NT LETTERS AND REVELATION

NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

21 NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

• Activities of early church
• Good news of Jesus
• Putting words and deeds of Jesus into action
• 14 letters of Paul (includes "captivity" letters & "pastoral" letters)
• 7 "Catholic Letters"

THE APOCALYPSE

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

• Last book of the Bible
• Read symbolically, not literally
• Images of God's wrath at sin and trust in his providential care
• Setting: Persecution of early church
• Date: 80-100 AD
• Offers hope, consolation & challenge

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION: KEY CONCEPTS

• Divine Love
• Faithful mercy
• Love of God
• Love of neighbor
• Called to a joyful and abundant life

THE MARKS OF A MERCIFUL CHRISTIAN

LETTER TO ROMANS 57 AD FROM CORINTH

ROMANS 12:1-21

• 12:1-2 "by the mercies of God" divine mercy as guide for Christian living
• "A living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" offering our words and deeds
• Moral life act of "spiritual worship"

Do not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds through grace. What is the will of God? What is good, acceptable and perfect?

Prophecy
Ministry
Teacher
Exhorter
Giver
Leader
Compassion

MARKS OF A MERCIFUL CHRISTIAN

• Multiple paths of genuine love
• Love and charity
• Forgiveness
• No retaliation
• Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer (Romans12:12)

Beloved , never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God...overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:19-21

"... For by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads."

Expression meaning "shaming a person".

SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

LETTER TO EPHESIANS 62 AD

RUINS OF EPHESUS

Focus of Letter:
God's saving love through Christ

FORCES OF SPIRITUAL DEATH (2:1-3)

• "The course of the world" - life apart from God
• "The ruler of the power of the air" - Satan
• "The passions of the flesh" -desires distorted by sin

UNION WITH CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM

• Made "alive together with Christ" vs spiritual death
• We are "raised up"with Christ
• We are "seated" with Christ in heavenly places

"By grace you have been saved through faith".
Ephesians 2:5

Salvation in Christ =

Divine grace (God's gift freely given to us)
+
Faith
(response to God's love)

"But God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

NEW BIRTH THROUGH GOD'S MERCY

SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL

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CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL

SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE

1 PETER

• "Catholic Letters" (7)
• Author: Peter
• Date: 60-90 AD
• Sent to five provinces of Asia Minor being persecuted
• Encouraged to remain faithful

1 PETER 1:3-12 MESSAGE OF HOPE

• 1:3-5 hymn of praise and thanksgiving
• 1:6-9 outcome of faith: salvation (divine grace, gift, our response , faith through trials, completion in presence of glorified Lord)
• 1:10-12 Spirit of Christ present in Prophets and apostles
• Helping Christians to stay true to faith

MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT

THE LETTER OF JAMES

• Catholic Letter
• Author: leader of Jewish Christian community
• Date: 60-100 AD
• Concerned with ethical conduct
• Theme: faith and works

MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT

TRADITION OF WISDOM LITERATURE

RELATIONSHIP OF FAITH AND WORKS

WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US

CENTRAL THEME OF LETTER IS "GOD IS LOVE"

CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINE LOVE: FLOW IS DIVINE MERCY

Trinitarian Love
"...we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world."
1 John 4:14-15

LOVE IS IN CONCRETE ACTIONS

• Sign of the cross surest sign of divine love
• Our love must be manifested as action rather than emotion
• Done through works of mercy

NO FEAR OF GOD'S JUDGMENT WHEN DIVINE LOVE IS COMPLETE IN US.

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THE BOOK OF REVELATION

• Last book of the Bible
• Read symbolically, not literally
• Images of God's wrath at sin and trust in his providential care
• Setting: Persecution of early church
• Date: 80-100 AD
• Offers hope, consolation & challenge

GOD'S FINAL AND ETERNAL ACT OF MERCY

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Revelation 22:1-5
Then the Angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb...tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit...

PARADISE RESTORED

God's unimaginable mercy and love.

"And there will be no more night...for the Lord God will be their light..."
Revelation 22:3-5

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