Overview:
The New Testament is a collection of 27 books written by 8 authors. It was written in the first century over a period of 60 years.
Contents:
The first four books are the Gospels. They are named after the authors (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and contain independent accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Three of the authors were eyewitnesses of Jesus and the fourth (Luke) had access to eyewitness accounts.
The book of Acts tells about the spread of the Gospel (or “Good News”) of Jesus Christ and about the history of the early church.
The letters (or epistles) are writings to early churches or individuals giving practical instruction about how to live as a Christian. There are 21 of these letters.
The Revelation is a book written to Christians who were suffering because of their faith in Christ. It is written in figurative language presenting Jesus as victorious over His enemies. It offers hope of victory to those who remain faithful.
Relevance to Christians:
The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of God’s plan to save man. It gives reasons to believe Jesus is the Son of God. It teaches how to be saved from sin, to live as disciples, and to worship together as a church. It points to the day when Jesus Christ will come again to judge the wicked and grant the righteous everlasting life with God.