Written by (John) Mark about 50 AD From Rome to the Jewish believers To spread the Gospel of the Risen Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ To show Jesus as the suffering Son of Man sent to serve, not be served. Key Verse: Mark 10:43-45But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 1 Introduction 2-10 Ministry of Christ 11-16 Death, Burial and Resurrection
Written by the Apostle Matthew (also called Levi) about 60 AD From Judea to the Jewish believers To spread the Gospel of the Risen Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ To show Jesus as the Son of DAVID, the Kingly Messiah who fulfills prophecy Key Verse: Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 1-4 Birth and early life of the Lord Jesus 5-20 Ministry of the Christ Jesus 21-28 Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Authored by Moses between 1446-1406 BC It’s about the sermons of Moses to remind the Jews what God expects from them. Plains of Moab — Promise Land ahead A Key Verse: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 1-4 1st Sermon – Journy review 5-28 2nd Sermon – Laws to be followed 29-30 3rd Sermon – The Covenant 31-34 His Final Farewell
Authored by Moses between 1446-1406 BC It’s about what happens when people rebel against God They were on the Border of Canaan A Key Verse: NUMBERS 6:24-26The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 1-9 Census – Taking a count 10-12 Sinai to Canaan – On the Move 13-19 Spies and Rebellion 20-36 Land of Moab
The Acts of the Apostles is a book about transitions. From Salvation for Jews only to Salvation for Gentiles. From Law to Grace. From the Gospel of the Apostles to the Gospel of Paul. From Temple Sacrifice and Worship to personal sacrifice and church worship. Luke was the author of LUKE and ACTS. For who he is see Colossians 4:10-14, 2 Timothy 4:11. Theophilus (beloved of God) some believe is a real person, others believe this means all believers.
A quick summary covers 29 AD to 68 AD (dates per chapter are best estimate). Paul went to unbelieving Jews and then to the Gentiles during each of his 3 apostolic journeys. His grace assemblies (churches) were comprised of these two groups of new believers. Travel to Asia (13:3-14:28) Greece/Macedonia (15:40-18:22) Asia/Greece/Macedonia (18:23-21:16) finally Rome (28:16-31)
We always think of Bible Prophets as old men, but 2:4 would indicate he was a young man. He prophesied during the time of Haggai the prophet but was much broader in scope, including both conditions of the time and of the coming of the Messiah. 1:1,7 Gives the dates of his visions. Compare Haggai 1:1,15 2:1,10
The Book can be divided into three sections: 1:1-6 Opening Exhortation
Section I A series of eight visions 1:7-17 The man among the Myrtle trees and the drove of horses 1:18-21 The four horns and four artisans (carpent) the work or skill of a carpenter 2 The man with the measuring line 3 The cleansing of the High Priest 4 The Golden Candlestick and the two Olive trees 5:1-4 The Flying Roll 5:5-11 The Ephah and the two women with wings 6:1-8 The four Chariots (6:10-15) crowning of the high priest
Section II Chapters 7 and 8 Their religion, including fastings, were mere forms, with no real meanings…. But God would again restore Israel and Jerusalem.
Section III Chapters 9-14 Predictions concerning the destruction of the Jews, and then a vision of the ultimate triumph of God’s Kingdom
Key passages: 1:3 When we turn to God, He will turn to us. 4:6 God works (has always worked) through His Spirit 6:12 A predication of the coming Kingdom
Prophetic Passages: Predicted – Fulfilled 3:8-9, 13:1 – 1 Corinthians 15:5 9:9 – Matthew 21:1-11 11:12-13 – Matthew 26:14-15, 27:3-7 12:10 – John 19:33-37, Revelation 1:7 13:7 – Matthew 26:31
The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was very important in the early church time period, and that the New Testament shows evidence of being written before that date.
The Apostle Paul wrote letters to the churches he had established during his missionary journeys. He also wrote several personal letters. They were written in many cases to answer questions they had and to remind them of what he had taught them. Remember, these were letters and they did not have chapters and verses. These were added many years later as an aid to study them. Also, Paul never knew he was writing part of the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul’s first letter to a church that was started in Galatia.
They had written to him with several questions. He opens his epistle with praise, extending Grace, Peace and Thanksgiving. Paul was the author of the Galatian letter, however, there is not a consensus as to the date of writing, with estimates running from the late 40s to the late 50s.
Galatians 1-2 is mostly biographical, and to date the book of Galatians it is necessary to fit the events described there into the overall New Testament timeline. Paul describes his stay in Arabia and Damascus after his conversion. (Galatians 1:17Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.), He says that after three years he went to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.), an event corresponding to Acts 9:26-29, which was dated to 36 AD. He then returned to Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 9:30, Galatians 1:21Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;). His next return to Jerusalem was 14 years later, with Barnabas (Acts 11:30, Galatians 2:1Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.), in 49 AD. Paul’s first missionary journey followed, and it was during this journey that he founded the Galatian churches. This was followed by the controversy over requirements for gentile believers that led to the Jerusalem Council of 50 AD.
The letter to the Galatians does not mention the Jerusalem Council, and the omission is telling. Paul is extremely emotional in Galatians in his opposition to the “Judaizers”, Jewish Christians who followed him to Galatia and had been teaching the gentile believers there that they needed to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses. Paul was adamantly opposed to that idea, and it was this controversy that led to the Jerusalem Council of 50 AD., described in Acts 15. The council’s verdict went essentially in Paul’s favor, indicating that gentiles did not need to be circumcised or follow the law of Moses, but requiring them to abstain from food offered to idols, from eating meat with blood, and from sexual immorality (Acts 15:29), restrictions necessary to allow fellowship between Jewish and gentile Christians.
It seems likely that Galatians was written just prior to the Jerusalem Council, when the controversy over gentile believers was white hot. It could hardly have been written afterward, for then Paul would have appealed to the tremendous authority of the council, with a decision backed by James and all the Apostles. Galatians is then dated to 49 AD, and it becomes the earliest surviving letter of Paul.
The Apostle Paul’s first letter to a church he started in Thessalonica.
They had written to him with several questions. He opens his epistle with praise, extending Grace, Peace and Thanksgiving. He reminds them of the Gospel, Death, Burial and Resurrection: (1 Thessalonians1:10) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
1 and 2 Thessalonians are dated primarily based on their greeting from “Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy” (1 Thessalonians1:1, 2Thessalonians1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians). Sylvanus is another spelling for Silas, who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (49-51 AD). Timothy also joined the second missionary journey early on (Acts 16:1). However, Silas apparently did not accompany Paul on the third missionary journey, and this trio (Paul, Silas, Timothy) are not mentioned together again. Therefore, the greeting appears to come from the trio some time during their second missionary journey. This would be after they visited Thessalonica and established a church there (Acts 17:1-4). This allows only a very small-time window for the letters to be written – from 50 to 51 AD. This dating of 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians has been widely accepted by scholars of all persuasions with little dissent.
1 Thessalonians 2:2 “…were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi…” supports the timeline in Acts, stating that Paul arrived in Thessalonica after being badly treated in Philippi (he was beaten and jailed – Acts 16:22-24). The reference to Paul’s stay in Athens (1 Thessalonians 3:1 …we thought it good to be left at Athens alone😉 further backs up the sequence of events described in Acts (17:16-34). Therefore, the sequence of events is clear: Paul, Silas and Timothy established a church in Thessalonica, they then traveled to Berea and on to Athens. At this time, Paul and Silas sent Timothy back to check on things (1 Thessalonians 3:2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, … to comfort you concerning your faith:), and after Timothy returned with a report, the trio penned this letter.
Primary opposition to the gospel at this time is described as coming from the Jews, and Paul likens the Thessalonian church to the churches in Judea (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). This, along with the reference in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” to a standing temple, further confirm a date of writing prior to the 70 AD destruction of the temple.
The Apostle Paul’s second letter to a church in Thessalonica.
The traditional view is that the second letter to the Thessalonians was probably written from Corinth shortly after the first letter. Paul opens the letter praising this church for their faithfulness and perseverance in the face of persecution: 2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: They visited Thessalonica and established a church there (Acts 17:1-4). This allows only a very small-time window for the letters to be written – from 50 to 52 AD.
Paul, Silas and Timothy established a church in Thessalonica, they then traveled to Berea and on to Athens. At this time, Paul and Silas sent Timothy back to check on things (1 Thessalonians 3:2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:), and after Timothy returned with a report, the trio penned this letter.
Primary opposition to the gospel at this time is described as coming from the Jews, and Paul likens the Thessalonian church to the churches in Judea. This, along with the reference in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,” to a standing temple, further confirm a date of writing prior to the 70 AD destruction of the temple.
