Master the Bible: How to Get and Keep the Big Picture of the Bible's Story

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Mas ter the B i b l e : How to Get and Keep the B i g P i c ture of the B i b l e ’ s Stor y

General Facts concerning the New Testament, continued

General Facts about the New Testament

1. The NT is the testament of God’s saving work in more recent times and announces the Savior the OT awaits.

2. The NT contains 27 books, four dealing with Jesus’ life and ministry called Gospels , one dealing with history of the Church, Acts , and 21 Epistles or letters, and one book of prophecy .

3. The collection of books in the NT comprise the canon , an authorized collection that came together over 3 centuries.

4. NT manuscripts were first written on papyrus (a paper made from reeds, and then on leather). Nearly 300 others are written on uncials , in capital letters, usually on leather. Minuscules represent the largest group and display a kind of cursive writing that developed in Byzantium around the ninth century. Lection aries , books used in church worship, include portions of Scripture as well. 5. The NT is reliable because of 1) the extensive evidence supporting it; 2) the authors wrote them within the first generation or two of Christian history, and 3) ancient versions were widely distributed. 6. The personal tone of the NT is seen in the fact that of the 27 books 24 are personal letters, and 3 are personalized accounts of the life and work of Christ.

7. The Apocrypha includes 14 non-canonical books written between 200 B.C. and A.D. 100.

8. Jesus was seen as a threat by the Jews because he made controversial claims about himself and took liberties with Jewish customs. 9. Jesus appeared at a time when the traditions of Judaism dictated much of Jewish life and practice. A knowledge of these customs can greatly aid our understanding of the NT.