2.  The OT covers the origins of faith including creation (Genesis), covenants with various patriarchs (Abraham), the Exodus from Egypt, and ends with the Exile and prophecies of a covenant to be fulfilled (the Messiah).

3.  The New Testament can be broken into 4 key parts:  The Gospels  The Acts of the Apostles  Letters  Revelation

4.  Heart of the Scriptures  source for learning the life/lessons of Jesus  Inspired by God, but written by men GOSPELSAPPROX. DATE WRITTEN Matthew (Mt)A.D. 70-85 Mark (Mk)A.D. 65-70 Luke (Lk)A.D. 70-85 John (Jn)A.D. 90-100

5.  Mt, Mk, and Lk known as the synoptic Gospels  means that they have similar visions  Lk and Mt used many of the verses that appeared in Mk  Mt and Lk share material that doesn’t appear in Mk  Q document: hypothetical source believed to be made up of the sayings of Jesus

6.  Jn uses symbolism and strong imagery to emphasize the divinity of Jesus

7.  Written A.D. 80-100  Focuses on the growth of the Church guidance of the Holy Spirit  Is the 2 nd part of Lk Gospel and covers Christian expansion in the Roman world

8.  Includes the activities of the early Church such as the preaching of Peter/the Apostles, the growth of the 1 st Christian community, the missionary journeys of Paul, and the Council of Jerusalem

9.  Includes 21 letters or Epistles  Generally took the form of letter writing and addressed to a Christian community or individuals  Letter structure  Opening: a greeting (identifying the sender and recipient) then a prayer  Body: usually an account of Jesus’ life, teachings on how to grow, and advice/encouragement to the community  Conclusion: a personal remark/farewell

10.  Can be divided into 3 groups:  The letters of Paul: from Romans to Philemon  Letter to the Hebrews  Catholic Epistles (the last 7 letters)  Called Catholic or “universal” because they’re addressed to the general public, not a specific community

11.  Written A.D. 95-96  The final book, the Revelation to John  Uses poetic imagery and challenges the reader to fully understand the truth of Jesus

12.  Written in styles of apocalyptic literature  A popular style in both Christian and Jewish communities  Apocalyptic means “revealed” or “unveiled”  Secrets of heaven/the future are revealed by an angel or the Risen Christ  Much of the imagery comes from the OT (Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel)

13.  Rich with symbolism of numbers, colours, and images which were used to hide messages from the Romans (who were persecuting Christians)  Writings were meant to comfort/give hope to the people  Encouraged Christians to remain faithful to the mission