The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible. It comes after the Old Testament and tells us the story of Jesus Christ and His teachings in a series of books (the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, etc.), as well as episodes from the early days of the Church. What exactly can you find in this part of the Bible? What books does it contain, and who wrote them? Learn more about the sacred texts of the founders of Christianity.
This part of the Bible follows the Old Testament, and it teaches us about the new covenant between God and men, established through Jesus Christ, His Son, the Messiah. This new covenant shows us the merciful side of God, who came to meet humans, and share their experience before saving them.
The New Testament reveals to us the Good News: God, in His infinite love for us, sent His own Son to save us. By accepting to die on the Cross, Jesus opened the path of salvation to mankind. When He resurrected, He defeated death. Thanks to Him, eternal life is offered to us.
Jesus tells us about the Kingdom of God, and shows us the path to it. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) He left us a great message of love and hope, the core of the New Testament.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12).
Like the Old Testament, the New Testament is a collection of texts and books attributed to different authors: the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and other disciples of the Lord, such as Paul the Apostle. These texts are part of the Holy Scriptures, as the faithful believe they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and reveal the Word of God.
The 27 “canonical” books have been part of the New Testament since the Council of Rome which took place in the 4th century, and they are:
Naturally, the central figure of the New Testament is Jesus Christ.
Were means through which the Love of God was revealed.
In the Gospels, we are acquainted with the many people who were touched by Jesus: Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman, Mary-Magdalene...The texts reveal to us how much their life was transformed. Others were too conected with worldly things, and refused to allow Him to love them: Judas, who betrayed Jesus, Pontius Pilate, who ‘washed his hands’ of His trial...
Jesus was followed by the Apostles, who were His first disciples. We encounter other disciples of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, such as Stephen and Timothy. These texts contributed to sharing the Good News and establishing the first Christian communities.