Canonical structure of the English Bible
Canonical Structure of the OT – 2 (the Hebrew Bible)
Canonical structure of the New Testament
a. Gospels: The Gospels, like the Pentateuch of the Old Testament, function as foundational to the rest of the New Testament. Paul’s epistles, for example, explain the theological and practical implications of the redemptive-historical events recorded in the Gospels, even though Paul wrote some of his letters prior to the writing of the Gospels (at least prior to Mark, Luke, and John). This observation leads us to the conclusion that the theological foundation of Paul’s letters is the redemptive-historical events recorded in the Gospels. The Gospels present us with God’s indicative, historical acts; the epistles are the divine interpretation of previous acts of God. The epistles are theological reflections upon what God did in Christ and the practical implications for believers. This is similar to the foundational and paradigmatic function of the Pentateuch in the Old Testament.
b. Acts: The book of Acts functions as an immediate record of what Christ did through his disciples in application of the Great Commission after his ascension. Luke, the author of Acts, gives us a purpose statement for part two of his narrative (Luke-Acts) in the first chapter. He says, “the first account I composed [i.e., the Gospel of Luke], Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen” (Acts 1:1-2). The implication is that Acts is a continuation of what Jesus continued to do and teach upon his ascension to heaven.
c. Epistles: As noted above, the Epistles draw out the theological and practical implications of the redemptive-historical acts of God in Christ recorded in the Gospels. Though the Epistles are occasional, their foundation is the revelational data of the Gospels which is nothing less than that which the Old Testament said would happen when Messiah would come onto the scene.
d. Revelation: The book of Revelation is a book which offers both comfort for the present struggles of God’s people and hope for the future. It is full of Old Testament allusions and ends where the Bible began but with a renewed Eden and temple which cover the face of the renewed earth.
Dr. Richard Barcellos is associate professor of New Testament Studies. He received a B.S. from California State University, Fresno, an M.Div. from The Master’s Seminary, and a Th.M. and Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Dr. Barcellos is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA. He is author of Trinity & Creation, The Covenant of Works, and Getting the Garden Right. He has contributed articles to various journals and is a member of ETS.
Courses taught for CBTS: New Testament Introduction, Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology I, Biblical Theology II.
