Transcript Old Testament Overview - St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of DC

New Testament Introduction
October 14, 2013
Why is the Word of God important?
• “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and
they are life.” John 6:63
• “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God.” Matthew 4:4
• God is revealing Himself to mankind
• His love for mankind
• His purpose for mankind
• His promises for mankind
• In the Old Testament, the word of
God came by the Law and
commandments but in the New
Testament the word of God came
in the flesh – the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read John 1:1, 14
• “God, who at various times and in
various ways spoke in time past to
the fathers by the prophets, has in
these last days spoken to us
by His Son” Hebrews 1:1-2
“The New Testament is hidden in
the Old Testament and the Old
Testament is revealed in the New
Testament.”
-St. Augustine
(types of Christ, prophecies)
“The fullness of time”
(Gal 4:4, Eph. 1:10)
• The people who sat in darkness have
seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region
and shadow of death
Light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16)
• The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the
shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined. (Isaiah
9:2)
Structure of the NT
4 gospels
Book of Acts
14 Epistles of St. Paul
7 Catholic (universal) Epistles
Book of Revelation
27 books*
*First mentioned by St. Athanasius in
his festal letter in 367AD
The Gospels and Acts
The Pauline Epistles
The Catholic (Universal)
Epistles
• Gospel means “good
news” (from the Greek
word: Evangelion)
• The gospel tells the life
and teaching of Jesus
Christ. (Not a complete
biography)
• See John 21:25
• Acts 20:35
• Why 4 gospels?
• Gospels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the
“synoptic” gospels
• syn = similar, harmonious optic = view
• Each begin with baptism of Christ, public ministry, teachings and
miracles and end with passion, crucifixion and resurrection.
Gospel According to Matthew
Symbol = a man
St. Matthew was one of the twelve
Written to: the Jews (most probably
originally written in Aramaic)
58-70 AD
See Matthew 1:1-17
often used the phrase, “that which was
spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled…”
(genealogies, feasts, etc)
See Matthew 11:10
Longest and most detailed account of Jesus’
teaching: Sermon on the mount
Gospel According to Mark
Symbol = a lion
St. Mark was one of the seventy
Written to: the Romans
55-65 AD
Largest number of miracles
According to the tradition of St. Peter
Suggested that Mark was the young man
referred to in this gospel that fled the
garden of Gethsemane naked after
Christ’s arrest. This account is only
mentioned in Mark’s gospel. (Mark 14:5153)
Gospel According to Luke
Symbol = an ox
St. Luke was a gentile converted by
St. Paul
Written to: the Gentiles
Mid 60’s AD
Longest of the 4 gospels
Only gospel with accounts of
annunciation of Jesus and John the
Baptist. Why??
Gospel According to John
Symbol = an eagle
St. John was one of the twelve
Written to: ALL (spiritual and theological
account of Christ’s ministry)
80-90AD
See John 1:1
Highlights:
Most “theological” gospel
I am’s of Jesus
Miracles not recorded in other gospels
(wedding of Cana, Lazarus,)
Jesus final speech (John 13-17)
The Acts of the Apostles
• “Acts of the Holy Spirit”
• Written by St. Luke
• Compare Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1
• Acts 1-7: Beginning of the church
• Acts 8-20: Expansion of the church
• Acts 21-28: Trial and imprisonment of St.
Paul
The Acts of the Apostles
Significant events:
•
•
•
•
Ascension of the Lord
Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost)
The punishment of Ananias and Sapphira
Choosing the 7 deacons
• Read Acts 6
• Martyrdom of Stephen and preaching of Philip
• Conversion of Saul of Tarsus (St. Paul)
• God’s vision to Peter shows that God has broken down the wall
between Jew and Gentile
• A council is convened in Jerusalem to discuss circumcision of Gentiles
• Spreading of the Church
• Trial and imprisonment of St. Paul
Epistles of St. Paul
• Written to specific churches
or specific people (See
Colossians 4:16)
• 14 Epistles (including Epistle
to the Hebrews)
7 Catholic (universal) Epistles
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Why important?
1. Show us how to practice our faith
2. Give a non-Pauline witness to the New Testament
Epistle of James (Jacob)
Author: 3 possibilities
1. James the son of Zebedee: (Matthew 10:2), one of the twelve
disciples and the brother of John the Evangelist. He cannot be the
writer of the epistle because he was murdered by Herod Agrippa I
in the year 44 A.D. (Acts 12:1) At that time, the Christian
Churches were not established yet to allow that some of the
disciples would send them epistles, and the dispersion had not
taken place yet, nor the heresies appeared.
2. James the son of Alphaeus: (Matthew 10:3)
3. James the brother of the Lord: (Galatians 1:19), that is, his
cousin. Most agree that he is the writer of the epistle.
Timeframe: 55-60
Theme/purpose: Harmony of faith and works
Key verses: James 2:17-19
1 Peter
Author: St. Peter the Apostle
(1 Peter 1:1)
Theme/Purpose: Hope (to encourage
believers in their persecution to live a
holy life)
Timeframe: Written 63-67 (persecution of
Nero 54-68)
Key verses: 1 Peter 1:3
2 Peter
Author: St. Peter the Apostle
(2 Peter 1:1)
Theme/Purpose: wanted to send his children his
final commandments to tell them about the
kingdom of heaven and the Second Coming of
the Lord – beware of false teachers. (2 Peter
1:14)
Timeframe: Written 63-67
Key verses: 2 Peter 3:1-4
1,2, 3 John
Author: St. John the Beloved (the Apostle,
the Theologian, the Evangelist)
Theme/Purpose: God’s love for us and our
love for God in truth and action
Timeframe: Written 85-95
Key verses: 1 John 3:18
Key words: light, life, love, truth
Epistle of Jude
Author: Jude, brother of James who is
“brother of the Lord” (Matt. 13:55, Mark 6:3)
Theme/Purpose: Judgment (addresses false
teachers)
**very similar to 2 Peter
Timeframe: Written 60-80
Key verses: Jude 3
Book of Revelation
(Apocalypse)
Author: St. John the Beloved (the Apostle) while
in exile on island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9)
Theme/Purpose: Revelation of last days, Second
Coming and Kingdom of Heaven
Timeframe: Written ~95-96
Only prophetic book of the New Testament
Read Revelation 21:1-4
Remembering the NT
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Epistles of Paul: Faith
Epistle of James: Works
Epistles of Peter: Hope
Epistles of John: Love
Epistle of Jude: Judgment
Revelation: Heaven
• Faith through works with hope and love save us from
judgment and take us to Heaven.
Conclusion
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22
“You Christians look after a document
[Bible] containing enough dynamite to
blow all civilization to pieces, turn the
world upside down and bring peace to a
battle-torn planet. But you treat it as
though it is nothing more than a piece of
literature.” -Mahatma Gandhi