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| | The New Testament contains about 180,000 total words, and its books are traditionally classified into categories: | | The New Testament contains about 180,000 total words, and its books are traditionally classified into categories: |
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| − | *The four [[Gospel]]s (literally "Good news"): [[Alleged Bible contradictions|varying]] accounts of the life and ministry of [[Jesus]], consisting of the gospels attributed to [[Saint Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Luke]], and [[John the Apostle|John]]. | + | *The four [[Gospel]]s (literally "Good news"): [[Alleged Bible contradictions|varying]] accounts of the life and ministry of [[Jesus]], consisting of the gospels authored by [[Saint Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Luke]], and [[John the Apostle|John]]. |
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| − | *[[The Acts of the Apostles]] (or just "Acts") (which J. B. Phillips evocatively called "The Young Church In Action,") which concerns the ministry of the Apostles after the death of Christ. It is similar in language and style to, and reads as a continuation of, the Gospel of [[Luke]]. | + | *[[The Acts of the Apostles]] (or just "Acts") (which J. B. Phillips evocatively called "The Young Church In Action"), which concerns the ministry of the Apostles after the death of Christ. It is a continuation of the Gospel of [[Luke]]. |
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| | *[[Epistles (biblical books)|The Epistles]] (which J. B. Phillips called "Letters to Young Churches,") ''Romans'' through ''Jude'', consisting of fourteen letters attributed to St. Paul and seven by other writers including James, [[Saint Peter|Peter]], John, and Jude. The writer of the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is not known with certainty, but was probably [[Jesus]] himself.<ref>See [[Mystery:Did Jesus Write the Epistle to the Hebrews?]]</ref> | | *[[Epistles (biblical books)|The Epistles]] (which J. B. Phillips called "Letters to Young Churches,") ''Romans'' through ''Jude'', consisting of fourteen letters attributed to St. Paul and seven by other writers including James, [[Saint Peter|Peter]], John, and Jude. The writer of the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is not known with certainty, but was probably [[Jesus]] himself.<ref>See [[Mystery:Did Jesus Write the Epistle to the Hebrews?]]</ref> |
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| − | *[[The Book of Revelation]] (or just "Revelation,") the prophetic book which ends the New Testament. It is also known as "the Apocalypse" (Greek for 'revelation'). It is somewhat similar in style to the [[Old Testament]] book of [[Daniel]] (and indeed weaves common prophecy), and tells of the end of the world, including [[Armageddon]], Judgment Day, and the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. Despite Jesus' thrice repeated promise in it that 'I shall come very soon', opinions vary as to whether it refers to imminent events set amid the then Roman Empire or to the far future. | + | *[[The Book of Revelation]] (or just "Revelation,") the prophetic book which ends the New Testament. It is also known as "the Apocalypse" (Greek for 'revelation'). It is somewhat similar in style to the [[Old Testament]] book of [[Daniel]] (and indeed weaves common prophecy), and tells of the end of the world, including [[Armageddon]], Judgment Day, and the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. Despite Jesus' thrice-repeated promise in it that "I shall come very soon," opinions vary as to how to interpret "soon". |
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| | As with the Old Testament, the chapter and verse divisions of the various books are not original, but were added in medieval times for greater understanding. But the term "New Testament" was first coined (in Latin) around A.D. 200, by the theologian Tertullian, who was the first biblical scholar to write in Latin. | | As with the Old Testament, the chapter and verse divisions of the various books are not original, but were added in medieval times for greater understanding. But the term "New Testament" was first coined (in Latin) around A.D. 200, by the theologian Tertullian, who was the first biblical scholar to write in Latin. |
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| − | The oldest book in the New Testament is the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]]. The letters of [[Paul]], the book of [[St. James the Less|James]], and the [[Gospel of Mark]] are also considered relatively old. | + | The oldest book in the New Testament is the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], probably authored soon after the [[Resurrection]]. Several letters of [[Paul]], the book of [[St. James the Less|James]], and the [[Gospel of Mark]] were also authored very early. |
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| | One of the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament is the [[Codex Sinaiticus]] (a contemporary of the [[Codex Vaticanus]], which is considered slightly older), and the Codex Sinaiticus omits several passages -- mostly [[liberal]] ones -- that are included in modern [[English]] translations.<ref>https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/absent-from-codex-sinaiticus-oldest-new-testament/</ref> | | One of the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament is the [[Codex Sinaiticus]] (a contemporary of the [[Codex Vaticanus]], which is considered slightly older), and the Codex Sinaiticus omits several passages -- mostly [[liberal]] ones -- that are included in modern [[English]] translations.<ref>https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/absent-from-codex-sinaiticus-oldest-new-testament/</ref> |