The New Testament letters are some of the most accessible parts of the Bible. They were written by early Christian apostles who were appointed to spread the good news about him to the ancient world. Have you ever tried reading the letters in the New Testament and found yourself lost or asking, “What on earth is Paul talking about?” If you read these letters at any length, you know that they are full of sections we may experience as inspiring (Paul’s bit about the foolish wisdom of the cross in 1 Corinthians 2), puzzling (Paul’s discussion of hairstyles in 1 Corinthians 11), or off-putting (Peter’s depiction of obedient slaves and wives in 1 Peter 2-3).  History and Context make a lot of difference

The Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of Luke’s two-volume work, continues Luke’s presentation of biblical history, describing how the salvation promised to Israel in the Old Testament and accomplished by Jesus has now, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, been extended to the Gentiles. This was accomplished through the divinely chosen representatives (Acts 10:41) whom Jesus prepared during his historical ministry (Acts 1:21–22) and commissioned after his resurrection as witnesses to all that he taught (Acts 1:8; 10:37–43; Lk 24:48).

This is the second of a two-part study into the Gospel of John. The first part of the gospel is known as the “Book of Signs” and contains seven miracles that serve as signs pointing to Jesus as the Messiah – all covered in our Part 1 lesson. The second half of the gospel is known as the “Book of Glory.” For John the Evangelist, the glory reaches its culmination in the sacrificial moment on the Cross when God’s deep love for us in on full display. God held back nothing, not even his only Son, all so that we would be redeemed and offered the pathway to salvation.

Among the Scriptural testimony we have to the life of Jesus is the fourth Gospel, attributed to the Apostle John, which says that “he who saw it has borne witness–his testimony is true” (Jn 19:35); and “this is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things; and we know that his testimony is true” (Jn 21:24). Yet in its witness The Gospel of John is quite different in character from the three synoptic gospels. It is highly literary and symbolic. It does not follow the same order or reproduce the same stories as the synoptic gospels. To a much greater degree, it is the product of a developed theological reflection and grows out of a different circle and tradition. This is the first of a two-part study into the Gospel of John.

The Gospel of Luke is a unique gospel in that it has a follow-on book – the Acts of the Apostles – both books authored by St. Luke. His works comprise just about 25% of the New Testament. Luke is  a gifted writer, organizing his materials creatively and telling his story with clarity and artistic coloring. Dante called Luke the “scribe of Christ’s gentleness” because of his emphasis on Jesus’ mercy to sinners and outcasts. Some of the most memorable Gospel stories of divine mercy are found only in Luke (the widow of Naim, the prodigal son, Zacchaeus). This is the second of a two-part study into the Gospel of Luke.