Sacred Scripture Study Guide · Non-Denominational Reference
The New Testament
Η Καινὴ Διαθήκη · 27 Books · Written ~50–100 CE
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Twenty-seven texts written by multiple authors over approximately fifty years — the oldest of which (Paul's letters) predate the Gospels. Not a systematic theology but a collection of occasional documents: letters to specific churches, accounts of Jesus's life for specific audiences, and a coded letter of resistance to communities under Roman persecution. Non-denominational reference. What the text actually says. Historical context where needed. No theology pushed.
Recommended translation: NRSV (scholarly) or NIV (readable). For the Gospels, read them in chronological order: Mark → Matthew → Luke → John.
The New Testament is the text the rest of the library is most in conversation with — directly or indirectly. The Gnostic gospels are alternative readings of the same Jesus tradition. The Ethiopian canon extends it. The Talmud is in parallel conversation with the same Torah it interprets. Paul's letters shape Western philosophy as much as any Greek text. The Sermon on the Mount is the closest overlap with the Dhammapada's ethical teaching and the Meditations' practical philosophy in the entire library.
The most important thing to know before reading: the New Testament was not written by Christians for Christians. It was written by Jewish followers of a Jewish teacher, mostly to communities of Gentiles who had recently joined a Jewish-rooted movement. Reading it as if it speaks primarily to the modern Western church misses most of what it is actually saying.
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"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." — John 1:1
Non-denominational reference guide · NRSV or NIV recommended · Read the Gospels in order: Mark → Matthew → Luke → John