Welcome to Day 2619 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2619 – New Testament Orientation – What is the New Testament?

Putnam Church Message – 04/27/2025

Sermon Series: New Testament Orientation

Message 1: What Is the New Testament?

Last week was our third and final Easter message about The Road to Jerusalem. We asked and answered the question, Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?

This week, we will begin our twelve-week New Testament Orientation series. Our first lesson will be: What Is the New Testament? The core verse is: 2 Timothy 3:15-16

What is the New Testament? A Story from Our World

Shalom, friends, and grace to you from the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who has revealed Himself in the face of Yeshua, our Messiah!

Think of our journey together in the Old Testament Orientation as walking a long, dusty road stretching centuries. We saw the mighty acts of God, the covenant made on Sinai, the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors, and the longing for a Messiah who would set things right. As we begin this New Testament Orientation, it is as if we have turned a corner on that road, and the landscape, while familiar in some ways, is also breathtakingly new. This is not a separate journey entirely, but rather, as some have rightly said, it is like entering the next chapter of the most important story ever told: the story of God’s relentless love and unfolding plan for humanity.

Picture yourself as a Hebrew family when Yeshua, the Messiah, came. In our time, things are different than they were for Moses, David, or even the Prophet Malachi, whose voice was the last we heard before a long silence. We live under the watchful, often heavy, eye of Rome. Our world is connected in ways our ancestors could scarcely have imagined. Roman roads crisscross the land, and while they are built for legions and trade, they also carry whispers of a new movement, a new hope centered on Yeshua.

Today, we ask a fundamental question: What is this “New Testament”? What are these new letters, these accounts of Yeshua’s life and teachings, these writings from the apostles that are now being read in our homes and our gatherings? To understand this, we must first understand how we, the people of this time – those of us steeped in the traditions of Israel and those who have come to faith from among the Gentiles – think about sacred writings and the very words of God.

Let us open our hearts and minds, and let us pray.

Opening Prayer:

Gracious Spirit, the very breath of God, Who hovered over the waters at creation, Who inspired the prophets of old to speak Your truth, We pray that You would open our minds and hearts now. Quiet the anxious thoughts and the distractions of our busy lives. Help us to listen not just with our ears but with our souls. Illuminate these words and bring them to life within us. May they teach, challenge, correct, and train us in righteousness. May they make us wise for salvation through faith in Yeshua, the Messiah. We are like children learning a new song; help us to catch the tune. We are like travelers on a road, wondering where it leads; show us the way. Use this time, this message, to deepen our understanding, To strengthen our faith, and to draw us closer to Your heart. May everything we hear and learn today Bring glory and honor to Your Name, Through Yeshua, the Messiah, our Lord. Amen.

Just as the Old Testament has its divisions / the history of God’s dealings with Israel on the one hand,/ and the poetic and prophetic reflections on that history on the other/ the New Testament also has a structure. Think about it: /the first part,/ the Gospels and the book of Acts, tell the story of Yeshua and the early community of His followers. /Then, beginning with the letter to the Romans, we have the epistles,/ the letters written by the apostles and other leaders, reflecting on the meaning of Yeshua’s life and how His followers are to live./ It’s a retelling, a deeper exploration of the history that has just unfolded before our very eyes.

But before we delve into the contents, let’s consider this week the very form of these writings, and the world in which they appeared.

Main Point 1: The Language of the New Testament – The Sound of God in the Common Tongue – (Bulletin Insert)

For centuries, the sacred words of God were primarily heard in the holy tongue, Hebrew. In the synagogues, the scrolls of the Torah and the Prophets were read in Hebrew, though often an Aramaic translation, a Targum, would follow so that everyone could understand. Hebrew was the language of our history, the language of the covenant, God’s direct revelation to His chosen people.

But walk with me through the bustling marketplace of Ephesus, or stand on the docks in Corinth, or even listen to the chatter in the tenements on the outskirts of Rome. What language do you hear? It’s not the classical Greek of the philosophers of old, the language of Homer and Plato, the language of the learned elite. No, you hear Ko/i/ne Greek – the “common” Greek. It’s the language of merchants and soldiers, mothers haggling for food, and children playing in the streets. It’s the language that, thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great centuries ago, has become the common tongue across the Roman Empire.

Object Lesson: Imagine holding two scrolls in your hands. One is large and heavy, written in careful Hebrew script on expensive parchment. This is a scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, brought from the synagogue. The other is smaller, perhaps on lighter papyrus, written in a less formal, yet still clear, Greek hand. This is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the believers in your city.

(Modern Analogy): Think about this in our own time. It’s like having a beloved family Bible, maybe an old King James Version with its beautiful, formal language, passed down through generations. Compare this with a modern contemporary English version like the New Living Translation. Compared to this, you have a letter from a missionary serving in a foreign land, written in clear, everyday English, perhaps even with some local phrases mixed in. All are precious and carry truth, but their form and language feel very different.

This choice of language for the New Testament is not insignificant. Think about the God we serve. Would He choose a language understood by only a few scholars and priests? Or would He choose the language of the common person, the language of the marketplace, the language spoken in homes and workshops across the known world? It is a testament to God’s heart for all people, His desire that His message of salvation would not be confined to a select few, but would spread like wildfire.

Paul, a highly educated man, trained in the finest traditions of Jewish scholarship, chose to write his profound theological arguments and practical instructions in Koine Greek. Why? Because that was the language his audience understood. He didn’t write in Latin when he wrote to the believers in Rome, the heart of the Latin-speaking Empire. He wrote in Greek, the language that the average person living in that massive, diverse city would likely understand, especially those who were part of the growing community of believers, many of whom were immigrants or slaves. When a letter like Paul’s arrived in a city like Ephesus, it wasn’t passed around for everyone to read individually. Most people couldn’t read!

Instead, someone who could read – perhaps a leader in the assembly, or someone specifically designated – would stand before the gathered believers and perform the text. They would read it aloud, with feeling, with expression, bringing the words to life for everyone present. Think of it like a musician performing a score. The written notes are there, but the true impact comes when they are played, when the sound fills the air and touches the hearts of the listeners.

So, when we think about the language of the New Testament, let us remember that it was written in the common tongue, not to diminish its divine origin, but to make it accessible. And let us not forget that these texts were designed to be heard, experienced communally, and resonate in the hearts and minds of those who gathered to listen. It was the sound of God speaking, not from a mountaintop in thunder, but in the familiar language of everyday life.

Summary for Point 1: The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, the common language of the first-century world, demonstrating God’s desire for His message to be accessible to all, and these texts were primarily experienced orally in communal gatherings.

Point 2: The Transmission of the New Testament – Sharing the Story

Imagine a scribe in a busy scriptorium in Alexandria. He sits with a reed pen in hand, carefully dipping it in ink made from soot and gum. Before him is a precious copy of the Gospel of Mark, recently arrived from Rome. He is meticulously copying the text onto sheets of papyrus, those brittle, reedy sheets that are the common writing material of our time, or perhaps on more durable parchment made from animal skins, though that is more costly.

(Object Lesson): Think about the writing tools of that time. A reed pen, a small pot of ink, and sheets of papyrus or parchment. Compare this to the ease with which someone in the modern world can duplicate a document with a machine or share it instantly with countless others through the internet around the globe.

This is how texts were multiplied in that world during the first centuries – through slow, painstaking human effort. There were no printing presses and no machines to churn out copies. Each letter, each word, had to be carefully formed by hand. And because it was a human process, variations would inevitably creep in. A scribe might misspell a word, skip a line, or misunderstand a phrase heard from a reader.

(Modern Analogy): It’s like the game we sometimes play, where a message is whispered from one person to another in a line, and by the time it reaches the end, it’s often quite different from the original. The core idea might remain, but the details get altered in the transmission.

Unlike the copying of the Old Testament scrolls in the synagogues, where there were strict rules and traditions to ensure accuracy, the copying of these early Christian writings was often a more informal process. Believers eager to share the good news would copy letters they received and send them to other communities. Individuals who could write would make copies for their own use or for others.

Consider the letter Paul sent to the Colossians. In Colossians 4:16 (NLT), he instructs them, “After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church in Laodicea so they can read it, too. And be sure to read the letter from Laodicea.” This tells us that letters were being circulated and shared among the different groups of believers. And as they were shared, they were copied.

This process of copying and sharing meant that these writings spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire. From Jerusalem to Rome, from Antioch to Ephesus, the letters of Paul, the Gospels, and other writings were being read and copied. We don’t have the original letters or manuscripts that Paul wrote or that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John first put down. Papyrus is fragile, and parchment wears out with use. But we have many copies, found in various places, dating back surprisingly close to when the originals were written.

This abundance of copies is actually a great strength. When we find variations between copies, scholars can compare them, looking for patterns, and determine what the original text most likely said. It’s like having many witnesses to an event – by comparing their testimonies, we can get a clearer picture of what actually happened.

With its inevitable small variations, this human transmission process should not cause us to doubt the message itself. The core story, the teachings of Yeshua, the understanding of salvation through faith in Him – these things are remarkably consistent across the thousands of manuscripts we have. The variations are typically in minor details, like the spelling of a name or the order of words in a sentence. The central truth remains clear and powerful.

Summary for Point 2: The New Testament texts were transmitted through a human process of copying and sharing, often informally, leading to a multitude of manuscripts that, despite minor variations, consistently preserve the core message of the early Christian faith.

Point 3: The Authority of the New Testament – Whispers of the Divine

Now, let us turn to a deeper question that touches the very heart of why these writings matter to us: What is the authority of the New Testament? How do we, as people grounded in the authoritative Scriptures of the Old Testament, understand the standing of these new documents?

For generations, our authority came from the scrolls of the Torah, the words of the Prophets, and the wisdom of the Writings. These were the words breathed out by God, delivered through His chosen servants, confirmed by signs and wonders, and lived out in the history of our people. When the reader in the synagogue finished chanting from Isaiah and said, “This is the word of the Lord,” our hearts affirmed it. Now, these new writings are before us. Do they carry the same weight? Do they speak with the same divine authority?

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to his young protégé, Timothy. Timothy grew up steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures, likely hearing them read and taught in his home and the synagogue from a very young age. In 2 Timothy 3:15-16 (NLT), Paul reminds him, “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

While Paul primarily refers to the Old Testament Scriptures that Timothy knew from childhood, his words have profound implications for the writings that are now becoming the “New Testament.” When he says, “All Scripture is inspired by God,” the word he uses in the Greek is the/op/neus/tos. It’s a powerful word, a word that evokes the very breath of God. Think back to the creation account, where God breathed life into Adam. Think of the wind, the ruach, the Spirit of God moving across the waters. This word the/op/neus/tos suggests that these writings are not merely human words, but God’s very breath, His Spirit, is in them. They originate from Him.

(Object Lesson): Imagine taking a deep breath and then speaking. The air, the breath from within you, carries your words, thoughts, and intentions into the world. Now, imagine God doing that. His breath carries His truth, His revelation, His very being into the world through the words of Scripture.

(Ancient Illustration): Think of the prophets of old. When they spoke, they often began with, “Thus says the Lord.” Their words were not their own; they were the mouthpiece of God. We understood that their prophecies and pronouncements carried divine authority because they were “breathed out” by God’s Spirit. Similarly, when we encounter the apostles’ writings and the accounts of Yeshua’s life, we see the same divine breath at work. Yeshua Himself spoke with an authority that astonished the crowds, an authority that stemmed from His unique relationship with God. And His apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, carried on His work and His teaching.

The authority of the New Testament does not appear in a vacuum. It is deeply rooted in the authority of the Old Testament. The New Testament doesn’t replace the Old; it fulfills it. It is the continuation of the story. As the writer of Hebrews begins, in Hebrews 1:1-2 (NLT), “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son.”

The authority of the New Testament rests on the fact that it is the record of God’s ultimate revelation through His Son, Yeshua, and the authoritative teaching of those whom He sent – the apostles. Just as the Old Testament was the authoritative guide for our ancestors, the New Testament, read in continuity with the Old, becomes the authoritative guide for us who follow Yeshua.

When we read these texts, they are meant to do more than just inform us; they are intended to transform us. It guides our steps and corrects us when we wander from the path of righteousness.

For early believers, grappling with new teachings and challenges, the words of the apostles, whether heard in person or read from a letter, carried immense weight. They were the authentic voices of those who had walked with Yeshua, who had witnessed His resurrection, and who were empowered by His Spirit to spread His message. Their teaching was seen as the continuation of Yeshua’s own authoritative words.

(Modern Analogy): Think about a family receiving essential instructions from the head of the household. Those instructions carry authority because of who is speaking. Then, if the head of the household sends a trusted messenger with further instructions, those instructions also carry authority because they come from the same source and are delivered by someone commissioned to speak on their behalf. The apostles were like those trusted messengers, carrying the authoritative message of Yeshua.

Summary for Point 3: The authority of the New Testament derives from its divine inspiration (theopneustos), signifying that it carries God’s very breath and originates from Him, and it is seen as the fulfillment and continuation of the authoritative Old Testament Scriptures, providing guidance for truth and righteous living.

Point 4: The Canon of the New Testament – Recognizing the Authentic Voice

Now, let’s consider the collection of these writings. We have gospels, letters, an account of the early church’s spread, and a book of prophecy. How did these particular 27 books come to be recognized as the authoritative “New Testament”? Why these and not others?

During the initial centuries after Yeshua, there wasn’t a moment when someone stood up and declared, “These are the 27 books, and no others!” It was a process, a journey of discernment within the community of believers, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Think about the early days after Yeshua’s ascension. The apostles were spreading the message, teaching, healing, and establishing communities of believers. Their oral teaching was paramount. People learned by listening, watching, and living alongside those who had been with Yeshua. As the Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT), “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” While Peter is speaking here about the Old Testament prophets, the principle of being “moved by the Holy Spirit” to speak from God is fundamental to understanding how the early church viewed authoritative teaching, both spoken and written. The apostles’ teaching was seen as having this same divine origin and authority.

(Ancient Illustration): Imagine a community of believers in Antioch receiving a letter from Paul. They would gather together, and someone would read the letter aloud. As they listened, they would recognize the authentic voice of an apostle, someone who had been commissioned by Yeshua Himself. The message would resonate with the oral teaching they had already received. They would discuss, internalize, and likely make a copy to send to believers in a nearby city.

Several factors guided this process of recognizing which writings were truly authoritative. Did the writing align with the oral teaching of the apostles that they had received? Was it written by an apostle or someone closely associated with an apostle? Was the writing being widely used and accepted in the various Christian communities, even across different regions?

It wasn’t about a committee voting. It was a grassroots recognition, a spiritual discernment within the body of Messiah. As different communities shared and read these texts, they recognized the consistent voice of God’s truth, the unmistakable scent of divine inspiration.

We have evidence from the writings of early Christian leaders, the “Church Fathers,” who quote extensively from most of the books that are now in our New Testament. This shows that these books were already widely accepted and considered authoritative in the centuries before there was any formal list or “canon.” Think of it – these early leaders, grappling with false teachings and seeking to guide believers, consistently turned to these same Gospels, these same letters, as the reliable source of truth about Yeshua and the way of life He taught.

(Modern Analogy): It’s similar to how certain classic books become widely recognized and valued within a particular field of study or a cultural movement. No single person may have declared them “canonical,” but their enduring impact, their consistent message, and their widespread use by those within that field or movement lead to their recognition as foundational texts.

The process of formalizing the list of New Testament books took a few centuries. Councils of church leaders later affirmed what the broader Christian community had already largely recognized through their use and experience. Athanasius, a respected leader in the fourth century, listed the 27 books we have in our New Testament, reflecting the consensus that had been developing.

The 27 books of the New Testament are remarkably consistent across the vast majority of Christian traditions throughout history. This consistency points not to a rigid, top-down decree, but to a widespread, Spirit-guided recognition of the authentic apostolic witness to Yeshua.

Summary for Point 4: The New Testament canon, the collection of 27 authoritative books, developed gradually through the early Christian communities’ recognition of writings that aligned with apostolic teaching, were written by or closely associated with apostles, and were widely used and accepted, a process guided by the Holy Spirit.

So, what is the New Testament? It is the common-language story of God’s ultimate act of salvation in Yeshua the Messiah, transmitted through the dedicated efforts of early believers, carrying God’s very breath and authority, and recognized by the community of faith as the continuation and fulfillment of the sacred Scriptures of old.

Now, let us consider what this means for us today.

Applications and Takeaways: Listen, Learn, and Be Transformed (Bulletin Insert)

1. Embrace the Accessibility of God’s Word:
   • (Expanded Narrative/Illustration): Think about a Jewish family in the first century. The father, perhaps a carpenter like Yeshua, would gather his family in the evening. He might recite passages from the Torah he had memorized from the synagogue, explaining their meaning. The mother would weave stories of the matriarchs and patriarchs into their daily lives. They lived and breathed the rhythms of God’s word, even if they never touched a written scroll themselves. The synagogue was their primary access point to the written Scriptures, where the reader would unlock the ancient words for the community. Now, with the New Testament in Koine Greek, and later translated into other languages, the message of God in Messiah Yeshua became accessible to a much wider audience – to Gentiles, to slaves, to women, to all who spoke the common tongue. It was revolutionary!
   • (Modern Connection): Today, we have the Bible in countless translations, languages, and formats – printed books, audio recordings, and digital apps. Yet, we can sometimes treat it as distant or difficult to understand. The fact that the New Testament was given in the common language of its day is a powerful reminder that God wants us to understand His message. He doesn’t hide it in some secret, elite code. Our takeaway is to embrace this accessibility! Don’t let unfamiliar language or ancient customs be a barrier. Seek out translations you can understand. Utilize the resources available to help you grasp the context. God has gone to great lengths to make Himself known; let us not be passive recipients but active learners. Just as early believers eagerly gathered to hear the scrolls read aloud, let us eagerly engage with God’s word in the ways available to us.
   • Summary: God made His New Testament message accessible in the common language of the time; we should actively engage with the Bible in our accessible formats today, overcoming perceived barriers to understanding.
2. Recognize the Story’s Continuity and Fulfillment:
   • (Expanded Narrative/Illustration): Imagine a group of early Jewish believers explaining Yeshua to their Gentile neighbors. They wouldn’t start by just talking about Yeshua’s miracles. They would open the Prophets’ scrolls, reading passages about the coming Messiah, a suffering servant, and a new covenant written on hearts. They would show how Yeshua’s life, death, and resurrection were not random events, but the culmination of God’s plan woven throughout the history of Israel. “See!” they would exclaim, tracing the prophecies with their fingers, “This is Him! This is what God has been working towards all along!” The New Testament wasn’t a brand new story; it was the glorious climax of the old.
   • (Modern Connection): Sometimes, we can read the Old and New Testaments as two separate books, or even worse, see the Old as irrelevant. However the early Christians understood that the New Testament is deeply rooted in the Old. Yeshua is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The New Covenant in His blood is the realization of the promises made to Israel. Our takeaway is to always read the New Testament in light of the Old. Understand the prophecies that Yeshua fulfilled. See the themes of redemption, covenant, and God’s faithfulness carried forward. This continuity gives the New Testament its rich meaning and confirms its divine origin as part of God’s single, unfolding plan. It’s like reading a multi-volume epic novel – you can’t truly appreciate the final volume without reading the previous ones.
   • Summary: The New Testament is the fulfillment and continuation of the Old Testament story; we should read them together to understand God’s single, unfolding plan of salvation in Messiah Yeshua.
3. Live Out the Authority of Scripture:
   • (Expanded Narrative/Illustration): Consider Timothy, a young leader facing challenges in the early church. Paul reminds him of the authority of the Scriptures he has known since childhood. These aren’t just stories; they are the very breath of God, useful for teaching, correcting, and training. Timothy wasn’t to rely on his own wisdom or the popular philosophies of the day. His guide, his standard, was the inspired word. When difficult decisions arose, when false teachings crept in, when he needed to instruct others, he was to turn to the Scriptures as his authoritative source. His life and ministry were to be shaped by this divine instruction.
   • (Modern Connection): In our world, we are bombarded with countless voices telling us how to live, what to believe, and what is right and wrong. The call for us is the same as it was for Timothy: to let the inspired Scriptures be our ultimate authority. This means more than just agreeing with the Bible; it means submitting our lives to its teaching. When it teaches, we learn. When it corrects, we repent. When it trains, we practice. The authority of Scripture is not meant to be a heavy burden, but a liberating guide that leads us to life and righteousness in Yeshua. Just as a well-drawn map authoritatively guides a traveler to their destination, God’s word guides us through life’s complexities towards Him.
   • Summary: The New Testament, as inspired Scripture, is our authoritative guide for faith and life; we should submit to its teaching, allowing it to shape our understanding and actions.

In conclusion, the New Testament is a precious gift, the inspired record of God’s climactic work of salvation in Yeshua the Messiah. It is written in a language accessible to all, transmitted through the devoted efforts of early believers, carrying the unmistakable authority of God’s own breath, and recognized by the church as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. It is not a dusty, irrelevant collection of old writings, but a living, powerful word that continues to speak to us today, inviting us into the ongoing story of God’s love and redemption.

Let us receive this gift with open hands and eager hearts, ready to listen, to learn, and to be transformed by its truth.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, We thank You for the gift of Your New Testament, For these precious writings that reveal to us the glory of Your Son, Yeshua. Thank You for speaking to us, not just in the past, but now, through Your inspired word. We pray that the seeds of truth sown in our hearts today will take root and grow, Producing a harvest of understanding, faith, and righteous living. Help us value these Scriptures, read them, study them, And meditate on them day and night. May they be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Forgive us for the times we have neglected Your Word, or treated it as less important than the fleeting voices of this world. Rekindle in us a hunger and thirst for Your truth. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to live according to all that we have learned. May our lives be a testimony to the power and authority of Your word. We commit ourselves to continuing this journey of discovery, Exploring the richness of the New Testament in the weeks to come. Guide us, teach us, and transform us, O Lord, For Your glory and the spread of Your kingdom. We pray all of this in the mighty name of Yeshua, the Messiah. Amen.

Next week will be lesson 2 in our New Testament Orientation series. Our second lesson will be: The Story of the New TestamentThe core verse is: Romans 5:8-11