“Studying the New Testament,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Studying the New Testament
Resources
Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.
What is the New Testament?
The New Testament is a record of the life, teachings, and mission of Jesus Christ. It teaches and testifies of His atoning sacrifice and Resurrection. It also provides an account of His disciples’ ministry to spread the gospel and establish His Church.
The word translated as testament could also be translated as covenant. Thus, the New Testament is the new covenant. The New Testament emphasizes that Jesus Christ fulfilled the law of Moses—the old covenant. The Savior and His disciples taught the new covenant to help God’s children return to live in His presence.
There are 27 books in the New Testament. These books were written mainly, though not exclusively, by Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is commonly divided into the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s Epistles, the general Epistles, and the book of Revelation.
How did we get the New Testament?
There are no surviving original manuscripts written by the authors of the New Testament. The earliest existing manuscripts of individual books in the New Testament date after AD 200. The earliest known collections of New Testament books date to the fourth century.
From the first century, Christians began producing copies of New Testament texts in codex form. A codex had a book format, with separate pages bound together, rather than a scroll, which had been the customary way to write Old Testament texts. This may have been a factor in the development of the collection of books now known as the Bible. The word Bible comes from the Greek word biblia, which literally means “books.” With a codex, a collection of multiple books could be created in one bound volume.
Some of the earliest New Testament books warned of apostasy in the early Church. Apostasy is when individuals or groups turn away from principles of the gospel. After the Apostles of Jesus Christ were killed, apostasy accelerated. Gospel truths and covenants were distorted and changed. As apostasy became widespread, the Lord withdrew His priesthood keys and authority from the earth.
With apostasy came competing groups of Christians. Each group claimed scriptural support for their divergent beliefs. As debates intensified, Christians felt a need to gather an accepted collection of Christian writings. They believed that some writings were authentic while others were questionable, with some being of greater value than others.
In time, Christian leaders of the third and fourth centuries strove to determine which texts would be accepted as scripture. One of the criteria they used was whether a text was written by or associated with an Apostle. They also considered how well a text conformed to traditional Christian beliefs. A third criterion considered whether a text had wide support among Christian communities.
Using these criteria, in AD 367 Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria in Egypt, recommended a list containing the 27 books currently in the New Testament used by most Christians. Although his list became widely accepted, there is still not a list of New Testament books that is used and agreed upon by all Christians.
Hundreds of years later, different versions of the New Testament were translated into the languages we use today. Many of the people responsible for translating and making the Bible available made great sacrifices, “even to the point of death, to bring the word of God out of obscurity.”
Why do Latter-day Saints use the King James Version of the Bible?
From 1604 through 1611, about 50 scholars appointed by King James I of England worked on a new English translation of the Bible. It became known as the King James Version, sometimes called the Authorized Version.
The translators relied on earlier English Bible translations. They also consulted other helpful resources, including manuscripts of Bible texts in Hebrew and Greek. It was the King James Version of the Bible that Joseph Smith studied. The King James Version is of lasting value to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its vocabulary and style of language can be seen throughout the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
The First Presidency wrote:
While other Bible versions may be easier to read than the King James Version, in doctrinal matters latter-day revelation supports the King James Version in preference to other English translations. All of the Presidents of the Church, beginning with the Prophet Joseph Smith, have supported the King James Version by encouraging its continued use in the Church. In light of all the above, it is the English language Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Where can I learn more about preferred non-English translations of the Bible?
In the Scriptures collection in Gospel Library, you can find Translations and Formats. Select “Holy Bible” to see a list of Bible translations published or preferred for use by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
What is the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible?
The Prophet Joseph Smith showed a great love for the Bible throughout his life. However, he was aware that there were problems with the text. He said: “I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.”
In the summer of 1830, the Prophet began a revision or translation of the King James Version of the Bible in English. He considered it a part of his prophetic calling. Joseph completed most of his work by July 1833, though he continued to make minor changes to his manuscript until his death in 1844.
The Prophet did not translate the Bible from one language to another. Nor did he use Hebrew and Greek sources or rely on lexicons. Instead, he read and studied passages from the King James Version of the Bible and then made corrections and additions as inspired by the Holy Ghost. His early translation resulted in longer passages that expanded biblical accounts and teachings. Examples of this include the book of Moses and Joseph Smith—Matthew. Other revisions included “smaller changes that improved grammar, clarified meaning, modernized language, corrected points of doctrine, or alleviated inconsistencies.”
Joseph and Sidney, by Annie Henrie Nader
President Dallin H. Oaks stated that the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible “is a member of the royal family of scripture. … It should be noticed and honored on any occasion when it is present.”
Many of the Prophet’s inspired revisions can be found in the Joseph Smith Translation Appendix, found in Study Helps in the Gospel Library. They can also be found in the footnotes and the Bible appendix in Latter-day Saint editions of the Bible.
Learn More
-
M. Russell Ballard, “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 80–82
-
Neal A. Maxwell, “The New Testament—a Matchless Portrait of the Savior,” Ensign, Dec. 1986, 20–27
-
Shon D. Hopkin, “How New Testament Disciples Built on Old Testament Foundations” (digital-only article), Liahona, Jan. 2023, Gospel Library
-
Church History Topics, “Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible,” Gospel Library
Media
-
“The Blessings of Scripture” (3:03) tells of William Tyndale’s contribution to translating and publishing the Bible in English.
3:4 -
“History of the Translation of Biblia Sagrada” (5:41) tells the story of João Ferreira Annes de Almeida, the translator of the Holy Bible in Portuguese.
5:41