Understanding Scripture – The New Testament
Luke 22:20: “…This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
The Kingdom and the New Ambassadors
The Jews were well aware of the promise of a kingdom; unfortunately, in their minds, it was to be an earthly empire.
As fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3 about a voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord, John the Baptist is a pivotal figure who bridges the Old and New Testaments as observed by his statement in Matthew 3:1-2, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Christ Himself also confirms this in Mark 1:15, proclaiming, “…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Unfortunately, most Jews perceived this as contemporaneous, which would finally free them from Roman rule. Acts 1:6-8 supports this false wish when it states, “So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” Christ’s answer is really a confirmation of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
This misconception also explains the dramatic turn of events from the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, which claims, “…Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey,” currently celebrated as Palm Sunday and Christ’s crucifixion less than a week later. In the intervening days, Christ in Luke 22:20 proclaims, “…This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Thus, the establishment of the New Covenant with the Church, now, as Christ’s Ambassadors.
Structure of the New Testament
The New Testament, which was written by eight individuals under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit from about 48 AD to around 96 AD, includes 27 of the 66 books of the Bible and can be divided into the following four sections:
The Gospels – The Life of Christ
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John present a narrative of Jesus’s life and ministry and also deliver large portions of His teachings. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels and provide a coherent and somewhat unified narrative of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, in contrast to the Gospel of John, which contains unique content and presents a different perspective and emphasis. The term “synoptic” comes from the Greek word “synopsis,” which means “seeing together” or “a general view,” and exhibits a significant amount of shared content, a similar structure, and even includes parallel accounts of the same events, teachings, and parables. The Gospel of John, however, is unique for its theological depth and focus on the deity of Christ. John’s Gospel supplements the Synoptics by providing a more explicit theological framework, emphasizing the eternal nature of Christ, His divine Sonship, and the importance of belief for eternal life. Together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of who Jesus is and what He accomplished.
It should also be recognized that this is still Old Testament times, with the ushering in of the New Covenant and the Church Age. You are truly looking at a transition period. The Holy Spirit has not yet come, and Christ is completing the prophecies of fulfilling His sacrificial death on the cross.
Acts – History of the Early Church
Luke, the author of Acts, records the early Christian Church’s first 30-year history. Luke covers Peter in Chapters 1-12 and switches to Paul in Chapters 13-28. This effectively depicts the forward movement of the Church’s growth from Jewish settings in Jerusalem with Peter towards a predominately Gentile church with Paul. He also covers the Church’s expansion from Jerusalem in Chapters 1-7, Samaria in Chapters 8-10, and Judea to the ends of the earth in Chapters 11-28, as commanded by the Great Commission.
The history of the early growth of the Church gives us a strong indication of how the Church was initially operating, but because Acts, like much of the Old Testament, is narrative, it is often easy to take verses out of context and transform events into doctrine. For example, Acts 2:44-45 states, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” These passages describe the community life of the early persecuted Church, emphasizing generosity and mutual support. However, it’s important to note that these were voluntary acts rather than prescriptive commands directed at all believers. False prophets often use these and similar verses to justify a false lifestyle or doctrine that is not mandated in the Bible.
The Epistles – Doctrines
The Epistles contain the doctrines of the Christian faith. It should be noted, however, that the epistles differ in several degrees. Some are specific letters to Churches, while others are specific letters to individuals. Most are occasioned or called forth by some distinct circumstance, such as the influence of false prophets, behavior needing correction, a doctrinal error that needs to be set right, or a misunderstanding that needs further clarification. As such, they are not theological treatises or summaries of theology but theology being written for or brought to bear on the task at hand.
It helps, therefore, to know as much as possible about why and how the epistle was developed. Was it to address problems at a local church, or heresies that were circulating in the Church, etcetera? Knowing this will help you understand why the reply – Epistle – has been written. It also helps to recognize that a few of the issues the early Christians faced, for example, involvement with Pagan temples and worship or whether women should wear head coverings, probably won’t impact us today. Other issues, for example, false teachings and sin, which extend across cultural lines, do, however, impact all of us. It is essential, then, to distinguish cultural issues and concentrate on moral issues in understanding and applying the Epistles to our Christian lives. That being said, something can be learned from all aspects of the Epistles.
Paul is the dominant author of the Epistles, beginning with Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews. Other Spirit-inspired writers include James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John and Jude. Although Hebrews does not announce its authorship, Paul is believed to have penned it. As an aid in finding a book of the New Testament, notice that Hebrews sits right in the middle of the Pauline epistles to the left and the epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude to the right.
Revelation – Judgment and Rewards
Even though Revelation contains images that border on science fiction in describing some of John’s visions, this is the fulfillment of the promise of Christ’s Second Coming. John starts with a warning to the Seven Churches, which are characteristic of churches even today. He then shifts to the prophecy of the end times.
As opposed to modern predictions of end times, e.g., overpopulation and global warming etc., Revelation depicts the unholy Trinity of Satan, the Anti-Christ, and the False Prophet in their effort to take over the world and a revival led by Christ through His Two Witnesses, the Global circling Angels, and 144,000 empowered Jewish evangelists, culminating in the second coming of Jesus Christ, the ushering of the Millennium Kingdom and the eventual creation of the Kingdom of a New Heaven and a New Earth.
In a separate Substack, I review the characters and events in the book of Revelation.
How God Deals with His People
In my Old Testament post, I stated that there was one conditional and temporary Covenant – the Mosaic Covenant. This was the “law” of Exodus 20-23 that God gave to Israel through Moses to govern the life and conduct of Israel. As predicted in Ezekiel 36:26-27, it has been replaced, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Does this mean that the Church is no longer under the Ten Commandments?
Initially, it should be understood that no one is saved in the Old Testament by the Law. Paul reiterates this in Romans 3:20, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified…” Additionally, Romans 4:3 provides an example when it claims, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
However, all of the Ten Commandments, except one, are repeated in one way or another in the New Testament. Additionally, two encompassing commands, known as the Shema, are also repeated, for example, in Matthew 22:35-40 where “Jesus replies: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”
The only verse not repeated in the New Testament is Exodus 20:11, which states, “The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” New Testament verses point to Sunday as the Church’s day of worship. For example, Acts 20:7 states, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…” Although the Church no longer worships on Saturday, the concept of setting aside one day of the week to rest and reflect on God is still worthy of consideration.
Conclusion
The New Testament is all about the incarnation of Christ and His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection, which offer eternal life to unworthy sinners. However, greater revelation results in higher accountability, as expressed in Luke 12:48, where Jesus declares, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
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Thanks. I agree. It's a comforting ending to those that believe.
Fantastic overview. Least studied book is the book of revelation. Becoming familiar with it ensures we have nothing to fear as it tells us how it all ends.