Whereas Hebrew is the original language of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures were all written in Greek not classical Greek but Hellenistic Greek, which was the everyday Greek language – spoken in the Mediterranean basin between 300 BCE and 300 CE. Although Jesus and his earliest followers probably spoke Aramaic, it was not those who wrote the Christian Scriptures but later Christians. SUMMARY Mark Matthew Luke John Possibly a disciple of Unknown, but likely Possibly physician friend Unknown, but definitely Peter named Mark. Jewish Christian convert of Paul. A gentile Syrian not John the apostle. Author who knew Jewish of Antioch. tradition. Date After 70CE. 80-90 CE. 80-90 CE. 90-100 CE. Place Probably Rome. Probably Antioch in Probably Greece or Asia Possibly Ephesus. Syria. Minor. Intended Christian Gentiles Jewish Christians Christian Gentiles Christian Jews & Jews in ie non-Jews Diaspora community Background Threat of persecution Period of consolid-ation. Period of expansion. Period of conflict with under Nero. Conflict with official End of time not thought official Judaism. community Shocked by impending Judaism. to be imminent. Period of reflection on destruct-ion of Had questions regard-ing the meaning of Christian Jerusalem (70 CE). order, discipline and discipleship. End of time thought to authority. be soon. Image of Jesus Jesus, suffering Jesus, teacher of Israel. Jesus the Lord. Jesus the divine Son. Messiah. of Scripture The official body of Christian writings is known as the By about 400 CE, official Canon of Scripture. rulings by Church councils (gatherings of leaders and key personnel in the early Christian Church) had accepted that the following books would comprise the canon of divinely inspired Scriptures The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Acts of the Apostles. Paul’s Letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Letter to the Hebrews. Letter of James. 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 John. Jude. Revelation. Differing Versions? The Christian canon (New Testament), then, contains 27 books, yet agreement has not been reached concerning its content. Some branches of the Syriac Church do not include 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude
Whereas Hebrew is the original language of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures were all written in Greek – not classical Greek but Hellenistic Greek, which was the everyday Greek language spoken in the Mediterranean basin between 300 BCE and 300 CE. Although Jesus and his earliest followers probably spoke Aramaic, it was not those who wrote the Christian Scriptures but later Christians. SUMMARY Mark Matthew Luke John Author Possibly a disciple of Peter named Mark. Unknown, but likely Jewish Christian convert who knew Jewish tradition. Possibly physician friend of Paul. A gentile Syrian of Antioch. Unknown, but definitely not John the apostle. Date After 70CE. 80-90 CE. 80-90 CE. 90-100 CE. Place Probably Rome. Probably Antioch in Syria. Probably Greece or Asia Minor. Possibly Ephesus. Intended community Christian Gentiles ie non-Jews Jewish Christians Christian Gentiles Christian Jews & Jews in Diaspora Background community Threat of persecution under Nero. Shocked by impending destruct-ion of Jerusalem (70 CE). End of time thought to be soon. Period of consolid-ation. Conflict with official Judaism. Had questions regard-ing order, discipline and authority. Period of expansion. End of time not thought to be imminent. Period of conflict with official Judaism. Period of reflection on the meaning of Christian discipleship. Image of Jesus Jesus, suffering Messiah. Jesus, teacher of Israel. Jesus the Lord. Jesus the divine Son. of Scripture The official body of Christian writings is known as the Canon of Scripture. By about 400 CE, official rulings by Church councils (gatherings of leaders and key personnel in the early Christian Church) had accepted that the following books would comprise the canon of divinely inspired Scriptures The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Acts of the Apostles. Paul’s Letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Letter to the Hebrews. Letter of James. 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 John. Jude. Revelation. Differing Versions? The Christian canon (New Testament), then, contains 27 books, yet agreement has not been reached concerning its content. Some branches of the Syriac Church do not include 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude
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