New Testament facts for kids

A page of P46, one of the oldest surviving New Testament manuscripts in Greek. Its probable date is 175–225 AD.

The Rossano Gospels, 6th century, a representative of Byzantine text.

BL Add. MS 59874 with Ethiopic Gospel of Matthew.

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

The Rabbula Gospels, Eusebian Canons.

The New Testament is part of the Christian Bible, and the most important religious writing of Christianity. It tells the story of Jesus Christ, his followers, and the beginnings of Christianity. It was written in Koine Greek.

Structure

The New Testament is made up of different parts. In total, there are 27 texts in the New Testament. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches have the same texts, but their arrangement varies; the Syriac Churches and the Ethiopian Churches have different versions. The Syriac Churches do not put Peter 2, John 2 and 3, Jude and the Revelations in the New Testament. The Ethopian Churches do not have a common canon.

Overview

Each of the Gospels tells the story of Jesus Christ, or the Messiah, whom Christians believe is the Son of God who is born to save the world from sin. Each of the Gospels tell this same story, with a little more or less detail from the other. Muslims believe that the Quran, also called the Final Testament, succeeded the New Testament.

The Four Gospels

The traditional author is listed after each entry.

• The Gospel of Matthew, traditionally the Apostle Matthew, son of Alphaeus.
• The Gospel of Mark, traditionally Mark, who wrote down the narrative given by the Apostle Simon, called Peter.
• The Gospel of Luke, traditionally Luke, who was a companion of the Apostle Paul, who was formerly called Saul.
• The Gospel of John, traditionally John the Apostle.

Acts of the Apostles

• Acts of the Apostles (or Acts), the story of the apostles after the Gospels' story

Pauline epistles

Pauline epistles, the 13 or 14 letters believed to be written by Saint Paul the Apostle

• Romans (Most Likely)
• First Corinthians
• Second Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians (Probably)
• Philippians
• Colossians (Probably)
• First Thessalonians
• Second Thessalonians (Probably)
• First Timothy (Likely)
• Second Timothy (Likely)
• Titus (Likely)
• Philemon
• Hebrews (Possibly)

General epistles

General epistles are other Letters.

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

Book of Revelation

• Book of Revelation, the book about the end of the world

Images for kids

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  Evangelist Mathäus und der Engel, by Rembrandt, 1661

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  Papyrus Bodmer VIII, at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, showing 1 and 2 Peter.

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  The Codex Regius (L or 019), an 8th-century Greek manuscript of the New Testament with strong affinities to Codex Vaticanus.

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  A Byzantine lectionary, Codex Harleianus (l150), 995 AD, text of John 1:18.

See also

In Spanish: Nuevo Testamento para niños