WHO WROTE THE NEW TESTAMENT?

category: history

          It helps some of us when we are novice students to have an outline of basic Bible facts to begin their individual studies in the Bible.

          My good friend Burt McKee passed out copies of some charts to his class last Sunday and I have permission to share his work with you.

chronology of the New Testament chart by Burt McKee

          Notice that the Holy Spirit's writer for Hebrews is not indicated in the chart. One can have the confidence that the original author of each book or epistle is the Holy Spirit who was sent by the Father and Jesus to guide the apostles in preaching and in any assigned writings in Acts 1 and 2. The Spirit was given to evangelists/ prophets to assist them by the laying on of the apostles' hands (e.g., Acts 8:18; cf. to Ephesians 3:5).

the writings that Jesus chose to be handed down. chart.
title: "perfect" = "complete"; "once delivered" = "a single" and "conclusively".


          Note: The KJV does not have "from above" in Luke 1:3; the above is, in my judgment, a better traslation because Luke is asserting the source of his knowledge of the Lord's earthly ministry. Luke being a Gentile did not have first hand knowledge of the ministry. I appreciate brother Jackie Stearsman pointing this out to me.

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Facebook reader comment:
        "Acts 1:1 - The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen"... ASV
My added comment:
Gaylon West:
        'According to the passages (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), Luke was the Holy Spirit's writer for both books (Gospel According to Luke and Acts of Apostles). Since Luke was a Gentile physician and not one of the apostles, one might wonder why his "gospel ministry" account is considered with the inspired books. Brother Jackie Stearsman while director of Lakeland, FL's school, pointed out to me that the word translated in the KJV as "from the beginning" is actually ano¯thenG509 which basically means "from above." Although it can mean what the KJV uses, it begs an explanation of "beginning of what?" The "pure" meaning is "from above." Luke was a Gentile who would not have known the Lord during His earthly Jewish ministry nor would he have heard the apostles on the day of Pentecost. The point is, the writer is affirming His inspired knowledge from above.'

- Gaylon West
Throw Out The Lifeline
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