Chapter 1 Reading Guide

What is the New Testament and Why Should We Care?
  1. What are the four types of writings included in the New Testament? (You should memorize the names of the books of the New Testament in order and know which division in which each book belongs.)
  1. Who are the Apostolic Fathers, and how are they relevant to the study of the New Testament?
  1. How do the following terms relate to one another? Jewish Scriptures, Hebrew Bible, and Old Testament.
  1. How did some of the early Christian writings get collected into the New Testament? What motivated Christians to create a canon of Scripture?
  1. Why were some of the early Christian books included in this canon, but others not? Who made these decisions? On what grounds? When?
  1. Give several examples of early Christian writings that did not come to be included in the New Testament.
  1. What does it mean to speak about the diversity of the New Testament? What does recognition of this diversity afford the reader?
  1. What is the difference between a historical and a confessional approach to the New Testament?
  1. In what sense is it true to say that we don’t have the original New Testament?
  1. How did early Christian scribes alter the New Testament manuscripts they copied? Do these changes make any difference in interpreting early Christian belief?
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