Mini-Lesson

New Testament Studies

Paper 3 studies the New Testament as a set of texts written in a particular historical and religious world. This overview covers the Gospels as sources, the world of first-century Palestine, the Kingdom of God and the distinctive Gospel of John.

You will meet tools scholars use — the synoptic problem, the "Q" hypothesis — and key themes. Answer the questions and collect ⭐.

Sources

The Gospels as sources

Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the synoptic Gospels because they can be "seen together." The synoptic problem asks how they are related.

Most scholars accept Markan priority: Mark was written first (c. 65–70 CE) and used by Matthew and Luke.
Material shared by Matthew and Luke but not in Mark is often explained by a hypothetical lost sayings source, Q (from German Quelle, source).
John is distinct in style and content, and is usually dated later.

Check

The synoptic problem

1"Markan priority" is the view that:

Context

First-century Palestine

Jesus lived under Roman occupation (Judea was governed by a prefect, Pontius Pilate). Several Jewish groups shaped the religious world:

Pharisees — devoted to the Law and its oral interpretation; believed in resurrection.
Sadducees — priestly, temple-centred aristocracy; rejected belief in resurrection.
Essenes — an ascetic community, often linked with the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.
Zealots — favoured armed resistance to Rome.

Check

Jewish groups

2Which group is best described as the priestly, temple-centred party that rejected belief in resurrection?

Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ preaching. In Mark 1:15 he announces, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

Scholars debate whether the Kingdom is present (already breaking in through Jesus’ ministry), future (a coming reign of God), or both. Jesus teaches about it above all in parables.

Check

The Kingdom

3Jesus most characteristically teaches about the Kingdom of God through:

John

The Gospel of John

John’s Gospel opens with the Prologue: "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). The Logos becomes flesh in Jesus.

John also records a series of "I am" sayings, e.g. "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35) and "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), presenting Jesus’ identity in vivid images.

Check

The Logos

4In John’s Prologue, the "Logos" (Word) refers to:

Interpreting

Passion, resurrection and interpretation

All four Gospels narrate Jesus’ crucifixion under Pilate and proclaim his resurrection. Readers interpret these texts in different ways — as historical report, as theological proclamation, or both — and scholars weigh the Gospels’ genre, purpose and audience when doing so.

Sort it

Where does it belong?

Sort each item into the correct category.

📗 Synoptic Gospels

📘 John

🏛️ First-century context

Match

Term to meaning

Match each term to its meaning.

Statement

Answer

Recap

The big ideas to know

Sources: Synoptic problem; Markan priority; the Q hypothesis; John is distinct

Context: Roman rule; Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots

Kingdom of God: Central theme (Mark 1:15); present and/or future; taught in parables

John: Logos prologue (John 1:1); the I am sayings

Read each text with its context and purpose in mind. Press Finish.

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