New Testament Survey 1

7/29/2019 New Testament Survey 1

1/36

2005 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

i

A New Testament Surveyof the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I :

&Christ

Church

His

L e c t u r e s b y D r . T . D a v i d G o r d o n


2/36


ii

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I

About the Ockenga Institute and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary:

Established in 1985, the Ockenga Institute exists to make the rich educational resources of Gordon-

Conwell Theological Seminary available to Christian leaders throughout the world. Through our various

centers and programs, we serve as the research and continuing education arm of the school, seeking

to build Christian leaders for the Church of Jesus Christ, present and future.

Contact us:

Dimensions of the Faith

Ockenga Institute of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

130 Essex Street

South Hamilton, MA 01982

tel: 1-800-294-2774

email: [email protected]

web: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/dimensions/

Copyright:

Copyright 2005 Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission

from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Printed in the USA.

Acknowledgements:Curriculum Design and Developer: David HornProject Editor: Dana HessNotebook Writer: Gypsy FleischmanAudio Editor: Curt WannerGraphic Design: Ashli NewmanNotebook Format: David Finnell and Dnes House

About the author:

Dr. T. David Gordon, a native of Richmond, VA, is currently Associate Professor of Reli-

gion and Greek at Grove City College in Grove City, PA, where he has served since 1999.Previously, he had taught for 13 years at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served

for nine years as the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashua, NH.

He and his wife, Diane, have two daughters, Grace and Dabney.


3/36


iii

A N e w Te s t a m e n t S u r v e y o f t h e G o s p e l s a n d t h e A c t s o f t h e A p o s t l e s

Preface:

The Dimensions of the Faithseries is developed with the firm conviction that a life of faith andobedience in Jesus Christ is based upon a working knowledge of Gods word. You cannotobey what you do not know.

For this reason, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has developed the Dimensions of theFaithseries for any Christian who desires foundational knowledge in the areas of Old and NewTestament, Biblical Interpretation, Church History, Theology, and Missions. The goals of each

course are the following:

1. To paint the big picture of what you are learning;

2. To provide you with the basic content;

3. To introduce you to key words that will enlarge your capacity for knowing;

4. To guide you to understand how greater knowledge of Gods word can be

applied naturallyto everyday life and service;

5. To direct you to valuable resources as Gods word whets your appetite for

further study.

The Dimensions of the Faithseries is designed to be used in a variety of settings. You maywish to use the materials as a resource for your own spiritual growth and enrichment. You may

also wish to study the materials as a group. The series may be used as a leadership tool for

churches or as a training tool on the mission field. We encourage those of you who are pastors

to use the series with your ruling boards or your volunteer teaching staffs. A certificate is

available for those who complete all six subject areas of the Dimensions of the Faithseries.

In addition to the notebook and tape/CD version you currently own, you may listen to the

lectures on the Gordon-Conwell website: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/dimensions/.

The variety of formats will allow greater flexibility in the use of this material.

For more information about the Dimensions of the Faithseries, please contact us by postalmail at the Ockenga Institute, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton,

Massachusetts 01982, or email us at [email protected].

We pray that God will use this series as a powerful tool for expanding your knowledge of God

and Gods word so that you may be able to share the good news throughout the world.


4/36


iv

About the Study and Workbook Guide:

The following study guide is designed as a scratch notepad to be used as you listen to the

accompanying taped lectures. You may have noticed that we have used the drawings of

Leonardo Da Vinci as a motif for our materials. Just as Da Vinci sketched out his ideas in the

process of creating a final painting, so we invite you to sketch out your own thoughts in thenotebook while you listen to the lectures. Each chapter includes valuable information and

questions for you to ponder while you listen. Use the designated blank spaces and margins as

your opportunity to interact with what you are learning.

To guide you through the materials, we have provided you with a series of icons. We do so

under the firm conviction that a fuller knowledge of God and his word requires expanding yourhorizons in all directions.

Breadth of Biblical Knowledge: Grasp the big picture, from A to Z.

SCOPE

Width of Biblical Knowledge: Expand your understanding by enlarging yourvocabulary.

DEFINITION

Height of Biblical Knowledge: Grow in your knowledge of the basic content of

Scripture, theology, church history, and culture.BASIC CONTENT

Length of Biblical Knowledge: Stretch yourself to obedience and service throughcorrect understanding.

APPLICATION FOR SERVICE

Depth of Biblical Knowledge: Use these resources to grow deeper.QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY


5/36


v

Basics and Backgrounds 1

How History Helps 4

Clearly Canon 7

There to Here: The New Testament 10

Thy Kingdom Come 13

Back to the Future 16

Gospels 101 19

Matther, Mark, and Luke: Three Angles, One Story 22

The Red Letter Edition: The Gospel of John 25

The Spreading Flame 28

Table of Contents

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.


6/36


vi


7/36


1

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e O n e

Everyone would agree: the world is vastly different today than itwas two thousand years ago. The people living in Jesus time couldnot even have imagined the way we live. Yet we continue to accept

texts written by these people as if they are relevant to our daily

lives. Why? Why do we study the New Testament? Why are these

ancient writings relevant to our lives today? What makes the Bible

powerful and meaningful to those of us living thousands of years

after it was written? When we understand the background of the

New Testament, the political and social factors which influenced

its writers and the cultural context into which these writings came,

we can more fully understand the life-changing nature of Godsmessage to those who received it two thousand years ago. And we

can better experience its life-changing power in our own lives.

Atonement At the heart of bibical religion, a sacrificial system inwhich an animal takes the place of a person, receiving for him orher the punishment for his or her sins.Sacrifice The substitutionary punishment (death) of an animal.

Temple The building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshippedYahweh. Built to represent the heavens and the earth. The placewhere God lived among his people.

Why is it important to understand the variety of ways that the termbackground can be used?

What is the definition of background that Dr. Gordon will beusing?


8/36


2

What was the Decree of Cyrus? Where in the Bible is it recorded?

In what five ways was Judaism affected by this era of outside rule?

What happened to Israelite religion when the temple wasdestroyed?

What is one essential ingredient of biblical religion? How is thisingredient part of the Christian faith?


To what extent is the church today influenced by the same kindsof political forces and religious compromises that affected the

Israelites?

What would happen to your spiritual life if Christs atonement was

suddenly taken away?


9/36


3

B a s i c s a n d B a c k g r o u n d s

No Jews offer sacrificesanywhere....They dont havethe atonement....weve gotatonement. Its just Christ!

But we have atonement andatonement still is essentialto the biblical religion.

Which tradition has the more-appropriate claim to being thesuccessor to Old Testament Temple religionJudaism or

Christianity?

Jacob Neusner, Judaism in the Beginning of Christianity.Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984.


10/36


4

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e T w o

Imagine finding an unopened letter in a book. You open it, and findthat it is a love letter, yet there is no address and no signature, nodate, nothing other than the body of the letter. You would certainly

still be able to understand most of the content, but some of the

details would be difficult to understand. However, if you knew who

wrote the letter, who it was written to, when it was written, and

why it was written, youd have a much better chance of putting all

the pieces together. The text of the New Testament is something

like such a letter it gives us the body, but we have to look at the

history around the writing of the text to put the pieces together.

How does the context in which we understand the New Testamentaffect our interpretation of the text? What errors do we make when

we have faulty information about the setting of the text? How is our

understanding enriched when we have a more complete picture of

Gods redemptive work in history?

Meritorious (or works religion) The idea that a person achievessalvation by his or her good actions, or by his or her adherence to a

set of laws.

Torah Literally, the Hebrew word for Law. Specifically, theMosaic Law found in the books of Exodus through Deuteronomy.

Gentile Literally the nations, referring to the non-Hebrewnations, those outside the Mosaic covenant.

Give two of the reasons why first century Judaism was not worksreligion.


11/36


5

H o w H i s t o r y H e l p s

If there is anything that isunscientific, it is history.

What was the true problem Jesus had with the Pharisees?

When was Gods promise given to Abraham? What was thepromise?

What was the Apostle Pauls main problem with the Torah?

What is the difference between knowing something scientificallyand knowing something historically?

How does an understanding of who God is affect our study ofhistory?

If you were to write a history of Gods redemptive work in your life,what events and ideas would need to be included?


12/36


6

Like the Galatians, sometimes we want people to conform to ourrules and expectations before we consider them Christians. In whatareas do you think the Church is guilty of this?

Paul no where says [theJews] found grace offensiveor mercy offensive. Whatthey found offensive wasthe crucified Messiah.


Is the study of history religiously or philosophically neutral? Is therea distinctively Christian way to study history?

Cairns, Earle E. God and Man in Time: A Christian Approachto Historiography. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979, pp.75-107.

M. Howard Rienstra. History, Objectivity, and the Christian

Scholar, in C. T. McIntire and Ronald Wells, eds., History andHistorical Understanding. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984, pp.69-82.

Was first century Judaism a meritorious religion?

E.P. Sanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism. Philadelphia:Fortress, 1978.

Dunn, James D.G. The New Perspective on Paul, BJRL

65(August, 1982): 94-122. Reprinted in Jesus, Paul and theLaw, Louisville: John Knox, 1990.


13/36


7

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e T h r e e

When a great artist, composer, or writer dies, there is a greateffort made to collect that persons works. Published works, aswell as old photographs, unfinished bits of poetry or painting, even

anecdotes about that persons childhood are gathered together.

Often, interviews with the persons close friends and family results

in the writing of a biography. Much the same gathering of materials

took place as the church grew from a small group of disciples into a

geographically spread-out, nationally diverse group of people, and

as it became more and more necessary for believers to discover

ways of maintaining unity. Naturally, written texts began to be

collected and distributed among the churches, including accountsof Christs life and the testimonies of those who had witnessed his

earthly ministry. How were these texts gathered together? How

did the church come to recognize certain texts as having authority,

inspiration, and the definite stamp of the Holy Spirit? At what point

in history did the church have what we know as the New Testament

scriptures?

Epistle a personal letter which may have been also intended for

public reading.

Apostle one of the people whom Christ personally chose andspecially commissioned to be the foundation of his church.

Catholic universal, world-wide, for all people.

Canon a collection of writings that the church recognizes as anauthoritative guideline for Christian faith and practice.

What is the classical Protestant view of how the books of the NTbecame canonical?


14/36


8

What is the earliest evidence we have that the NT material wasbeing gathered?

What is the most significant principle by which the church hasrecognized canonicity?

Why was it important that Paul prove that he had beencommissioned by Christ himself?

How is recognizing inspiration similar to recognizing beauty?

What is the Holy Spirits special role in regard to the Apostles?

What are some NT references to other portions of the NT asScripture?

Where do we find the first evidence of all 27 books in our modernNT being joined in one group?

How does the Holy Spirits testimony in your life resonate with the


Apostolic testimony as recorded in the NT?

The first verse of the hymn Amazing Grace ends with the line,


15/36


9

I once was lost, but now Im found, was blind, but now I see. Inconsidering your own spiritual walk, when have you experiencedthe Holy Spirits opening of your eyes to something in thescriptures?

Why do some churches include the Apocrypha in their Bibles?

C l e a r l y C a n o n

Rather what you see in thehistory of the recognition ofthe canon is that wherever

there are those that submitto the Lordship of Christand repent of their sins,there is the recognition thatin this book they hear the

voice of Christ.

What is the Apocrypha?

Charlesworth, James H. Apocrypha, in David N. Freedman,

ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 1, A-C. New York:Doubleday, 1992, pp. 292-294.


16/36


10

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e F o u r

Have you ever wished you could reproduce some yummy treatfrom your childhood just the way Grandma used to make it?Blueberry pie, or gingersnaps, or oatmeal-raisin cookies? You could

try following Grandmas own recipe, complete with barely-legible

notes along the sides, abbreviations you dont understand, even

ingredients youve never heard of. The people who gathered the

original letters and texts of the New Testament, and the scribes who

copied them had a similar job, with similar difficulties, as you would

have following and translating Grandmas recipe. How did the New

Testament come together, and how did it stay together through

thousands of years? Can we trust that two thousand years later, therecipe for pie still produces a pie? How can we know that the New

Testament text we now have is authentic and reliable?

Lector a person whose job it was to read the scriptures aloud sothat others could write it down and thus make copies of the text.

Scribe a person whose job was to copy by hand the text of thescriptures.

Manuscript handwritten copy of a text.

Translation a version of a text in a language which is not theoriginal language in which the text was written.

In the broad picture, what are the stages from the original letters

and texts of the NT to what we now have?


17/36


11

What are the three main families of texts of the NT? What are thebasic characteristics of these families?

What are some of the ways scribal errors have entered the NTtext?

How have the letters, spacing, and punctuation of the NTmanuscripts changed over time?

What are the intentional and unintentional errors, as Dr. Gordon

explains these? What are some examples?

How have scholars tried to determine what is the original, authentictext of the NT?

T h e N e w T e s t a m e n t : T h e r e t o H e r e

When you compare fivethousand manuscripts andthey all agree...that is prettyoverwhelming.What does Dr. Gordon mean when he says Dont build your house

on theological sand? What can you do to avoid making this kind oferror?

How is your faith challenged and affirmed by Dr. Gordonsdiscussion of the transmission of the NT manuscripts?


18/36


12


[God] had now spokenin these last days in hisSon and there were agroup of Apostles upon

which the church had been

established, and God hadspoken to and throughthem, and the churchand all of its subsequentgenerations would bebuilt upon that apostolicfoundation

What are the oldest actual manuscripts, or portions of manuscripts,that we have found? Where and how were they found?

Eliot, Keith and Ian Moir. Manuscripts and the Text of the NewTestament. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995, pp. 9-25.

Bruce, F.F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960, pp. 10-20.


19/36


13

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e F i v e

There is no denying the fact that great evil exists in the world.Wars, political corruption, greed, genocide, and innumerable otherhorrors testify to the fact that human nature has changed little since

the days of Cain and Abel. Yet Jesus came to establish his kingdom

and to bring about the redemption and healing of the world. Like

the Israelites, we look around us and say God, if you really care

about us, hurry up and get rid of all this bad stuff! Can it be that

Gods kingdom exists even in the midst of the mess that the world

is in? Where is it? When did it start, and is it finished yet? As Dr.

Gordon will remind us, John the Baptist from his prison cell had

similar questions about the Kingdom of God, and he went right tothe source for his answers.

Kingdom of God/ Kingdom of Heaven at the core of Jesusteaching, this refers to Gods sovereign rule and the working out ofthis rule in redemptive history.

Deliverance rescue from bondage or danger.

Covenant an agreement made under oath between two parties,which generally includes blessings if the stipulations of thecovenant are kept, and curses if they are not.

Parable A figure of speech. Jesus used such figures in anunusual manner, by employing them without an instructionalcontext. He did this to fulfill his prophetic role of proclaiming

judgement upon Israel.

What is the summary statement of Jesus proclamation ministry?What two places in the Bible may this statement be found?


20/36


14

How does the Israelites experience of a failed kingdom set thestage for Jesus coming?

Why is John the Baptist greater than all the prophets, yet the leastin the Kingdom of God? Where is he located in redemptive history?

What is the significance of Jesus Kingdom being the final, ultimateKingdom?

How is the Kingdom both present and future? What aspects of it are

present? What aspects are future?

Where in the teachings of Jesus can you find examples of the old

giving way to the new?

How is the Kingdom like a mustard seed?

So the whole OldTestament at least is hoping

that a kingdom, not of

Israel, but a kingdom of

God would come. When

God would put his king on

the throne and God himself

would be God to his people

and rule them.


Do members of your family have differing attitudes toward GodsKingdom? How is your familys unity affected by these attitudes?


21/36


15

He is bringing into human

history the final, ultimate

reign of God anticipated

throughout the Old

Testament in all of the law

and the prophets.

Have you ever felt like John the Baptist, as you consider thesuffering that is in the world today, asking Jesus, Is your Kingdomhere? How has God answered your question?

T h y K i n g d o m C o m e

Gods ultimate Kingdom

where God himself will live

and rule in the midst of his

people and do all that the

earthly kingdoms could not

accomplish.

Were there other people in Jesus time who were claiming to be theMessiah? How did their approach differ from Jesus?

Lohse, Eduard. The New Testament Environment. Nashville:Abingdon, 1976, pp. 187-196.

Horsley, Richard A. Messianic Movements in Judaism, in

David N. Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 4,K-N. New York: Doubleday, 1992,

pp. 791-797.

In what sense did the kingdom of God arrive when Jesus was hereon earth?

Herman Ridderbos. The Coming of the Kingdom. Philadelphia:Presbyterian and Reformed, 1962.


22/36


16

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e S i x

There is nothing quite like the first day you wake up, look outside,and see the first bit of green pushing up through the ground. Thefirst crocuses, appearing overnight into a world that may still be

strewn with dirty piles of snow...the first robin...the first buds on

the trees.... Spring may seem as if it comes suddenly, magically.

Yet the flower bulbs wake up and begin their work long before

the shoots show above the ground. The snow that falls all winter

melts to give the thawing ground its first good drink of water. The

leaves that grow all summer and fall to the ground in autumn

provide necessary nutrients for new plants and trees to grow. When

Spring comes, we can see the ways in which all of nature hasworked together to bring forth new life. Jesus coming was like the

coming of Spring. The events, covenants, promises, and religious

laws of the past could finally be understood as a great, complex

preparation for Jesus coming.

Judgment Gods rejection and removal of all his enemies and ofeverything that corrupts and defiles his creation.

Redemption Gods restoration of his creation from its corrupt anddefiled state to a clean and perfect state.

Grace Giving to people who deserve one thing something elsethat they dont deserve....You didnt earn it, you dont deserve it, itsa gift.

Repentance to turn away from those things which keep us fromGod, and to follow God in wholehearted obedience and love.

What happened to the Old Testament when Jesus taught the

disciples on the road to Emmaus?


23/36


17

B a c k t o t h e F u t u r e

And so judgment isessential and you donot have salvation, in abiblical sense, without thejudgment which removesfrom the fallen world that

which corrupts it and thatwhich defiles it.

How did the apostles preach Christ and argue that Jesus was theChrist?

What two things does the Kingdom of Jesus bring? How are thesetwo things related to each other?

Why, according to Dr. Gordon, did Jesus speak in parables?

What two symbolic actions did Jesus perform in order to illustratehis judgment of Israel?

How does Jesus use the parable of the gracious employer toteach about grace?

What is the proper way to respond to the Kingdom?

In a nutshell, what are the five things that Jesus taught about theKingdom?

Is there anyone in your life from whom you need to askforgiveness? Have you ever needed to withhold the expression of

your forgiveness for a time?


24/36


18


If you dont see what youare doing ethically as areflection of what God hasdone, an expression ofgratitude...then you havefailed to understand thejoy of living in a covenantrelationship with God.

How do you balance your willingness to forgive seven timesseventy and the need for you to withhold forgiveness from animpenitent person?

Describe an experience when God allowed you participate in hiswork through prayer, so that you were able to honor and thank him.

And so we bear with oursufferings precisely becausethey are redemptive.

Why did Jesus preach in Parables? What kinds of parables did heteach?

Stein, Robert H. An Introduction to the Parables of Jesus.Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1981.

Capon, Robert Farrar. The Parables of Grace, The Parablesof Judgement, The Parables of the Kingdom, (3 Vols.) GrandRapids: Eerdmans, 1988.


25/36


19

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e S e v e n

Most of us have completed a jigsaw puzzle at one time or anotherin our lives. To fit the pieces together, we didnt just randomly throwthem onto the table, expecting this to do the trick. Instead, we

considered each piece, looked at each little part of the whole, and

tried to figure out how each part was related to the bigger picture.

Reading the gospels is not unlike fitting together a puzzle. We have

to consider how each piece of narrative fits into the greater story,

the story of Gods redemptive work. Our interpretation of each

event, miracle, parable, or teaching needs to be understood within

its particular cultural context, as well as in light of what kind of

narrative it is and where it falls in the story.

Messiah the Hebrew term meaning anointed. The Jewscommonly anointed with oil a king or a priest, which signified Godscommissioning to do a certain task, and they awaited the promisedanointed one who would deliver them. In the New Testament, theterm Christ is used, and Jesus is presented as the one who fulfillsGods promise to save his people.

Gospel in the New Testament, this refers to the books ofMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which include Jesus earthlyministry and his fulfillment of his Messianic task.

Synoptic a term referring to the first three gospels because ofthe striking similarity of their material, thus, they see Jesus through

a single eye

Genre The broad literary type, or category, into which a piece ofwriting falls.


26/36


20

So the last Adam is muchgreater than the first Adam.His temptation arrives in amore difficult context, buthe nevertheless is faithfulto the word of God and not

the word of the devil and heperseveres in his God-giventask.

What is the difference between historical narrativeand illustrativenarrative?

What are some of the ways we can distinguish between these twotypes of narrative?

What is the fundamental question one must ask in interpreting

illustrative narrative? How can we use an illustrative narrativescontext to better understand what it is illustrating?

What is the main question one must ask when interpreting historicalnarrative? How did the apostles go about using the Old Testamentshistorical narrative passages?

As Dr. Gordon explains it, how does the temptation of Jesus

narrative fit into the story of redemption? What are some commonmisconceptions about this narrative?

What does the Bible primarily talk about?


What is your response to Dr. Gordons reading of the temptationnarrative? Do you feel as if you have more reason to love andserve and adore the One who was faithful to his Messianic task?


27/36


21

G o s p e l s 1 0 1

Do you ever look at the Bible as a sort of handbook for us to usefor better living? How does your understanding change when youperceive that it is filled with information not about sinners, but aboutthe Savior?

There are wonderful,wonderful treasures for youin the Bible....Wonderful,

wonderful truth in the Bibleif we would simply just askof it the questions which it

wants us to ask, and not the

questions which we haveby sloth and indifferenceperhaps come to be askingof the Bible.

Was Christs temptation analogous to our temptations, or was itdistinctive to his special work as Redeemer?

James Henley Thornwell, Christ Tempted as the Second

Adam, in The Collected Writings of James Henley Thornwell.Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1986: 298-333.


28/36


22

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e E i g h t

In a court of law, witnesses give testimony before a jury and judge,describing events that they have seen or heard, so that at the veryleast, two sides of the story are revealed. The idea is, that when

two or more perspectives of the same events are compared and

contrasted, what results is a more complete picture, and a deeper

understanding, of the events being described. As we begin our

study of the New Testament at the Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we

immediately see that these three books concern the same period

of time in history the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Many of

the same events are recounted: the miracles, teachings, death and

resurrection of Christ. Yet each author brings to his writing his ownperspective, his own personality, and his own ideas of which events

and details are relevant to the story. How can we benefit from this

variety of perspectives? What questions might we ask in order to

have a better understanding of how these three testimonies work

together to give us a fuller understanding of our Savior?

Ecclesiology/Ecclesiastical having to do with the church, its of-

fices and institutions.

Eschatology the study of the end times, or last things, which be-gan with Christ and continues until the final judgment and redemp-tion of the world.

Aramaic a related language to Hebrew, which had become thecommon Jewish language at the time of Jesus. Jesus would havespoken Aramaic.

Samaritan a person living in Samaria, the region between Gali-

lee and Jerusalem. The Jews of the first century considered themimpure.


29/36


23

M a t t h e w , M a r k , a n d L u k e : F o u r A n g l e s , O n e S t o r y

But Luke is very interestedin showing the effect of the

gospel and the potentialeffect of the gospel throughthe breadth of the rangeof human experience bothin one sense chronologi-cally and geopolitically, andethnically and socially.

How can the Gospel of Matthew be divided? What phrase in 4:17and again in 16:21 serves to divide the sections?

What is unique about Matthews gospel? What themes and con-cerns run throughout the book?

What is the primary factor influencing the content of the gospel of

Mark? What is Mark trying to show by taking this approach?

What clues suggest that Luke was written to a Gentile audience?

What specific groups of people have a prominent role in Luke thatarent paid much attention in the other gospels?

Why is Luke considered a universal gospel?

What does Dr. Gordon mean by having a symphonic understand-ing of the Synoptic Gospels?


30/36


24

How does the universality of Lukes gospel affect yourunderstanding of the life of Jesus? If Luke hadnt written his gospel,

how would the total picture of Christs ministry as recorded in theBible be changed?

Dr. Gordon tells us that when we read Mark, we should always askWhat happened? Who responded and how? How can you apply

that question to your own spiritual walk? How has God acted inyour life, and how have you responded?


Not every instrument hasthe same voice or playsthe same part, and yet the

whole thing is combinedand skillfully written andperformed into a unity anda majesty that you do not

have by any of the othersalone.

How can we reconcile inconsistencies from one Synoptic toanother? Why are there differences in the details of stories thatappear in more than one gospel?

Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 1982, pp. 311-315.

Carson, D. A., Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris. An Introduction to

the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992, pp. 19-60.


31/36


25

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e N i n e

After reading the first three gospels, which have such a strikingsimilarity in layout and chronology, it is quite a change of pace tostudy the gospel of John. From its mysterious, poetic beginning,

to its self-identification as a book of signs, it is readily apparent

that John intends for us to meet the complete Jesus not just

Messiah, not just the man, not just prophet, miracle-worker, or

Savior but as all these things, as the Word of God through whom

we may have everlasting life. With such a profound purpose, this

book of the Bible may seem incomprehensible in its complexity. Yet

it also contains the most intimate view of Christ, the most well-loved

verses of encouragement. What ties all these things together?What are some of the keys to unlocking this treasure chest of

wonder?

Incarnation the theological idea that God became truly human in the flesh.

Johannine refers to those books of the New Testament which

are considered to be written by John.

Church the total assembly of all believers, across all the earth,from the past, present, and future, who collectively make up thebody of Christ on earth, and which will be perfected at the finalredemption of the world.

Why do some people hesitate to claim that John wrote the fourth

gospel? What evidence suggests that John did write this gospel?


32/36


26

What is unique about the scope of time in Johns gospel?

Why, according to 20:31, did John record his book of signs?

What is the Old Testament parallel for Jesus first sign of turningwater into wine? Why is this significant?

Describe the two-fold structure of the book of John. How is verse1:11 related to this structure?

As Jesus explained them, what are some of the privileges ofbelieving in him?

Why is Jesus new commandment really new? What part of it isntnew?

[Jesus] is hovering rightthere around the essentialfocus of Jewish life theirfeasts. He is doing Jewishthings with Jewish peoplein Jerusalem and they rejecthim, they believe him not.


What is one way you can express your love for God by loving oneof his children? How does this manifest the unity of the Church thatJesus prayed for?


33/36


27

As Christians, how does our hope of future glory with Christ affectour everyday lives? How does it affect your life?

He goes away to preparea place in glory. He returnsto the glory he had with theFather from the foundationof the world and what He

wants to do is to preparea place for us to be wherehe is, not for him to remainperpetually where we are inthis fallen condition.

How does the dating of Johns gospel help us date the other booksof the New Testament?

Eliot, Keith and Ian Moir. Manuscripts and the Text of the NewTestament. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995.

Bruce, F.F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960.

T h e G o s p e l o f J o h n : T h e R e d L e t t e r E d i t i o n


34/36


28

N e w T e s t a m e n t S u r v e y I : L e c t u r e T e n

According to our calendar, the years before Christs coming aremarked BC Before Christ, and the years after his birth are knownas AD Anno Domini, or In the Year of Our Lord. In our system

of reckoning time, Christs incarnation is a pivotal point in history,

an event that was and is so significant that it deserves to mark the

beginning of a new era. For Luke, the pivotal point in history was

the coming of the Holy Spirit which had been promised by Jesus

and anticipated by the Old Testament scriptures. This coming

marked the beginning of a new era in Gods redemptive history. As

we consider the importance of this event, we need to understand

the Old Testaments view of the Holy Spirit as well as the effects ofthe outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, so that we can more fully

realize the role of Spirit in our own lives.

Sinai Covenant the covenant given to the Jews through Moses,a covenant which demanded perfect obedience and whichincluded temporal blessings for obedience and temporal curses fordisobedience.

Pentecost in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was poured outon Jesus followers at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which gavethem the power to be Jesus witnesses to all the world.

What is the basic distinction between Luke and Acts?


35/36


29

How is the Holy Spirit perceived in the Old Testament? What is therelationship between the Spirit and the Kingdom?

For Luke, what is the pivotal point in redemptive history?

Who has the central role in the narrative of Acts? Why are thesepeople so important?

What is so unusual about the testimony of the apostles?

After the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles in Jerusalem, what arethey supposed to do?

Why is the ending that Luke chose for this book a fitting ending?

How can we determine which parts of Acts we should simply readwith thanksgiving, and which parts are more directly relevant to ourown actions?

The Spirit is perceived

in the Old Testament as

especially the agent of God

who will invest the Messiah

with the power for his task,

who will turn the hearts of

the people in the end times

new covenant. He is the one

who brings heaven to earth

and earth to heaven....

Is the proclamation of Christs death and resurrection part of yourdaily life? How can you take part more fully in the continuation ofthis apostolic tradition?

T h e S p r e a d i n g F l a m e


36/36

Was Pentecost typical of the experience of New Testamentbelievers for all time, or was it a once-for-all event similar to the

death or resurrection of Christ?

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Perspectives on Pentecost. Phillipsburg,NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1979.

To say that the Spirit ishere is to say the newcovenant is here. To say theSpirit is here is to say theMessiah has come. To saythe Spirit is here is to sayend times are upon us, thelast days are upon us.


New Testament Survey 1

Documents

Transcript of New Testament Survey 1