BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
New Testament at a Glance

 

Matthew	The life and teachings of Jesus with emphasis on His fulfillment of the OT prophecy as the Jewish Messiah.
Mark	A short, fast-moving account of the life of Jesus with emphasis on His actions and role as the Suffering Servant.
Luke	The most comprehensive narrative of  the life and teaching of Jesus with emphasis on His humanity and role as Savior to the whole world, not just the Jews.
John	Significantly different, more reflective style than the Synoptics, focusing on the divinity of Christ.

 

Acts	Historical account of the apostles and the  early church, beginning with ascension of the resurrected Christ.  It traces the churches growth under the guidance of the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, and continues with Paul's missionary journeys to the Gentiles.

 

Romans	Paul's theological masterpiece and most comprehensive explanation of the gospel, including the doctrine of faith, grace, righteousness, justification, sin, law, judgment, the church, the place of Jews and Gentiles in God's purposes, duties of Christians to civil government, and principles of personal morality.
1 Corinthians	Straightforward advice to the Corinthian church on spiritual and moral problems which also plague many modern churches such as divisions and strife, immorality, and the misunderstanding of basic doctrine.
2 Corinthians	Expresses gratitude for repentance by the majority of Corinth, defends Paul's apostolic authority, and appeals to the unrepentant minority to turn from false teachers.
Galatians	Paul's discourse on the doctrine of justification by grace thru faith alone - written to counter the false teaching that a person must keep the law or perform good works in order to have a right relationship with God.
Ephesians	Doctrine of the church, including the position, practice and protection of the body of believers.
Philippians	An epistle of joy and encouragement written in the midst of adverse conditions (prison).  Paul, in one of his last and most personal letters, shares many of his own personal experiences and struggles.
Colossians	Possibly the most Christ-centered book of the Bible, explains and affirms the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ as opposed to the many abounding false religious philosophies.
1 Thessalonians	Importance and instructions for right living in light of Christ's impending return.  This book provides one of the fullest treatments of eschatological (end times) events in the NT.
2 Thessalonians	Supplements and corrects misinterpretations by the Thessalonians regarding the Day of the Lord teachings in Paul's first letter.
1 Timothy	Written to help Paul's younger assistant Timothy deal with a variety of issues raised by false teachers, to provide encouragement for spiritual growth, to offer advise on being a better spiritual leader, and to offer instructions about church organization.
2 Timothy	Paul's last letter, sometimes thought of as his "Last Will and Testament", encourages Timothy to unashamedly and faithfully carry on the message about Christ that was entrusted to them.
Titus	Instructions to Titus regarding Christian growth, church organization, battling false teachers, and teaching proper Christian conduct.
Philemon	A plea for forgiveness of a runaway slave, and the importance of love, equality and acceptance in the body of Christ.
Hebrews	The superiority of Christ, and of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant, explaining many OT Jewish practices as symbols preparing the way for the coming Messiah.  Many authors for this book have been proposed (including Paul), but the exact author is unknown.

 

James	Practical instructions on living an authentic Christian life, including the meaning and visible evidence of true faith.
1 Peter	Encourages Christians, facing persecution due to their faith, to persevere in light of their future assurance of sharing Christ's glory.
2 Peter	Addresses internal oppositions within the church caused by false teachers, stressing the need for growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
1 John	Offers God's perfect love as an example for us to follow in our fellowships with one another, and warns of false teaching in the congregations.
2 John	Warns against the false teaching the Christ did not come in the flesh, and focuses on walking in the truth of the gospel.
3 John	Promotes service toward others, and hospitality to traveling ministers of the gospel.
Jude	Combats the false teaching that the doctrine of salvation by grace alone gives believers a license to sin without consequences, and exhorts believers to "contend earnestly for the faith".

 

Revelation

The unveiling and consummation of God's final purposes, partially foreshadowed by events in early church history.  There are many viewpoints on the various symbols, timing, and prophetical issues, but I think we can all agree that God is clearly in charge.  Revelation also completes the cosmic battle on earth between good and evil which began in Genesis and, in the end, Jesus wins.