Officially, that new theology is contained in the New Testament of the Bible.<\/p>\n
Priests, preachers and Sunday School teachers in every age since the first century CE. have presented Christian theology as a simple yet complete set of beliefs.<\/p>\n
A close examination of the Gospels and the book of Acts describe a much more complex theology.\u00a0 In fact, the New Testament actually contains several different theologies.<\/p>\n
In this article, we will discuss the books of the New Testament that tell, from the points of view of the Gospel authors, how they view jesus and their overall theologies.<\/p>\n
The picture changes dramatically as the different authors present their version of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.<\/p>\n On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther challenged the Catholic church\u2019s complex hierarchy, structure and practice, nailing his 95 theses to the church door.\u00a0 He insisted that the Bible was the necessary and sufficient authority for belief (sola scriptura, scriptura sola<\/em><\/a>) where the Catholic Church relied<\/a> not only on the Bible, but also on the unquestioned authority of clergy and the veneration of Church tradition for its beliefs and practices.<\/p>\n But scholars and lay people have shown that the doctrine of sola scriptura,\u00a0<\/em>or reliance only on the Bible contains its own dogma and does nothing to make the theologies of the New Testament more clear and cohesive to the reader who is not a scholar of Biblical history and culture nor has attended seminary.<\/p>\n Even if all church dogma is removed or ignored, there remain at least two seminal questions:<\/p>\n Given that the books of the New Testament were written by different authors at different times, it is easy to see that differences in the personal beliefs of these authors will reveal that differences in the theologies presented.<\/p>\n In the Bible, there are four books which report about Jesus\u2019s life, ministry and his death and resurrection.\u00a0 They were all written anonymously and were later titled Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We consider the book of Acts as part 2 of the Gospel of Luke since scholars believe they were written by the same author. Each book presents a slightly different picture of Jesus, but they all point clearly in a consistent direction.<\/p>\n The gospel of Matthew, considered the most Jewish<\/em> of the Gospels contains the most eloquent expression of the theology of Jesus, in which his teaching focuses on how humans are to relate to each other.\u00a0 This part of the book of Matthew specifies how God expects us to behave.\u00a0 It is known as the Sermon on the Mount.\u00a0 It comprises three chapters of Matthew but can be clearly seen in a simplified form in Matthew 5:3-11<\/a>.\u00a0 A part of that sermon is known as the Beatitudes as quoted below.<\/p>\n 3\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n 4\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.<\/span><\/p>\n 5\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n 6\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.<\/span><\/p>\n 7\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n 8\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.<\/span><\/p>\n 9\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.<\/span><\/p>\n 10\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n 11\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBlessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely\u00a0on my account.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n These few and clear statements can be seen to \u201cflesh out\u201d the second great commandment, Matthew 22:39.<\/a><\/p>\n 39\u00a0<\/sup>And a second is like it: \u2018You shall love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In Matthew 25: 40, Jesus is quoted<\/a> as having said:<\/p>\n 40\u00a0<\/sup>And the king will answer them, \u2018Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Christian people, meaning well in their own perception, have, over the years, complicated this message and used it to justify things which are, in truth, far removed from any reasonable meaning that could be attributed to these verses.<\/p>\n From justification for executing \u201cwitches\u201d to the Crusades in which thousands of Christians, Jews and Muslims lost their lives to justifications for slavery to the current day in which one world power has decided that empathy is a sin and that energy for use by humans is a sufficient reason for that power to own all the energy and by that fact, to rule the world.\u00a0 There is no thought for future generations.\u00a0 It has become a land and money grab.\u00a0 This stands in direct conflict with the Sermon on the Mount and everything that Jesus taught.<\/p>\n For the author of Matthew, the message is clearly to look after the sick, the poor, the hungry, the lonely.\u00a0 Through all the witness and all the parables, helping others in need is the path to salvation.\u00a0 The Gospel of Matthew is concerned with ethical behavior, based on Jesus\u2019s teaching to \u201clove your neighbor as yourself.<\/p>\n In addition, scholars have shown<\/a> that the author of Matthew was concerned with the fulfillment of Hebrew Bible prophecies and constructed his Gospel to show that the coming of Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.<\/p>\n Scholars agree that Mark was the earliest canonical Gospel written.\u00a0 The book contains much of the same information and relates the same events as the book of Matthew.\u00a0 Perhaps the seminal verse from Mark is Mark 16:16:<\/a><\/p>\n 16\u00a0<\/sup>The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The author of the gospel of Mark was concerned about salvation as well.\u00a0 For him, Jesus\u2019s suffering was God\u2019s will and a part of the Divine plan<\/a>.\u00a0 He asserts that Jesus\u2019s death<\/a> has paid a \u201cransom<\/a>\u201d for the souls of the faithful. This concept ties back to the Hebrew Bible\u2019s ideas of redemption in the form of an alternative sacrifice for atonement. (See Genesis, chapter 22:1-19<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The Gospel of Luke is seen by scholars as the first of two books that were written by the same author who wrote the Gospel and the book of Acts.\u00a0 While separated in the Biblical canon, the Gospel and the book of Acts form a whole<\/a>.<\/p>\n Luke is related in many ways to Mark and Matthew but contains original material not found in Matthew and Mark.\u00a0 Together, Matthew, Mark and Luke form what are known as the Synoptic Gospels<\/a>, which means seen together<\/em>.\u00a0 These Gospels are similar in points of view and very different from the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John.<\/p>\n For Luke, salvation is achieved only through a belief in Jesus and his resurrection and exaltation.<\/p>\n In the birth narrative, Luke (2:11) shows Jesus as one born a savior:<\/p>\n 11\u00a0<\/sup>to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,\u00a0the Lord.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Luke (19:10) also states that Jesus\u2019s whole mission is to find and save those who are lost.<\/p>\n 10\u00a0<\/sup>For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Luke is the Gospel that contains the story of the birth of John the Baptist, together with a birth narrative for jesus which tells the Nativity story differently than Mark\/Matthew.\u00a0 It contains narratives for both John the Baptist and Jesus.<\/p>\n The Gospel tells of John the Baptist\u2019s ministry and his baptism of Jesus.<\/p>\n The book narrates many stories of Jesus\u2019s travels and his healing and teaching.<\/p>\n The theology of Luke\u2019s Gospel is centered on Jesus\u2019s life and teaching and can be seen as<\/a>:<\/p>\n Surprisingly, Luke does not link salvation to Jesus\u2019 death on the cross (except, perhaps, in The book of Acts of the Apostles (Acts) speaks of<\/a> churches<\/em> as assemblies<\/em> or communities<\/em> and his emphasis is on the people of the church and not any building or shrine.<\/p>\n Acts emphasizes and teaches evangelism and describes how the apostles travelled to spread the Good News<\/em>.<\/p>\n These books are focused on the social behavior of Christians and how they spread the good news by their actions toward other people.<\/p>\n His emphasis is the spreading of the Gospel to a wider world<\/a>, focusing not on Israel, but on the world-wide Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n The Gospel of John, the fourth Gospel in the Bible, differs significantly from the Synoptic Gospels.\u00a0 It is the most spiritual of the Biblical Gospels.\u00a0 Originally thought to have been written, along with the letters of John I, II and III, by Jesus\u2019 disciple, John the son of Zebedee and brother of James.\u00a0 Scholars no longer take that view.<\/a>\u00a0 They see the Gospel as being written by someone else (the book was written anonymously like the Synoptic Gospels).<\/p>\n John depicts Jesus as the Christ (anointed one) and the Son of God who has established a \u201cNew Covenant<\/a>\u201d through his life, death and resurrection.<\/p>\n The literary and theological style is less earthly and more philosophical<\/a> than the Synoptic Gospels.<\/p>\n 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The \u201cWord,\u201d in this sense can be seen as related to the Greek philosophical logos<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n Logos is an ancient Greek philosophical concept that signifies a divine intelligence or cosmic order governing the universe. Translated as \u201cword,\u201d it also encompasses meanings like \u201creason,\u201d \u201cthought,\u201d and \u201cprinciple.\u201d Emerging around the sixth century BCE, logos represents a shift from mythological explanations of the cosmos to a rational understanding. Prominent later philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle expanded the concept, relating it to human reason and the principles of logic.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n John attempts to re-define \u201cthe Word\u201d as it relates to God\u2019s relationship to his creation.<\/p>\n American pastor, author, and Biblical counselor Paul Tripp sums up<\/a> this concept:<\/p>\n You could literally spend weeks unpacking these amazing words. \u201cIn the beginning was the Word.\u201d This is meant to echo the first four words of the Bible, \u201cIn the beginning God.\u201d Just as the words of Genesis put God at the beginning and the center of all that is, John puts Jesus in the very same place.\u00a0 Unlike any other man who ever lived, this one existed from the beginning of all that is.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Gospel](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2026\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_1z8v961z8v961z8v-scaled.jpg\")
Does the New Testament contain a single theology?<\/h2>\n
What are the specifics of each Gospel\u2019s message?<\/h3>\n
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What does Jesus say about how we might enter the Kingdom?<\/h3>\n
![\"Jesus](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2026\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_9ne3y19ne3y19ne3-scaled.jpg\")
Matthew: Love Your Neighbor as the Path to Salvation<\/h3>\n
Mark: The Earliest Gospel\u2019s Case for Redemption<\/h3>\n
Luke\/Acts: Salvation Without the Cross?<\/h3>\n
\nActs 20:28). There is no reference in Luke to Jesus giving \u201chis life as a ransom\u201d (cf. Matt 20:28;\u00a0 Mark 10:45) or shedding his blood \u201cfor the forgiveness of sins\u201d (cf. Matt 26:28). Instead, Luke finds the basis for salvation to be manifest in Jesus\u2019 life and in his resurrection\/exaltation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Gospel](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2026\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_2k5yi12k5yi12k5y-scaled.jpg\")
John: The Word Made Flesh and the Cosmic Christ<\/h3>\n
![\"Jesus](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2026\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_bk7as7bk7as7bk7a.jpg\")