T E S T A M E N T
T H E
N E W
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COPYRIGHT BY WILLIAM EVANS
General View of New Testament
A GENERAL view o f the contents, o f the New Testament is indispensable to an adequate understanding o f the books composing it and o f the great doctrines and truths taught therein. Each book has its own peculiar setting and can be under stood only in the light o f such history and circumstances. The New Testament books- may be said to fall into three groups : Historic, Didactic, Prophetic: Let us consider each 'of these main divisions. I. HISTORICAL BOOKS OF NEW TESTAMENT The first five books o f the New Testa ment—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and The Acts—like the first five o f the Old Testament, may be properly termed historic. They deal with the historical foundations o f Christianity, the person and work o f its Founder and the historical basis o f the Christian Church—the Gospels setting forth the Church in promise and prophecy, and The Acts showing the estab lishment o f the Church in actual fact. 1. The Gospels. Let us look in a general way at thé Gospels. W e mote that there are four Gospels records. Why four? Are we to suppose that we have in these four inspired records a complete account of the life and
work o f Jesus Christ? From the state ment o f one o f the evangelists, we would answer this question in the negative: John says : “ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence o f his disciples, which are not written in this book; But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son o f God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:30, 31. “And there afe also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain- the books that should be written” (2 1 :25). Paul, in writ ing to the Corinthians, reminds them of the words o f our Lord Jesus regarding giving: “ It is more blessed to give than to receive,” yet we do hot find these words anywhere in thè four Gospel records. W e have here an illustration o f what may be called the inspiration o f selection — power bestowed upon the evangelists by" the Holy Spirit by which they were able to choose from the life o f Christ such words, works,, incidents, miracles and parables as best suited the distinct and specific purpose they had in mind. W e may say that each writer had his own unique purpose in his selection o f material. Indeed, there can be no true study o f the Gospels unless this important fact is constantly kept in mind.
Nate.—It is the purpose of this department to go through the Bible, beginning with the New Testament, book by book, giving a general idea of the contents as a whole. Not much space can be devoted to detailed analysis. The reader, however, will be provided with a gênerai analysis not only of the book as a whole, but also with a brief explanation of its main sections.
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