New Testament

Last updated on Apr 30, 2026

The Holy Bible — New Testament

Language of the New Testament

The New Testament was written in Greek — "common" Greek that could be understood by almost anyone regardless of their level of education. This was important so that the inspired message of God could be read and understood by anyone regardless of social class.

New Testament Authorship

The New Testament (like the Old) has one author: God. While man was used to actually scribe His truths, God was the inspiration behind it. Man was not a robot — God inspired the Scripture to be written through the Holy Spirit. God has always used His messengers to deliver His Word. In the Old Testament it was through prophets and priests. In the New Testament it was through the apostles — those who had direct contact with Jesus — and those who worked directly with the apostles.

The Canonization of the New Testament

The books of the New Testament were written in the first century, however they were not collected and canonized in the 27 books we know today until 363 A.D.

Key Terms

Canonical — To state that a book is canonical means that it is inspired by God's Holy Spirit as He worked through the men who wrote it. If canonical, it is authoritative.

Canonization — A process where the people of God are recognizing and collecting the books that God inspired — the search to find God's completed work.

Methodology to Determine if a Book Was Canonical

Check the source — Determine if the human author of the book was an apostle. If written by an apostle (or prophet), the book had a high probability of being considered canonical. The apostles were different from any other Christian author:

They had a direct relationship with Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:16).
They took part in the earthly ministry of Jesus and witnessed the resurrection (Acts 1:22–23; Acts 10:41–42).
They had a heightened relationship with the Holy Spirit and could perform miracles (Acts 5:12; 3:6–8).
Paul made it clear that his writings were divine revelation from God (Ephesians 3:1–5).
Peter's statement of God's revelation through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:18–21).
Peter considered Paul's letters to be Scripture (2 Peter 3:15–16).
The early church leaned upon the teaching of the Holy Spirit-inspired apostles (Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:42).

Direct contact with Jesus or His apostles — If the author had direct contact with Jesus or His apostles, their writings were given a thorough review. James and Jude were brothers of Jesus. Mark was an associate of Peter and Luke was an associate of Paul.

Circulation and reading in Christian worship — The letters of the apostles were circulated among the early churches long before they were officially canonized. They were used in daily Christian worship and read alongside the Old Testament Scripture (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; Revelation 1:10–11). The writings read as authoritative to the churches were circulated and collected so that all the churches would have a copy.

Quotation by other apostles — Many of the writers of the New Testament are quoted by other New Testament authors. Jude quoted Peter, Peter verified Paul, and Paul quoted Luke as examples.

Summary of Primary Tests for Canonicity

Apostolic authority.
Source had direct contact with Jesus or was an associate of one of His apostles.
Writings circulated, collected and quoted as part of the canon of Scripture in the early church.

The Perspective of the Apostolic Fathers and Early Theologians

Augustine (354–430) — "When they write that He has taught and said, it should not be asserted that he did not write it, since the members only put down what they had come to know at the dictation of the Head. Therefore, whatever He wanted us to read concerning His words and deeds, He commanded His disciples, His hands, to write. Hence, one cannot but receive what he reads in the Gospels, though written by the disciples, as though it were written by the very hand of the Lord Himself."

Irenaeus (130–202), Bishop of Lyons, France — "For the Lord of all gave the power of the Gospel to His apostles, through whom we have come to know the truth, that is, the teaching of the Son of God. This Gospel they first preached. Afterwards, by the will of God, they handed it down to us in the Scriptures, to be 'the pillar and ground' of our faith."

Origen (185–254), Scholar and theologian — He held a view that the Scriptures were written by the Spirit of God and have a meaning "not known to all, but to those only on whom the grace of the Holy Spirit is bestowed in the words of wisdom and knowledge."

Tertullian (160–220), known as "The Father of Latin Theology" — "Apostles have the Holy Spirit properly, who have Him fully, in the operations of prophecy, and the efficacy of [healing] virtues, and the evidences of tongues; not particularly, as all others have."

Official Recognition of the 27 Books of the New Testament

In the 4th century the acceptance of the 27 books of the New Testament had gained widespread adoption. The questioning of the various books ended and the New Testament was canonized. Significant dates and councils recognizing the 27 books:

Synod of Laodicea — A.D. 363
Bishop Athanasius of Rome — A.D. 367
Council of Nicaea (335–340) — Disputed James, 2 Peter, 2nd and 3rd John
Synod of Hippo — 393
Council of Carthage — 397 and 419

Preservation and Fidelity of the New Testament

Greek Manuscripts

There are over 5,000 manuscripts containing fragments, partial and whole copies of the New Testament in Greek. No other ancient book even comes close — Homer's Iliad is the closest at 643 copies, while the New Testament has over 5,300.

Key manuscript examples:

The John Rylands Fragment of John 18:31–33 — A.D. 117–138. The oldest known manuscript fragment of the New Testament. On display at the John Rylands University Library, Manchester, UK.

Chester Beatty Papyri — A.D. 250. Contains most of the New Testament. Located in the Beatty Museum near Dublin.

Codex Sinaiticus — A.D. 340. The oldest complete copy of the New Testament (lacking 2 passages). Can be viewed at codexsinaiticus.org. In 1933 the British government purchased it for $500,000 (approximately $10.5 million today).

Ancient Versions (Translations)

The Latin Vulgate — A.D. 382. St. Jerome translated the original Hebrew and Greek into Latin. There are over 8,000 copies of this work, which is very helpful to scholars. While his version is a Latin translation, Jerome would have had access to manuscripts we do not currently possess today.

Our modern-day translations use the combination of thousands of manuscripts to ensure an accurate translation. The differences we find between modern versions like the NKJV, NIV, ESV and NLT are not necessarily because of manuscripts, but of the interpretation of the scholar and methods used to bring clarity to the Scriptures.

Philosophies of Translation

Formal Equivalence (word-for-word) — Focus on the exactness of text. Translators attempt a word-for-word translation. Examples: KJV (1611), NKJV (1982), ESV (2001), NASB (1995).

Dynamic Equivalence (thought-for-thought) — Focus on readability and the accuracy of meaning rather than the precise form of the original word. Scholars endeavor to create a translation that gives contemporary readers an experience similar to how the Bible was heard and understood in its original setting. Examples: NLT (1996), CEV (1995), NCV (1991).

Hybrid: Word-for-word / Thought-for-thought — These translations find a balance between formal and dynamic equivalence. Examples: NIV (1978), HCSB (2000), NET (1989).

Paraphrase — The goal is not translation but to tell the Bible in a way that is understandable — taking thought-for-thought a step further. Examples: The Message (2002), Living Bible (1971).

Which translation is best for me? Consider what you are going to use it for: personal or casual Bible study, careful or detailed Bible study, or all-around use.

The Closed Canon of the Bible

Since the canonization of the New Testament it has been considered closed — because the inspired apostles have passed away, the canon was closed with them. While good Christian authors filled with the Holy Spirit have existed since the time of the apostolic fathers, their writings (however true and good to read) are not inspired or the authoritative Word of God.

There are religions that call themselves Christian but do not believe in a closed canon, and that God calls modern-day prophets to whom He gives inspired Scripture. Examples include Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.