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The New Testament Literary Analysis

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There are several literary forms contained within the New Testament, which include the Gospels, the church history, the letters and historical texts, and the apocalyptic literature (Harris, 2014). The first major literary genre, the Gospels were written to describe Jesus’s life and ministry according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Bethel University, 2017). These books were written by the Evangelists to tell the “good news” of Jesus Christ and his work (Harris, 2014 p. 13). From a Christian and literary perspective, these books tell a magnificent story of Jesus, beginning with his birth and ending with his resurrection based from first-hand eyewitness testimonies, but the main focus is the last phase of his life, teachings, and death (Harris, …show more content…

In this book, the early history and development of the church are portrayed, beginning with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his ascension into heaven, and ending with Paul’s work in Rome (Harris, 2014 p. 14).

Next, the letters, or epistles, were the straight-forward letters written by Paul to a church to address a particular issue or to express happiness over something the church did (Bethel University, 2017). The letters offer an explanation of close up encounters of events or situations, within communities involving Christianity, and the difficulties they faced while trying to follow Jesus and practice their beliefs (Harris, 2014 p. 15).

Last, the apocalyptic literature, which is described as the book of Revelations, an interpretation, and understanding of the end of times, and is thought to have been written during times of persecution (Bethel University, 2017). Apocalyptic literature in relation to the New Testament highlights the struggle between good and evil, or God and Satan, and how ultimate good prevails (Harris, 2014 p. 15). The Book of Revelations portrays an urgent message to believers and how it is important to hold on to the faith because the ultimate war is coming soon and is relevant to the return of Jesus Christ (Harris, 2014 p.

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