GOSPELS AND LETTERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

GOSPELS

What is the meaning of the word “Gospel”?

 The word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word “Euangelion” or “Good News”
 The Canonical Gospels were written in Koine Greek in the period 65-100 A.D.
 There are four Canonical Gospels:
 Matthew (Synoptic Gospels)
 Mark (Synoptic Gospels)
 Luke (Synoptic Gospels)
 John
 The Gospels are not arranged in chronological order. Matthew for instance, was not the first to be written nor is
the first book from the New Testament to be written.
 The Synoptic Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The word Synoptic literally means “seen with the same
eyes”. These Three Gospels share a great deal of similarities in the events they cover.
 All four concentrate exclusively on the last phase of Jesus’ life, the period of his public ministry when his
teachings both attracted devoted followers and created bitter enemies.
 In all four Gospel accounts, only the final week of Jesus’ human existence is related in – the events leading up to
and including his arrest, trial, and execution by the Romans.
 The significance of Jesus’ suffering and death (known as the Passion) are the central concern of each Evangelist.
 Even the Fourth Gospel (John), which includes a longer version of Jesus’ public career than any other, devotes
nearly half of its narrative to retelling the story of Jesus’ last few days on earth.
 Observing this emphasis of the Evangelists, New Testament scholars have described the Gospel form as a
Passion narrative with a long introduction.
 The Gospel’s form and content are not shaped by purely historical or biographical considerations but by their
respective authors’ theological viewpoints.
 The Gospel writers are theologians, and, like all New Testament authors, the Evangelists write primarily to voice
their individual understanding of Jesus’ religious or theological significance.

When were the Gospels written?

 In chronological sequence
 Mark (65-75 A.D.)
 Matthew (75-90 A.D.)
 Luke (80-95 A.D.)
 John (90 A.D.)

Literary Style

 The only literary genre the early Christians invented, the Gospel is a narrative – a story- about Jesus’ deeds
and teachings
 Although the Gospels recount the actions and sayings of Jesus in ostensibly chronological order, they are not
real biographies in the modern sense
Matthew

Name means: "Gift of the Lord"

Occupation: Tax Collector (A Publican) in Capernaum for the Roman

Government (Mt 9:9, 10:2-4)

 While there is some debate about the authorship of this book (i.e. many
of the verses in it are also found in Mark), all 11 of the key early church fathers
(Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Papias, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of
Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Origen, Eusebius) agreed that Matthew was
the author.
 Tradition holds that Matthew may have originally written this book in
Aramaic, and afterwards, either he, or another unknown person, translated it
into Greek.
 On the day Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple, Matthew had a great
feast in his house (Mk 2:13-17)(Lk 5:27-32).
 There is some disagreement about how Matthew died. Foxe says he was "slain with a halberd" (beheaded),
while other sources say he died a natural death.

Date Written:

 Ranges from as early as 50 A.D. to 67 A.D.

 Irenaeus tells us that Matthew wrote his Gospel while Peter and Paul were preaching and founding the church at
Rome, which was after A.D. 61.
 The early church fathers were united that Matthew was the first Gospel written, hence the reason it is listed first
in our Bibles today.
 Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple in (Mt 24:1-2). This occurred in 70 A.D. under the Roman general
Titus. If this had happened prior to Matthew writing this book, he certainly would have mentioned it.

Place Written: Several sources believe Matthew wrote this book while at Antioch, or possibly Palestine.

Written To: The Jews

Key Phrase: Jesus The King

Key Verses: (Mt 5:17)(Mt 6:9-13)(Mt 16:16-19,26)(Mt 22:35-40)(Mt 28:18-20)

Key Discourses:

 The Sermon On The Mount (The Beatitudes) (Mt 5:1-7:29)

 Instructions to the Apostles (Mt 10)
 Parables about the Kingdom of God (Mt 13)
 Life in God's kingdom (Mt 18)
 The Olivet Discourse (Mt 24,25)

Purpose: To prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and that in Him the ancient prophecies had their
fulfillment. Christ was the true heir to David's throne as king.

Special Emphasis:

 The rejection of Jesus by the Jews is the predominant theme of Matthew. Matthew placed a great emphasis on
things that would be especially important to the Jews to convince them Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.
 He begins his book with the genealogy of Jesus, from Abraham (to whom the first Messianic promise was given),
through David, to Joseph. No Jew would believe Jesus was the Messiah if He could not trace back His lineage.
 Matthew uses the phrase "Son Of David" 10 times. (Mt 1:1)(Mt 1:20)(Mt 9:27)(Mt 12:23)(Mt 15:22) (Mt 20:30-
31)(Mt 21:9,15)(Mt 22:42).
 He also uses the phrase "Son of man" 31 times. This is more than any other Gospel.
 Matthew mentions the Sadducees 7 times, while Mark and Luke mention them only once each, and John does
not mention them at all.
 The word "righteous," or a form of it is used 18 times in Matthew, but only 9 times in the other Gospels
combined.
 The word "church" is used three times in Matthew (Mt 16:18)(Mt 18:17), but not found in the other other
Gospels at all.
 The term "Kingdom of Heaven" is used in Matthew 32 times, but not used in any of the other Gospels, although
the "Kingdom of God" is used. It is believed that Matthew might have used "Heaven" rather than "God" out of
respect for the Jews, who when writing the word God often spell it G_d out of reverence for His name. The
"Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God" appear to mean the same thing (compare Mt 13:11 to Lk 8:10, Mt
13:33 to Lk 13:20-21, Mt 13:31 to Mk 4:30-31).
 It is also interesting to note that the phrase "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet" is
used 9 times In Matthew, but found in no other Gospel.

Mark

Name means: "A large hammer"

Occupation: Unknown

 His mother was named Mary. She was the sister of Barnabas (Col 4:10),
therefore Barnabas was the uncle of Mark. Nothing is known of his father, who
likely died fairly early in Mark's life.
 Based on (Acts 12:12-14), it appears that Mary might have been a
woman of wealth since her house in Jerusalem had a "gate" and she also had a
servant girl named Rhoda. Her house apparently was a place where people met
regularly, and it was the place where people gathered to pray for Peter's release
from prison. Since Rhoda "recognized Peter's voice" at the gate when he got out
of prison without even seeing him, it seems Peter was a regular visitor there.
 The early church fathers universally agreed that a man named Mark
wrote this book, with the vast majority believing it was "John, whose surname was Mark." However, a few
believe it may have been another Mark.

Date Written:

 Ranges from as early as 55 A.D. to 68 A.D.

 Irenaeus tells us that Mark was not written until after the deaths of Peter and Paul, which would be between 63
A.D. and 67 A.D. About half of the early church fathers held this position, while the others say it was before.
 The early church fathers were united that Matthew was the first Gospel written, hence the reason it is listed first
in our Bibles today.
 Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple in (Mk 13:2-3), and that later occurred in 70 A.D. If this had
happened prior to Mark writing this book, it seems apparent he would have mentioned it.

Place Written: Rome

Written To: The Romans

Key Phrase: Jesus The Servant (Isa 42:1)(Zech 3:8)

Key Verses: (Mk 1:10-11)(Mk 8:29,34-38)(Mk 10:14-15)(Mk 12:28-31)(Mk 16:6)

Purpose: To show Jesus as the servant who was human and compassionate, but at the same time had "power" over
evil spirits, disease, and death. Mark may have been trying to encourage the Christians who were being persecuted
at the time he wrote it.

Special Emphasis:

 There is a strong emphasis in Mark's Gospel on "power“, "action“, and "immediacy“. We see this difference from
the other Gospels right from the start.
 Mark uses the Greek word "eutheos" which means "straightway" or "immediately“, nearly 40 times. This is much
more than the other Gospels.
 He used this approach because these things were important to the Romans. However, he did not list a genealogy
because where you came from didn't matter the Romans (plus a servant didn't need a genealogy).
 Mark also took time to explain the meanings of Jewish words and customs which the Romans might not
understand.
 He also used words like "quaddrons" (Mk 12:42), which was the smallest denomination of Roman currency, like
our penny today.

Luke

Name means: "Of Light"

Occupation: "the beloved physician" (Col 4:14)

 Hometown: Antioch, later moved to Philippi

 No mention is made of his mother or father.
 Luke was a Greek Gentile (Luke = Loukas in Greek), not "of the
circumcision" (compare Col 4:11 with Col 4:14), who most believe was brought
to faith in Christ by Paul, possibly at Antioch (one of the "Grecians" who turned
unto the Lord: Acts 11:19-21). After this occurred, Luke began to accompany
Paul on parts of his missionary trips.
 We can see when Luke was with Paul and when he wasn't because his
writing shifts from 1st person to 3rd person (compare Acts 16:1-9 "they" with
Acts 16:10-17 "we/us").
 Luke was the only Gentile writer in the New Testament.

Date Written:

 60-62 A.D.
 Luke was the 1st of the 2 books that Luke wrote, Acts being the 2nd (Acts 1:1). It is believed that Luke may have
gathered much of the material for his Gospel during Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea (app. 58-59 A.D.). He
apparently had information from written sources (i.e. Lk 15:23-29, Lk 23:26-30), access to records from the
church in Caesarea, etc... He also would have had access to many oral sources who were in the area at that time.
Some believe he may have written his Gospel at this time, but most believe he wrote it sometime before the end
of Paul's 1st imprisonment in Rome (app. 62 A.D.).
 Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple in (Lk 21:5-6), and that later occurred in 70 A.D. If this had
happened prior to Luke writing this book, it seems apparent he would have mentioned it.

Place Written: Uncertain, likely Rome, possibly Caesarea or Achaia.

Written To: The Greeks (Gentiles) (Specifically to Theophilus [name means "beloved of God"] who was a friend of
Luke's, and likely a Roman official or someone of influence.)

Key Phrase: Jesus The Man

Key Verses: (Lk 1:3-4)(Lk 3:16)(Lk 19:9-10)(Lk 23:33-34)(Lk 24:1-3)

Purpose: To create a historically accurate and chronological account of the life of Jesus Christ through careful and
thorough investigation of the facts.

Special Emphasis:

There are 6 things that are emphasized more in Luke than in the other Gospels:

1. There is a stronger emphasis on prayer. The word "pray" (or a form of it) is used 32 times in Luke: (1:10,13)(1:46-
55)(2:37)(3:21)(5:16,33)(6:12,28)(9:18,28-29)(10:2)(11:1-13)(18:1,10-11)(19:44)(20:47)(21:36)(22:32,40-
47)(23:34,46).
The other Gospels combined use it only 42 times.
2. There is a greater emphasis placed on the perfect "humanity" of Jesus Christ (i.e. showing His emotions).
3. Luke places more focus on women.
4. There is more emphasis on Jesus' sympathy and compassion for children, the weak, and the poor.
5. Because Luke was a physician, he placed a great emphasis on healing. He uses the word "heal" or a form of it 27
times: (Lk 4:18,23,40)(Lk 5:15,17)(Lk 6:7,17-19)(Lk 7:3,7)(Lk 8:2,36,43,47)(Lk 9:2,6,11[2],42)(Lk 10:9)(Lk
13:14[2])(Lk 14:3,4)(Lk 17:15)(Lk 22:51).
This is the same number of times it is used in the other Gospels combined.
He also shows cases where Jesus healed individuals 10 times:
(Lk 4:38-39)(Lk 5:12-13)(Lk 5:18-25)(Lk 7:11-15)(Lk 8:43-48)(Lk 8:49-56)(Lk 13:10-13)(Lk 14:2-4)(Lk 17:12-14)(Lk
22:50-51).
Luke shows us where Jesus referred to Himself as a "physician" (for sinners).
** It is humorous to note two differing accounts of the woman with the issue of blood.
In (Mk 5:26) it says: She had suffered at the hands of many physicians.
She had spent all of her money on them.
She wasn't healed at all, but was even worse.
While "Luke the physician" basically says in (Lk 8:43) that her disease was incurable.
6. He emphasizes that salvation is also for the Gentiles (Lk 2:30-32)(Lk 3:6).

John

Name means: "Jehovah has been gracious"

Occupation: Fisherman

 Hometown: Bethsaida, maybe Capernaum.

 His father was a fisherman named Zebedee. He was a fisherman just like
his sons James and John. (Because James is always mentioned before John (Mt
10:2)(Mk 4:21)(Mk 1:19,29)(Lk 5:10)(Lk 6:14), it is assumed he was the older
brother as they were generally mentioned first.) He appears to have been a
fairly wealthy man since he owned a fishing boat and had hired servants (Mk
1:20).
 His mother was named Salome. She was part of a group of women who
followed Jesus and helped minister to His needs. She was with Jesus at the cross
 (Mt 27:56)(Mk 15:40), and later went to anoint His body after He had died, but He had already arisen (Mk 16:1-
8). In (Mt 20:20-28), she boldly asked Jesus to let her sons sit at His right and left in the kingdom. (Jesus said that
was the Father's decision: Mt 20:23).
 Based on (Jn 19:25), it is believed that Salome may have been the sister of Jesus' mother Mary. If this was the
case, then James and John were Jesus' cousins.
 The early church fathers (Papias, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus,
Origen, Eusebius) universally agreed that John wrote this Gospel.
 It is worth noting that Irenaeus was a pupil of Polycarp (69 A.D-155 A.D.)(who was martyred app. 155 A.D. after
being a Christian for 86 years), and Polycarp was a pupil of John. Therefore, there was only one link between
Irenaeus and John.
 Apparently, John was first a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn 1:35-40) [the 2nd disciple, not mentioned by name,
but believed to be John]. Jesus called him, along with James to become His disciple (Mt 4:21-22)(Mk 1:19-20). He
was the youngest disciple, with many believing he may have even been in his teens at the time.
 John, along with Peter and James, was one of three in Jesus' "inner circle." They witnessed three important
events with Jesus that no one else did:
The daughter of Jarius being raised from the dead: (Mk 5:35-43)(Lk 8:49-56)
The Transfiguration: (Mt 17:1-9)(Mk 9:1-10)(Lk 9:27-36)
Jesus' agony in Gethsemane: (Mt 26:36-46)(Mk 14:32-42)
 Jesus called James and John the "sons of thunder" (Mk 3:17) because of their fiery temperament. In (Lk 9:51-56),
they wanted to call down fire out of heaven to destroy a Samaritan village who refused them hospitality.
 Jesus put John and Peter in charge of preparing for His last Passover (Lk 22:1-13).
 When Jesus was arrested, both John and Peter followed along behind. John knew the High Priest, and was
allowed to follow Jesus into the courtyard, while Peter stood at the door outside. However, John went back and
spoke to the doorkeeper, and Peter was also let inside (Jn 18:15-17). Once inside, Peter denied he knew Jesus 3
times, and left (Lk 22:54-62). John apparently followed Jesus every step of the way, even to the cross, where in
His dying words, Jesus turned the care of His mother Mary over to John (Jn 19:26-27). (Tradition says he cared
for her until her death).
 Mary Magdalene first told John and Peter about the empty tomb (Jn 20:2). They then both "raced" to the tomb,
and John "outran" Peter (Jn 20:3-4). However, Peter was the first to go into the empty tomb (Jn 20:6-9).
 In Acts, Peter and John became traveling companions for a period of time. They are first mentioned together
praying in the "upper room" in (Acts 1:12-14). They are also shown to be ministering together in (Acts 3 & 4) and
(Acts 8:14-25). This is the last time John is mentioned in Acts. In (Acts 12:1-4), his brother James was the 1st
apostle martyred in app. 42-44 A.D.
 Paul called John, along with Peter and James (the Lord's brother, not John's brother) "pillars" of the church in
Jerusalem (Gal 2:9). Tradition says that John remained in Jerusalem as a leader in the church, likely until Paul was
martyred in 67 A.D. After this, but before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D., John moved to
Ephesus, where he became the "superintendent" of the churches in that area.
 During his time at Ephesus, at some point under the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.)(Eusebius says near the end of
his reign), John was temporarily banished to the isle of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation (Rev 1:9).
When Nerva very briefly succeeded Domitian as emperor, he allowed John to return to Ephesus. He died a
natural death several years later in app. 98 A.D. (at about the age of 90) under the reign of emperor Trajan (98-
117 A.D.). (The remains of what is believed to be John's tomb can still be seen today).

Date Written:

 Likely 85-90 A.D.

 Some through history sought to discredit the date and authorship of this Gospel by stating that it was written in
the 2nd century, therefore, John could not have been the author. However, in 1920, fragments of a copy of John
(18:31-33,37-38) were found in Egypt. They were dated and found to have been written in app. 135 A.D. This
 being the case, it is impossible for the Gospel of John to have originally been written in the 2nd century since it
could not have been copied and transported to Egypt in that amount of time.
 This Gospel was clearly written after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. The likely reason it
is not mentioned is because it had occurred many years earlier.

Place Written: Ephesus

Written To: Christians (particularly Gentiles)

Key Phrase: Jesus Is God

Key Verses: (Jn 1:11-13,29)(Jn 3:16)(Jn 10:10,27-29)(Jn 11:25-26)(Jn 13:35)(Jn 14:6)(Jn 17:17)

Purpose:

 It is the only Gospel to clearly state its purpose: (Jn 20:21) "but these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name”.
 Two other likely purposes:
1. To prove the deity of Jesus. Apparently, in the time John wrote his Gospel, the deity of Jesus was being
questioned.
2. To supplement the other Gospels which had already been written years earlier (according to Clement, his
friends at the time asked him to do this), and to add a number of things they passed over. (For example, the
other Gospels focused almost entirely on Jesus' ministry in Galilee, while John focuses almost entirely on His
ministry in Judea).

Special Emphasis:

 As was said above in the purpose, because the deity of Jesus may have been questioned in the time John wrote
this Gospel, it is strongly emphasized.
 In addition, Jesus used the words "I AM" 16 times when referring to Himself. This was a name reserved for God
alone (Ex 3:14).(The Jews clearly understood the significance of this.) There are 7 "I AM's" that are significant to
note:"I am the bread of life." (Jn 6:35,41,48,51).
"I am the light of the world." (Jn 8:12)(Jn 9:5
"I am the door." (Jn 10:7,9)
"I am the good shepherd." (Jn 10:11,14)
"I am the resurrection and the life." (Jn 11:25)
"I am the way, the truth, and the life." (Jn 14:6)
"I am the true vine." (Jn 15:1,5)
 John also places a much stronger emphasis certain on key words that the other Gospels don't.
 In addition, there is a much stronger emphasis on the words: "light" (20 times), "love" (56 times), and "witness"
(22 times).

LETTERS

The Letters

 There are twenty one letters or Epistles in the New Testament.

 Thirteen of these letters or epistles are attributed to the Apostle Paul and form what is known the Pauline
Corpus.
 The other seven are called Catholic Epistles, the authorship of these letters is attributed to the Apostles for
whom they are named.
 They are called Catholic (a word that means universal) because they are not written to specific communities as in
the case of the Pauline letters, but to a broader, general audience.

Literary Style

 Also important, is to understand that these particular “books of the Bible” are actually letters, originally with no
chapter or verse numbers. They were letters written to believers and intended to be read in one sitting, just like
a letter or email we might write. The audience would have likely gathered together, and the letter would have
been read out-loud, all at once.
 Also, like letters we might write, each author has an entire stream of thought that often extends throughout the
entire letter; meaning one major explanation may extend throughout the entire book, with mini-explanations
within the larger one lasting for chapters (especially in Paul's longer letters).
 The importance of understanding that these books are letters (intended to be read all at once), is that many
verses are regularly taken out of context and used to contradict what the author is actually saying, creating
incorrect theology and beliefs.
 Essentially, someone may teach about a verse that Paul writes, whereas Paul makes other statements that
contradict what is being taught, because the verse is taken out-of-context and used to mean what it does not
mean.
 The letter of Romans, in particular, falls victim to many people taking its verses out-of-context and wrongly using
them for beliefs that Paul himself contradicts in Romans and his other letters in the New Testament.

Summary of Romans

Author: Paul

Paul discusses many subjects in Romans, probably because of the statement he makes about wanting to be
able to visit them, but not being able to. He wishes he could discuss these issues in person, but because he has not
been able to, he wants to make sure he covers all these explanations in writing.

The main point of Paul writing this letter to the believers in Rome is to essentially tell them, Don't sin. Live
righteously. and to instruct them on how to actually live righteously.

He spends a lot of words on explaining why we are to live righteously, explaining how Jesus' sacrifice effects
us who believe. Paul also explains issues that would have been common among believers during this time, including:
understanding why Jesus' sacrifice was necessary, the role of faith, the fact that salvation is available to all who
believe, the role of Jews and Gentiles, understanding who the true Israelites are, how to respond to food that is
offensive to some, along with many other subjects.

Summary of 1 Corinthians

Author: Paul

Paul's letter to the believers in Corinth is one of his longer letters. The main issues that he discusses are the
issue of sexual immorality in the church, as well as the subject that Paul teaches from chapter 8 to 10 on food
sacrificed to idols. From chapter 11 to 14, Paul gives instructions for structured worship and to address the issue of
division among the believers.

Paul desires that they be united and orderly. The main teachings that Paul covers are: Be united, Avoid
divisions, Avoid 'believers' who insist on remaining in sin, Fornication is sinful, Be considerate of weak believers,
Worship should be orderly and structured, Love is essential to unity, etc.

Paul desires that they be united and orderly. The main teachings that Paul covers are: Be united, Avoid
divisions, Avoid 'believers' who insist on remaining in sin, Fornication is sinful, Be considerate of weak believers,
Worship should be orderly and structured, Love is essential to unity, etc.
Summary of 2 Corinthians

Author: Paul, with Timothy

A huge emphasis is placed on Paul's sufferings in his second letter to the believers in Corinth. He repeatedly
talks about the hardships that he experienced, from beginning to end, in order to emphasize relying on God's
strength and to assert the purity of his teachings.

Paul also speaks to the Corinthian believers about an offering to the believers in Jerusalem, who were
experiencing financial hardship.

The main topics that Paul teaches are: avoid sin, avoid sinners who refuse to repent, rely on God's strength,
God is our hope when we suffer, avoid False Teachers, etc.

Summary of Galatians

Author: Paul

The main reason that Paul writes to the Galatians is to deal with this issue of false teachers saying that the
Gentile Christians need to be circumcised in order to be saved.

This was a major issue in many churches, which is why it is a subject that Paul addresses in many of his
letters (Romans 2, 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians, etc.).

In addition to circumcision, Paul addresses the need for them to obey God's commandments by "Loving your
neighbor as yourself" (Galatians 5:14), giving examples of the fruit of the Spirit that should be displayed in their lives
(Galatians 5:22-23).

Overall, the main subjects Paul covers include: Circumcision is not necessary for salvation, Salvation comes
by faith working through love, Live according to the Spirit, etc.

Summary of Ephesians

Author: Paul

Paul makes it clear that he is a prisoner for the gospel when he is writing this letter to the Christians in
Ephesus.

Much of what Paul discusses in the letter of Ephesians is topics that he also covers in his other letters,
allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of what Paul intends to teach.

The main topics covered in Ephesians are: Physical circumcision is not necessary for salvation, Lead a life
worthy of your calling, Be imitators of God, Sinners won't be saved, etc.

Summary of Philippians

Author: Paul, with Timothy

Paul's letter to the Philippians is largely a message of encouragement while Paul is in prison. He tells them to
not be discouraged by his imprisonment, and he appears to be giving them instructions in the event that he becomes
a martyr for his faith in Jesus Christ.

He tells them to be mature and imitate Christ's obedience (who "humbled himself and became obedient to
the point of death— even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8).
 Paul also tells them to not worry and to find peace in God. The essential message that Paul is telling the
Christians in Philippi can be summarized by what he says in Romans 8:28 "we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

In Romans 8:18-28, Paul is discussing this same subject of dealing with suffering. The main subjects that Paul
covers in Philippians are: Be encouraged despite hardship, It's a privilege to suffer for Christ, Be humble, Imitate
Jesus Christ's obedience, Be content with what you have, etc.

Summary of Colossians

Author: Paul, with Timothy

Paul's letter to the Christians in Colossae in largely a letter urging his audience to repent of sinful behavior
and to disregard the teachings of the world.

He urges them to instead follow the teachings of Christ and to replace any sinful behavior with
righteousness.

The main subjects that Paul covers in Colossians are: Lead lives worthy of the Lord, Be mature in Christ,
Disregard worldly wisdom, Put to death sinful behavior, Replace bad behavior with righteous behavior, etc.

Summary of 1 Thessalonians

Author: Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy

Paul writes to the Thessalonian Christians, telling them that he had sent Timothy because we was worried
about them due to persecutions. He informs them that Timothy has returned with a good report about their faith,
despite the persecutions. Paul also says that he had warned them about persecutions and sufferings that would
come.

He reminds them that he was not a burden to them, saying, "You are witnesses, and God also, how pure,
upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers." (1 Thessalonians 2:10)

He also reminds them that, "For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects
this rejects not human authority but God." (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

And he says Jesus "will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2), so they need to not worry about
the times, but instead they need to be ready by being holy as he says in 1 Thessalonians 4.

The main teachings that Paul covers in 1 Thessalonians are: Continue to serve the living and true God, The
will of God is for us to be holy, God didn't call us to impurity but holiness, Whoever rejects that God calls us to be
holy is rejecting God, Jesus will come like a thief in the night, etc.

Summary of 2 Thessalonians

Author: Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy

Paul again writes to the Thessalonian Christians, speaking of some of the same subjects that he has spoken
of in 1 Thessalonians.

Paul encourages them as they suffer persecutions, telling them that those who persecute them will be
punished by God.

He tells them to continue in the teaching they were given by himself, and he says to stay away from those
who refuse to work to support themselves and who rely on others for financial support (who are basically being
lazy). Paul instructs his audience to have nothing to do with those who don't listen and follow what Paul writes in
this letter.

The main teachings that Paul covers in 2 Thessalonians are: Those who are disobedient to Christ will suffer
God's wrath, Jesus will destroy his enemies, Avoid those who refuse to work to support themselves, Everyone should
earn their own living, etc.

Summary of 1 Timothy

Author: Paul

Paul writes this letter to Timothy, who used to travel with him during many of his journeys. Timothy is
referenced in many of Paul's previous letters.

Now Timothy is in Ephesus in order to make sure they stay true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to avoid them
becoming confused and believing in false teachings.

The main subjects that Paul covers in 1 Timothy are: Sinning is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Women
should dress modestly, Qualifications for Leadership, Be godly, etc.

Summary of 2 Timothy

Author: Paul

Paul writes this letter of 2 Timothy in order to mainly instruct Timothy on how to deal with false teachers,
telling him to be confident in rebuking and correcting them.

The main subjects that Paul covers in 2 Timothy are: Don't be ashamed of those who suffer for Christ, Avoid
"believers" who persist in sin, "Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness." (2
Timothy 2:19), The Godly will be persecuted by the ungodly, etc.

Summary of Titus

Author: Paul

According to Paul, Titus has been left in Crete in order to lay the foundation of the church(es) by electing
leaders from the believers in Crete. Paul gives Titus qualifications for the leaders, as well as instructions for all
believers in Crete.

The main subjects that Paul covers in this letter to Titus are: Qualifications for leadership, We can deny God
with our actions, Be godly and self-controlled, The Holy Spirit turns us away from disobedience, etc.

Summary of Philemon

Author: Paul

When Paul writes to Philemon, asking for Onesimus to be set free of slavery, Paul first appears to flatter
Philemon and then appears to use a little sarcasm and self-fulling prophecy (by saying that he expects that Philemon
will be obedient to his request).

Paul almost seems a little threatening when he asks for them to prepare for him to visit; at the very least, he
is authoritative about his request to release Onesimus from slavery.

Summary of Hebrews

Author: Unknown (Multiple Authors)

 As seen by the plural first-person "we" used throughout Hebrews, this letter appears to be have been
authored by several Christians, rather than having only one author.

Generally, only letters that were written by the disciples or foundational apostles like Paul were included in
the New Testament canon. Since the author(s) of Hebrews is unknown, the main reason why the book of Hebrews
was included in the New Testament, despite the unknown authors, is because of its polished writing and scripturally
correct theology.

The main subjects that the authors teach in Hebrews are: Jesus Christ is eternally High Priest, Obedience is
necessary for salvation, Jesus Christ is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Jesus is mediator of a new
and better Covenant and new Law, Persisting in sin outrages the Spirit of Grace, Faith is revealed by actions, etc.

Summary of James

Author: James

James explains plainly that faith is dead and useless without obedience to God's law, which is seen by
looking at the key points in James 2:8-17.

James overall point can be summarized with his statement in James 2:12 "So speak and so act..." He is
instructing his audience on how to speak (taming the tongue) and how to act:

 "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith." (James 2:18)
 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil...Drawn near to God..." (James 4:7-8)
 "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin." (James 4:17)

The main subjects that James covers in his letter to the Jewish Christians are: Be doers of the word, Don't
show favoritism, Don't be a hypocrite, Faith without works is dead, Watch what you say, Wealth is ultimately
worthless, etc.

Summary of 1 Peter

Author: Peter

The letter of 1 Peter to the various Christians scattered throughout the land, is largely a letter of instruction
and encouragement. The main topics that Peter covers is to be holy as God is holy, to not repay evil for evil, and for
them to be encouraged when suffering persecution.

Summary of 2 Peter

Author: Peter

While the audience in 2 Peter is not plainly identified, because of Peter stating that this is the second letter
he has written to this group in 2 Peter 3:1, it is very likely that his audience is the same as in 1 Peter.

Even though this letter is shorter than 1 Peter, he speaks of heavy topics explaining that: Faith is ineffective
without self-control and godliness, Interpreting scripture is not a matter of opinion, God is being patient with the
world, etc.

Summary of 1 John

Author: John

It is important to remember that one of the biggest issues during the 1st century was (1) whether or not
Jesus Christ was God's messiah.
 Many Jews expected God's messiah to deliver his people from the oppression of the world's powers (such as
the Roman Empire). Most people, including Jesus' disciples initially, did not understand that God was liberating his
people from sin and the fate of eternal death, not from worldly powers and governments.

With this issue in mind, John is speaking to believers, warning them about people who claim to be of God,
but deny that Jesus Christ is God's messiah.

John also warns them (2) about claiming to be believers of Jesus Christ, but failing to show their belief
through their actions by loving others and obeying God.

These two issues are the main subjects of John's first letter, which he repeatedly addresses. If you read 1
John and feel that he is being repetitive, it is because he is. He basically says the same thing several times differently.

Summary of 2 John

Author: John

The fact that John was able to see this person is a major reason why his letter is so short. If John had been
prevented from seeing her for awhile, then he may have written a longer letter, which would have been more
beneficial to us.

Ironically, his misfortune (such as in the case of Paul being prevented from seeing his audiences for awhile),
would have been fortunate for us.

Paul's letters might have been very short like John's, if Paul had been able to see his audience in person.
However, the benefit of John writing such short letters is that they are quick and easy to read, and they get right to
the point: obey God's commandments, love others, avoid antichrists who teach wrongly about Jesus, do not
welcome deniers of Christ, etc.

Summary of 3 John

Author: John

By the sound of this letter, it is possible that someone named Diotrephes was holding some position of
authority in the church, yet his behavior was actually opposing Christ. John then mentions Demetrius, but he says
very little about him, except that he is well spoken of by everyone.

It is very likely that John was mentioning Demetrius as a replacement for Diotrephes. 3 John sounds like a
letter to inform Gaius that Diotrephes needs to be removed from his position of authority (since his actions clearly
indicate that he is not a Christian - "Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John 1:11 NIV) and have him
replaced with Demetrius.

While this letter is very short, it appears to give us a glimpse into the developing structure of the early
church.

Summary of Jude

Author: Jude, brother of James

The letter of Jude is a short text addressed to Christians. Jude writes with a concern regarding false believers
who are within the church pretending to be Christians. Jude instructs his audience that false believers are revealed
by their sinful actions, and his letter appears to be a message to identify and excommunicate these people.

Paul also speaks of this kind of subject in several of his letters: "After a first and second admonition, have
nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions..." (Titus 3:10) "For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers
of money...unholy...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but
denying its power. Avoid them!" (2 Timothy 3:2-5)

The main subject of this short letter of Jude is how to identify and deal with these counterfeit Christians.