An Introduction to the New Testament I: The Gospels - Study day

Have you ever wondered how the books in the New Testament were chosen? Why were the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John chosen when there were many other gospels to choose from? Why does the Gospel of John present Jesus in a different way when compared to the other Gospels? Why do many New Testament scholars think that some of the letters attributed to St. Paul were written by others? And is the Apocalypse of John really about the end of the world or is there a deeper, hidden meaning to the text?

Let’s find out! This two-part course, ‘An Introduction to the New Testament’, will teach you how to read the New Testament critically and will provide you with a deeper understanding of:   

• The origins, content, development, and purpose of the New Testament;

• Jesus’ historical life, message, death, and resurrection;

• The development of the early church as witnessed in the New Testament (e.g. Acts of Apostles, Epistles of Paul, Book of Revelation, etc) and other non-canonical texts (e.g. Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Mary);

• The way in which the historical Jesus of Nazareth came to be worshipped as the ‘Christ’ of Christian faith.

The first part of the course focuses on the Gospels. Although these texts are over-familiar to many of us today, they are unusual texts in many ways, and the more we examine the differences between them, and consider them in relation to other ancient biographies, the more interesting they become.  The Gospels tell us a great deal about Jesus’ life and ministry; but they may also tell us a fair amount about the early church communities in which their authors lived, and for whom they were written.

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