Importance of Christian ScriptureAn Introduction to the New Testament

Importance of Christian Scripture

Figure of Jesus is historically one of the most attractive known to man.

Privileged that we have the N.T. because they are the only personal portrait we have of Christ.

Jesus fulfills the expectations/prophesies of the O.T.

N.T. is a personal/involved interaction with the historical Jesus.

The faith expression for Christians is manifested in these scriptures.

Chronology of N.T. Writings:1. 4 B.C. Birth of Jesus2. 27 A.D. Public Ministry of Jesus3. 30 A.D. The Death of Jesus

i. 33 – 36 A.D. The Conversion of Paul (Saul)1. Acts 9:3-192. Acts 22:6-163. Acts 26: 12-18

ii. 51 I & I I Thessalonians iii. 54-57 Galatians, I & I I Corinthians iv. 58 Romans v. 56-57, 61-63 Philippians vi. 61-63 Philemon, Colossians, & Ephesians vii. 61-63 Paul’s house arrest in Rome viii. 64 I Peter (?)

4. 65 A.D. Mark i. 65 A.D. I Timothy ii. 62 or 80 A.D. James iii. 66-67 A.D. I I Timothy

5. Death of Paul in Rome, by beheading6. 60 – 80’s A.D. Hebrews7. 70 – 90 A.D. Matthew

a. Lukeb. Acts of the Apostlesc. Jude

8. 90’s Johna. Apocalypse (Revelation)b. I Johnc. I I Johnd. I I I John

i. Clement of Rome9. 9. 100 – 125 A.D. I I Peter

a. Ignatius of Antiochb. Polycarpc. Barnabasd. Shepherd of Hermase. Didachef. 111-113 A.D. Earliest references in non-Christian Gentile

writings to Christians and their beliefs.

Chronology

Beginning of Christianity

The center: Jesus of Nazareth

Disciples/Apostles is the link between Jesus and all the rest of humanity…

No need to write down the gospels/letters b/c of proximity between the disciples and their geography & approximation to other people.

No clear proof that major Christian writings existed in the period of 30-50 A.D.

Geographical Distance

Earliest Christian community - Jewish in origin & membership - existed within a short traveling distance of Jerusalem.

49 A.D. - decision in Jerusalem was made to admit Gentiles to Christian community w/o circumcision (Acts 15).

Gentile world: became fertile ground for Christian missionary activity, following footsteps of St. Paul.

Chronological Distance

Eyewitnesses of Jesus - would have been the source of much info. to the community.

It becomes difficult for the memories to continue once the original sources begin to pass away.

It also becomes necessary to keep the teachings of Jesus for generations to come - so that people know the “right” way of life.

The Parousia

Criteria for saving writings:

1. Apostolic connection - connection to a particular apostle...

2. Most of the N.T. writings were addressed to particular communities -- they were aimed at creating a message/statement for that community.

3. Conformity with beliefs of faith - was a factor in their acceptance by the Church.

Criteria for saving texts:

4. The use of writings in worship services probably contributed to their acceptance as inspired.

All of these in combination, served as the principles as to why texts were written down.

Formation of the Canon:

Most of the letters - were accepted as inspired writings

By the end of the 4th century, there was a general acceptance of the 27 books of our present N.T., by both the Latin & Greek churches.

CanonIt was only in 1546, at the Council of Trent, that the Church firmly and finally fixed the number of books in the O.T. and N.T.

Precise reason why something is considered inspired, and why something is not, is truly unknown…what is certain: these works emerged in the Church as genuine self-expression of the early Church of her faith belief. Certain works were sensed, were known by the early community to be authentic reflections or expressions of her faith.

Apostolic Preaching

KerygmaPreaching

DidacheTeaching

At different times, the apostles used different styles, in writing and addressing communities in order to share the message of Christ.

Preaching

The public proclamation of the Christian message

Preaching of the “good news” of salvation to the non-Christian world.

Acts 2:14-41

Teaching

Teaching probably included preaching as well as the norms or standards of Christian conduct.

It is directed to the Christian community, to those who had already accepted Christ.

What then is taught/preached?

Turn to the letters of Paul

Open to the Acts of the Apostles

This is where we learn what was taught and what was preached to the people in the community at that time…

Paul’s PreachingPaul’s Preaching

Paul’s letters are all addressed to readers who are already Christian; they deal with theological and ethical problems (ie: related to conduct) arising out of the attempt to follow the Christian way of life and thought in a non-Christian world.

However, there is some indication of what Paul preached in common with other Christian missionaries.

In I Cor. 15:1ff, Paul states in explicit terms his preaching at Corinth:That Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the

scriptures that he was buried and, in accordance with the scriptures rose on the third day, that he was seen by Cephas…

He adds emphatically:

In any case, whether it be I or they [the apostles], this is what we preach and this is what you believed (I Cor, 15:11)

Christ’s resurrection is closely tied to his Lordship: If you confess with your lips that Jesus is

Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9).

Associated with his Lordship is Christ’s role as Judge:

The lives of all of us are to be revealed before the tribunal of Christ so that each one may receive his recompense, good or bad, according to his life in the body (2 Cor. 5:10).

But Christ is not only Judge, he is also Savior:

…you turned to God from idols, to serve him who is the living and true God and to await from heaven the Son he raised from the dead – Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come (I Thess. 1:9-10).

• Therefore, for Paul, salvation and judgment is an effect, a consequence of the Lordship of Christ, which he attained through death and resurrection. Indeed, the focus of the early preaching was not so much on the day-to-day ministry of Jesus as it was on the saving mysteries revealed in his passion, death, and resurrection.

• - We may ask when Paul received the tradition of the death and resurrection of Christ. His first visit to Jerusalem was two or three years after his conversion, very close in time to the crucifixion. Paul spent two weeks with Peter at this time.

Paul’s Life

Paul’s Life Continued

After that he had no direct contact with the primitive church for fourteen years. It is difficult to see how he could have had any opportunity during this period for further instruction in the apostolic traditions. His preaching represents a special stream of Christian tradition which was derived from the mainstream at a point very near its source (Gal. 1:1-2:5).

An Outline: A review of all of Paul’s writings enables us to put together an outline of his preaching:

The prophecies are fulfilled, and the new world is inaugurated by the coming of Christ.

Christ was born of the seed of David. He died according to the scriptures, to deliver us out of

the present evil world. He was buried. He rose on the third day according to the scriptures. He is glorified at the right had of God, as the Son of

God and Lord of the living and the dead.

He will come again (in glory) as judge and savior of men (the living & the dead)

Act’s of the Apostles

The Acts of the Apostles is a work which records the life of the early church and its growth outward from Jerusalem to the Gentile community.

Acts is really the second half of a single work. The Gospel of Luke is the first half [Lk. 1;1-4, Acts 1:1-5. Acts, then, was written by Luke.

Although the Acts of the Apostles records the preaching of the early church, it is certainly written toward the end of the first century. It is apparent that the author took certain liberties with the material – liberties that were common among historians of this period.

The question arises, therefore, as to how faithful Luke was to his sources in recounting the preaching of Peter and others, how much liberty Luke took with his material.

There are indications that Luke, in fact used great restraint in taking liberties with his material.

If one looks at Acts 9:3-19 and compares this passage with Acts 22:1-21 and 26:2-23, he notices that Luke has preserved different accounts of Paul’s conversion; if he had chosen to, he could have eliminated the discrepancies from these repetitions or “doublets.” When one compares Luke’s account of Paul’s speech to the elders of the Church at Ephesus in Acts 20:18-35, he finds so many echoes of the language of Paul’s letters that he may suppose that Luke was working with an actual recollection of Paul’s speech.

Acts, Continued

One may argue then that the speeches given early in Acts by Peter are relatively accurate accounts by Luke of the early preaching.

Examination of some those speeches…

How were the scriptures formed?