What it is. The New Testament is a collection of writings about Jesus of Nazareth and the communities that gathered around his message. Its readers receive it as Scripture alongside the Hebrew Bible, which they read as the earlier part of one story. For them, it tells how God kept His promises to Abraham and Israel and made Himself known in Jesus. The word "testament" means covenant.
How it is arranged. It has four main parts:
- The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Four accounts of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus.
- Acts (the Acts of the Apostles). The story of the first followers, from Jerusalem out into the Roman world.
- The letters. Thirteen carry the name of Paul, written to communities such as those in Rome and Corinth and to individuals. The others are Hebrews, the letters of James, Peter and Jude, and three letters traditionally linked to John.
- Revelation. A book of visions about the end of the age, ending with God dwelling among His people.
Altogether it has 27 books, 260 chapters and 7,957 verses. The chapter and verse divisions were added many centuries later to make it easier to find passages.
Language and age. The New Testament was written in Greek, the everyday Greek used across the eastern Mediterranean (often called Koine). Its readers traditionally hold that the books come from the apostles and their close companions. Most scholars date the writings to roughly 50–120 CE, most of them within the first century. They place Paul's letters earliest, around the 50s, and the Gospels in the decades after. They debate who wrote some of the books, including some letters carrying Paul's or Peter's name. The earliest known list of exactly these 27 books dates from 367 CE, and over the following decades that list became widely accepted.
How its readers use it. It is read aloud when readers gather to worship, very often with a passage from a Gospel. Many also read it at home, alone or in small groups, and pray with it. The prayer Jesus taught (Matthew 6:9–13) is said by readers all over the world. Many readers memorize favourite verses, and sing hymns and songs built on its words. For its readers, the point is not only to know about Jesus but to know God through him and to follow his way.
The translation on this site. We quote the King James Version (first published in 1611; we use the standard 1769 text). It was translated from Greek by a team of scholars working for King James I of England. For centuries it has shaped English speech and literature, and many readers still love its rhythm. It is in the public domain outside the United Kingdom, where the Crown still holds printing rights. That lets us quote it freely. Its English is old, and modern translations draw on older Greek manuscripts discovered since 1611, so readers may want to compare.
Where to start.
- Matthew 5–7 (the Sermon on the Mount)
- Luke 15 (the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son)
- John 1:1–18 ("In the beginning was the Word")
- 1 Corinthians 13 (love)
- Revelation 21:1–5 (a new heaven and a new earth)