Theme 4: Reading the New Testament

In this theme…

a.       What is your favourite Bible story?

b.       What are the origins of the New Testament?

c.       What’s in the New Testament?

d.       What is the Big Picture message of the New Testament?

e.       Were there only ever four gospels?

f. Where did the Gospel writers get their information?

g. Why are Paul and his letters such a big deal?

h. How do we make sense of the Book of Revelation and apocalyptic literature?

1. What appeals to you about hearing others tell about their favourite Bible story? What do you notice about the way they tell their story?

2. Identify a story or character from the Bible that made an impact on you. What was it about the story that made such an impact?

3. In what ways might you explore that story further? Consider exploring the context out of which the story was written, finding other versions of the story or just reading it several times over to revisit the characters and  message.

1. How else do you experience the idea of ‘canon’? For instance, are there ‘official’ family stories that regularly get shared at gatherings? Or stories that get shared amongst your friends? How do stories make it onto those ‘lists’?

2. In what ways does it help to know some of the contents around the creation/collation of the New Testament texts?

3. The Chester Beatty collection referred to by Greg can be viewed online at https://chesterbeatty.ie/ - select ‘collections’ and find ‘the Biblical Papyri collection’.

4. The Chester Beatty collection is a museum housed in Dublin Castle. It contains magnificent collections of rare books, manuscripts and treasures and is worth a visit...set aside a bit of time, it’s a wonderful place to get lost!

1. When Marian says something like ‘none of us know if Hebrews is a sermon’ the life of these texts is brought into sharp focus. The books and letters of the New Testament were written for particular audiences and had lives of their own before being collected in a formal work called the Bible. We use these texts in ways that the writers may never have imagined. How might this idea influence and enliven your reading of the New Testament?

2. The New Testament contains many types of writing: Marian mentioned letters, sermons, apocalyptic writings, gospels. How does an awareness of the genre (type) of writing influence the way we read each ‘book’?

3. Is it possible that modern Christian writings might be collected into another Testament? In what context would this be done?

1. What are your ideas about the ‘big picture’ message of the New Testament?

2. To what extent is it useful to read the books of the New Testament with a theme in mind? For example: Read the letters of Paul with JUSTICE as your focus. Read the Gospel according to John with your focus on the word and idea of LIGHT.

3. People did not write for the New Testament. The writings were collated afterwards to form a body of work. What would you say was the ‘organising principle/s’ behind the selection of these books into a Testament?

1. Imagine the decisions involved in choosing which gospel accounts to include in an agreed collection!

2. What criteria would be non-negotiables for you if it was your job to  decide on the contents of the New Testament?

3. Make a list and add to it over the week, as you continue to think over this tricky question!

4. It’s exciting to hear that discoveries of source documents still happen. Archaeological discoveries also influence how we read the texts, as we learn new things about cultural practices of the day. What is your response to the idea that there is more to be learnt about the New Testament texts?

5. Does this idea influence how you look at the documents we have in our Bible?

1. Greg paints a picture of early Christian communities who are passionate about the stories of Jesus and the disciples. What would you ask those people if you had the chance?

2. Collect a few questions of your own and keep them beside you as you read the Gospels.

3. See what comes up, which character addresses your questions and which situations, or stories come alive in new ways.

4. What impresses you about the storytelling prowess of the Gospel authors? Does anything frustrate you?

1. Many people are used to reading Paul’s letters as documents of and inspiration for faith. Have you ever read them specifically as evidence of the Early Church? What assists in such a reading?

2. See what new ideas arise for you when you look out for the lives, interests and passions of those dynamic and very human people mentioned in Paul’s letters.

· What characters do you recognise? · What questions arise for you?

· Which personalities interest you the most? · Who annoys you?

· Who inspires you? · Which character is a mystery that you wish you knew more about?

3. Many authors have taken these questions and woven stories about first century lives. What Pauline character could inspire you to do the same!

4. How might Paul communicate the meaning of the resurrection to a modern audience? What words would he use? What media do you think a modern Paul would favour?  Have a go at taking on the role of one who communicates the new life of Jesus to a modern world and see what you come up with!

1. Marian suggests that apocalyptic literature emerges when   people feel threatened. Where have you seen evidence of this in film, television, rhetoric, fiction and news?

2. Some people have made claims that the book of Revelation tells the future. Scholarship clearly states this is not so. But what is the attraction of such a ‘theory’?

3. Many Christians feel that the Book of Revelation is a mystery. Marian hints that some understanding of the context out of which it emerged can help people appreciate the text. See what you can find out about the book online. Wikipedia is a great place to start.

4. Consider investigating who wrote it, when, what was happening at the time.