JAMES

- Author: James was a brother of Jesus that did not believe until after the resurrection. Became a leader during the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. (Was also in charge at the Jerusalem council) Also one of the first people to die a martyrs death.
- Date: Was written around 50 AD (possibly written around the same time as Galatians)
- Audience: Written to the 12 tribes scattered among the nations, to the Church in general, who he considers to be the true Israel.
- Theme: To be like Jesus, James skips the theology and goes straight into the practice or works. James and Paul often get put at odds, as James said that people are justified by works and not by faith alone, and Paul writes that man is saved by the grace of God through faith,which leads to doing work.

Outline of James
-Trials 1:1-18

Distinct Contributions from James
- Loosely connected sayings strung together, like Proverbs
- A theological ethic...if this is what you believe than this is how you behave
- True religion - 1:26-27 (widows and orphans) Favouritism in the church,
- Trials and judgement
- Faith and works...Very Key theme...obedience, "be DOERS of the word, not only hearers",the word of God is the source of all wisdom and direction
- Pride and Humility: God always takes the side of the humble, and pride is devilish.
- The tongue and wisdom (talks a lot about the tongue, your words.....and wisdom: ask God for wisdom, there are two types of wisdom- that from God, and all other wisdom that is worldly and demonic.)
- Prayer: the most distinct passage in scripture on prayer "confess, pray, anoint with oil = healing"

1 PETER

- Author: Peter the Apostle. There are a few debates, but it is generally accepted that Peter wrote this book.
- Date: most likely at the end of Peter's life around 65 AD. A couple years before he was martyred (peter was a key apostle in the life of Christ and the start of the Church)
- Audience: the gentiles, and the non-native people in the area. "the aliens in the land", those of the faith (in Asia Minor)
- Theme: endurance in suffering for the faith

1 Peter Contributions

- Holiness: (1 Peter 1:15-16) Faith is never a substitution for purity. (faith does not exempt you from Christ-like life, it creates it)
- People of God: (1 Peter 2:9 is a direct reference to Ex 19...where the people of God have left Egypt at the feet of Sinai where God proclaims the covenant with them) Peter quotes Ex 19 purposely and calls the Church the people of God.
- Suffering: (1 Peter 4:12-13), suffering is a participatory exercise with Christ, a refining of Christian character. Peter defines proper suffering as suffering for Christ..if you are suffering due to your sin or stupidity this is not the same.
- Submission: this is the Christian response to wrong doing, and act of faith, if you defend yourself you revoke Gods defense.

2 PETER

Outline

- Salutation- Ch1:1-2
- Growth and Godliness (Ch 1, beginning of)
- The Testimony of the Apostles and the Prophets (latter part of Chapter 1)
- False Teachers (Chapter 2)
- The Day of The Lord (Chapter 3) and is conclusion that goes through the same first four steps.

Contributions

- Spiritual Growth
- Inspiration of Scripture (this is the anchor for determining false teachers)
- False Teachers (recognize false teachers by their immorality, arrogance in spiritual warfare and strange end time ideas)
- The Day of the Lord (be ready for the day of the Lord, as all will be destroyed)

JUDE

- Author is another brother of Jesus. Introduces himself as "a slave of Jesus and a brother of James."
- Audience: to those who have been called, very generally to the Church.
- Date: about the same time as 1 and 2nd Peter...basically parallel to those books as well.

Contributions

- Like 2 Peter on false teachers
- The DOXOLOGY and BENEDICTION...is the most distinctive and well known aspect of Jude.

Similarities Between 2 Peter and Jude

- False Teachers (immorality, arrogance, end times)
Actually uses the same examples as 2 Peter, even a lot of the wording is word for word

- Pseudepigraphical References (2 Peter and Jude both refer to 1 Enoch in regards to the angels rebelling; and also to the Assumption of Moses...with Michael the archangel fighting over the body of Moses

THE LETTERS OF JOHN

- Author: John the APOSTLE, not John the baptist. (also writes 1 and 2 John, the Gospel of John, etc)
The only one of the twelve apostles that dies of old age, John was referred to as "the elder"

- Date: 90-95 AD (one of the latter books....

- Audience: 1st John not written to anyone specifically, 2nd John possibly written to the Church, 3rd to the Pastor...most likely of the 7 Churches around Ephesus.

- Purpose: (1 John 5:13): Assurance of Faith; "so that you may know that you have eternal life"

- Summary: (1 John 5:1-5) Three tests to know you have faith: 1) Love God and his children, 2) Obey the commandments, 3) Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

- Doctrinal Test - Believe - (Ch.4:1-3): Don't believe everything, test it. Do they believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

- Moral Test - Obey - (Ch.2:3-6)

- Social Test - Love - 4:7-8, 20-21

	Created by heinrichs.mark over 10 years ago

First Year SBC BI121 Intro To New Testament Note on Nov.27th - 2013, created by heinrichs.mark on 27/11/2013.