Books
of the
New Testament

The New Testament is the Christian part of the Bible. The idea is of a new covenant or a new agreement between God and men, based on what Jesus did when He died on the cross.

The first books of the New Testament are the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  These tell the story of Jesus from different viewpoints and, perhaps, with different interests in mind. For instance, in the accounts of the birth of Jesus, Matthew tells about Herod and the wise men, whereas Luke recounts what he has heard about the shepherds.

Luke also wrote the book of The Acts of the Apostles, which is about the beginning of the Church following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. It explains some of the decisions of the early church and records events in Peter's life. An important section of the book is about the apostle Paul who first persecuted Christians and then, following a dramatic encounter with Jesus when a great light shone from heaven, he became a Christian. From that time he began to take the message of Christianity, first to his fellow Jews, then to the non-Jewish world.

Most of the rest of the New Testament consists of letters written by Paul or other apostles. They contain much teaching about Christian beliefs and how Christians should live.

The last book of the New Testament is the book of the Revelation which is written in a format which looks to the future. There is much symbolism but it ends in the Final Judgement and the final blissful state of those who belong to God.