QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT

SUBJECTS COVERED

Books 19-26, CATHOLIC LETTERS

Hebrews James
1 Peter 2 Peter
1 John 2 John

3 John

Jude


BOOK 19 - HEBREWS, THE LETTER TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS

JESUS CHRIST IS FOR ALL MEN

Hebrews 1:1-14

1:1-3 God has sent his son, Jesus Christ, for all people

JESUS CHRIST IS GREATER THAN GOD'S ANGELS

1:4-14 Christ is higher than the angels

Hebrews 2:1-18

2:1-4 First warning - The Gospel of Jesus is greater than the message brought by the angels; stand fast

2:5-18 Jesus Christ, the son of God, also became a man, lower than the angels - also 2:14-14 The devil; 2:14b-15 Death

HE IS GREATER THAN MOSES

Hebrews 3:1-19

3:1-6 Moses was a faithful servant; Jesus is a faithful son

3:7-19 Second warning - stand firm; rejecting Jesus is far more serious than rejecting Moses - also 3:13a Serving others; 3:13b Temptation

Hebrews 4:1-16

4:1-10 The eternal rest of heaven is promised to those who remain faithful to Christ

4:11-13 Third warning - accept God's second chance, and know that nothing is hidden from him - also 4:12 The Bible - the Word of God

JESUS IS GREATER THAN EVERY HIGH PRIEST

4:14-16 Jesus Christ, the great high priest

Hebrews 5:1-14

5:1-10 Jesus Christ contrasted with Aaron, the high priest of Moses

5:11-14 Fourth warning - Don't keep going back to Christian basics - also 5:11-14 Maturity

Hebrews 6:1-20

6:1-20 Fourth warning (concluded) - Move on towards Christian maturity; don't turn back; persevere - also 6:1-3 Maturity

Hebrews 7:-28

7:1-28 Jesus Christ, the great high priest, compared with Melchizedek - also 7:1-10 Tithes

Hebrews 8:1-13

8:1-5 The superiority of Christ in heaven over the high priest in his earthly temple

A NEW AGREEMENT WITH GOD; THE ONE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST CANCELS ALL SIN

8:6-13 The new agreement of Jesus supersedes the old agreement of the Law

Hebrews 9:1-28

9:1-10 The high priest's earthly ministry in the temple under the old agreement, compared with ....

9:11-28 The heavenly ministry of Jesus Christ under the new agreement - also 9:24 Heaven

Hebrews 10:1-39

10:1-18 Sacrifices under the Law cannot cancel sin; Christ's one sacrifice in obedience to God, does

KEEP GOING AS CHRISTIANS IN FAITH

10:19-25 In faith, approach God through Christ; and do so in fellowship with other believers - also 10:23-25 Encouragement to support each other

10:26-31 Fifth warning - what hope do we have if we reject Christ's sacrifice

10:32-39 Reminders of the struggles new Jewish Christians have already gone through. Having come so far in faith, don't turn back, endure

Hebrews 11:1-40

11:1-40 Examples of faith from the Old Testament - also 11:1,6b,8-10 Faith; 11:3 Creation; 11:6b God - finding him; 11:13b-16 Heaven

Hebrews 12:1-29

12:1-24 Keep going in faith, accept God's discipline - also 12:3-4 Trials of life; 12:7-11 Discipline; 12:7-11 Parents; 12:14 Christian conduct; 12:15 Bitterness; 12:16 Addiction

12:25-29 Sixth & final warning - listen to God:at the end, only those who are faithful to Christ will remain

CALL TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS

Hebrews 13:1-25

13:1-17 Christian living; warnings against strange teachings; sharing Christ's disgrace - also 13:1 Love; 13:2 Hospitality; 13:3a the Imprisoned; 13:3b the Suffering; 13:4 Marriage; 13:4 Sexual immorality; 13:4b Adultery; 13:5a Greed; 13:5a Money; 13:5a Possessions; 13:7 Christian leaders; 13:8 Eternity; 13:9 False Christian teaching, false prophets, cults; 13:14 Heaven; 13:15-16 Real religion; 13:16 Generosity; 13:17 Christian leaders

PERSONAL MESSAGES

13:18-25 Personal messages and blessings - also 13:20-21 Blessings and prayers; 13:25 Blessings and prayers

   

BOOK 20 - THE LETTER OF JAMES

I - THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REAL RELIGION

James 1:1-27

1:1-8 Greeting; the trials faced by Jewish Christians, and how they should respond - also 1:2-8 Trials of life

1:9 Poverty

1:10-11 Wealth

1:12 Trials of life

1:13-15 Temptation

1:16-18 God provides all our needs

1:19-20 Anger

1:21-25 Freedom as Christians

1:26 The "tongue"

1:27 Real religion

II - THE TESTS OF REAL RELIGION

SOCIAL DIFFERENCES

James 2:1-26

2:1-11 Snobbery

2:12-13 Tolerance

FAITH AND ACTION

2:14-26 Faith without Christian action is useless - also 2:14-26 Faith

CONTROLLING THE TONGUE

James 3:1-18

3:1 Teaching

3:2-12 The "tongue"

REAL WISDOM

3:13-16 Worldliness - also 3:17-18 Heaven; 3:17-18 Wisdom

THE WORLD'S WAYS

James 4:1-17

4:1-3 Greed

4:4-6 Worldliness

4:7 The devil

4:8-10 Humility

4:11-12 Judging others

4:13-17 Plans

James 5:1-20

5:1-6 Wealth

PATIENCE AND PRAYER

5:7-8 Patience

5:9 Grumbling

5:10-11 Patience

5:12 Swearing and oaths

5:13a Prayer

5:13b the Happy

5:14-16a the Sick

5:16b-18 Prayer

5:19-20 Responsibility for others

   

BOOK 21 - FIRST LETTER OF PETER

GREETINGS; BEARING TRIALS WITH JOY

1 Peter 1:1-25

1:1-5 Greetings; because Christ has risen from the dead, we have been born again - also 1:1-2 The Holy Trinity; 1:1a,2 Blessings and prayers

1:6-9 We have every reason for rejoicing in spite of our trials

OUR RELATIONS WITH GOD

1:10-12 Christians can know more than the prophets or angels ever did or could of God's mysteries

1:13-16 Live holy lives accordingly

1:17-21 The eternal Christ died that you may live in holiness

1:22-25 Love each other because you are sons of God; do away with all evil - also 1:22 Love; 1:23-25 The Holy Bible; 1:24 Human Frailty

1 Peter 2:1-25

2:1-3 Love each other as the Gospel teaches (concluded) - also 2:1 Christian conduct

2:4-10 You have been chosen by God as a royal priesthood to become the Church of Christ

CIVIL, SOCIAL AND FAMILY RELATIONS

2:11 Worldliness

2:12 Witnesses to Christ

2:13-17 Government - also 2:16 Freedom as Christians

2:18-20 Employees

2:21-25 Christ died for our sins to heal us, and as an example of patient suffering - also 2:21-25 Trials of life

1 Peter 3:1-22

3:1-6 Wives - also 3:3-5a Women's beauty

3:7 Husbands - also 3:7 Prayer

3:8-12 Christian conduct

CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

3:13-22 Now be prepared to suffer patiently yourselves - also 3:13-17 Witnesses to Christ; 3:21 Baptism; 3:22 Heaven

1 Peter 4:1-19

4:1-6 And live to obey God - also 4:3-4a Non-Christian behaviour; 4:3-5 New Christians

4:7 Maturity - also 4:7b Prayer

4:8 Love

4:9 Hospitality

4:10-11 Talents and Abilities

4:12-19 When you do God's will, bear your suffering as Christ did - also 4:15 Non-Christian behaviour

1 Peter 5:1-14

5:1-4 Christian leaders

5:5 Young men and women - also 5:5b-6 Humility

5:6-7 Worry

5:8-11 Spiritual warfare; through Christ, God will restore and carry you - also 5:8-9 The devil; 5:9 Christian fellowship; 5:10-11 Blessings and prayers

CLOSING

5:12-14 Farewells and blessings

   

BOOK 22 - SECOND LETTER OF PETER

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN GOD'S MESSAGE

2 Peter 1:1-21

1:1-2 Greetings; the preciousness of faith in Jesus Christ - also 1:2 Blessings and prayers

1:3-4 Through him, we have everything we need to live Godly lives in an evil world

1:5-11 Steps towards Godly living - also 1:5-9 Christian conduct

1:12-15 Peter's need to remind his readers of these things

1:16-21 Peter was an eye-witness to the promised Messiah, he is not a teller of man-made stories - also 1:19-21 The Holy Bible; 1:20-21 The Holy Spirit

THE FALSE TEACHERS WHO DENY THIS

2 Peter 2:1-22

2:1-3a The false teachers who deny the divinity of Jesus

2:3b-9 How God deals with the ungodly, and rescues the Godly

2:10-17 The behaviour of the ungodly

2:18-19 How they mislead Christians, especially the newly converted

2:20-22 Because such men were once Christians, they are worse off then they were before

THE END-TIMES WILL COME AND CHRIST WILL RETURN

2 Peter 3:1-18

3:1-2 Peter's reason for writing yet again

3:3-4 There are those who deny Christ will come again

3:5-7 God destroyed the world once, by water; he will do so again, by fire

3:8-10 The day will come, but in God's time

3:11-15a Until then, live patient and Godly lives

3:15-16 Peter commends Paul's Letters as scripture

3:17-18 Reject false teaching; continue to grow in your Christian life - also 3:18 Blessings and prayers

   

BOOK 23 - FIRST LETTER OF JOHN

GOD'S SON REALLY BECAME MAN; THROUGH HIM WE CAN LIVE IN GOD'S LIGHT

1 John 1:1-10

1:1-4 John was an eye-witness to Jesus, the World of Life

1:5-10 To really know God, live in his light, and accept that you are sinners - 1:8-10 Fooling ourselves

TO KNOW GOD IS TO OBEY HIM AND LIVE CHRISTIAN LIVES

1 John 2:1-29

2:1-2 If we do sin, Jesus will defend us

2:3-6 The true Christian obeys all God's commands - also 2:3-6 Obedience to God

2:7-11 The Christian living in God's light, loves, and does not hate - also 2:9-11 Hate

2:12-14 John's readers know God, they have been forgiven, they have rejected evil, and they live Godly lives

2:15-17 To love as God loves means you cannot also love the world - 2:15-17 Worldliness

2:18-23 The false teachers were never really Christians; but you, through the Spirit, know both God and Christ

2:24-29 Keep to what you have been taught; don't be led astray - also 2:26-27a The Holy Spirit

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE MEANS LIVING IN LOVE

1 John 3:1-24

3:1-6 It is a miracle we are "children of God"; we should live our lives in Christ accordingly

3:7-10 Sin is of the devil; goodness is from God - 3:8-10 The devil

3:11-15 To love our brothers is of God; to hate is a path towards murder - 3:11 Love; 3:14-15 Hate; 3:15a Murder

3:16-20 True love is more than words; it is truth in action - 3:16-18 Hypocrisy

3:21-24 We know when we are obeying God; and he rewards us accordingly - also 3:24 The Holy Spirit

GOD IS TRUTH AND LOVE

1 John 4:1-21

4:1-3 A simple test for false prophets is that they deny Jesus became a man - also 4:1-3 False Christian teaching, false prophets, cults

4:4-6 God, through Christ, enables us to distinguish truth from lies - also 4:4-6 Spiritual warfare

4 7-10 Love comes from God, and he loves us so much, he sent his only son to die for us - also 4:7-12 Love

4:11-16a We too should love one another and God will live in us - also 4:12-13 The Holy Spirit; 4:16-18 Love

4:16b-18 God is love, and perfect love drives away all fear - also 4:18 Fear

4:19-21 We cannot hate our brother, and claim to love God - also 4:19-21 Hate

OUR CONFIDENCE AS CHRISTIANS

1 John 5:1-21

5:1-5 The test of our love is obedience to God and belief in Jesus - also 5:4b-8 The Holy Spirit

5:6-13 To believe Jesus is the Christ is to receive God's gift of eternal life

5:14-15 Whatever our needs, God will answer our prayers - also 5:14-15 Prayer

5:16-17 Praying for those who sin - also 5:16a Responsibility for others

5:18-21 Jesus protects and empowers us to live the Christian life - also 5:21 Final warning against false Gods

   

BOOK 24 - SECOND LETTER OF JOHN

2 John 1-13

1-3 Greetings in love and truth - also 3 Blessings and prayers

4-6 Obedience to God means real love for one another - also 5-6 Love

7-11 Don't welcome those who deny Christ became a man; follow Christ's teaching

12-13 John's plan to visit; his farewell

   

BOOK 25 - THIRD LETTER OF JOHN

3 John 1-14

1-8 John gives thanks for Gaius' faith, and his hospitality to visiting evangelists - also 1 Blessing and prayers; 5-8 Hospitality

9-10 The inhospitality of Diotrephes contrasted - also 9-10 Self-importance

11-12 John commends Demetrius - also 11 Christian conduct

13-14 John plans to visit; a farewell - also 14b Blessing and prayers

   

BOOK 26 - LETTER OF JUDE

Jude 1-25

1-2 Greetings - also 1b-2 Blessings and prayers

3-4 False and immoral teachers are among you

5-11 The punishment awaiting those who deceive

12-16 They come as trouble-makers

17-19 Jesus foretold the coming of such men

20-23 Continue in your Christian life; save those you can - also 22-23 Responsibility for others

24-25 A beautiful benediction - also 24-25 Blessings and prayers

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