The genius of the New Testament is its method of reception and transformation.  It received ftom the Old Testament, Classical Greek Philosophy, the Greek philosophical schools such as the Stoics, The Mediterranean mystery religions, the Jewish Apochryphal writings, the universalism of the Roman Empire, the theology of the turmoil and yearnings of the Jewish experience and writings of the Intertestamental period.  It took a large portion of its thought from all of these and transformed these received concepts into the Christian teaching of the New Testament.

The New Testament did not just drop from Heaven.  It is a product of the process of its historical context.  God’s revelatory power is at work in all of history pagan, Jewish and Christian.  If you leave out what it borrowed from the above list you could print the remainder of on the back of the church bulletin.  But keep in mind it did not just borrow from the above list, it transformed what it borrowed into great and powerful genius.  As the Apostle Paul said of himself in Rom. 1:14 we can say of the New Testament, that it is a debtor to Greeks, Barbarians and Jews.

Most of the New Testament authors are a mystery except Paul.  Paul’s 7 authentic letters are the earliest written New Testament material.  The are the only writings composed in the apostolic age.  He wrote them from about 49-61 C.E.  They are Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galations, Phillipians, I Thessalonians and Philemon.

Other epistles often attributed to Paul are written much later than Paul by authors very familiar  with his teaching and style who had some very necessary things to say to the church at that point.  These epistles, Ephesians, Colossians, I and II Timothy and Titus, II Thessalonians and sometimes Hebrews are all written  between 70-138 C.E most probably.

The four gospels are written between 70 C.E. to about 95 C.E. with John being the last one.  None of the gospels even had a name until about 120 C.E. and that was just guessing by one of the Church Fathers.  Most of the New Testament apart from Paul seems to have been written in the period of the Flavian Dynasty of Roman Emperors of Vespasion and his two sons Titus and Domitian.  They ruled from 69-96 C.E.  Along with those books already mentioned in this Flavian period belong Revelation, Hebrews, I Peter, and James.

I, II and III John are probably written after this period.  They are concerned with infighting among Christian groups.  Their focus is narrow but their context is cosmic.

The latest of all the New Testament writings are the pastoral letters of I and II Timothy, Titus, Jude and II Peter.  These also are focused on in-group concerns.  They reflect a second century church setting.  They are concerned with divisions among Christians on matters of belief, practice and leadership.

They depend heavily upon Pauline and Petrine traditions, while reflecting the well past deaths of these apostles.  These and all the other writings are very useful for instruction in God’s way of life.  But they are all a product of the process of their historical context and must be interpreted in accordance to that context.

You are all invited to join my Church History class this fall at Clovis Community College.  It will meet on Mondays at 12:15-2:45 P.M. starting Aug. 24, 2009.

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