What is the New Testament?

• A. The Old Testament
• B. The second part of the Christian Bible, consisting of 27 books written in Greek during the first century.
• C. A collection of apocryphal writings
• D. A single Gospel

Answer: (B)

The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible, made up of 27 books written in Greek during the first century. It gathers the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the actions of the early church, and letters to Christian communities, concluding with the book of Revelation. This collection forms the new covenant themes that Christians associate with Jesus.

It’s not the Old Testament, which is the earlier Hebrew Scriptures that lay out the old covenant. It’s not a collection of apocryphal writings, which are writings outside the recognized canon and not considered authoritative in most traditions. And it’s not a single Gospel; there are four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—along with historical, instructional, and prophetic writings that together make up the full set.