Sunday, September 4, 2011

The New Testament

Matthew
Matthew is the first of the four gospels in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. It was written by Matthew between 50 and 70 A.D. Mattew was a Jewish tax collector before he decided to quit and follow Jesus as one of his twelve apostles. Matthew is has 28 chapters and is split into eight different parts. The gospel of Matthew attempts to establish that Jesus is the Messiah and in it Matthew gives witness acounts of many of the miracles Jesus performed. This gospel describes Jesus birth, baptism, how he resisted the temptation of the devil and miracles he performed such as when he fed 5000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread as well as his crucifiction, death and resurrection.

Mark
Mark is the second gospel in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Mark was the friend of the apostle Simon Peter and in the gospel of Mark many of the accounts are Peter's. The book of Mark was written between 50 and 60 A.D and has 16 chapters. It is believed that the Mark wrote the book in Italy. Mark also talks of many of Jesus' miracles and is divided in to seven sections that desscribe Jesus' life. One of the other miracles described is wwhen Jesus walked on water.

Luke
Luke is the third book of the New Testament. Luke was the author of this gospel as well as the author of the book of acts. Luke was friend s with the apostle Paul. It is agreed that the gospel of Luke wwas written between 59 and 70 A.D. In Luke Jesus' birth, childhood, and teachings about salvation and God's way of life are conveyed in particular. Luke is organised into 8 sections. There is much about the culture and families surrounding Jesus and events such as the Baptism of Jesus performed by John the baptist is included.

John
John is the fourth gospel in the New Testament and is seen as unique and varying from the other gospels. John focuses more on spiritual themes rather than historical. This gospel was written between 50 and 85 A.D. John was a disciple who was known to love Jesus and the book of John is filled with many of his first hand accounts about the first 33 years of Jesus' life.  There are also many parables in John which teach people lessons and of God's will.