Background of the Book of 1st Peter:

1. Who: Peter, one of the disciples, among Jesus’ inner circle. We see his faith in the proclamation of who Jesus is (Matt 16:16) while not fully understanding what Jesus came to do. Certainly his betrayal is well known, but so is his restoration. Throughout Acts we see his leadership in the church and furthering of the faith. According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside down before Nero’s death, about A.D. 66.

2. When: A.D. 64, The reference to Babylon in 5:13 is almost certainly Rome as few people were in Babylon in these days, and Peter spent his final years in Rome.

3. Whom: Gentile Christians in Asia minor, to cities that extend beyond the ministry covered in Acts.

4. What: Facing increasing persecution, Peter wanted to encourage and reassure these believers to remain steady in the faith and count it a privilege to share in Christ’s sufferings.

5. WHY: To withstand attacks on the church from outside the church. We who persevere should be full of hope. We will enjoy end-time salvation as we are already in God’s saving grace through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

From Galatians to 2nd Timothy, what’s Paul been up to? The second half of Acts!

1. Wrote Galatians in ~48 AD, corresponding toward the Apostolic Council in Acts 15

2. Goes on the Second Missionary Journey (with Silas) from Antioch to Syria, Cilicia, southern Galatia, Macedonia, notably Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea; and then on to Achaia, notably Athens and Corinth (Acts 15:36–18:22); wrote 1-2 Thessalonians

3. Goes on the Third Missionary Journey from Antioch to Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece (Acts 18:23–21:17)

4. Winters in Corinth, writes Romans, and is arrested (Acts 21:27–36; 22:22–29)

5. Imprisoned and transferred to Caesarea (Acts 23:23–24, 33–34)

6. Voyage to Rome and is shipwrecked (Acts 27:1–2; Acts 27:39–28:10)

7. Under house arrest, he arrives in Rome and writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon

8. Released from prison, he writes 1 Timothy from Macedonia (see 1 Tim. 1:3) and Titus from Nicopolis (Titus 3:12); he is rearrested in Rome (2 Tim. 1:16–17)

9. Writes 2 Timothy and is martyred in Rome.

“There is no saying what may happen when people begin to study the letter to the Romans. So let those who have read thus far be prepared for the consequences of reading farther: you have been warned!” – NT Scholar F.F. Bruce

Background of the Book of ROMANS:

PAUL, dictating to his scribe, Tertius (16:22). Paul is in the seaport of Cenchrea (16:1) at Corinth at the end of his third missionary journey (after the writing of 2 Corinthians). He has finished an important stage of his missionary work; “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” (15:19). This geography includes all the churches he had planted on his famous mission journeys (Acts 13-20) in south Galatia (Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe), and in the Roman provinces of Asia (Ephesus), Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica) and Achaia (Corinth).

· Paul is ready for his next challenge: he plans to go back to Jerusalem to bring a collection for the mother church there (hopefully healing some of the Jew-Gentile divide) and then he has his sights set on church planting in new territory – Spain. But before he goes to Spain, he wants to come to Rome and spend some time encouraging the church there and building support for his mission.

· “What is most significant for our understanding of Romans is the sense that Paul gives us of having reached an important transition point in his missionary career. He has been preaching the gospel for almost 25 years; he has planted thriving churches over much of the northeastern Mediterranean part of the Roman Empire; he has hammered out his theology on the anvil of pastoral problems and debates with opposing factions. He thus writes Romans during a lull in his ministry, at a time when he can reflect on what he has come to believe and what it may mean for the church.” – Douglas Moo, NIV App

· “Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ transformed him. His future lay not in Jerusalem and works of the law, but out among the Gentiles, preaching grace and living by faith. Instead of stamping out Christianity, he would become a tireless apostle, traveling more than 20,000 miles between Jerusalem and Rome and proclaiming the gospel wherever ears had never heard it. Then, near the end of his third missionary journey, after what many would consider a full life in ministry, the apostle looked westward to the frontier beyond Rome (15:24).” – Swindoll, p. 15

Background of the Book of JAMES:

1. Who: James, the Lord’s brother. Four men are named James in the NT: James, the father of Judas (not Iscariot); James, son of Alphaeus, called “James the less” and one of the disciples”; James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, one of Jesus’ intimate disciples but martyred around AD 44 (Acts 12:2); and James the Lord’s brother, the most likely to have written the epistle. He was among the believers awaiting the Spirit at Pentecost and a central figure in the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council.

2. When: James may have been the earliest writing in the New Testament, probably in 46-49 AD, especially since it does not mention anything of the Jerusalem Council of 49 AD

3. Whom: “The twelve tribes scattered abroad”, so Hebrew Christians scattered outside of Palestine, and expressions in the letter fit an originally Jewish leadership.

4. What: The characteristics of true faith. The purpose of the work is practical rather than doctrinal or apologetic as James challenges the believers to examine the quality of the daily lives in terms of their attitudes and actions. Genuine faith is expressed in our lives.

5. WHY: Faith without works is dead. The book seeks to awaken the believer to action, to be sure their sincere faith is expressed in all they do, in their daily, everyday lives.

Background of the Book of ACTS:

1. Who: Luke, a Gentile Physician who “writes with the compassion and warmth of a family doctor.” The “we” portions of Acts (16:1-17; 20:5-21:18, 27:1-28:16) subtly reveal that Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. Luke was with Paul during both of his Roman imprisonments as Paul’s “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14, Philemon 24, 2 Tim. 4:11), evidence of Luke’s loyalty even in the face of personal danger. Luke is the only Gentile contributor to the New Testament. Church tradition tells us that Luke was from Syrian Antioch, remained unmarried, and died at 84 years old.

2. When: Luke likely wrote during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, during the mid-to-late 60s. Luke’s abrupt ending that ends with Paul awaiting trial in Rome leads many to believe it was completed prior to Paul’s trial (AD 62). In addition, it gives no hint of the persecution under Nero (64), Paul’s death (68) or the destruction of Jerusalem (70).

3. Whom: Luke’s carefully written gospel was presented to “the most excellent Theophilus” (“friend of God”). The title indicates that he was a man of high social standing and likely was a man of means who paid the cost of publishing Luke/Acts so they would be available throughout the Gentile world.

4. What: Historical Narrative, as Luke begins where he left off in his gospel. The combined “2 volume set” of Luke and Acts makes up 28% of the entire New Testament, which makes Luke the most prolific author (2,138 verses to Paul’s 2,033). Luke writes in the most refined Greek in the New Testament. Acts traces the rapid expansion of the gospel, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading throughout the Roman Empire.

Without Acts, the epistles would be difficult to understand, and the early history of the church would be a vague patchwork. Luke uses over 700 words not found in the other 25 NT books. He includes 80 geographical references and his precision in citing locations that was once challenged has now been verified by archaeological evidence. Luke also records 24 sermons and speeches in its 28 chapters.

5. WHY: “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” through the apostles traces the development of the body of Christ over its pivotal early years, from a primarily Jewish to predominately Gentile membership.

Background of the Gospel of John:

1. Who: John, brother of James, who together form the “sons of thunder”, a slight contrast to the gentle physician Luke. Father was Zebedee. Mother was Salome who served Jesus and was present at His crucifixion (Mark 15:40-41).  John evidently started among the Galilean followers of John the Baptist who were called to follow Jesus (1:91-51) and were later called to be His disciples. John was among the twelve selected to be apostles (Luke 6:12-16).

After Christ’s ascension, John became a “pilar” of the church along with James and Peter (Gal 2:9). He is mentioned three times in Acts (Acts 3:1, 4:13, 8:14), each time in association with Peter. Tradition says John went to Ephesus and was eventually exiled to Patmos by the Romans for a time (Rev 1:9).

2. When: John was written after the last synoptic gospel (66-68), and with his 3 epistles and Revelation written after this gospel, so that writing probably occurred between 68-90 AD.

3. Whom: John writes to everyone, possibly to Asia Minor where he would eventually minister.

4. What: John writes to create intellectual (“that you may believe”) and spiritual (“that believing you may have life”) conviction about the Son of God. The predominant theme is the contrast between belief and unbelief in the person of Jesus Christ, that those who place their faith in Him have eternal life, and those who reject Him are under the condemnation of God. Some key words from John include truth, light, darkness, word, knowledge, belief, abide, love, world, witness, and judgement. This gospel is not only evangelistic but also serves to make believers more sure of who Jesus is and how we follow Him.

Note that while the other gospels focus on the Galilean ministry, John focuses on the Judean ministry.

5. WHY: John 20:31: “…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.“ John presents Jesus as the Son of God.

Background of the Gospel of LUKE:

1. Who: Luke, a Gentile Physician who “writes with the compassion and warmth of a family doctor” as he carefully documents the life of Jesus. The “we” portions of Acts (16:1-17; 20:5-21:18, 27:1-28:16) subtly reveal that Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. Luke was with Paul during both of his Roman imprisonments as Paul’s “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14, Philemon 24, 2 Tim. 4:11), evidence of Luke’s loyalty even in the face of personal danger. Luke is the only Gentile contributor to the New Testament. Church tradition tells us that Luke was from Syrian Antioch, remained unmarried, and died at 84 years old.

2. When: Luke wasn’t an eyewitness of the events in his gospel, but he relied on the testimony of eyewitnesses and written sources (1:1-4). It’s highly likely that during Paul’s 2- year imprisonment in Caesarea Philippi that Luke gathered information from eyewitnesses for his gospel, especially from Mary, mother of Jesus. Luke likely wrote during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, during the late 60s.

3. Whom: Luke’s carefully written gospel was presented to “the most excellent Theophilus” (“friend of God”). The title indicates that he was a man of high social standing and likely was a man of means who paid the cost of publishing Luke/Acts so they would be available throughout the Gentile world.

4. What: Luke’s gospel is the longest book in the New Testament. The combined “2 volume set” of Luke and Acts makes up 28% of the entire New Testament, which makes Luke the most prolific author (2,138 verses to Paul’s 2,033). Luke writes in the most refined Greek in the New Testament. He translates Aramaic terms with Greek words and explains Jewish customs and geography for understanding. Luke’s most striking feature is his strong interest in people impacted by the ministry of Jesus, as he present Jesus as the true Savior of the whole world. Luke relates how the gospel impacts Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, rich and poor, respected and despised, insiders and outsiders.

5. WHY: Luke clearly states his purpose in his prologue: “That you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (1:4). Luke wanted to create an accurate, chronological, and comprehensive account of the life of Jesus to strengthen the faith of believers and to bring saving faith to unbelievers. A secondary purpose was to demonstrate to the Romans that Christianity was not a political threat. For example, three times Luke records Pilate’s acknowledgement of Christ’s innocence (23:4, 14, 22).

Background of the Gospel of Matthew:

1. Matthew, while not chronologically the first written. Is the first gospel presented in the New Testament as it serves as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. It was composed by Matthew the apostle in AD 60-65. The gospel was written by a Jew, about a Jew, for Jews.

2. Mark’s Kingdom of God is replaced with Kingdom of Heaven in the Jew’s deference to the name of God being unspoken.

3. Matthew’s key idea is Jesus as King, starting from the genealogy carrying through the entire text. Matthew’s key term is “fulfilled”, as Jesus’ life and ministry are shown as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies time and again.

4. Matthew’s Story:

· While Mark was a deserter during Paul’s mission journeys, Matthew was even less popular: he was tax collector in Capernaum for the Roman government – essentially a traitor to his own people in many eyes. Tax collectors would extract extra money from their own people to fund a lavish lifestyle.

· He responded quickly to Jesus’ call to follow (Matt 9:9–13; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27–28)

· He held a large reception for Jesus at his house so his associates could meet Jesus

· Matthew’s language and understanding appeared to be influenced by a Pharisaic perspective on the law, indicated by the intimate understanding Matthew presents of the Pharisee’s arguments.

5. Matthew has no purpose statement per se, but the work is clearly written so one can come to make an intelligent decision about Jesus. Was He the promised Messiah spoken of for centuries?

6. The genealogy stretches to father Abraham and coheres the story of the Davidic line to legitimize Jesus’ kingship

7. “Everything about this King is unique: His miraculous birth and obscure yet carefully prophesied birthplace, His flight into Egypt, His announcement by John, His battle with Satan in the wilderness, all support the only possible conclusion—Jesus is the culmination of promises delivered by the prophets over a period of a thousand years. Thus God’s redemptive plan is alive and well, even after four hundred years of prophetic silence. Matthew was no doubt used by Jewish believers as an evangelistic tool to reach other Jews.”  - Wilkinson & Boa

Background of the Gospel of Mark:

1. Mark is the shortest, simplest, and earliest of the four Gospels. It was composed by John Mark in AD 55-65 to a Roman audience using primarily Peter’s firsthand accounts and reflecting his own action-oriented personality.

2. Mark uses the “historic present tense” 151 times and the word “immediately” 42 times!

3. Mark’s Story:

· Mark’s mother Mary had a large house in Jerusalem that was used as a meeting place for believers (Acts 12:12). Peter was at this house often, because the servant girl recognized his voice at the gate (12:13).

· Many scholars believe that John Mark anonymously writes about himself as the “rich young ruler” (10:17-22) and as the “young man” who flees without his garment in the Garden of Gethsemane (14:51-52).

· Barnabas was John Mark’s cousin (Col. 4:10), but Peter might have been the person who led him to Christ (1 Peter 5:13).

· Barnabas and Saul took Mark along with them on their first mission journey (Acts 13:5) but for some reason, Mark turned back (13:13). Barnabas wanted to bring Mark on the second mission journey, but Paul refused, and they parted company over the issue (15:36-41). Barnabas stayed with John Mark.

· About 12 years later, Paul wrote that Mark was with him during his first Roman imprisonment, indicating reconciliation (Col. 4:10, Philemon 24). In his last letter, Paul sent specifically for Mark (2 Tim. 4:11).

· This means both John Mark and Peter had similar testimonies: Both were men who had failed but were restored to a life of ministry.

· Church history (Papias) tells us that John Mark served as Peter’s interpreter in Rome and established churches in Alexandria, Egypt. The idolators of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods. In AD 68 they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead.

4. “Mark’s Jesus is like a bounding lion – rushing around and roaring enigmatically and dying terribly alone.” – John Stott

5. “Mark doesn’t read like dry history. It is written in the present tense (immediately!) and Jesus is a man of action, moving quickly and decisively.” – Tim Keller

6. Like the other gospels, Mark is not merely biography but topical narrative. Mark juxtaposes the teaching and works (18 miracles) of Jesus to demonstrate his power and compassion.

7. Mark’s Gospel is clearly evangelistic, showing how Jesus was rejected by his own people but achieved ultimate victory through servanthood and sacrifice. Mark directed his words to a Roman/Gentile audience that knew little about the Old Testament.

The New Testament has arrived! After 400 years of prophetic silence, voices call to God’s people, announcing the arrival of the promised Messiah. From our Read Through the Bible book:

“The inspired explanation of this scene comes from the Apostle Paul: “When the completion of time came God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal 4:4). Everything is ready. The announcement of the King’s birth comes first to the virgin Mary and then to Joseph, her betrothed. Jesus’ genealogies show that He descends from Adam (as we all do), but through his adoptive father’s lineage He is David’s royal heir as well. He is fully human; He is also fully God: “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us” (Jn 1:14). Jesus grows up in obscurity; then He begins His ministry by being baptized by John.”