You probably already had a small book with an inscription in your hand : New Testament. When you opened it, you saw the headlines : Gospel according to St.. Matthew, Gospel according to St.. Brand, St.. Paul to the Romans, St.. James, The Apocalypse of St.. John etc..
And do you know about it, that this book has been translated into almost all the languages of the world, that it is the most printed book, and it is in the largest number of copies ? Why ? What does it give people ?
Jesus Christ teaches and works
You have already learned an outline of the most important events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. You also found out, that all of Jesus' public activity was filled with the teaching of the people. He called for conversion, that is, to break with evil and to accept the Good News of salvation. He preached, that God's Kingdom has already come. As a sign of the coming of this Kingdom, he freed people from the power of Satan, he healed the sick, and even raised the dead. He also spoke, that he would die and be resurrected and that he would come in the end times, to judge the living and the dead.
He preached all of this orally, traveling the length and breadth of Palestine. He spoke to his students, among whom were Mateusz, Jan, Jakub and Piotr. He also spoke to many other people, but he didn't write anything. He hadn't left a single word in writing. Jesus just spoke and did signs.
By Parting With Your Students, he had them preach the Gospel all over the world. The students remembered the events in the life of Jesus Christ and His words.
The disciples preach the Gospel
Apostles obey the command, which they o-kept from Jesus, they preached the Good News of salvation first in Jerusalem and in Jesus' homeland, and then also in other countries. The students helped them (e.g.. st. Marek), and the converted Pharisee of St.. Paul and his students, and among them St.. Luke. Paul and his disciples preached the Gospel mainly outside of Palestine : in Asia, Greece and Rome.
The proclaimers of the Good News repeated Jesus' words and related events in his life many times, especially about his death and resurrection. After the Lord's resurrection, they were convinced, that in the words of Jesus and in the events of his life, God revealed himself and that God's plan of salvation for all people was fulfilled. That's why they didn't talk about the past so much, how many preached Christ, living and working in his Church. Thus oral teaching arose (catechesis). But it was not always literally the same, for the Apostles adapted them to the needs of the new audience and to the conditions, in which they happened to teach. They spoke differently to Jews living in Palestine, differently to the Jews, who were in exile, that is, in the diaspora, and still otherwise to the Gentiles. The apostles did this under the influence of the Holy Spirit working in the Church.
Oral teaching is written by students
Diaspora Jews often opposed the preachers of the Good News. When St.. Paweł was gaining supporters, they started persecution. More than once, Paul had to stop teaching and flee to another city. A short stay made it impossible to put out all the lessons. New converts had doubts, they did not understand everything clearly, they needed more detailed instruction. Then Paweł wrote letters to them, in which it resembled this, what he taught, filled the gaps, explained doubts and answered questions. His letters to Christians living in Thessalonica, Corinth, Rome and Galatia are the oldest New Testament writings. Other apostles also wrote letters.
Some of Jesus' words were probably written quite early. Already then, when the Apostles preached the Good News by word of mouth. After some time, Marek, student of Peter, he wrote down science, which Peter preached in Rome. Also Mateusz, Luke and John compiled the Gospels, which they dedicated to different groups. Matthew wrote the Gospel for Palestinian Jews in Aramaic. This gospel was lost. Only its Greek translation has survived. Luke wrote a Gospel for Greeks converted to Christianity, John for Christians living in Little Asia at the end of the first century.
The evangelists did not mechanically repeat the oral catechesis that had been preached for many years, but they adapted it to the needs of the readers and the conditions, in which they lived. They were different in the first years after Jesus' resurrection, and others, when thirty or fifty years have elapsed since Jesus' resurrection. Hence, there are differences between the individual descriptions. The Evangelists did all of this under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Besides the Gospels and the Epistles, there are other books. St.. Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles, the first story of the beginnings of Christianity, and St.. John the Evangelist of the Apocalypse, in which he speaks symbolically about the Church of his time and about the future of Christianity. The Church has combined all these books in one collection, which we call the New Testament.
Books of the New Testament in the life of the Church
The Church has recognized the books of the New Testament as sacred books from the very beginning, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He reads them constantly in the liturgy, not only of the Holy Mass., but also other holy sacraments. He considers them to be the source of all his teaching. The Church is surrounded by Holy Scripture. reverently : we are all standing while reading the Gospel, we place the book of the Gospels in an honorable place. The council began with the solemn enthronement (that is, ascension to the throne) Gospel.
The Book of the Gospel should be read frequently by all members of the Church, "For when the Scriptures are read in the Church, then Christ himself says " (KL 7). For the Church, the Gospel is "the book of life".
How will I answer God ?
With the Scriptures of St.. We meet in the New Testament in the Church, on catechesis, or maybe
i w domu. I know, that through the words of this book, Christ speaks to me and calls me. What am I doing, to get to know the Scriptures better. ? How I listen to the word of God during Holy Mass. ? Do I have my own copy of the Bible?. New Testament ? Do I read them often ?
When I pick up the Bible. and I would like to read at least a few sentences from it, I am asking God for light :
"Father of light ! All light begins in you ! Enlighten us, that we may know you, They loved you and were saved in your light ".
■ Think:
1. Kto objawił się ludziom przez słowa i wydarzenia z życia Jezusa Chrystusa ?
2. Co zlecił Pan Jezus rozstając się ze swoimi uczniami ?
3. Jak powstały Listy Apostołów ?
4. Jak powstały Ewangelie ?
5. Kto do nas przemawia, as we read these books in the Church today ?
6. Jak Kościół okazuje szacunek tym księgom ?
■ Remember:
2. Co zawierają księgi Nowego Testamentu ?
The books of the New Testament contain the revelation of God made in the teaching and events of the life of Jesus Christ, and communicated to us by Christ's disciples.
3. Jakie księgi należą do Nowego Testamentu ?
There are four Gospels in the New Testament : Matthew, Brand, Luke and John, Acts of the Apostles (st. Luke), 21 Letters of the Apostles, The Apocalypse of St.. Jana.
■ Task :
1. Przeczytaj wstęp do jednej z Ewangelii w twoim Piśmie św. New Testament.
2. find out, who translated the Scriptures into Polish. New Testament.
You probably already had a small book with an inscription in your hand : New Testament. When you opened it, you saw the headlines : Gospel according to St.. Matthew, Gospel according to St.. Brand, St.. Paul to the Romans, St.. James, The Apocalypse of St.. John etc..
