific church to watch out for the deceivers and not to support them

3 John’s Main message:

Encouraging Gaius (a member of these churches) to welcome people who John supports

Anti-Christ

Not a single figure - anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is anitchrsit ’

Gaius:

A faithful believer praised for showing hospitality to traveling missionaries

Who is the author of Jude?

Jude, the brother of James and likely also a half-brother of Jesus

Jude’s Main Message:

Contend for the faith against false teachers who distort grace into license for sin

2nd Temple Literature:

Quotes from non-canonical Jewish writings, such as 1 Enoch and the Assumption of Moses, showing familiarity with Jewish traditions

Revelation’s Genre

Apocalyptic

Author of Revelation

John likely the Beloved Disciple but could be different John

Context of Revelation

• Nero sits on the throne and his initiated a government sanctioned persecution of Christians

• There is widespread temptation to refuse Christ to escape persecution

• Jesus promises New Creation to all those who endure and overcome

Nero

Emperor notorious for persecuting Christians

Beast-Empires

Beasts symbolize wordily empires opposed to God

Revelation Idealist:

The events described are symbolic of the cosmic battle between God and Satan

Revelation Presterist:

The events described were largely fulfilled in the first century especially with the fall of Jerusalem

Revelation Futurist:

The events described are largely yet to be fulfilled, typically as rapidly occurring signs of the end of days

Pre-Trib:

A rapture will happen before a Tribulation

Mid-Trib:

A rapture will occur in the middle of a Tribulation

Post-Trib:

no “rapture”, not really

Pre-Mil:

Christ will return before his Millennial Reign

Post-Mil:

Christ will return after a Millennial Reign

A-Mil:

Christ is presently reigning