What Are All These Books About? (Part 2, The New Testament)

January 28, 2024

What Are All These Books About? (Part 2, The New Testament)
[By Cameron Piner]

Whether you’ve been reading the Bible for many years, or if it is your first time opening the scriptures, then you might look at the list of 66 books that are in the Bible and think to yourself, “What are all these books about?” There is a lot to glean from a detailed reading/ study of each book, but here is a brief summary of what is in each book of the Bible. Hopefully, this will provide you with a way to remember what each book is about, and possibly inspire you to pick up the Bible and learn more about a book you may be less familiar with. In the last blog, we looked at the 39 books of the Old Testament. Today, we will continue our survey of the books of the Bible by considering the 27 books of the New Testament.

The Gospels:

  • Matthew – The life of Jesus, the true King.
  • Mark – The life of Jesus, the righteous Servant.
  • Luke – The life of Jesus, who shows love and brings salvation to all classes of people (including the poor and outcasts).
  • John – The life of Jesus, told to inspire belief in Him.

History / Church History:

  • Acts – The continuing “acts” of Jesus & the Spirit through the apostles & disciples.

The Letters/ Epistles of Paul:

  • Romans – A letter that tells how the gospel inspires self-sacrificial unity & love.
  • 1 Corinthians – A letter that addresses many issues in a divided church.
  • 2 Corinthians – A letter that defends Paul’s apostleship in order to encourage and build up the church in Corinth.
  • Galatians – A letter that reprimands Galatian Christians for being persuaded to return to following the Law of Moses.
  • Ephesians – A letter that reminds us of our calling in Christ and encourages us to walk worthy of that calling.
  • Philippians – A letter about partnership; written from prison, but it bursts with joy.
  • Colossians – A letter that teaches that all we need is found in Christ.
  • 1 Thessalonians – A letter that gives thanks for the faith of a persecuted church and encourages them to continue to focus on Christ’s return.
  • 2 Thessalonians – A letter that encourages Christians to remain firm until the return of Christ.
  • 1 Timothy – A letter to Timothy from his mentor that instructs him on his work with the church in Ephesus.
  • 2 Timothy – A letter written near the end of Paul’s life to give final instructions and encouragement to Timothy to continue teaching.
  • Titus – A letter to Titus to instruct him on his work with the churches in Crete.
  • Philemon – A letter to Philemon encouraging him to receive back his run-away slave as a new brother in Christ.

The General Letters/ Epistles:

  • Hebrews – A letter encouraging sufferings Christians to not return to the Law of Moses, because everything in Christ is better.
  • James – A practical letter about how to speak and work in faith.
  • 1 Peter – A letter to persecuted Christians, instructing them to live in such a way that God is glorified by their lives.
  • 2 Peter – Peter writes a farewell letter before his death to remind Christians about the truth and warn them against false teachers.
  • 1 John – A letter to oppose “Gnosticism” and to instruct Christians to walk in the light and in love.
  • 2 John – A letter to warn Christians against supporting false teachers.
  • 3 John – A letter to Gaius to encourage him and oppose Diotrephes.
  • Jude – A letter appealing for Christians to contend for the faith and resist the false teachers.

Prophecy:

  • Revelation – A letter to seven churches in Asia Minor, revealing to them what “must soon take place” through powerful visions that illustrate the coming suffering of God’s people, but also the coming victory of Jesus. – i.e. “Jesus wins!”

That is a brief summary of what each book of the New Testament is about. If you would like to know more about any of these books, then you can open your Bible and read through them on your own, or reach out and I would be happy to study through them with you.

For more overview summaries, check out some of these resources:
– https://overviewbible.com/books-of-the-bible/
– https://www.gotquestions.org/66-books-of-the-Bible.html
– https://bibleproject.com/explore/book-overviews/?type=new