Category: New Testament

Introduction

Mercy and compassion are the key concepts in Christian religious studies. In modern English, these two words are synonyms, and they describe a feeling that a human being has when he or she sees another person suffering. Basically, it means sharing suffering. In religious studies, these terms could be considered in regards to both God’s attitude toward humans and relationship between human beings. It is important to estimate similarities and differences in this concept’s meaning in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Divine Mercy and Compassion in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, mercy is a fundamental characteristic of God. In Exod 34:6, He is named “merciful” and “abounding in steadfast love” (Balentine 16). Term “mercy” characterized God’s attitude toward Israel people and provides a basis for Israel’s restoration after the Exile (Neh 9:17). However, God is merciful not only to Sinai. He demonstrates his compassion to all His Creatures. In particular, Divine Mercy connotes the compassion toward sinners (Ps 145:8).

It was stated that people might repent, and they will be forgiven. Divine mercy and love is considered as a reason for people’s repentance. Therefore, according to the Old Testament, God’s creature did not have to deserve His love and mercy. They felt it in all situations. They could pray for Divine mercy and compassion (Balentine 16).

Divine Mercy and Compassion in the New Testament

The God’s attitude toward Israeli people description did not change. Similar to the Old Testament, in the New Testament, God is described as merciful toward them (for example, Jonah 4:2; Pss 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Rom 9:15) (Balentine 16). However, the general concept was changed. In the New Testament, mercy and compassion relate to Jesus. God’s son provided compassion for poor and dispossessed people and also to sinners (Matt 9:13; 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30–31; Mark 10:47–48; Luke 16:24; 17:13; 18:38–39) (Balentine 16). Therefore, it could be stated that God’s fundamental characteristic was represented in His Son Jesus.

Mercy and Compassion in Human Relationship

Mercy and compassion are also basic characteristics of relations between humans. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament underline that people should be merciful and provide love, help, and compassion toward each other (Exod 2:21–27; Ps 111:4; Matt 6:2–3; Luke 11:41; 12:33) because God does it toward all people (Balentine 16). In the New Testament, acts of mercy got the additional interpretation. Christ was identified with people’s poverty and needs. Therefore, almsgiving is not a simple act of mercy; it is a way to communicate with God through His Son (Cor 8:9). This idea obtained further developing in other Bible texts (Balentine 16).

Conclusion

It could be concluded that divine mercy and compassion understanding was changed in the New Testament. “Merciful” was a crucial description of God’s attitude toward Israel people as well as toward all his creatures. In the New Testament, Divine mercy toward Israel people is also mentioned. However, some changes between mercy and compassion description in the Old Testament and the New Testament appeared. In the Old Testament, “merciful” is a fundamental characteristic of God’s attitude toward all people, including sinners.

In the New Testament, God’s mercy and compassion appeared and developed in His Son. In a similar way, Jesus shared His love and mercy among people who require it the most. Regarding human relations, both the Old Testament and the New Testament postulate that human’s compassion toward each other is the reflection of God’s compassion toward people. Further, the almsgiving as an act of mercy was transformed into a way to become closer to God.

Work Cited

Balentine, Samuel Eugene, editor. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Theology. Oxford University Press, 2015. Saint Leo University Cannon Memorial Library E-book. Web.

The book of Romans is arguably one of the most profound epistles in the New Testament, and perhaps the most important book in the bible. The book centers on Christian faith and the basic christain values that Paul advocated for the church.

It is for this reason that the book is vitally instrumental for evangelical ministries as it directly speaks to the conscience, and invokes redemption. It entails messages of good news, explaining the blessings Christians have for being saved by Jesus Christ.

As a means to glorify God, the book reveals the truth of the gospel, which is supposed to strengthen the faith of believers. The book provides a complete theological framework of Paul’s epistles, laying down the fundamentals of the gospel.

Chronologically, the Romans have played a vital role in the growth of the church over the years; making the scripture essential for every believer to master.

The power of Holy Spirit is severally mentioned in the epistle, and is seen to bring joy, peace and fulfilment. However, it is only attained with salvation, and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the savior who died so the world can be saved from eternal pain in hell.

Basically, the epistle is a guide for citizenship in the kingdom of heaven; in other words, it lets Christians know how to live righteously in preparation to the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.

Theoretically, every citizen of the kingdom of heaven is an immigrant, and therefore, there is the need to study the manual that instruct on the ways of the kingdom. Temptation of the body is a topic that Paul immensely covers; explaining how to overcome the lust for flesh (Ehrman 34).

It is all about living the right way; the way that God created humans to live, the righteous way. Through faith sinners are transformed and are assured forgiveness, which then allows them to inherit the kingdom of heaven after death.

The book insists on commitments in the responsibility that one pertakes once they declare their believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. Evangelism is seen as a strong message that Paul addresses to the Romans, as he emphasizes on the need to proclaim Jesus as the savior among men.

It is through this acknowledgement that believers get to glorify God by speading the good news to the world. It is through this that evangelism was born as the church was missioned to spread the gospel beyond the church walls.

Paul preached by saying that failing to spread the good news to men only withholds messages that would save them, and also robs God the glory he deserves in his name.

Paul acknowledges that it is impossible to live a pure life without sins, but he also mentions that through the Holy Spirit, believers are capable of living a righteous life as forgiveness is santified by faith.

Women have hugely contributed to the spreading of the gospel, and although Paul is seen condemning them in first Corinthians, it is evident in his epistles that he respects the role they played.

In fact, one can argue that Christianity was invented by women because of the fact that Mary Magdalene was the first to affirm that Jesus had risen from the dead.

It is after this affirmation that the rest of the disciples begun their mission of spreading the gospel, and carrying on Christ’s work (Ehrman 117).

Susanna and Joanna are also examples of the committed women disciples who followed Jesus in his ministry, and helped spread the gospel even after he ascended.

In his letters, Paul greets and appreciates women like Junia, Andronicus, Phoebe, Priscilla, and Chloe, who dedicated their lives in spreading the gospel. Most of them are even imprisoned for their faith, but still remain devoted to Christianity and their mission of preaching the Christian gospel.

Paul’s message in Corinthians that states women should keep silent in the churches (Cor. 14:34), was overated. Paul only meant that they should obey the laws of those times, but never condemned them for preaching the gospel.

Their contribution to Pauls’s church was immense as they not only served in the church, but aso went out on missionary ministries. However, he insisted that women should have self control, and for this, respect their husbands as a wifely duty.

On the other hand, their husband were not to dictate their belief systems especially if they intended to corrupt their faith. As the church grew, women were seen to exercise their various gifts such as speaking in tongues, praying and even interpretting visions.

Today, women like Joyce Meyer have some of the biggest ministries and through outreach programs; they are able to reach out to millions, helping spread the gospel.

The book of revelation views the world in an apocalyptical way whereby all the signs that describe the end time are documented. The book is written in form of visions that are believed to come to pass with time.

All signs point to the final battle where the Antichrist will battle with Jesus in the Armageddon. Some of these scriptures can be scary especially since some of the signs mentioned are happening in the world. However, most people are not scared as they do not believe in Armageddon.

Despite the clear emphasis on the series of events that will take place before the end time, the world’s belief system on prophetic scriptures is not convinved on the genuineness of the biblical texts.

The book of revelation condemns sinners, but at the same time brings hope to Christians especially those that were persecuted for spreading the gospel.

The book comes across with messages of admonition and encouragement, highlighting the triumph of the church after the persecution (Ehrman 92).

The messages in the book of revelation are meant to caution sinners to turn to Jesus Christ who is the only savior. The symbolism of the messages and the apocalyptical view of the current events happening in the world should be a warning for the final days.

In other words, it is a call for preparation for the seven churches mentioned, and the people across the world for Amargeddon.

The world is turning evil as Satan is winning the souls of many by his deceitful ways; however, the prophetic messages in the book of revelation reveal the truth, and with the future being revealed, there is a chance for redemption for everyone who chooses to believe in Jesus Christ as the true and only savior.

Having been offered a glimpse of how heaven and hell looks like, people should be scared of getting caught unaware, and should make their choices.

Regardless of the interpretation, the book of revelation remains to be the detailed piece of literature that transforms the future into reality, revealing future events in an apocalyptic view.

Works Cited

Ehrman, Bart D. A Brief Introduction to the New Testament. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.

Ehrman, Bart D. Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Print.

Ehrman, Bart D. Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.

Introduction

The religious texts provide an important insight into the formation of world religions. In Christianity, there are a number of important books, which teach people to behave in accordance with the commandments of the God and teachings of Jesus Christ. The New Testament narrates about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and it is composed of several books. The Acts of Luke represent one of the parts of the New Testament tells about the life and activity of the Saint Apostles after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The aim of this essay is to identify the major themes of the New Testament and the Acts of Luke and to discuss how the ideas presented in the books influence my own life.

The Major Themes

The New Testament is the integral part of the Bible, which tells about the times before and after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Among all of our Gospel authors, Matthew alone is adamant about reporting that the original ministry of Jesus was directed solely to Israel (10:5–6; 15:24; cf. 28:17–20)” (Powell 108).

The Acts of Luke is the ancient Christian text written by Apostle Luke in the form of the historic chronicle. The central theme of the book is the formation of the Christian church and the dissemination of Christianity after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also, the book provides insight into the life and beliefs of the first Christians. The Apostle Luke narrates about the persecutions of the Christians and the sufferings of martyrs. The special place is devoted to the construction of the Council in Jerusalem. The book takes an important place among Christian texts not only due to the overview of the historic development of the Christian Church but also due to the religious teachings and lessons, which it provides to the Christians. It teaches the moral and ethical values of virtue, forgiveness, humility, and patience.

The Discussion

I think that the New Testament and the Acts of Luke have made a significant influence on my world perception. After reading the New Testament and thinking about the philosophical ideas, presented in it, I have realized that the values, which the book teaches us, are the fundamentals of our happiness and well-being. “The Bible carries its full message, not to those who only regard it as simply a notable literary heritage but to all persons and communities who read it so that they may discern and understand what God is saying to them” (Coogan et al. 18).

The teachings of Jesus Christ and the acts of Saint Apostles have made me take the critical view on my actions and behavior. I try to think about my life experience in light of the norms and values, which the Christian church teaches people. I have realized that humility and patience are the keys to the positive attitude to life despite all the obstacles and problems. Furthermore, they are the keys to forgiveness, which is so important for being happy. If we forgive our offenders and enemies, we forget about the pain they have made us feel, and we, ultimately, become stronger.

Conclusion

To summarize all the above mentioned, it should be said that the New Testament is the very important Christian text. It encompasses the historic chronicle of the period before and after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The book teaches us Christian values and indicates how to behave ethically towards others.

Works Cited

Coogan, Michael David, Brettler, Marc Zvi, Newsom, Carol Ann, and Pheme Perkins. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print

Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical. Literary, and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. Print.

Introduction

An Introduction to the New Testament by Carson and Moo gives an in-depth summary of the NT books about content, authorship, genre, date, place of authorship, and audience, among others, within historical contexts. The text further draws parallels between liberal and conservative perspectives, considers dissenting opinions, and explains the theological foundations of the individual NT books in standalone chapters. It considers not only the theological contributions of the NT books, but also their historical parallels, literary styles, and sociological aspects. This paper presents a review of the text to paint a detailed picture of the theological and historical perspectives on each of the NT books.

Book Review

Chapter 1 offers a brief overview of the book. It uses a book-by-book approach to analyze the 27 NT books. Chapter 2-5 considers the three Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The authors identify the similarities of these books in terms of organization, content, and intensity related to the ministry of Jesus as aspects setting them apart from the Gospel of John.[1] Notably, Jesus’ “healings, exorcisms, parable teachings, and last-supper narrative” in the Synoptic Gospels are missing in John.[2] The authors consider the synoptic origins and historicity, literary forms, and a coherent message about Jesus propagated by the gospels. They conclude that the Synoptic books converge on their historical discussions about Jesus’ ministry. However, they diverge on the chronological relation between the episodes, an observation ascribed to the gospel authors’ temporal indifference.

Chapter 3 considers the book of Matthew, including its geographic, literary, and structural markers, while Chapter 4 depicts Mark’s story as a fast-paced narrative and earliest Gospel of Christ’s ministry recounting His healing, exorcisms, and teaching. Luke’s account of the Christian beginnings, Jesus’ journey in Galilee, and later in Jerusalem, the crucifixion and resurrection are given in Chapter 5 in substantial details.[3] While the three Synoptic Gospels follow a common sequence, John’s Gospel dwells on Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem.[4] John’s eschatological tone, contributions, sources, and audience are explicated in Chapter 6 of the text.

Chapter 7 focuses on the Acts of the Apostles considered to be authored by Luke. The Chapter examines Luke’s account of early church history, miracles, and the spread of the Gospel in the Gentile world through the eyes of Peter and Paul. The authors identify the heroic deeds of the apostles and historical events such as Stephen’s martyrdom and the Pentecost as the genres of Acts.[5] They argue that the book’s aim is to edify believers by narrating how God’s plan was manifested in the early church.

Chapters 8-18 focus on the letters of Paul, the apostle, and theologian, his contributions to early Christianity, the righteousness of God revealed in the Scriptures and the edification of God’s grace among Christians. Paul’s epistles are letters addressed to the Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon and speaks against the Greco-Roman society. The authors note that 21 of the 27 NT books are letters authored by Paul. The authors write that the choice of letters as a mode of communication by the Apostles in 21 of the NT books was because they represented “atypical and convenient method of religious instruction among Jews”.[6] Letters were also a means of ministering to people from distant lands. The authors analyze the content, contribution, and destination of each of the letters based on historical and scriptural evidence.

Chapter 18 examines the book of Hebrews that draws heavily from Old Testament texts. It explicates the book’s central message, and perspectives on its uncertain authorship, geographical provenance, and date. According to the authors, Hebrews is primarily written for Christians, who are “urged to maintain their confessions”.[7] Chapter 19 analyzes the letter of James, its message of faith seen through the works, provenance, addressees, and theological contributions while Chapters 20-21 focuses on the letters of Peter and his message of atonement for sin. Chapter 23 discusses three short epistles of John, their structure, addressees (Gaius), authorship, provenance (Ephesus), and its message of first witness testimony.

Chapter 24 highlights the contents, authorship, contribution, and destination of the book of Jude. According to Carson and Moo, the writer of Jude comes across as a dogmatic bigot of conservative ways reminiscent of early Catholicism.[8] They ascribe the book’s neglected status to the writer’s dogmatic stance. In Chapter 25, the authors discuss the message, authorship, contemporary discussions, and sources, among others, in the book of Revelation. Finally, in Chapter 26, Carson and Moo give an epilogue on the origins of the New Testament canon and its relevance to the Old Testament.

A key strength of this text lies in its clear organization and methodical analysis of the books. Each Chapter contains a complete and independent study of various aspects of an individual NT book. The authors perform an in-depth study of each book’s core message, authorship, addressees, the date of authorship, and theological contribution, among others. They also give a balanced analysis by examining dissenting views and criticisms to paint an accurate picture of each book to readers. They use historical evidence, anecdotes, and textual references to support or refute interpretations of the NT books. Each aspect of the book is scrutinized from historical, literary, and socio-anthropological perspectives to determine its theological relevance.

The contextualization of the writers of the NT books helps the readers to understand the historical forces that shaped the literary forms in the individual books. The authors also contextualize the addressees and environments for Paul’s letters, which helps portray a clear picture to show the rationale for their authorship. The historical and contemporary controversies surrounding each book are analyzed in a scholarly tone based on evidence. The authors offer a critique of the dominant perspectives and draw useful conclusions for the reader.

The authors provide substantial footnotes at the end of each Chapter to help a reader seek further information on the issues discussed. Further, the book-by-book analysis follows the New Testament order and the significant contributions of each book to theology are highlighted. In addition, scriptural reference is made to support the arguments made or refute certain positions. However, in spite of its balanced nature, the book contains criticisms of dominant perspectives and positions on the Synoptic Gospels, John’s gospel, the apostle’s letters, and Revelation.

Conclusion

This text gives an in-depth overview of the NT books that greatly benefits the readers. The scholarly analysis of multiple perspectives, historical evidence, and scriptural references strengthen the authors’ conclusions on the content, contribution, geographical provenance, and authorship of each of the NT books and makes it a valuable text for bible scholars.

Bibliography

Carson, Andrew, and Douglas Moo J. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2005.

Ceremonial washing or ablution occupied a vital place in people’s lives in both the Old and New Testaments. Initially, this procedure was used in two situations: as a hygiene measure and comfort and in a religious setting. While the first context has a purely practical meaning associated with the need to cleanse the body, the second option carries a more profound sense. First of all, ablution, including feet, is related to the priest’s entrance into the temple, performing the role of a cleansing procedure before interacting with holy places. These ceremonies were used to come to good since it was believed that a person washes away their sins with water. Thus, ablution is not only a physical but also a spiritual procedure.

This is part of the reason why Jesus chose this particular procedure. Several factors are combined here: firstly, such actions on the part of the leader towards his disciples are a lesson of service and humility. As their leader, He voluntarily knelt before them, serving them and thereby expressing His confidence in them. Although His disciples, for example, Peter, refused such a procedure, considering it inappropriate, Jesus still carried it out because he knew that not all of his disciples were clean in a spiritual sense.

Such a gesture blurs the line between a leader and a subordinate in a cultural context and carries deep symbolic knowledge. Jesus, washing the disciples’ feet, washes away their sins, letting them know that they can be with him only in the absence of sins (Muse, 2019). He clearly shows them that even if he, their Lord and Teacher, washes their feet, they are obliged to do the same concerning each other since there is a spiritual meaning behind this action.

Finally, in addition to a spiritual and moral lesson, Jesus’ example shows servant leadership principles that can be applied in today’s context. Although this theory is not popular in current systems, in which leaders are almost always in a superior position, it can be effectively implemented in the healthcare sector. Serving other people is the main characteristic precisely because the leader has more authority. Thus, humility, a willingness to help for others’ good, and caring are shown. These qualities are critical in medicine, so they can be introduced into the relationship between the head of the department and subordinates, which will make them understand that they are as essential and valuable as their patients.

Reference

Muse, T. (2019). Jesus washing his disciples’ feet was much more than just a lesson in service and humility. Owlcation. Web.

The New Testament was written by Christians who lived in the Roman Empire, so their writings were significantly shaped by Greco-Roman culture. The New Testament reflects both the brutality and dignity of the Roman world and the customs and beliefs of people inhabiting it. According to Powell (2018), in the New Testament, the worlds of Christians, Jews, and Romans overlap. Therefore, to understand the Biblical writings, one should know how Romans lived and what they valued and feared.

One example of Greco-Roman customs reflected in the New Testament is the punishment for adultery. The Bible describes that Pharisees brought “a woman taken in adultery” to Jesus and said, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned” (King James Bible, 1611, John 8:3-5). Such a cruel punishment for infidelity — being pelted with stones to death — was imposed only on women in the Roman Empire. The reason for such strict regulations of upper-class women’s behavior was to make sure that children born to such women were legitimate (Jeffers, 1999). In contrast, men could freely have affairs with lower-class women and slaves, and it was not considered adultery.

Another example of the Greco-Roman influence on the New Testament writings is the mention of circumcision. In his commandments to churches, Paul said, “Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised” (King James Bible, 1611, 1 Cor. 7:18). Paul’s had to address circumcision in his speech because this practice was common among Jews who used it to stress their difference from anyone else (Byler, 2016). Affected by the Greek culture, some Jewish men underwent surgeries to conceal that they were circumcised (Powell, 2018). To address the issue of circumcision, Paul taught that it was not important whether one was circumcised or uncircumcised; what mattered was obeying the commandments of God.

The third example of the influence of the Greco-Roman culture on the New Testament is the mention of idols. Paul preached, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry” (King James Bible, 1611, 1 Cor. 10:14). It was his response to Gentile Christians who worshipped God by engaging in their old religious practices involving idols (Byler, 2016). This example shows that adopting Christianity was not simple for those with a different religious background because their old beliefs and practices interfered with new ones.

References

Byler, D. (2016). “Flee from the worship of idols”: Becoming Christian in Roman Corinth. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, 17(1), 37-70.

Jeffers, J. S. (1999). The Greco-Roman world of the New Testament era: Exploring the background of early Christianity. IVP Academic.

King James Bible. (1611).

Powell, M. A. (2018). Introducing the New Testament: A historical, literary, and theological survey (2^nd ed.). Baker Academic.

The book of Acts 1 revealed the instructions given by Jesus Christ to his disciples. He made a promise to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples. Prior to his ascension, he gave them an order not to leave Jerusalem but tarry for some days until they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. One striking phrase from the verse is “you will be my witness in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Coogan, 375). Jesus provided us with a path and gave us the liberty to choose our direction. The way of the Lord leads to eternal life. As witnesses, we are ambassadors of the kingdom and sons of God.

The only pathway to divine knowledge is through the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven he left us with the power to receive and the ability to understand the deep things of God. When we study the life of Jesus, we will understand that every miracle came to those who believed. We are custodians of the exemplary power of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will teach us the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit will guide us as we witness to all ends of the earth. The verse revealed the nature of God’s prophecy. John the Baptist fulfilled his part, and the Holy Spirit was sent to us as custodians of the deep things of God. We must believe by faith, by which men shall see God. The faith we have in the word of God will determine our path to success. The disciples gathered themselves and waited upon the lord. At the appointed hour, the disciples spoke in diverse tongues; a confirmation of the promise of Jesus Christ.

Works Cited

Coogan, Michael. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.

The Bible is separated into numerous books; however, the main classification refers to the Old and New Testaments. Despite being the parts of a single entity, the Testaments, in many ways, differ from one another, reflecting the way Christian people lived during different ages. Consequently, the application of the “compare and contrast” method will allow identifying these differences in the lives of contemporary Christians.

In order to make the subject as transparent as possible, there is a need first to identify what is meant by “compare,” “contrast,” and “contemporary.” Sopiah defines the “compare and contrast” method as a tool to elaborate on ways in which subjects can be similar or different (20). In this context, “to compare” represents a generalized approach aimed at the identification of specific features of the given subjects. It involves assessing them in terms of certain criteria and summarizing the findings. Then, “to contrast” would mean analyzing the findings and determining the similarities and differences. It is essential to not only focus on how the subjects are similar or different but support the conclusions with meaningful arguments regarding the subjects as well.

In the framework of the Old and New Testaments and Christian life, “contemporary” plays a crucial distinguishing role. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “contemporary” can be understood dually. Its first meaning implies something “marked by characteristics of the present period” (Merriam-Webster 1.1). Thus, it would require comparison and contrast to what is present at the moment in Christian society. In turn, the second meaning implies something “happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time” (1.2). Therefore, it emphasizes the Christian life at the time of the Testaments’ creation.

The Old Testament is considered the basis of the present-day Judeo-Christian faith. Apart from various real-life stories, it talks about the world’s creation history, the Israelites’ exodus, and the Ten Commandments (Stuhlmacher). In addition, several books of the Old Testament foretell the arrival of the Messiah and the world’s end. The function of this text was to teach people through people’s experiences throughout history (Stuhlmacher). Overall, the grandiosity and epic of contained stories manifest God’s power and showcase how small and insignificant a single person can be. In many ways, the Old Testament resembles the God-fearing nature of people of that time who attempted to understand the world around them but lacked the tools and knowledge, thus seeking guidance from above.

In turn, the New Testament is rather grounded – it focuses on the Christian church and the life and teachings of Jesus. Its stories are narrated through gospels, emphasizing the importance of Jesus’s sacrifice (Stuhlmacher). Due to it being written in Greek, the Christians could carry Jesus’s message beyond the Jewish world, making a huge impact on human history and society. Compared to the Old Testament, the New one contains revolutionary inclusivity concerning race, class, gender, and sexuality (Stuhlmacher). Other differences in terms of “less-demanding” rituals, such as baptism instead of circumcision and repentance instead of lamb sacrifice, indicate the civilized changes in Christian lives. Ultimately, the function of the New Testament was to inspire people to follow Jesus’s example more closely.

The trends mentioned in the New Testament continue to influence Christian society even today. Tolerance and forgiveness are the key virtues that are greatly valued in contemporary Christian practice. Moreover, the rituals, gospels, and parables presented in the New Testament are still preserved as well. However, modern society would not allow any violence depicted in many stories of both Testaments, making a substantial distinction between contemporary and past Christian lives.

The comparison of the three instances of “contemporary” Christian societies yielded significant differences. People contemporary to the Old Testament were the most God-fearing and were more concerned with the world outside human society. Contemporaries of the New Testament shifted their focus inward, accentuating the example of Jesus in everyday lives. This tendency and values continued to influence Christian society and manifested in the modern state of inclusivity, tolerance, forgiveness, and non-violence.

Works Cited

“Contemporary.” Merriam-Webster. Web.

Stuhlmacher, Peter. Biblical theology of the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2018.

Sopiah, Siti. “Writing Compare and Contrast Essay: An Error Analysis in Punctuation (A Case Study at Nasional Pasim University, Bandung).” Jurnal Sastra-Studi Ilmiah Sastra, vol. 9, no.1, 2019, pp. 19-28. Web.