NEW TESTAMENT Gospels The four Gospels tells the story of the life of Christ. They begin with His birth and early ministry and end with His Crucifixion, supreme, and we come to know the words and works of the Saviour.   Matthew Originally called Levi, Matthew was one of the 12 disciples. He writes to the Jews, quoting the Old Testament more than any other gospel writer, and presenting Jesus as the Messiah, King of the Jews. His gospel includes two of Jesus' greatest sermons: the Sermon on the Mount (chs. 5-7) and the Olivet discourse (chs. 24-25). Mark Also known as John Mark, Mark was a traveling companion of the Paul and Barnabas. Mark's gospel is the shortest. His is a narrative of dynamic movement and fast action. He uses the terms straightaway and  immediately over 40 times and emphasizes the miracles of Christ. He presents Jesus as the Servant and appeals to the Roman mind. Luke The author was known as "the beloved physician," and was also a companion of Paul. A Gentile, Luke writes to the Greeks and presents Jesus as the ideal Son of Man. His gospel balances the words and works of Christ with an emphasis on His moral perfection. Several incidents are unique to Luke's gospel, such as the birth of John the Baptist and carious details of the Christmas story. John Jesus' beloved disciple, John was the last and most unique of the gospel writers. Having outlived all the other disciples, John wrote with a universal appeal emphasizing Jesus as the Son of God. John's gospel concentrates on the message of Jesus, several of which are unique to this gospel, for example, Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus about the New Birth (ch. 3); the message of the Bread of Life (ch. 6); the Good Shepherd (ch. 10); the Vine and the branches (ch. 15); His prayer for His disciples (ch. 17). The themes of the Gospels are many, but all of them revolve around the person of Jesus Christ: Deity of Christ Jesus is portrayed as the divine Son of God. Messianic fulfillment Jesus is also presented as the One who fulfills all the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Conditions of discipleship The Gospels clearly teach that being a disciple of Christ is serious business and is not to be taken lightly. Eternal life More than anywhere else in the Bible, the Gospels emphasize the gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ.   Acts of the Apostles The book of Acts is actually a continuation of the Gospel of Luke and servers as the first chapter of church history. Luke’s theme is the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. He begins by emphasizing Peter’s ministry at Jerusalem and moves on to Paul’s ministry to the Roman Empire by means of his three missionary journeys. The book of Acts begins with the Great Commission of Christ to His disciples to preach the gospel throughout the world. It then details the story of how they did just that. Acts if a natural sequel to the Gospels and serves as a perfect introduction to the Epistles, which follow. The major themes of Acts are: Birth of Church Beginning at Pentecost, Luke traces the birth and grow of the early church. Priority of evangelism Throughout Acts, Luke recounts the great numbers of people who are converted to Christ by the preaching of the gospel. Work of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is seen as enabling the disciples, through spiritual power and authority, to combat Satan.   Paul’s Epistles An epistle was a letter, generally written on papyrus. It was a form of personal correspondence between the apostle Paul and the churches and individuals to whom he ministered. In these epistles Paul fully develops the theological and practical purpose of the church. He explains the position, authority, offices, duties, and destiny of the church. His major theme is salvation by grace. Romans This is the most theological of the epistles. It explains in detail the plan of salvation as it relates to the doctrine of justification and sanctification. 1 Corinthians This is the severest of Paul’s epistles. It was written to correct the theological, moral, and personal problems in the church at Corinth. 2 Corinthians Paul’s second letter to Corinth is his most personal and autobiographical. In it he emphasizes the mercy and grace of God to help us through the trials of life. Galatians This epistle was written to the churches of Galatia to combat legalism and to emphasize the freedom of the believer in Christ. Ephesians Written to the central church in Asia Minor, this epistle emphasizes the believer’s position in Christ (a term used 90 times in this letter). Philippians Written from prison in Rome, the letter to the church at Philippi emphasizes joy in Christ. Colossians Another of the prison epistles, this letter to the church at Colosse was written to combat heretical mysticism by emphasizing the headship and preeminence of Christ over the church. 1 Thessalonians Through to be the earliest of Paul’s epistles, this letter to the Thessalonians explains the hope of the Second Coming of Christ to the persecuted church. 2 Thessalonians Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians clarifies the coming of Christ, the rise of the Antichrist, and the final Day of the Lord. 1 Timothy Paul’s final epistles are generally called "pastoral" epistles because they are written to individual pastors. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul deals with the importance of sound doctrine, church discipline, and qualification of pastors and deacons. 1 Timothy This was Paul’s last written letter, sent to Timothy in the final days of Paul’s imprisonment. In it Paul explains the importance of faithfulness to the ministry and warns against apostasy. Titus Similar to Paul’s letter to Timothy, his epistle to Titus was sent to a young pastor on the island of Crete and emphasizes church organization and administration. Philemon This unique letter was sent to an individual believer at Colosse, explaining the conversion of his runaway slave Onesimus. The themes of the Pauline Epistles are many. The most prominent are: Grace Salvation in wholly by the grace of God. Man can do nothing to earn it. Salvation Paul taught that salvation is a personal act of faith in the living to earn it. Church Paul emphasizes that the local church is God’s institution on the earth to equip the saints to evangelize the world. General Epistles These letters were addressed primarily to Jewish-Christian believers. They emphasize the importance of Christ, but say little about the details of church life. Essentially, they were written to warm Jewish believers against falling back into the ritualism of Judaism. Hebrews This anonymous epistle was written to Hebrew believers. It stresses the superiority of Christ to Old Testament religion: angels, prophets, Moses, priests, sacrifices, the temple. It also emphasizes the superiority of the New Covenant (Testament). James This epistle was written by our Lord’s brother, pastor of the church at Jerusalem. The earliest of all the epistles, the letter of James explains the importance of a living faith that really works. 1 Peter This letter was written by the apostle Peter to give believers hope in the midst of suffering. 2 Peter The apostle’s second epistle is a warning against the apostasy of false teachers. 1 John The three epistles ascribed to the apostle John are similar in style to his gospel. In them he emphasizes the importance of eternal life. In his first epistle his theme is "fellowship with Christ." 2 John In this more personal letter, John warns against false teachers who deny the full deity and humanity of Christ. 3 John This letter deals with three men – Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius. The theme is "life in the truth." Jude The author of this epistle was another of our Lord’s brothers. The message is a warning against apostasy and calls on believers to contend for the faith. The major themes of General Epistles are: Superiority of Christ Jesus Christ is emphasized as the One who is superior to the Old Testament because He is the fulfillment of it. Faithfulness True faith is pictured as working itself out in personal righteousness. Apostasy The believer is constantly warned against the error of false doctrine. Revelation The last book of the Bible is called the "Revelation of Jesus Christ." Written by the apostle John, the Book of Revelation pictures the final catastrophic judgments of the world before the Second Coming of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom. Also known as the Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation is the most prophetic book of the New Testament. The book reaches its climax with the return of Christ to defeat the armies of the Antichrist.