FROM THE PASTOR

ABOUT THE BIBLE series continues:

The New Testament

The New Testament books were written over a period of about 50 years (50-100 A.D.) They were written for several reasons: First, early Christians saw the need to preserve the memory of Jesus’ life and teachings. Second, as the number of Christians grew and spread throughout the region, it became important to provide instruction on the essentials of the Christian faith.

The New Testament writings were widely used in the years after they were written. We don’t know exactly when the various writings officially became part of the canon (BIble), but by 200 A.D. the Gospels and letters of Paul and several others were considered canonical.  Some of the other writings varied for a while in terms of use and acceptance. The New Testament as we know it today was not in place until about 350 A.D.

                 — adapted from About the Bible by Terence Fretheim, p. 13

Grace and Peace!

Pastor Dana