New Testament Summary: A Complete Animated Overview

Summary

The New Testament, consisting of 27 books written by Jesus' first followers, tells the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and his mission to restore humanity's partnership with God. It continues the narrative from the Old Testament, highlighting God's covenant with Israel and the promise of a new human from Abraham's lineage. The Gospels present Jesus as both the son of Abraham and the new human overcoming evil through self-sacrifice. The Acts and letters that follow show the early Christian communities spreading Jesus' teachings, while Revelation envisions Jesus leading his people to a new creation, symbolizing the ultimate goal of a renewed world.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments, each representing a covenant partnership between God and humanity.
• 🔖 The Old Testament, known as 'TaNaK' in Jewish tradition, consists of 39 texts developed over a thousand years, focusing on God's relationship with Israel.
• 📚 The New Testament, written by first-generation followers of Jesus, contains 27 books created within a span of 30 to 40 years.
• 📖 The New Testament starts with the Gospels, narrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing good news for humanity.
• 🌟 'Acts of the Apostles' follows, detailing the apostles' mission to spread the teachings of Jesus after his resurrection.
• 💌 The collection includes letters from the apostles, offering guidance and teachings to early Christian communities, known as churches.
• 📬 The Apostle Paul's letters are significant, with 13 of them being the longest and providing profound insights into Christian faith and life.
• 📘 The book of Revelation concludes the New Testament, offering a prophetic vision of hope and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
• 🌈 The New Testament connects with the Old Testament, showing Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises and the key to a new creation.
• 🌟 The overarching narrative of the Bible, from the Old to the New Testament, reveals a divine plan for humanity's redemption and the establishment of a new world order.

Q & A

What is the meaning of the word 'testament' in the context of the Bible?

The word 'testament' refers to a covenant partnership, which is the central theme of both the Old and New Testaments as they tell the story of God's covenant partnership with Israel and all humanity.

How does the Jewish tradition refer to the Old Testament?

In Jewish tradition, the Old Testament is called 'TaNaK', which is a unified scroll collection of 39 Israelite texts that were developed over a thousand years.

What is unique about the timeframe in which the books of the New Testament were written?

The 27 books of the New Testament were all written within a short span of 30 to 40 years, and they were authored by first-generation followers of Jesus.

What is the significance of the four narrative books at the beginning of the New Testament?

The four narrative books, collectively known as 'the Gospel', tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth's life, death, and resurrection as an announcement of good news.

Who are the 'sent ones' mentioned in the New Testament, and what is their role?

The 'sent ones' or apostles are appointed by the risen Jesus to spread the good news about him throughout the ancient world as his representatives.

How are the letters in the New Testament organized, and why?

The letters in the New Testament are organized from the longest to the shortest, rather than in the order they were written, with 13 letters attributed to the Apostle Paul.

What is the main theme of the Old Testament according to the script?

The Old Testament recounts the acts that establish the core themes and plot conflict, focusing on God's relationship with humanity and Israel, and the promise of a new human who will restore God's blessing to the world.

How does the New Testament portray Jesus in relation to the Old Testament's prophecies?

The New Testament portrays Jesus as both the promised son of Abraham and the new human prophesied in the Old Testament, who defeats evil and restores humanity's partnership with God.

What is the role of the apostles' letters in the New Testament's narrative?

The apostles' letters provide teaching and guidance for early Christian communities, showing how the good news about Jesus should reshape their lives and connect their stories to the larger biblical narrative.

How does the book of Revelation conclude the biblical story?

The book of Revelation brings the biblical story to a culmination by portraying Jesus as the divine king leading his people out of exile and into a new creation, symbolized by a New Jerusalem garden temple.

What is the ultimate goal of the story told in the New Testament?

The ultimate goal of the New Testament's story is to depict God's plan to lead the world to a renewed creation through Jesus and the Spirit, offering hope and a new beginning for humanity.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to the New Testament

The New Testament is part of the Christian Bible, which also includes the Old Testament. The term 'testament' signifies a covenant between God and humanity. The Old Testament, known as 'TaNaK' in Jewish tradition, is a collection of 39 texts, while the New Testament consists of 27 books written by Jesus' first followers. The New Testament begins with the Gospels, detailing Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. It continues with the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the apostles spreading the good news after Jesus' ascension. The collection also includes letters from the apostles, such as Paul's 13 letters, and ends with the Revelation, a prophetic letter to seven churches. The New Testament is connected to the Old Testament, forming a unified narrative that culminates in Jesus.

05:03

🌟 The Narrative of Jesus and the New Humanity

The New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, both as the son of Abraham and the new human who overcomes evil. Jesus' life and teachings confront the underlying evil in humanity, and his crucifixion and resurrection symbolize the defeat of sin and death. The Acts of the Apostles shows the early Christian community spreading Jesus' message, inviting people to join a new, multi-ethnic family. The apostolic letters provide guidance for these communities, showing how Jesus' story reshapes individual lives and connects them to the larger biblical narrative. The book of Revelation concludes the New Testament, portraying Jesus as the divine king leading his people to a new creation, symbolized by a new Jerusalem. The New Testament documents serve as a testimony to Jesus, offering hope and a vision of a renewed world.

Keywords

💡Testament

In the context of the video, 'Testament' refers to a covenant partnership, which is a central theme as it describes the relationship between God and humanity as depicted in both the Old and New Testaments. The video explains that these collections of texts tell the story of this divine partnership, illustrating how God's covenant with Israel and all of humanity is developed and fulfilled through historical and prophetic narratives.

💡Old Testament

The 'Old Testament' is described as the first part of the Bible, containing 39 texts known as 'TaNaK' in Jewish tradition. These texts form a unified narrative that sets the stage for the New Testament. The video highlights how the Old Testament lays the foundational themes and plot conflicts that are later resolved or further developed in the New Testament, particularly through the story of Israel and the promises made to Abraham.

💡New Testament

The 'New Testament' is portrayed as the continuation and fulfillment of the Old Testament's narrative. Comprising 27 books written by first-generation followers of Jesus, it tells the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and the establishment of the early Christian church. The video emphasizes how the New Testament picks up the themes of the Old Testament and brings them to their climax in Jesus, showing him as the culmination of God's covenant with humanity.

💡Gospel

The term 'Gospel' in the video refers to the first four books of the New Testament that narrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These books are central to the Christian message as they announce the 'good news' of Jesus' mission and his role as the savior. The video explains that the Gospels present Jesus as both the promised son of Abraham and the new humanity that overcomes evil.

💡Apostles

In the video, 'Apostles' are described as Jesus' representatives, commissioned by the risen Jesus to spread the good news about him throughout the ancient world. The term is used to highlight the role of these early followers in establishing the Christian faith and carrying on Jesus' mission after his ascension. The video mentions how the apostles' letters form a significant part of the New Testament, providing guidance and teaching for the early church.

💡Churches

The 'churches' mentioned in the video refer to the local communities of Jesus' followers that emerged in the wake of his ministry and the apostles' teachings. These communities are depicted as the recipients of the apostolic letters, which provided them with spiritual guidance and instruction on living out their faith. The video uses the term to illustrate how the early Christian movement was organized and how it sought to apply the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament to their lives.

💡Prophetic Word

The 'prophetic word' in the video is a term used to describe the messages found in the book of Revelation, which is the last book of the New Testament. These messages are seen as both challenging and comforting, providing a vision of hope and warning for Jesus' followers. The video explains how the prophetic word ties together the entire biblical narrative, showing the ultimate victory of Jesus and the promise of a new creation.

💡Covenant

A 'covenant' is a binding agreement, and in the video, it is used to describe the relationship between God and his people, particularly as it unfolds throughout the Old and New Testaments. The video explains that the covenant is a central theme, showing how God's promises to Abraham and Israel are fulfilled in Jesus, leading to a new covenant that includes all people.

💡Exile

The term 'exile' in the video refers to the historical periods when the people of Israel were forcibly removed from their land and taken to Babylon. This concept is used metaphorically to describe the human condition of being separated from God due to sin. The video connects the biblical narrative of exile with the broader theme of God's redemptive plan to restore his relationship with humanity through Jesus.

💡New Creation

In the video, 'new creation' is a term used to describe the ultimate goal of God's plan as revealed in the Bible. It signifies the renewal of all things, where heaven and earth are reunited, and humanity is restored to its original purpose of ruling the world in partnership with God. The video uses this concept to show how the story of the Bible culminates in a vision of a restored creation, where the new humanity lives in harmony with God.

💡Babylon

Throughout the video, 'Babylon' is used as a symbol of worldly power and corruption, representing the forces of evil that oppose God's kingdom. It is mentioned in the context of the exile of Israel and as a metaphor for the spiritual captivity of humanity. The video explains how Jesus' mission and the establishment of the church are part of God's plan to rescue humanity from the influence of Babylon and to establish a new covenant community.

Highlights

The New Testament is part of the Bible, which includes two large collections: the Old and New Testaments, representing God's covenant partnership with humanity.

The Old Testament, known as 'TaNaK' in Jewish tradition, is a collection of 39 texts developed over a thousand years.

The New Testament consists of 27 books written by first-generation followers of Jesus within 30 to 40 years.

Christian communities read the New Testament alongside the Old Testament as a unified story leading to Jesus.

The New Testament starts with the Gospel, narrating Jesus' life, death, and resurrection as good news.

The 'Acts of the Apostles' follows the Gospel, detailing the apostles spreading the good news after Jesus' resurrection.

The New Testament includes a collection of letters from the apostles, providing teachings and guidance for early Christian communities.

The 13 letters attributed to Apostle Paul are arranged by length, not the order they were written.

The book of Hebrews is a letter written by an unnamed associate of the apostles, focusing on Jesus' role.

The New Testament also contains letters from James, Jude, Peter, and John, who were either brothers of Jesus or his close followers.

The Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, a prophetic letter to seven churches offering comfort and challenge.

The Bible is viewed as a single epic narrative with multiple acts, where the Old Testament sets the stage for the New Testament.

The first act of the biblical story involves God's creation of humans and their fall from grace, leading to exile and violence.

God's rescue plan involves the promise of a new human who will defeat evil and restore humanity's partnership with God.

The second act focuses on God's relationship with Israel, promising a priest-king to rescue and restore God's blessing.

The Old Testament prophets foretell the arrival of God himself to deliver the world through a suffering servant who will become a king.

The New Testament carries forward the biblical story, with Jesus portrayed as the promised son of Abraham and the new human.

Jesus' mission was to confront and defeat the evil underlying human selfishness, violence, and death.

Jesus' death on the cross and subsequent resurrection symbolize the victory over evil and the beginning of a new humanity.

The book of Acts shows how Jesus' followers spread his teachings, inviting people to join the new multi-ethnic family of believers.

The apostolic letters in the New Testament guide early Christians on how the good news should influence their lives.

The Revelation unites the entire biblical narrative, depicting Jesus as the divine king leading his people to a new creation.

The New Testament documents are seen as testimonies pointing to Jesus, offering hope from the first century to the present.

The story of the New Testament is about God leading the world towards a renewed creation, suggesting a new story yet to unfold.

Transcripts

The New Testament

If you open up a Bible to its table of contents, you will see it is made up of two large collections:

the Old and New Testaments.

The word "testament" refers to a covenant partnership, which is what both of these collections are all about.

They tell one epic and complicated story of God's covenant partnership with Israel and all humanity.

The Old Testament is called "TaNaK" in Jewish tradition.

It is a unified scroll collection of 39 Israelite texts that were over a thousand years in the making.

In contrast, the 27 books of the New Testament all came into existence within 30 to 40 years of each other.

They were all written by first-generation followers of Jesus.

From an early period Christian communities began collecting these texts

and reading them alongside the Old Testament as one unified story that leads to Jesus.

The New Testament begins with four narrative books that together are called "the Gospel".

They tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth's life, death and resurrection as an announcement of good news.

They are followed by a fifth narrative work called "Acts of the Apostles".

Here, the risen Jesus commissions the apostles, a word that means "the sent ones".

They are appointed as Jesus' representatives to spread the good news about him throughout the ancient world.

After Acts comes a collection of letters from the apostles.

These were written to provide teaching and guidance for local communities of Jesus' followers called "churches".

There are 13 letters connected to the Apostle Paul.

They are not arranged in the order of when they were written.

But, rather, from the longest to the shortest.

Then there is a letter to the Hebrews written by a close but unnamed associate of the apostles.

After this are the letters of James, Jude, Peter and John.

Two were brothers of Jesus and two were among his first followers.

The last New Testament book is the Revelation,

a letter to seven churches that reveals a prophetic word of challenging comfort to all of Jesus' followers.

So those are the books of the New Testament, but what are they about?

And, how do they connect with the Old Testament to make up one unified story?

Think of it this way:

The Bible is one long epic narrative with multiple movements or acts.

The Old Testament recounts the first series of acts that give you everything you need to make sense of the story to follow.

The core themes and the plot conflict are arranged in design patterns.

Then, in the New Testament, these are all picked up and carried forward to the story's culmination in Jesus.

Let me show you what I mean.

The first act is about God and all of humanity.

God provides a sweet garden temple for humans who are made to be God's partners in ruling the world.

But the humans are foolish.

They give in to a dark temptation and rebel against God's wisdom.

So they are exiled into a wilderness where they start killing each other.

They build cities that spread their selfishness and oppression, leading up to the big, bad city of Babylon.

But, God loves the world and its foolish humans.

So, he sets in motion a rescue plan by promising the arrival of a new human

who will destroy the evil that has lured us into self-destruction.

The next act of the biblical story is about God and Israel.

It develops the themes and patterns of the first act.

God calls a new humanity out of Babylon into a sweet garden land:

Abraham, Sarah and his descendants, the Israelites.

God promises that through them divine blessing will be restored to all of the nations.

Surely, these are the new humans that we are waiting for.

But the Israelites repeat humanity's rebellion against God,

building their own violent cities that lead to self-destruction and another exile in Babylon.

But God sustains his promise that the new human will come from Abraham's lineage.

It will be a priest king who will now have to rescue both Israel and humanity from Babylon

to restore God's blessing to the world.

Now, notice how these two acts are designed according to the same pattern.

The second act is a longer and more violent version of the first.

Together, they explore the tragic human condition.

But they also highlight God's promise which is developed more in the next act: the Old Testament prophets and poets.

The prophets accused Israel and all nations of their evil.

They announce that one day God himself would arrive to bring the day of the Lord and deliver his world from Babylon.

He would do it through a promised royal priest who is going to suffer like a slave and die for the sins of Israel and all humanity.

But, then he will be exalted as king over the nations.

He will call others to leave Babylon and join the new covenant people who will partner with God to rule over a New Jerusalem.

That is, over a new creation.

So, the Old Testament concludes by anticipating a new act in the story.

When you turn to the New Testament, it is the same story now being carried forward in Jesus.

Let's see how.

The four Gospel accounts introduce Jesus of Nazareth

both as the promised son of Abraham who will restore God's blessing to the nations

and also as that new human who will defeat evil and restore humanity to partnership with God.

So, Jesus is portrayed as a human, and more!

He went about announcing the arrival of God's promised kingdom.

He spoke and acted as if he was Israel's divine king.

But instead of calling himself "King", Jesus referred to himself as the "Son of Man".

That is, the human one who would act like a servant.

The Gospels are making the claim that in Jesus,

Israel's God has become the faithful Israelite and the true human that we are all made to be, but have failed to be.

Jesus' mission was to confront that dark evil that lurks underneath humanity's evil,

luring us into selfishness, violence and death.

But, how do you defeat that kind of evil?

The surprising answer in the Gospels is that Jesus overcame our evil by allowing it to kill him,

on his paradoxical throne, the cross, where Jesus died for humanity's evil and sin.

And, it is where he lived out what he taught:

that non-violence, forgiveness and self-giving love are the most powerful things in the universe.

Because God's love for his world is stronger than evil or death,

Jesus was raised to new life as the prototype of a new humanity.

This brings us to the story of Acts

Through the Spirit, God empowers Jesus' followers to spread the life and love of Jesus out into the world

as they invite people to leave their old humanity and join Jesus' multi-ethnic family: the new humanity.

This is where the letters from the apostles fit into the story.

Here, the apostles address early Christian communities.

They show how the good news about the risen King Jesus change history and should reshape every part of our lives.

They also explained the good news by constantly appealing to stories from the Old Testament and the stories of Jesus,

showing us how to see our own life stories as part of the epic biblical story.

So all humanity is trapped in a Babylonian exile, but Jesus came to create a new home.

We are all living in different kinds of Egyptian slavery to selfishness and sin.

But Jesus died as the Passover lamb to liberate us into the promised land.

Our old humanity is bound for the dust of death, but Jesus' resurrection opened up a new future for a new humanity.

We live here in the current evil age

but through Jesus and the Spirit a new creation has burst open here and now.

This leads us to the book of Revelation where the whole biblical story comes together in powerful symbolism and imagery.

Jesus is portrayed as a slaughtered bloody lamb who is exalted as the divine king of the world.

He is leading his people out of slavery and exile in Babylon.

As they resist Babylon's influence, they may have to suffer alongside their slain leader.

But when you follow the Risen King, not even death can prevent the dawn of the New Creation

which is here depicted as a New Jerusalem garden temple, the true home of humanity after its long exile.

So, on the Bible's last page, heaven and earth are reunited.

The new humans take up their appointed tasks from the Bible's first page: to rule the world together in the love and power of God.

The New Testament is a remarkable collection of documents.

They represent the testimony of the apostles that points us to the Risen Jesus himself.

Through God's Spirit, these human words have been speaking a divine word of hope from the first century to the 21st.

Each book shows how God, through Jesus and the Spirit, is leading our world to its ultimate goal in a renewed creation

So, the story's end is really the beginning of a new story that is yet to be told.

That is what the New Testament is all about.