Call to missions
New Testament Writers Proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah
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| New Testament Writers Proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah The early church believed Jesus to be the Messiah, and many were willing to risk martyrdom for their faith. To claim that Jesus, the one crucified by Romans at the urging of the Jewish leaders, was the Christ, put these believers at risk of retribution by authorities of the day. Some of these believers accepted that risk when they wrote the New Testament. Page 1 of MESSIANIC PROPHECY - Was Jesus the Messiah? 1/7/2012 http://test.missionstraining.org/messianic/messiah.html Matthew , also called Levi (Mark 2:14), was the author--according to Church tradition--of the Gospel of Matthew (probably written in the s. The theme of the Gospel of Matthew is Jesus, the King or Messiah Matthew was one of the twelve Apostles who followed Jesus. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector who collaborated with the Romans. As a tax collector he was probably wealthy. Unless Matthew truly believed Jesus was the Christ, why would he risk his wealth and position and life to write a Gospel confirming Jesus as the Messiah Mark , or John Mark, son of Mary (Acts 12:12), wrote--according to Church tradition--the Gospel of Mark (written in the s. He was a cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10) and accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first mission trip. The Apostle Peter was Mark's mentor (1 Peter 5:13). So Mark learned from two eyewitnesses of Christ Peter--the Apostle to the Jews, and Paul--the Apostle to the Gentiles, who encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. So Mark wrote under the authority of eyewitnesses who knew Jesus was the Messiah. Luke , a Gentile physician (Col. 4:14) was the author--according to Church tradition--of the Gospel of Luke and The Acts of the Apostles (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Luke wrote the Gospel circa 60 and Acts circa 60 or 61. This educated man presented a carefully crafted biography of Christ in the Gospel, and a history of the early church in Acts. Luke accompanied Paul in missionary travel (see Scripture where Luke writes in the first person we or us Acts 16:10-17; 20:5- 21:18; 27:1-28:16; see also Philemon 24). Luke, the historian, worked together with Paul, who witnessed the risen Christ and was trained by the Lord. What motive--other than proclaiming the truth--would motivate Luke to work under hard conditions with Paul, and then compile a Gospel opposed by many outside the church John , the Apostle, was one of those closest to Jesus (Peter, James, and John are repeatedly referenced together in Scripture. According to church tradition, John wrote the Gospel of John, the first Epistle of John, and Revelation (Rev. 1:1). The Gospel of John was written circa 85-90, the First Epistle of John was written in 90, and Revelation was written in the s. John was exiled to the prison island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). Unless Jesus were the Christ, why ould John risk his life, and suffer imprisonment to proclaim the Gospel Paul (whose Hebrew name was Saul) wrote thirteen Epistles, giving his name and sometimes the names of his companions in the salutation of each letter. He was a Jew, the son of a Pharisee Acts 23:6), and was educated by Gamaliel--a renowned teacher of Jewish Law (Acts 22:3; 26:4-5). He was also born a Roman citizen. Paul zealously held to his Orthodox training, believing that followers of Christ were heretics, so he persecuted them, and was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:58). While Paul was in route to Damascus to take captive any followers of Christ, Jesus appeared to Paul as a blinding light and spoke to him (Acts 9:1-9). Following his conversion, Paul went to Arabia to be instructed by God Galatians 1:16,17) and he later said that he--in a trance--was given visions and revelations in paradise (2 Corinthians 12:12:1-4). He then suffered tremendous hardships--imprisonment, floggings, beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, danger, toil, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and being cold and naked--in order to preach the Gospel (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). Because of his work as an evangelist teaching the grace of Jesus, Paul alienated the Jews and was executed (see his farewell writing Timothy 4:6-8) at Rome. Paul was dramatically converted from persecuting followers of Christ to becoming a martyr for Christ. What motive would he have for proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah other than the fact that he indeed encountered the risen Christ Page 2 of MESSIANIC PROPHECY - Was Jesus the Messiah? 1/7/2012 http://test.missionstraining.org/messianic/messiah.html In summary, the writers of the New Testament were motivated by the truth--that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. CS. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York The Macmillan Company, 1952) 40,41, in Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, California Here's Life Publishers, 1979) 103. BACK TO OUTLINE Page 3 of MESSIANIC PROPHECY - Was Jesus the Messiah? 1/7/2012 http://test.missionstraining.org/messianic/messiah.html |