HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: ROMANS - REVELATION BIBLE 132

Fall, Freshman Year BIB 121 – History of the NT: Gospels Spring, Freshman Year BIB 132 – History of the NT: Romans-Revelation Fall, Sophomore Year BIB 212 – History of the Old Testament Spring, Sophomore Year BIB 222 – Philosophy of Living

Purposes of Course To help you develop an understanding of the growth and development of early Christianity. To help you develop a knowledge of the material of the New Testament

Purposes of Course To help you understand how the New Testament and its theological principles can provide encouragement, guidance, and wisdom for our lives today.

Why Is the Bible So Important? Best selling book of all time. Record of people’s experiences with God Great stories and literature Influenced so many throughout history

A collection of documents written over many centuries The Bible A collection of documents written over many centuries Two Parts: Old Testament, or First Testament New Testament, or Second Testament

Testament “Testament” or “Covenant” refers to the story of how God chose to work through various people in history. Old or First = God working through the descendants of Abraham (The Jewish people) New or Second = God working through Jesus and his followers (Christians)

Old Testament 39 different documents (books) Law/ Torah Prophets Writings

New Testament 27 different documents (books, letters) Gospels = Life of Jesus Acts = Beginnings of Christianity Letters of apostles to churches & individuals Book of Revelation – written to Christians being persecuted by Roman government

Canon Authoritative collection of writings Old Testament accepted by Jews even before Jesus’ time New Testament came together throughout the first century AD

Heresies Marcion Rejected the OT Paul was the only true apostle Bible included Gospel of Luke, and ten letters of Paul.

Heresies Gnosticism

New Testament Canon Apostolic Authorship Orthodoxy Universality Apostles of Jesus Or those who worked with the apostles Orthodoxy Universality

Inspiration The idea that God worked with the authors of the Old and New Testaments to provide reliable and useful teachings for helping people. 2 Peter 1:20

Integrity of New Testament Text The best attested writing of the ancient world. More manuscripts that any other work Less of a gap between originals and copies Thousands of quotations by early church leaders. Best preserved document of antiquity