Writings Part 1

1st Century Christian Writings

The New Testament 50 – 100 A.D.

• Collection of Christian History, Letters and Literature (in Greek)

• The term NT wasn’t used until the 2nd Century A.D.

A. Influences on the Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

The Hebrew “Scriptures”

The term “Old Testament” didn’t come until the 2nd Century

1st Century Christian Writings

The Septuagint“LXX”

From 200 B.C.

Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures

1st Century Christian Writings

The Septuagint“LXX”

• Predominant version of Hebrew Scriptures in 1st Century A.D.

• 80% of OT quotes found in NT are from the LXX

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

1st Century Christian Writings

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha200 B.C – 200 A.D

• Non-canonical books

1st Century Christian Writings

Greco-Roman Literary Culture

• Distinct from Jewishoral tradition

1st Century Christian Writings

Greco-Roman Literary Culture

Rhetoric (Persuasion)

1st Century Christian Writings

Greco-Roman Writing Methods

Letters (Epistles)

*The Prominent Media of the day

B. Motivations for the Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

Motivations for the Writings

• To share the account of the Life and Ministry of Jesus (Luke 1)

1st Century Christian Writings

Motivations for the Writings

• To call people to faith in Jesus as Messiah (John 20:30-31)

1st Century Christian Writings

Motivations for the Writings

• To encourage leaders and congregations ( Ephesians 1:15-16)

1st Century Christian Writings

Motivations for the Writings

• To speak against heresy (Galatians 1:6-7)

1st Century Christian Writings

Motivations for the Writings

• To greet loved ones (Romans 16)

C. Tools for Writing

1st Century Christian Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

• Papyrus / Parchment (2 Timothy 4:13)

• Scrolls

• Amanuensis (Romans 16:22 Galatians 6:11)

Papyrus Plant

Papyrus Sheet

D. Manuscripts and Preservation

1st Century Christian Writings

1st Century Christian Writings

• Manuscript = handwritten copies of the writings

• Over 5,000 manuscripts of portions of the NT have been collected

• The oldest manuscript dates to 125 A.D. (No Originals)

Example of a

Greek Manuscript

on papyrus

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

NRS John 20:30