Delve Into The New TestamentSample

DAY 3 – A BETTER STRUCTURE FOR READING

A very helpful way to divide up and order the New Testament is as follows:

1. Luke-Acts. The story of this two-volume history provides an overview of the New Testament period and allows us to see where most of the other books belong. Luke was one of Paul’s co-workers in sharing the good news about Jesus, so it’s appropriate to consider Paul’s letters at the same time: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy. The reasons for understanding that Paul’s letters were written in this order will become clear.

2. The books of the New Testament that were written to Jews who believed in Jesus as their Messiah and retained their Jewish cultural and religious identity. This includes the gospel according to Matthew and also Hebrews and James. This grouping has the advantage of removing James, a wisdom book, from a cluster of letters. Hebrews, for its part, was sent out as a letter, but it’s closer in form to a series of sermons, and so it’s suitably paired with the book of James, whose contents were likely distilled by its author from his own sermons. 

3. The gospel according to Mark, followed by the letters 1 Peter and 2 Peter. Mark seems to tell the story of Jesus’ life from Peter’s perspective, and his gospel and Peter’s letters were likely written in Rome. Jude was written for the same occasion as Peter’s second letter. 

4. The gospel according to John and his three letters: 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. This concludes by telling the story behind the book of Revelation. These five books were all likely written in western Asia Minor late in the first century and speak to the challenges of that place and time. It’s fitting for the book of Revelation to be last of all in this volume, since it describes how God’s plan for all of creation will ultimately be realized.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping into the story of the world. Help me to live well in this story.