New Testament facts for kids

A page from P46, one of the oldest surviving New Testament manuscripts in Greek. It's from around 175–225 AD.

The Rossano Gospels, from the 6th century. It's a good example of Byzantine writing.

This image shows the Gospel of Matthew written in Ethiopic script.

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, a 17th-century painting. Most experts think Paul actually told his letters to a secretary.

A page from The Rabbula Gospels, showing Eusebian Canons.

The New Testament is a very important part of the Christian Bible. It is the main religious writing for Christianity. It tells the amazing story of Jesus Christ, his followers, and how Christianity first began. The original texts were written in a type of Greek called Koine Greek.

What's Inside the New Testament?

The New Testament is made up of different books and letters. In total, there are 27 texts. Most Christian churches, like the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and Protestant Churches, use the same 27 texts. However, the order of these texts can be a little different. Some churches, like the Syriac Churches and the Ethiopian Churches, have slightly different versions of the New Testament. For example, the Syriac Churches do not include a few books like 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

The Gospels: Stories of Jesus

The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Each Gospel tells the story of Jesus Christ. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God, who came to save the world. Each Gospel shares this same important story, sometimes with a little more or less detail than the others.

• The Gospel of Matthew: This book is traditionally believed to be written by the Apostle Matthew.
• The Gospel of Mark: This book is traditionally believed to be written by Mark. He wrote down the stories told by the Apostle Simon, also called Peter.
• The Gospel of Luke: This book is traditionally believed to be written by Luke. He was a friend and companion of the Apostle Paul.
• The Gospel of John: This book is traditionally believed to be written by John the Apostle.

Acts of the Apostles: What Happened Next

• Acts of the Apostles (often just called Acts): This book tells the story of what Jesus's followers, called apostles, did after Jesus left them. It shows how the early Christian church began to grow.

Paul's Letters: Advice and Teachings

The Pauline epistles are a collection of 13 or 14 letters. Most people believe these letters were written by Saint Paul. He wrote them to different churches and people, giving them advice and teaching them about Christianity.

• Romans
• First Corinthians
• Second Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• First Thessalonians
• Second Thessalonians
• First Timothy
• Second Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon
• Hebrews (Some scholars believe Paul might have written this one, but it's not certain.)

Other Important Letters

The General epistles are other letters in the New Testament. They were written by different apostles and leaders to various Christian communities.

• James
• First Peter
• Second Peter
• First John
• Second John
• Third John
• Jude

The Book of Revelation: A Vision of the Future

• Book of Revelation: This is the last book of the New Testament. It is a book of prophecy and visions, often talking about the end of the world and God's final victory.

Images for kids

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  Evangelist Mathäus und der Engel, a painting by Rembrandt from 1661.

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  Papyrus Bodmer VIII, found at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. It shows parts of 1 and 2 Peter.

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  The Codex Regius (L or 019), an 8th-century Greek manuscript of the New Testament. It is very similar to the Codex Vaticanus.

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  A Byzantine lectionary, Codex Harleianus (l150), from 995 AD. This image shows the text of John 1:18.

See also

In Spanish: Nuevo Testamento para niños