NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS
Reading Each Book as Its First Readers Heard It
The New Testament contains 27 books—Gospels, history, letters, and Revelation. Each was written by a particular author, to particular people, for a particular reason.
That matters.
It is easy to take a familiar verse out of Romans, Corinthians, James, or another New Testament book and immediately ask, “What does this verse mean to me?” But there is a question we need to ask first:
WHAT WAS THE WRITER SAYING TO THEM?
These studies will open individual New Testament books and follow their arguments in their natural sections. We won't necessarily study every verse or even every chapter. And we aren't trying to write another commentary.
Instead, we'll open the Bible together and ask simple questions:
What was happening here?
Why did the writer say this?
What came before it?
What comes after it?
How does this passage fit the argument of the whole book?
Only then are we ready to ask what it means for us.
That's exegesis—and the best way to learn it may simply be to practice it.
So choose a book below. You don't have to begin with the first study or read them all in order. Each study can stand on its own.
But whenever possible, keep your Bible open.
We want our conclusions to come from the text rather than bringing our conclusions to it.
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
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Romans 1:1-17 What Is Paul’s Gospel
Romans 1:18-32 What Happens When Man Rejects God?
Romans 2:1-16 You Have No Excuse
Romans 2:17-29 When Knowing the Law Is Not Enough
Romans 3:1-8 Then What Advantage Has The Jew?
Romans 3:9-20 None Is Righteous, No Not One
Romans 3:21-31 But Now: The Righteousness of God
Romans 4:1-12 When Was Abraham Counted Righteous?
Romans 4:13-25 What Did Abraham Believe?
Romans 5:1-11 What Changes When We Are Justified?
Romans 5:12-21 What Did Adam Change — What Did Christ Change
Romans 6:1-14 Shall We Continue In Sin That Grace May Increase
Romans 6:15-23 If We Are Under Grace, Does It Matter Whom We Obey?
Romans 7:1-6 Why Did We Die To The Law?
Romans 7:7-13 Is The Law The Problem?
Romans 8:1-11 No Condemnation — Set Free In Christ
Romans 8:12-17 Children Of God — Led By The Spirit
Romans 8:18-30 Suffering Now — Glory To Come
Romans 8:31-39 Nothing Can Separate Us
Romans 9:1-13 Has God’s Word Failed?
Romans 9:30- 10:4 Why Did Israel Stumble
Romans 10:5-13. The Word Is Near You
Romans 10:14–21 HOW WILL THEY HEAR?
Romans 11:1–10. HAS GOD REJECTED HIS PEOPLE?
Romans 11:11–24. BRANCHES BROKEN OFF
Romans 11:25–32. AND SO ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED
Romans 11:33–36. OH, THE DEPTH!
Romans 12:1–2. A LIVING SACRIFICE
Romans 12:3–8. ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS
Romans 12:9–21. LET LOVE BE GENUINE
Romans 13:1–7. THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES
Romans 13:8–14. LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW
Romans 14:1–12 WELCOME HIM—DON'T QUARREL
Romans 14:13–23. DON'T PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK IN YOUR BROTHER'S WAY
Romans 15:1–13. CHRIST DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF
Romans 15:14–24. WHY PAUL HAD NOT YET VISITED ROME
Romans 15:25–33. GENTILES HELPING JEWISH CHRISTIANS
Romans 16:1–16. A CHURCH MADE OF PEOPLE
Romans 16:17–27. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE WHO CAUSE DIVISIONS