The New Testament is the second major part of the Christian Bible. Its 27 books were written in the first centuries of Christianity and focus on Jesus Christ, the earliest Christian communities, apostolic teaching, worship, ethics, and Christian hope.
The four Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John narrate the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They share important material but are not identical. Each Gospel has its own structure, emphases, and theological presentation.
The first three are often called the Synoptic Gospels because they can be compared side by side in many passages. John differs more strongly in style, chronology, and the way it presents Jesus’ identity and teaching.
Acts of the Apostles
Acts is the second volume associated with the author of Luke. It describes the growth of the early Christian movement from Jerusalem into the wider Roman world. Peter and Paul are major figures, and themes include Pentecost, mission, disputes within the early church, and the inclusion of Gentiles.
Letters in the New Testament
The New Testament contains letters associated with Paul as well as other apostolic figures. They address theology, church disputes, worship, ethics, leadership, persecution, and practical questions faced by early Christian communities.
Modern scholarship distinguishes between questions of traditional attribution and historical authorship. Christian churches may place different weight on those scholarly debates while continuing to receive the books as scripture.
The traditional names attached to books are not always the same thing as a modern historical conclusion about authorship. That distinction matters especially for several letters whose authorship is debated by scholars.
- Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
- Early church narrative: Acts of the Apostles.
- Letters bearing Paul’s name: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
- Hebrews: an anonymous New Testament sermon or letter whose authorship has long been debated.
- General or Catholic letters: James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude.
- Apocalyptic writing: Revelation.
The New Testament canon used by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians contains the same 27 books. In canonical order they can be grouped as follows:
The 27 books of the New Testament
Revelation
The Book of Revelation is an apocalyptic work written in symbolic language. It addresses churches facing pressure and presents visions of judgment, faithfulness, conflict, worship, and the final renewal of creation. Interpretations differ widely, especially when readers try to relate its symbols to particular historical or future events.
How the New Testament canon formed
The books were not bound together as a complete New Testament from the beginning. Early Christian communities used individual Gospels and letters, and over time churches recognized a common collection. By late antiquity, the 27-book New Testament used by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians had become broadly established.
Language and manuscripts
The New Testament was written in Koine Greek. It survives in thousands of Greek manuscripts and many ancient translations. Because no original manuscript is known to survive, modern editions compare manuscript evidence to reconstruct the earliest attainable text. Most variants are minor, though some passages have substantial textual histories that modern Bibles often note.
Main themes
- the identity, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus;
- the kingdom of God and the call to discipleship;
- sin, grace, faith, salvation, and new life;
- the work of the Holy Spirit;
- the formation and mission of the church;
- Christian ethics, worship, and community life;
- resurrection, judgment, and hope for the future.
How Christians use the New Testament
Churches read the New Testament in public worship, preaching, catechesis, theological study, and private devotion. Catholic and Orthodox Christians interpret it within scripture and church tradition, while Protestant traditions generally stress the supreme authority of scripture, though their methods of interpretation differ.
The New Testament is therefore both a collection of early Christian writings and the central scriptural witness through which Christians encounter the story of Jesus and the first generations of the church.
