"And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'" (Luke 22:20)

“This is the new covenant in my blood…”

During the Last Supper, Christ proclaimed the New Covenant. This agreement between humanity and God, unlike the old covenant, is everlasting, for it is engraved not on stone but in the hearts of men.

While Jesus did not abolish the Old Covenant, he enhanced it and fulfilled it with a new one: the covenant that is sealed by his blood. The shedding of his blood, once and for all, reconciled sinful humanity with GOD.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the Central Event of the New Testament.

The teachings of the Christian Scriptures are all in the light of the truth that Christ rose from the dead:

•Through the Resurrection of Christ, God gives us an assurance that the effects of sin had been conquered.•Since Christ is risen, then he is present in our midst.•The resurrection of Jesus gives us a sense of hope that after all our struggles in life, there is vindication in the end.•The resurrection of Jesus is a pledge of future glory for us all.

The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of promises, prefigurations , and prophecies in the Old Testament.

He is Israel’s awaited MESSIAH that the prophets spoke about.

The New Testament, therefore, can only be understood in the light of the Old.

“The New Testament was hidden in the Old while the Old is unveiled in the New.”

St. Augustine

The Early Church was a “Preaching Church” rather than a “Writing Church”. The life and teachings of Jesus was preserved through the preaching of the Apostles.

Writing was not so much of the concern because during those days, the Christians thought the Second Coming of Christ was imminent, therefore written doctrines were not necessary.

Realizing that Christ wasn’t coming back in their lifetime, the Early Christians wrote their oral tradition so that it can be handed over to the next generation.

THE GOSPELS

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

TH PAULINE LETTERS

THE CATHOLIC EPISTLES

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The Gospels , though they are attributed to the four evangelists, were a product of the collaborative work of the early Christians who compiled their faith accounts, particularly those regarding their experiences of the RISEN LORD and the message of salvation which Jesus proclaimed through His words and actions.

The Acts of the Apostles was written also by St. Luke. This book describes the life of the early church- from its birth in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost to its flourishing to different parts of the “known world” through the missionary journeys of the Apostles, particularly St. Paul, of whom St. Luke was a disciple.

The Pauline Epistles are writings attributed to St. Paul. Some of these writings were not really written by him but by Christians who used St. Paul’s teachings as their source.

These letters contains teachings, instruction, exhortations, and admonitions that are addressed to particular persons or Christian Communities.

GENUINE WRITINGS OF PAUL:

Deutero-CanonicalWRITINGS OF PAUL:

WRITTEN BY PAULine:

1 Thessalonians

Galatians

Philippians

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Romans

Philemon

2 Thessalonians

Colossians

Ephesians

Titus

1Timothy

2 Timothy

UNKNOWN AUTHOR:

Hebrews

“CATHOLIC” means “UNIVERSAL”. The contents of these letters are more or less similar in nature to the Pauline epistles. The difference is that these letters are addressed to all Christians, unlike the Pauline letters which are addressed to particular communities.

The Book of Revelation is attributed to St. John (though many scholars contest that this John is not John the apostle). This book is also called “Apocalypse” since it is a visionary book containing a lot of mystical revelations.

The Old Covenant was written on stone tablets.

Its service brought death and condemnation.

The covenant made with Moses had come to an end.

The New Covenant is engraved in our hearts.

Its service leads to life and frees one from being condemned.

The Covenant in Jesus is to last forever.

"'Behold, days are coming' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the Lord. 'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put my law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "know the Lord," for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'" Jeremiah 31:31-34

Theo Aerts and Bernard HuraultTHE CATHOLIC BIBLE

Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 2001

Fr. Ian Knox, C.S.SpTHEOLOGY FOR TEACHERSOttawa: Novalis Press, 1994

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH