Back to Bible Basics for Orthodox Christians Session 3

Back to Bible Basics for Orthodox Christians

Session 3 – The New Testament

Reference: An Introduction to the New Testament, Raymond E Brown

Prayer before reading of the Holy Scriptures: Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments so that, having conquered sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things which are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You we give glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all holy, good and life giving Spirit, always now and forever and to the ages of ages.

  1. Organization – Parallel to Old Testament / Gospel-Acts-Letters-Prophecy
    1. Authors – must have been Apostles or Disciples of Christ
    2. Conformity to belief – Writing had to be consistent with what the Church believed. “The term ‘canon’ or norm may have first referred to the standard beliefs of the Christian communities before it referred to the collection of writings that became standard. The importance of conformity to belief may be illustrated by a story told by Eusebius of Serapion, the bishop of Antioch, who found the congregation near Rhossus reading from the Gospel of Peter, a work with which he was unfamiliar. At first hearing, he found the work a bit strange but was inclined to tolerate it. When he later learned that this gospel was being used to support docetic teaching (that Jesus was not truly human) Serapion forbade further church use of the work.”
    3. Texts were received and kept by ancient communities. This is why certain books may have been debated.
    4. Letters were the ‘original’ Christian literature. “It is no accident, then, that letters were the first Christian literature of which we know: Since they can be designated to answer immediate, pressing problem, they were consistent the an urgent eschatology. That these letters were written by Paul clarifies another factor in the appearance of Christian literature. Paul was a traveling apostle who proclaimed Jesus in one town then moved on to another. Letters became his means of communication with converts who lived at a distance from him. Thus in the early 50’s of the 1st Century Paul produced the earliest surviving Christian documents.”
  2. Gospels
    1. Each had a particular audience. It would not have been common (originally) to read more than one gospel.
    2. Themes
      1. Matthew – Christ the Incarnate God has established a new covenant with humanity. The Kingdom of God has begun.
        1. Audience: Antioch where they were first called Christians, both Jews and Gentiles. Explains emphasis on NEW covenant.
        2. Read from Pentecost to Holy Cross
      2. Mark – Christ is the Servant and Sacrifice Himself
        1. Audience: Rome which could explain the emphasis on sacrifice as many Chrisitans were being persecuted in Rome.
        2. Read from After Theophany until Triodion and used as ‘fill-in’ before Holy Cross if Pascha is early. Mixed with Luke until Triodion
      3. Luke – The Gospel is for everyone
        1. Audience: Paul’s missionary churches which would explain the universality of the gospel message. 
        2. Read from Holy Cross until Theophany (mixed with Mark until Triodion)
      4. John – God became man for humanity
        1. Audience: Ephesian Church, mainly Gentiles. 
        2. Read from Pascha to Pentecost
  3. Acts of the Apostles
    1. Continuation of the Gospel of Luke
    2. Historical Reference to the ancient Church
    3. Point of Origin of many Church practices
  4. Letters – Read in order Pentecost until Great Lent
    1. Letters of Paul (14 Organized longest to shortest)
      1. Romans
        1. Theme: God’s Righteousness
        2. Audience: Mainly Jewish believers which explains extensive liturgical language.
      2. Corinthians
        1. Theme: Communion with God
        2. Audience: Cosmopolitan city, very ethnically diverse, wealthy, politically central to region. Church established by Paul. Maybe up to 7 letters.
      3. Galatians
        1. Theme: The True God vs Fake God
        2. Audience: Galatia had received ‘dueling gospel’ messages from other traveling preachers from Jerusalem.
      4. Ephesians
        1. Theme: The Riches of Christ in the Church
        2. Audience: Christians in Asia Minor.
        3. More like a book than a letter, written not to anyone specific.
        4. This book is ‘the most likely’ not written by Paul according to scholars
      5. Philippians
        1. Theme: The Dynamic Life of the Church is not personal but communal
        2. Audience: Phillippi was a Roman colony with a great deal of commercial traffic making it ideal for evangelism. A ‘higher than normal’ percentage of influential women could explain the conversion of Lydia. (Acts 16.11-15)
      6. Colossians
        1. Theme: Living the Faith
        2. Audience: located on a commercial route through the mountains. The people had a close relationship with other communities which explains why they were told to share their letter,
      7. Thessalonians
        1. Theme: A Holy Life and An Apostlolic Life
        2. Audience: A city of many cults, Mostly Gentile Christians
      8. Timothy
        1. Theme: Pastoral Care and Ministry
        2. Audience: Companion with Saint Paul on his missionary journey. He represented Paul by delivering the letters to churches.
      9. Titus
        1. Theme: Church Oversight and Structure
        2. Audience: Church of Crete. Titus was present at the Council of Jerusalem in 49AD to display an example of genuine Christianity in uncircumcised Gentiles.
      10. Philemon
        1. Theme: We are brothers and sisters in Christ, not slaves
        2. Audience: In his position as a leader of a local church.
      11. Hebrews
        1. Theme: Preserving faith in the Son of God
        2. Audience: Christians who were ‘favorable’ to the Jewish way of life. Christ of the NT IS the promise of the OT.
    2. Letter of James (Bishop of Jerusalem)
      1. Theme: Putting your faith to work
      2. Audience: Likely the Christians communities around Jerusalem and Palestine.
    3. Letters of Peter
      1. Theme: Suffering for Christ and True Knowledge
      2. Audience: Chrisitans in Asia Minor
    4. Letters of John
      1. Theme: Christian faith being tested
      2. Audience: Christians enduring schisms
    5. Letter of Jude (a brother of Jesus)
      1. Theme: Fighting for the True Faith
      2. Audience: Palestinian Christians in and around Jerusalem
  5. Prophecy – Apocalypse
    1. Only book not read in the public lectionary and worship of the Church
    2. Author: Same as the Gospel of John
    3. Theme: Consequences (in the ancient prophetic tradition)
    4. Audience: Christian in Western Asia Minor
  6. Purpose
    1. Of the Gospels was to preserve the witness of Jesus before the eyewitnesses died
    2. Of the Letters was to shape and guide the church while waiting for Christ to return
    3. Of Apocalypse was to warn the church of what happens when we depart the truth

Profitable for the soul – “Therefore, ‘all scripture, inspired by God, is quite profitable,’ so that to search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, ‘like a tree which is planted near the running waters,’ so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow fat and bear fruit in due season, which is the orthodox faith, and so is it adorned with its evergreen leaves, with actions pleasing to God, I mean.”