Reading the New Testament with Faith and Understanding

This class invites adults into a deeper reading of the New Testament as the living word through which God proclaims Christ, creates faith, and forms His Church.  Together, we will explore the Gospels, Acts, the Letters of Paul, the Catholic Epistles, and Revelation, paying attention to their historical settings, literary shapes, and theological messages.

We will use a clear and accessible introductory book to help us understand the world of Jesus and the early Church - its culture, politics, religious life, and daily realities.  Alongside this background, we will read the New Testament through a distinctly Lutheran lens: Christ at the center, the distinction of Law and Gospel, and the conviction that Scripture is God's inspired and trustworthy Word.

Objectives

-Understand how the New Testament was formed and why its books matter.

-Explore how Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection shape the entire biblical story. 

-Examine how the early Church lived, worshiped, and proclaimed the Gospel.

-Identify how Paul's letters address congregational struggles that remain relevant today.

-Apply Law and Gospel to the reading of difficult or confusing passages.

-Discover how the New Testament guides Christian faith, hope, and daily life.