A Brief Guide to the New Testament Documents

A Brief Guide to the New Testament Documents

Classical Studies 202

Department of Classics, Queen’s University

­ The contents of the N.T. as we have it are already listed in a letter of Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria in 367 A.D., and earliest manuscripts date around 350 A.D. Councils held 393 and 397 A.D. in N. Africa classified the “Canonical” books. The N.T. comprises 27 short documents. all written substantially by 100 A.D. and known from some 5.000 Greek manuscripts. Contents: 4 Gospels, 1 history (Acts), 21 letters, 1 apocalypse. These are not set out in chronological order for composition - the Gospels (published in one collection about 115 A.D.) are not the oldest section. The oldest document is Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians, written in Corinth about 50 A.D., some 20 years after Christ's death. The Epistles of Paul contain 10, dating 48-60 A.D. ­

­
Gospel of Mark:

The shortest and oldest of the Gospels, written in Rome for the Christian community there about 60-70 A.D., some 40 years after the Crucifixion. This is the primary Gospel. used as the basic record by Matthew, Luke and-John. Mark may have seen Christ briefly, (he may be the young man of Mark 14:51 himself, but this is doubtful); he travelled extensively with Paul and Barnabas (Cyprus, Asia Minor, Rome), and was Peter's interpreter from Aramaic to Greek. In his Gospel, Mark probably arranges from memory what he learnt orally from Peter in Rome, and also draws on the oral tradition of Christ's sayings which was chanted in the early Church. His Gospel is not a historical “biography” but seeks to set Christ's teaching in a presentation which will be inspirational to the contemporary Church. Later, Matthew and Luke rewrote Mark's material for different audiences, and John also used parts of his Gospel. Matthew and Luke added material from a lost work, the so-called “Sayings of Jesus” (? by the Apostle Matthew), also known as the “Q Document” (cf. Corinthians 1.7.10, 1.9.14).

Gospel of Matthew:

Described as “the most Jewish” of the Gospels. Not written by the Apostle Matthew, however, composed in Syrian Antioch and published 85-90 A.D. (some date it soon after 70 A.D.).[1] It is a careful, literary production, arranged to serve as a manual for church teaching and administration. It takes 606 of Mark's 661 verses as its basis and adds “sayings” grouped according to subject matter in 5 sections. These groups are inserted at 5 points in Mark's narrative (see Matthew 5.1f. , 10.5f. , 13.4f. , 18.2f. , 24.4f.). Other anecdotes are also added from the oral tradition, the so-called “Q Document” of sayings of Jesus not traceable in Mark, possibly taken from a Hebrew record of Christ's teaching made by the actual Apostle Matthew (see above). But some scholars hold that Matthew pre-dates Mark and Luke.

­
Gospel of Luke and Acts of Apostles:

Both directed to an official named Theophilus, who was possibly a Roman official investigating Paul's appeal and case in Rome. These two works belong together, and form a 2 volume history of the rise (i.e. the Gospel) and the western spread (i.e. Acts) of Christianity after the Crucifixion. While Mark presents an inspirational record and Matthew a church instruction book, Luke (a gentile) wrote to appeal to a Greek-speaking, well-read public. He draws on traditions of Greek historiography and is notably accurate about the official titles of the Greek East. His works are carefully researched and artistically composed for educated tastes. Luke the physician was presumably an educated man himself. probably from Syrian Antioch. He many have met Peter in Antioch. and he possibly acted as Paul's doctor and secretary. The use of "we" in three sections of Acts shows that Luke travelled extensively with Paul (see also Timothy 2.4.11). Cf. Coloss. 4.10,14; Phil. 24. for acquaintance with Paul and Mark (in Rome). Luke probably kept a travel diary as a basis for the narrative of Acts (it may start at Acts 16.9). Acts links the Gospels with the Epistles, and is the “pivotal book” of the N.T. (Harnack). Luke uses 356 verses of Mark in his Gospel, also the 'Q Document'. He probably finished Acts by 60- 62 A. D. (Paul's death is not referred to), and his Gospel 75-85 A.D. (his Gospel refers to the fall of Jerusalem). Mark, Matthew and Luke together comprise the so-called “Synoptic Gospels.”[2]

Gospel of John:

Dates from around 90-100 A.D., and a papyrus fragment of about 130 A.D. is known from Egypt. John's Gospel, with his 3 Epistles, was written at Ephesus, where he may have been a Church elder. Unlike Mark, he aims not to give a basically factual record but a deeply spiritual account. more of an interpretation of Christ's life. He tries to re-create the experience of knowing Jesus. Note that he concentrates on only some 20 days out of the life of Christ. An enigmatic Gospel, much debated by Biblical scholars.

So Mark gives an inspirational edition of Christ's teachings, Matthew a church and missionary aid, Luke a literary chronicle, and John a spiritual interpretation. Note that all four wrote Gospels for contemporary purposes and different publics, not historical records in our sense. None of the Gospels is a “biography” or “life” in the modern sense, and they cover almost exclusively the last 2 or 3 years of the life of Jesus.

Paul's Epistles:

We have 13 Letters, roughly 1/4 of the N.T. in bulk. They were all written 50-65 A.D., and published about 90 A.D. They start with Thessalonians l (written from Corinth 50 A.D.) and are the oldest Christian documents that we have. They contain narrative sections about the life of Jesus which are earlier than Mark's Gospel (see Corinthians 1.11. 23-26; 1.15. 3-9). They are actual letters, written to advise, encourage and correct the widely-scattered Christian communities (9 are addressed to churches, 4 to individuals) and they were kept and treasured by the recipients. They were written from various cities on Paul's itinerary, and the last 4 (Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) were actually written from prison in Rome (or possibly in Ephesus). They give valuable insights into Paul's life and personality, and unfold the problems of the infant church. They "take the roofs off the early Christian churches and let us look inside.”

Epistle to Hebrews:

­ Probably written soon before 70 A.D. to a community of Jewish Christians in Italy.[3]

Peter 1 & 2, John 1-3, James and Jude:

Authors unknown, but they are probably not by any of the Apostles. They are sermons, dating 80-150 A.D. Peter 1 (about 95 A.D.) probably reflects troubles under Domitian[4] (the "fiery trial" of 1.4.12); Peter 2 is about 150 A.D., hence the latest N.T. document. Jude is about 125 A.D., probably by a bishop of Jerusalem.

Revelation:

By John (not the Apostle), 69-96 A.D., written in a penal colony on the Aegean isle of Patmos (see 1.9). Reflects trouble under Domitian and is a mystical vision of the future looking to Rome's fall (18.2) and God's kingdom on earth. Uses symbolic imagery—the "Beast whose number is 666" may be Nero.

Notes

1. Probably by a disciple.
2. I.e., all looking at the same thing (Greek: syn - same; optic - look).
3. Probably not by Paul.
4. Son of Vespasian.