The New TestamentSelections from The Bible(The Authorized Version) The New Testament The New Testament is a collection of writings dating mainlyfrom the second half of the first century AD. Each book is in some way concerned with the life, teachingand significance of Jesus Christ, a Jew who was born sometime during the period7-4 BC, died around 30 AD, and is regarded by millions of Christians worldwideas the founder of their religion. The New Testament forms the second part ofthe Christian Bible and, for Christians, develops and fulfills the Jewishnarratives and doctrine of The Old Testament, itself a very much longer andmore comprehensive set of documents. Who was Jesus? Setting aside for the moment the question of religiousfaith, there can be no reasonable doubt that a powerfully influential Jewishreligious teacher called Jesus lived and taught during the time in question,and that he was crucified by the Romans. At least three historians makereference to Jesus, although it is true that they are all writing very muchlater, somewhere around 100 AD.Tacitus mentions that Christ was executed by Pontius Pilate; Suetonius lays theblame for a Jewish rebellion in Rome on Christ’s teachings; and Josephus,himself a Jewish historian, provides the most detailed early account by anon-Christian, although some scholars believe that this section may have beeninserted by a Christian copyist. Beyond these references, we must rely on whatnon-Christians would clearly regard as prejudiced evidence: The New Testamentitself. According to this, certain common factors emerge: Jesus came fromGalilee, an area of Palestine, then regarded as somewhat ‘beyond the pale’ inthat it followed Jewish law and custom less rigorously than elsewhere; hisfoster-father Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus himself may have beenapprenticed to the trade; Jesus’ ministry seems to have been confined to, atmost, the last three years of his life, by which time he was based in Jerusalemand had acquired a group of disciples; pressurized by disapproving Jewishtraditionalists (notably the Pharisees), Pontius Pilate allowed Jesus to be putto death by crucifixion. Three days after his death, Christ rose from thegrave, and over the next month or so appeared to his disciples on more than oneoccasion before his ascension into heaven. The single event, which perhapsholds most meaning for conventional Christian believers is the Resurrection:upon this are founded doctrines of salvation and eternal life. Clearly we havenow entered an area where faith rather than factual proof is required, althoughit is also fair to say that many modern Christians do not feel compelled totake such miraculous events at face value and are prepared to interpret themsymbolically or metaphorically. The Form and History of The New Testament The New Testament is conventionally divided into fivesections: The Gospels, The Acts of the Apostles, The Epistles of St. Paul,Other Epistles, and The Revelation of St. John. These sections contain all thecanonical books (i.e. officially accepted as ‘holy writ’), but it should bepointed out that this canon only finally took shape as late as the 10thcentury, when Revelation’s place within it was still being disputed. The oldestsurviving manuscripts are in Greek, and the most important of these are held tobe the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, which date from the 4th centuryand are written in uncial (non-cursive) style. The Gospels are probably not infact the earliest of the books: that distinction almost certainly belongs tothe Letters (‘Epistles’) of Paul, the oldest of which (1 Thessalonians) wasmost likely written some time in 50-52 AD. Dating of the Gospels is difficultand controversial, but most scholars now assume that they were first set downin the years between 70 and 100 AD. This means that they were susceptible tothe influence of Paul’s ideas, rather than the other way around, and indeed thecharacteristic emphasis on taking the faith to the Gentile world appears toconfirm this. These late dates also suggest that the Gospels were not actuallycomposed by the men to whom they are attributed, but equally there is no reasonwhy earlier and perhaps eyewitness accounts may not have been incorporated. Itmust be borne in mind that a Gospel narrative cannot be read as straightforwardhistory in the modern sense: the Gospel writers were only following theconventions of antiquity when they consciously shaped their material to fit themessage they were trying to convey — for instance, the need to show that thewords of The Old Testament prophets are fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Anexample would be Matthew placing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (very unlikelyfor a Galilean) because the prophet Micah declared that the Messiah would beborn in that town. The first three Gospels are normally grouped together as the‘synoptic’ Gospels: in other words, they share a good deal of common materialand lend themselves to detailed comparison. Mark’s Gospel is generally regardedas the earliest, while Matthew and Luke are thought to have had access not onlyto Mark but also to an unknown written source called ‘Q’ (‘Quelle’ = German‘source’) which accounts for the extra material which they both include, oftenin virtually identical wording but sometimes rearranged (Matthew, for example,puts a number of sayings together in the Sermon on the Mount, whereas in Lukethey are scattered). John’s Gospel lies a little apart from the others, beingnotable for an almost mystical intensity of tone and an emphasis on personaltestimony. The Acts of the Apostles was written by the same Luke whocomposed the Gospel of that name, and carries on the story beyond the death andresurrection of Jesus to the foundation of the Church by(mainly) Peter and Paul. The Epistles of Paul show how the most influential ofChrist’s early followers begins to shape and formulate many of the doctrineswhich have come to be seen as crucial to Christian belief. Not all of theseletters are in fact by Paul himself — some are attributed to him by a conventionof that time which would allow a follower of Paul to speak or write in hisname. The authorship of the other Epistles is not always clear, either: forinstance, the letter attributed to James can hardly be by Jesus’ brother,although it may express a version of early Christian thought seen as belongingto a ‘Jamesian’ school. The Revelation of St. John is equally clearly not bythe same writer as the eponymous Gospel, although it may well be of similardate: the style and content are quite different, and it is easy to see why,with its strange and visionary approach, it took so long to be accepted ascanonical. The Cultural Influence of The New Testament The narrative power and stylistic beauty of The NewTestament will be familiar to all devout Christians, but few agnostic readers,or indeed readers of other faiths (remembering here the acknowledgment ofChrist’s significance by Muslims) can fail to be moved and fascinated by theway in which these texts speak with such humanity and intelligence to all:paradoxically, what non-believers might see as errors or inconsistencies canhave the effect of emphasizing even more strongly the uncanny directness ofcommunication so often evident. One tiny example must suffice: when Jesus hasbeen led away to Caiaphas by night, Peter remains outside, warming himself by afire. Challenged three times to admit that he is a follower ofJesus, three times he denies the association — and then ‘Peter remembered theword of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny methrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly’ (Matthew 26, v75). The story is inall four Gospels, and thus might seem formulaic or contrived, yet it reads as aheart-rendingly real and concrete example of the kind of human frailty withwhich we surely must all identify. We can hardly be surprised if documents, which combinestrong narrative, an undoubted element of historical truth, and extraordinaryoriginality of thought should prove to have been the theological andintellectual basis of much of Western civilization. This inevitably means inturn that our artistic (and indeed our built) environment everywhere reminds usof the faith, which has been dominant in Europe for two thousand years, fromthe plainest parish church to the most overwhelming cathedral, from thepictures in our art galleries to the books on our shelves and the musicaltradition of which we are inheritors. Since the Church was for many centurieseffectively the repository of almost all learning and culture, creative endeavorwas equally almost entirely focused on Christian themes and subject matter, certainlyuntil the Renaissance and to some extent beyond. Painting, whether in fresco oron wood or canvas, is in the Middle Ages and afterwards largely dominated byChristian subjects, which were often treated in ways which became hallowed bytradition: pictures of, say, the Deposition would tend to conform to certainpatterns of symbol, form and color, while chancel arches in even the humblestvillage church would depict the Last Judgment as a grim warning to the sinner —in that sense, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is but the culmination of such atradition. The Church was the great patron of the arts, or itself the creator —as for instance in the development of plainchant. Music in the Church was avital daily ingredient in worship right into the 18th century, when indeed itreached, arguably, a peak of achievement in the profoundly moving Passionsettings of J.S. Bach. Literature was equally in its thrall: until the latemedieval period, most writing was inevitably religious in its context, at leastin part: the Arthurian romances, for example, may be full of adventure and evensexual intrigue, but all is framed by the higher purpose of the quest for theHoly Grail, and it is Lancelot and Guinevere’s adultery which will destroy thefellowship of Camelot. Specifically religious and indeed mystical writing wasfostered by the self-denying life of the monasteries and convents, and evenwhen humanism begins to challenge orthodoxy, the latter will generally prevail:Faustus may have fascinated us, even commanded our sympathy, but ultimatelyhell and damnation await him. In English literature, there is (for example) agreat outpouring of magnificent religious writing in the 17th century: Donne’ssermons, George Herbert’s poems, Milton’s Paradise Lost, even Marvell’s TheGarden — all are suffused with a rare combination of powerful feeling andequally powerful intelligence. In our own supposedly rational and scientificcentury, our need to look beyond the material world is amply demonstrated inworks by writers like Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien who often useallegorical forms — perhaps because they are aware that to speak too directlyor didactically might alienate a generation taught to see the world in terms ofsubstance, not spirit. This Selection In order to provide a continuous narrative I have chosen togive Matthew’s Gospel almost in its entirety, and to provide substantialextracts from Luke and John. Mark is not included because he is in a sense contained within the more comprehensive telling found inMatthew; Luke is used primarily where he does not overlap with Matthew (see,for example, the appearance of the resurrected Christ on the journey toEmmaus), and the different approach offered by John demanded space also. Thestory of the Passion is represented by the full versions in Matthew and John,and by the Resurrection section of Luke’s. The Gospel According to St. Matthew The author incorporates Mark almost completely, but adds(for instance) a full account of Christ’s nativity. Matthew was probably aJewish Christian. He places a strong emphasis on the rejection by hiscountrymen of Jesus, and particularly the attitude of the Pharisees. Matthew iscareful to frame and organize his material — the Sermon on the Mount appears asa continuous series of sayings. He also stresses the founding role of Peter inthe new religion. The Gospel According to St. Luke Like Matthew, Luke knows Mark and ‘Q’, and probably wrote inthe eighties AD. As the accepted author of Acts, we know he is not the sameLuke as the companion of Paul since the content of Acts quite often differsfrom what is given in Paul’s letters. Rather than seeing him as the Physician,it might be better to regard him as more of a historian than the other Gospelwriters: he consciously articulates his desire to write ‘in order’ and torecord the testimony of eyewitnesses. John the Baptist’s Birth is Foretold (Chapter 1)The Annunciation (Chapter 1)The Birth of Christ (Chapter 2)A Woman Anoints Christ’s Feet (Chapter 7)The Story of the Good Samaritan (Chapter 10)Mary and Martha (Chapter 10)The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Chapter 15)The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Chapter 16)The Resurrection of Christ (Chapter 24) The Gospel According to St. John John seems not to have known the other Gospels. The authoris probably not the disciple himself but rather one who belongs to adistinctive ‘Johannine’ tradition. The very different style and nature ofJohn’s Gospel is apparent from the very beginning, in the famous openingmeditation on ‘the Word’. This Gospel has an ‘interior’, personal, mysticalquality; instead of parables, short sayings and multiple descriptions ofmiracles, we find lengthy discourses — Jesus’ farewell speech to his disciplestakes up three chapters. In his ‘I am’ speeches, Jesus explains his identityand meaning to his followers, often with the aid of various images — heidentifies himself (for instance) with bread, water and light. In the processit becomes clear in a way not found in the other Gospels that Jesus’ nature isunambiguously divine. The Incarnation (Chapter 1)The Marriage in Cana (Chapter 2)Christ Purges the Temple (Chapter 2)God’s Love for the World (Chapter 3)The Woman of Samaria (Chapter 4)A Healing on the Sabbath (Chapter 5)The Bread of Life (Chapter 6)Christ Teaches in the Temple (Chapter 7)The Woman Taken in Adultery (Chapter 8)The Light of the World (Chapter 8)The Resurrection of Lazarus (Chapter 11)I am Come a Light into the World (Chapter 12)The Way, the Truth and the Life (Chapter 14)Christ Comforts his Disciples (Chapters 15 & 16)Christ Prays for his Apostles, and all Believers (Chapter17)The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ (Chapters18-21) The Acts of the Apostles The author is nowadays taken to be the same who wrote theGospel of Luke, and its date may well be similar. The book describes thebeginnings of the Christian Church, and indeed takes up the narrative directlyafter the Resurrection. The seminal event is Pentecost — the descent of theHoly Ghost, the speaking in tongues, the start of large-scale conversions andthe prospect at least of a religion which is not for Jews only. Although inplaces confused, Acts does give us a vivid sense of the early mission work ofChristianity: Peter features prominently, but in the later stages of the bookit is Paul who takes center stage, tirelessly traveling, enduring imprisonment,but utterly determined to achieve his ends. Thus we begin to see a picture ofPaul as the shaping founder of Christ’s Church, an impression, which can onlybe increased when we come to Paul’s own letters. Christ’s Ascension into Heaven (Chapter 1)The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Chapter 2)Peter’s Sermon (Chapter 2)The Apostles are Imprisoned (Chapter 5)The Martyrdom of Stephen (Chapters 6, 7 & 8)Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Chapter 8)The Conversion of Saul (Chapter 9)Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Tabitha (Chapter 9)Paul Defends the Conversion of the Gentiles (Chapter 11)Herod Persecutes the Apostles (Chapter 12)Paul Preaches at Athens (Chapters 15 & 17)Paul in Ephesus (Chapter 19)Paul Bids Farewell to the Elders of Ephesus (Chapter 20)Paul Comes to Jerusalem (Chapter 21)Paul is Assaulted in the Temple and Arrested (Chapters21-24)Paul Appeals to Caesar (Chapters 25, 27 & 28) The Epistles of Paul Paul was born and grew up in Tarsus. He studied as aPharisee under Gamaliel in Jerusalem. As a young man he was a ferociouspersecutor of Christians but was famously converted on the road to Damascus andbecame from then on the equally passionate promoter of the new religion. Highlyintelligent and strongly emotional as he was, his letters are designed toexhort, move, provoke and correct: they range from passages of extraordinarybeauty and affection to dogmatic and censorious reproaches. I have selectedonly from letters now thought to be genuine. 1. RomansThe Gift of God is Eternal Life (Chapters 6 & 8)An Exhortation to Holiness (Chapter 12)Love is the Fulfilling of the Law (Chapter 13)2. Corinthians 1The Gifts of the Spirit (Chapter 12)Faith, Hope and Charity (Chapter 13)Resurrection (Chapter 15)3. EphesiansBe Ye Kind One to Another (Chapter 4)The Whole Armour of God (Chapter 6)4. PhilippiansPaul Blesses the Brethren (Chapter 4)5. Thessalonians 1Christ’s Second Coming (Chapters 4 & 5)6. HebrewsChrist is Set Above the Angels (Chapter 1)Why Christ Assumed Human Nature (Chapter 2)Other Epistles1. The General Epistle of JamesFaith Without Works is Dead (Chapter 2)Patience and Prayer (Chapter 5)2. The First Epistle General of PeterAn Exhortation to Unity and Love (Chapter 3)Be Sober, Be Vigilant (Chapter 5)3. The First Epistle General of JohnFellowship One with Another (Chapter 1)God’s Singular Love for Us (Chapter 3)God Is Love (Chapter 4) The Revelation of St. John the Divine The author is not the John who wrote the Gospel. The themeof Revelation is apocalypse: the end of the world and the coming of Christ injudgment. The style and imagery have been unkindly described as ‘deranged’(A.N. Wilson), and they are certainly entirely unlike anything else in The NewTestament. It should be remembered, however, that for the earliest Christians,the Second Coming was expected at any time, and in any case in the very nearfuture: Revelation is the work of a prophet, uniquely in The New Testament. Itbears vivid witness to this sense of an apocalyptic atmosphere and undoubtedlypossesses a terrible beauty. The author is on the island of Patmos andaddresses the seven churches of Asia Minor. The date of composition is likelyto be some time in the nineties AD. John’s Salutation to the Seven Churches (Chapter 1)What John was Commanded to Write to the Seven Churches(Chapters 2 & 3)John’s Vision: The Book Sealed with Seven Seals (Chapters4-7)The Opening of the Seventh Seal (Chapters 8-11)War in Heaven (Chapters 12 &13)The Hour of God’s Judgment is Come (Chapters 14-16)Babylon the Great is Fallen (Chapters 17-18)King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (Chapter 19)The Book of Life (Chapter 20)The New Jerusalem (Chapters 21 & 22) Notes by Perry Keenlyside About the Readers THE VERY REVEREND HUGH DICKINSON, Dean Emeritus ofSalisbury, graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in Classics, Ancient Historyand Philosophy. He was successively Chaplain of Trinity College, Cambridge,Chaplain of Winchester College and Bishop’s Advisor on Adult Education atCoventry Cathedral. In 1978 he became Vicar of St. Michaels’ Church in St.Albans. He was appointed Dean of Salisbury in 1986. He has been a lifelongstudent of The New Testament and has taken a particular interest in traininglaymen and women to read the Scriptures in public. EDWARD DE SOUZA is a familiar figure on the London stage,being one of Britain’s leading classical actors and working many seasons forthe Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and Old Vic. His filmcredits include The Thirty Nine Steps and The Spy Who Loved Me. DERMOT KERRIGAN trained at LAMDA and has since appeared inmuch Shakespearean theater including: Richard II at the Royal Exchange, Romeoand Juliet (TV); with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford, as well asmodern plays at The Royal Court and extensive touring with Shared Experience. HEATHCOTE WILLIAMS, poet, playwright and actor, is bestknown for his extended poems on environmental subjects: Whale Nation, Fallingfor a Dolphin, Sacred Elephant and Autogeddon. His plays have also won acclaim,notably AC/DC and Hancock’s Last Half Hour. As an actor he has been equallyversatile — taking memorable roles in Orlando, Wish You Were Here, The Odysseyand Derek Jarman’s The Tempest, in which he played Prospero. Whale Nation andSacred Elephant are also available on Naxos AudioBooks, read by HeathcoteWilliams.