New Testament

• The Gospel of Matthew -- Matthew, a tax-collector and apostle.
• The Gospel of Mark -- Mark, a follower of Peter and also Paul.
• The Gospel of Luke -- by Luke, a follower of Paul.
• The Gospel of John -- John, a fisherman and apostle.

History

• The Acts of the Apostles -- Luke

Epistles

• Epistle to the Romans -- Paul the Apostle
• First Epistle to the Corinthians -- Paul
• Second Epistle to the Corinthians -- Paul
• Epistle to the Galatians -- Paul
• Epistle to the Ephesians -- Paul
• Epistle to the Philippians -- Paul
• Epistle to the Colossians -- Paul
• First Epistle to the Thessalonians -- Paul
• Second Epistle to the Thessalonians -- Paul
• First Epistle to Timothy -- Paul
• Second Epistle to Timothy -- Paul
• Epistle to Titus -- Paul
• Epistle to Philemon -- Paul
• Epistle to the Hebrews -- Anonymous, traditionally attributed to Paul.

General Epistles

• Epistle of James -- James, "the brother of the Lord"
• First Epistle of Peter -- Peter the Apostle
• Second Epistle of Peter -- Peter
• First Epistle of John -- John the Apostle
• Second Epistle of John -- John
• Third Epistle of John -- John
• Epistle of Jude -- Jude, brother of James

Prophecy

• Revelation -- John "the Divine." Traditionally identified with the Apostle

Language

Authorship

It is generally accepted by scholars that both Matthew and Luke drew upon the Gospel of Mark. In addition, they also had one other common source, which has since been lost. This source focused on the teachings of Jesus. It is referred to the "Q Source," a name stemming from the German word for source, Quelle. Both Matthew and Luke also have unique source material. Because of the many similarities between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they are referred to as the synoptic gospels. The word synoptic means "to see together." The Gospel of John contains much unique narrative and dialogue and is considered to be rather different in its emphasis from the first three gospels.

Other modern, critical scholars generally follow this outline, except for the epistles that they consider to be pseudepigraphical (i.e. those thought not to be written by their traditional authors). For the Gospels, though, they tend to date Mark no earlier than 68, and Matthew some time between 70-85. Luke is usually placed in the 80-95 time frame. The earliest of the books of the New Testament was 1 Thessalonians, an epistle of Paul, written probably 51, or possibly Galatians in 49 according to one of two theories of its writing. Of the pseudepigraphical epistles, critical scholars tend to place them somewhere between 70 and 150, with 2 Peter usually being the latest.

However, John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (1976), proposed that all of the New Testament was completed before 70, the year the temple at Jerusalem was destroyed. Robinson argued that, because the destruction of the temple was prophesied by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15-21 and Luke 23:28-31, the authors of these and other New Testament books would not have failed to point out the fulfillment of this prophecy. Robinson's position is popular among some Evangelicals.

In the 1830s, German scholars of the Tübingen school dated the books as late as the third century, but the discovery of New Testament manuscripts dating as far back as 125 has called such late dating into question. Additionally, a letter to the church at Corinth in the name of Clement of Rome in 95, quotes from 10 of the 27 books of the New Testament, and a letter to the church at Philippi in the name of Polycarp in 120 quotes from 16 books.

One cause for confusion is that these terms are difficult to define, because many people use them with very different meanings or use them interchangeably. This article will use the terms in the following manner:

• Infallibility relates to the correctness of the Bible in matters of doctrine.
• Inerrancy relates to the correctness of the Bible in factual assertions (including historical and scientific assertions).
• Authoritativeness relates to the correctness of the Bible in questions of practice and morality.

The Roman Catholic view is expressed more clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992):

§ 83: As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.

§ 107: The inspired books teach the truth. Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures.

Protestantism

Both, fundamentalists and evangelicals profess belief in the inerrancy of the Bible; but the stronger emphasis on literal interpretation by fundamentalists has led to the rejection of many scientific theories such as evolution. Evangelicals, on the other hand, tend to avoid interpretations of the Bible that would necessarily conflict with generally accepted, scientific assertions of fact - not in such a way as to impute error to the authors, but rather entertaining various theories of literary intent, which might give credibility to human progress in knowledge of the world while still affirming the divine source of the Scriptures. While separation from the world and its influences is the primary message of the New Testament for fundamentalists, evangelicals vigorously pursue engagement in the culture with the goal of permeating society with the message of personal salvation through Christ.

Officials of the Presbyterian Church USA report that: We acknowledge the role of scriptural authority in the Presbyterian Church, but Presbyterians generally do not believe in biblical inerrancy. Presbyterians do not insist that every detail of chronology or sequence or pre-scientific description in scripture be true in literal form. Our confessions do teach biblical infallibility. Infallibility affirms the entire truthfulness of scripture without depending on every exact detail.

Those who are more liberal view the Bible as the work of fallible humans who wrote from their limited experience, not unusual except for the insight which they have gained through their inspired struggle to know God in the midst of a troubled world. Therefore, they tend not to affirm such doctrines as inerrancy (which ironically, leads them to read certain passages far more literally than most evangelicals, so that the text is interpreted in a way that necessarily conflicts with a modern, scientific view of the world). These churches also tend to retain the social activism of their Evangelical forebears of the 19th century, placing particular emphasis on those teachings of Scripture which counsel compassion for the poor and concern for justice. The message of personal salvation is, generally speaking, derivative of the good that comes to oneself and the world through following the New Testament's Golden Rule and admonition to love others without hypocrisy or prejudice. Toward these ends, the "spirit" of the New Testament, more than the letter, is infallible and authoritative. As such, belief in the errancy of the words of Scripture is practically as religiously important to Protestant liberalism, as inerrancy is to its evangelical and fundamentalist counterpart.