A Bird’s-eye view of the New Testament Part 1

 A Bird’s-eye view of the New Testament

 

The Four Gospels

While they all present Jesus as the Christ, the son of David, the Son of God, the Savior who was crucified and rose again, they each have a special emphasis:

MATTHEW – Christ the King of Israel. He begins, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The emphasis is on the teaching of Jesus and his fulfilling the law and the prophets. The key phrase is, “that it might be fulfilled.”

MARK - Christ the suffering servant. There is no genealogy, it begins with a bang, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The key word in Mark in “straightway” and rightly so, for the faithful servant of the Lord immediately obeys.

 LUKE - Christ the Son of Man. His genealogy goes all the way back to Adam. Emphasizes prayer and the Holy Spirit. He begins, “It seemed good to me…to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”

JOHN – Christ the Son of God. He opens with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In Exodus 3:14 God had said of Himself, I AM THAT I AM; Jesus says of himself, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

The Gospel in one verse:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 

 

 The Book of the Acts of the Apostles

 The Gospel of Luke is “all that Jesus began both to do and teach” and the Book of Acts (also written by Luke) is what Jesus continued to do by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the Church. It provides its own basic outline: “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” It opens in Jerusalem and closes in Rome. It is called the Acts of the Apostles, but focuses mainly on the ministries of Peter (1-12) and Paul (13-28).

1-7 The Gospel in Jerusalem and Judaea
8 The Gospel in Samaria
9 Paul converted
10-11 Cornelius, a Gentile god-fearer, believed
11:19-21 Scattered believers preached to Greeks in Antioch and many believed; Barnabas sent to Antioch to help the church; brought Paul in to help.
13 Barnabas and Paul called by the Holy Spirit and sent by the church
15 Council in Jerusalem about the salvation of the Gentiles
16 The Gospel came to Europe
21 Paul arrested in Jerusalem, sent to Rome

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. (28:30-31)

 

The Epistle to the Romans

Written by Paul to the church in Rome to introduce himself and his message.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just by faith shall live.

1:18-3:18 All are under sin
3:19-5:23 Justification
6-8 Sanctification
9-11 Israel and The Gospel
12-16 Practical

“This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

Preface of Martin Luther's Commentary on Romans (1552). Translated by J. Theodore Meuller

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.