Study Notes Ed Underwood

The Bible, The New Testament, and the Gospels

“And so he [Jesus Christ] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive their eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant” (Hebrew 9:15).

We’re all born with questions in our heart that the two most basic sources of human knowledge—reason and experience—cannot answer: Who am I? Why am I here? Does anyone care about me, I mean really? History seems out of control, where is this world headed?

God in His grace has provided another source of knowledge—revelation—to answer the questions of humanity concerning meaning and significance in life. The Bible claims to be God’s special revelation to the beloved centerpiece of His creation—men and women, boys and girls.

Though God demonstrates that He’s there through the general revelation of His creation (Psalm 19:1-6) and has given every human heart the knowledge that He exists (Romans 1:18), His special revelation is His more direct communication to humanity. This may involve dreams, angels, and visions, but we receive special revelation primarily and most clearly through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2) and in the written words, paragraphs, and stories in the 66 Books of the Bible.

Many people, even sincere Christians, struggle as we read through the Bible. We may be familiar with a few of the stories and we may have heard sermons about a number of passages. But we find it difficult to put the pieces of the Bible together and feel lost when we’re trying to read through an entire Book of the Bible.

What we need is the big picture of the Bible—a broader understanding of how the Bible is put together and how the events, people, and places connect. This is what Bible students call a synthetic study of the Scriptures. We’re dedicating two years to a synthetic study of the Word of God—all 66 Books. And it begins today with this overarching sentence on the Bible:

The Bible is God’s masterpiece written to rescue us by revealing God’s Son—Jesus Christ.

The Bible contains 66 Books, 27 of those comprise the New Testament, which begins with the 4 Gospels— historical books that provide an accurate and variegated picture of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

I. The New Testament is the Good News that completes the awesome story begun in the Old Testament of God’s majestic and merciful plan to rescue people and Creation from consequences of human sin (Romans 1:16-17).

A. The Bible is divided between the 39 Books of the Old Testament and the 27 Books of the New Testament. The God of the Bible is the Creator and Redeemer of His creation. He is personally and intimately involved in the lives of people and is moving history according to His plan. The Cross of Jesus Christ—the Son of God’s substitutionary death for the sin of humanity that defiled creation— is the central event of history from God’s perspective. There is a progressive revelation in the Scriptures, meaning that the story and the message unfolds over time.

1. The Old Testament anticipates the work of Israel’s coming King—Messiah—by telling the story of God’s chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

2. The New Testament announces the birth of Messiah and reveals Him as the Son of God who came to take away the sin of humanity. It puts Jesus’ death in perspective and records the beginnings, teachings, and future of the church—those who have received God’s resurrection life, eternal life, by believing in His Son.

3. Jesus Christ claimed to be the Key that unlocks the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-46). The Bible ends by claiming that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelations 22:13) and His announcement that He is coming again (Revelation 22:20).

B. The title, “The New Testament,” transliterates the Greek words, He Kaine Diatheke, which literally means, “The New Covenant.” The term “Diatheke,” or Covenant, characterizes a last will and testament that is ratified when the testator dies. It is a binding covenant or legal contract that blesses the recipients when the benefactor dies. The New Covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ (Luke 22:20) and a person enters into that covenant relationship when he or she comes to God on His terms—belief in His Son (John 6:47). This covenant, or testament, is the unifying theme of the books of the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 8:7-13; 9:15-17).

1. The New Testament is a collection of books that tell one story — the story ofJ esus Christ and His church. They were written from about AD 40-96 in Koine (“common”) Greek. They were separately distributed among the churches of the early church and gradually collected together.

2. The Structure of the New Testament helps us understand the Big Picture!

II. The Bible was not written merely to be understood. It was written to change our life by persuading us to believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and trusting Him and His Word in ways that will instruct us and give us enduring and encouraging hope.

A. Enduring Hope: The New Testament presents the Gospel of Christ, the Good News that when Jesus came the first time it was to deliver us from sin (Romans 1:16-17).

B. Encouraging Hope: The New Testament presents the Hope of the Church, the Promise that when Jesus comes again He will rule and reign in His Kingdom (Revelation 22:20).