Two new Dispensations
In addition to those already mentioned under the Old Covenant, the New Testament introduces two other Dispensations.
1/ The Dispensation of grace
This is the one in which we have been since the resurrection of Jesus Christ until today, almost 2,000 years ago. Men are called to receive the gift of God, namely Jesus Christ.
2/ The Millennium Dispensation
Revelation 20: 6 « 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. » KJV
The new Dispensation will begin with a peace and security treaty under the aegis of the Antichrist. He will be welcomed as a hero, but after 1,260 days he will break it himself and show his true face.
1 Thessalonians 5: 3 « 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. » KJV
The Millennium is a 1,000-year Dispensation which will begin with the second coming of Christ and
end with the final rebellion against God. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, then eternity will begin (Revelation 20:7-22:21).
The New Testament
In relation to the New Testament, the Old Testament was a time of preparation during which a foundation was laid for Him who was to come: Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3: 24-25 « 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. » KJV
Hebrews 10 : 1 « 1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. » KJV
The Old Covenant has promises of natural origin and the New Covenant of spiritual origin.
When the Lord Jesus came, He fulfilled the obligations of the Old Covenant and opened the way to salvation for all mankind.
The New Testament is essentially composed of Gospels and Epistles. The first ones relate different events of the life and work of Jesus, each evangelist having kept all his freedom in his chronology.
The overview of the Gospels
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew (or Levi) before following Jesus was a tax collector (Mark 2:14), a Jew who collected taxes from the people for the Roman government.
Mark 2: 14 « 14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. » KJV
Little is known about Matthew after the death, the resurrection and the ascension of the Lord. Tradition has established that he then preached in Judea for about fifteen years and, as a missionary, in Ethiopia and in Persia, the present-day Iran.
Written between 50-70 AD, the Gospel of Matthew is addressed to a Jewish readership and highlights the Jewish heritage of Jesus. Matthew, about forty times, refers to the Old Testament and presents Jesus as the Messiah who had been foretold by the prophets.
The word « fulfilled » is frequently used, indicating that all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is also depicted in this Gospel as the Royal Messiah with more than fifty references to the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel of Mark
Tradition attributes it to John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). John was his Jewish name, Marcus or Marc his Roman name.
Colossians 4: 10 « 10Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;). » KJV
His active ministry began when he accompanied Paul and Barnabas from Jerusalem to Antioch, then from Antioch to Cyprus on the first missionary journey of Paul (Acts 12:25).
Acts 12: 25 « 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. » KJV
Mark was also the “interpreter” of Peter who had accurately recorded Peter’s account of the words and deeds of the Lord Jesus Christ.
According to tradition, after the ascension of the Lord, Mark went to Egypt and established churches in the city of Alexandria. He died a martyr during the reign of the Emperor Nero.
The Gospel of Mark is addressed to the Gentiles (the pagans) and the Romans (because of the use of Latin words in the original Greek text). It was therefore written for a non-Jewish audience which is why there are few references to the Old Testament, but rather many explanations of words in Aramaic for an audience that did not speak it.
Written between 64 and 67 AD, the Gospel of Mark is the first of the synoptic Gospels to have been written but also the shortest of the three. The author has not sought to establish a chronological account of the words and deeds of Jesus, scrupulously respecting their sequence, nor even to make a detailed account of His life. He wanted above all to give an audience of pagans a faithful glimpse of the preaching and teaching of Peter on the Good News of Christ.
There is a special treatment of the theme of suffering in this Gospel, probably because there was at that time a great persecution of Christians.
The Gospel of Mark also emphasizes service, sacrifice and forgiveness. Jesus is depicted as the Servant of God suffering but tireless.
Mark wanted to show Jesus as a man, in all His humanity, with His weaknesses. Because He was fully human, Jesus can understand our weaknesses and sufferings and therefore support us in our times of trial.
The Gospel of Luke
Luke was not a Jew but rather a pagan of Greek language. He was not an eyewitness of the life of Jesus Christ, nor one of the twelve disciples, nor even one of the seventy sent by the Lord (Luke 10:1) but a constant and faithful companion of the apostle Paul, even when Paul was imprisoned and that until the end of the apostle’s life.
Luke interviewed people who knew Jesus (the apostles, Mary, etc.) to write his Gospel which is the most detailed of all, perhaps because Luke himself was a doctor.
Written around 60 AD, the Gospel of Luke which is addressed to the pagans and especially to the Greeks who were looking for the perfect man, describes Jesus as «the Son of man» entirely dependent on the Holy Spirit. His Gospel focuses on the humanity of Jesus and Luke insists on the biography of the Lord much more than the other Gospels.
Finally Luke wanted to show that Jesus gave value to groups that were neglected or despised by society at the time, such as women, children, Samaritans, pagans, tax collectors and fishermen.
The Gospel of John
John was a Jew of Palestine, a professional fisherman without education but of good standing. He was also one of the twelve disciples of the Lord, who called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. With Peter and James they formed the “inner circle” of those closest to Jesus among the disciples. John is therefore a leading eye witness to most of the events in the life of the Lord.
After the resurrection of Jesus, according to tradition, John stayed in Jerusalem and played an active role in the life of the early Church of which he was one of the pillars, with Peter and James always.
John then became the head of the church in Ephesus in his later years before being banished to the island of Patmos by the Roman emperor Domitian. According to tradition, John is the only one of the twelve apostles who was not martyred; all others died as martyrs. John died an old man peacefully.
Written around 90 AD, after the three synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John is the only book in the Bible that reveals its purpose to its readers: that “you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
John 20:31 « 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. » KJV
This Gospel emphasizes the divinity of Jesus Christ and gives a revelation not found in other Gospels of the Person of the Lord Jesus and the heavenly Father.
It is only in the Gospel of John that we have a preexistence of Jesus, a supernatural knowledge of His Person, of His messiahship, of the seven « I am » and finally of the union between the heavenly Son and Father.
No other book affirms better than the Gospel of John that Jesus is the Messiah; none so emphasizes His divinity.
John wrote to say who is Jesus and not what He did. His purpose is to expose us who Jesus says He is (the Son of God) and what He came to do on earth (redeem the world).
This Gospel is structured around seven miracles which John chose from many others. These are: water turned into wine (2:1-11), healing of the son of the Royal Officer (4:46-54), healing of the cripple (5:1-9), multiplication of the loaves (6:1-14), walking on the waters (6:16-21), healing of the blind-born (9:1-41) and the resurrection of Lazarus (11: 1-46).
These events for John are more than miracles; they are proof that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”.
Another great theme of the Gospel of John is life. Eternal life is available only to those who believe and they receive it as soon as they have believed. Every person is therefore assured of possessing this life from the moment he believes.
