Old Testament

Mark

Mark is the first written gospel of the New Testament. Mark is not an apostle, nor is he one of the disciples. It is traditionally thought that Mark is a disciple of Peter. It is unclear as to where Mark was when he wrote this gospel. The gospel of Mark appears to set the stage or pattern for the other written gospels as it may have been used as a source in the composition of Matthew and Luke. Mark uses narrative form to tell the story of Jesus’ life, beginning with His early career continuing until His death. Mark uses stories about Jesus’ teachings, travels, and miraculous works to aid the understanding of His intentions. Mark focuses on the death of Jesus and all the events that led up to the crucifixion. Thus, it is the death of Jesus that is the guiding principle of this gospel, not the life.

Many important facts are presented Mark. First, Jesus Christ is the Messiah as stated throughout the Old Testament. Second, Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life, proving He was the Son of God as he claimed. Third, the Gospel tells of His numerous miracle-performing capabilities. Most importantly, Jesus overcame death through His resurrection. In this miraculous event, He proves that there is no power that can conquer Him. The gospel of Mark gives perfect instructions on how God’s people should live; having faith (Mark 2:5), believing in the power of God (Mark 5:36), replacing fear with trust (Mark 4:40), following Christ (Mark 8:34), and making sacrifices (Mark 10:21).

The Acts

The book of the Acts serves as a narrative to provide written history of the church. Acts does not identify a specific author; however it is likely that Luke wrote this book. In Acts, Luke provides a record of the beginning and progression of the early church. Without this book, there would be no record of the actions or events during the years of the developing church. It also gives supporting information included in some of the letters of the apostles. The spread of the gospel and the increasing opposition to it are also discussed.

Paul is highlighted in this book as being the most influential apostle in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before being converted, Paul was a persecutor and killer of Christians. This fact alone is why Paul’s conversion is so dramatic. After his conversion, Paul expressed his love of God by preaching His word with dedication and fervency. The Holy Spirit also empowered the disciples to spread the Gospel. They were His witnesses and spread His word to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:1-28).

Galatians

The Apostle Paul is clearly identified as the writer of the Epistle to the Galatians. It is believed to have been written between 48 and 52 AD. False teachers, (Judaizers), were causing problems with the Christians in Galatia. The