The New Testament is more connected to the Old Testament than you think. New Testament authors were steeped in Old Testament imagery, prophecies, and writing styles
The New Testament is not a whole "new" story, but a continuation of the entire Bible so far. The Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, tells an incomplete story about God and Israel and their continual failings to be the people God calls them to be but also gives us hope of a coming Messiah. The New Testament tells the story of that long awaited Messiah, Jesus.
Not a “new” story
The New Testament is not as disconnected from the Old Testament as some might assume. The cohesion is made evident in the writings of the New Testament where authors often reference back to Old Testament scriptures. Our New Testament Overview video shows the connection between the testaments and how the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus.
What are the Gospels?
The gospels are not biographies, rather, they are a collection of stories told in such a way, by 4 different disciples, so as to evoke a certain image of Jesus. Each author, who is a close follower of Jesus, conveys a first-hand message of the Messiah and his ministry. You could easily state that the authors were spreading the 'good news' to its audience. That's what the gospel, The Good News, is really about.
The four gospels found in the New Testament, are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first three are generally referred to as the "synoptic gospels," because they look at things in a similar way, or they are similar in the way that they tell the story. Of these then, Mark is the earliest, probably written between 70 and 75. Matthew is next - written somewhere between 75 and about 85, maybe even a little later than that. Luke is a little later still, being written between 80 and maybe 90 or 95. And, John's gospel is the latest, usually dated around 95, although it may have been completed slightly later than that, as well.
What Book Refers to the History of the Early Church?
The book of Acts, found in the New Testament bible, addresses the formal constitution of the Christian church by the apostles, and it’s spread throughout the Roman Empire and to the rest of the world.
What are the Pauline Epistles?
The Epistles in the New Testament bible, are divided into two groups; the Pauline Epistles and the Non-Pauline (General) Epistles. The Pauline epistles are simply put, the books that were written by the apostle Paul. His epistles are further grouped into two categories: nine epistles written to churches (Romans to 2 Thessalonians) and four pastoral and personal epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon). This is then followed by writings of eight Hebrew Christian epistles (Hebrews to Jude).
Naturally, many questions would arise as to the meaning and application of the gospel for Christians. Thus, the Epistles answer these questions, give the interpretation of the person and work of Christ, and apply the truth of the gospel to believers.
What are the General Epistles?
Some make reference to the general epistles as the non-Pauline epistles; the books of the New Testament that appear they have not been written by the apostle Paul. The claim is that these writings have different authors and make up seven of the New Testament books. These books aren’t addressed to any particular individual. In fact, they appear to address the constitution of the new Christian church with its by-laws and Godly ethics. In other situations, many consider them to be universal letters addressed to everyone.
What is the Apocalyptic book?
The Apocalyptic book refers to the Book of Revelation, which is often called the Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John, and the Revelation from Jesus Christ from its opening words, and it is the final book of the New Testament. Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: apokalypsis, which means “unveiling” or “revelation”.
The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament bible (although short apocalyptic writings can be found in various other books in the Gospels and the Epistles, and an extended apocalyptic passage in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament).
