The document provides an overview of the course "The New Testament" taught by Professor Bart D. Ehrman. The course examines the 27 books of the New Testament from a historical perspective through 24 lectures combining biblical scholarship, archaeology, and literary analysis. It explores questions about the factual accuracy of stories of Jesus's life, the compilation and editing of the New Testament, and contradictory portrayals of Jesus. The course aims to place Jesus in his historical context and investigate the authenticity of biblical accounts versus forgeries.

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The New Testament
LAUNCH COPY
THE NEW TESTAMENT
PROFESSOR BART D. EHRMAN
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Human civilizations from East to West have been built upon a
handful of rare books. One of these texts: the New Testament,
a collection of stories of the life and teaching of Jesus of
Nazareth that would inspire billions around the world.
Regardless of religious belief, any well-informed citizen of the world should seek to
understand the New Testament. Not only does it serve as the backbone of one of the
world’s major faiths, but its influence also extends to the realms of literature, art, politics,
and sociology. Consider, for example, that you can’t fully comprehend classic English
literature without understanding its references to characters and themes from the New
Testament. Similarly, passages from the New Testament have been used for hundreds of
years—often misinterpreted or deliberately skewed—to advocate views on controversial
issues including slavery, abortion, and nuclear disarmament.
When it comes to a book as important as the New Testament, there are a series of
questions we should all ask ourselves.
 What stories are historic fact, and which are embellished to push agendas?
 Who exactly is Jesus, and how did he become the celebrated icon he is today?
 How were the books of the New Testament collected, compiled, and edited?
 Why are there so many contradictory portrayals of Jesus in existence?
In The New Testament by Professor Bart D. Ehrman of the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, discover how historical research and inquiry can illuminate your
understanding of this civilization-defining religious text. In 24 lectures that combine
biblical scholarship, archaeology, and literary analysis, explore each of the books of the
New Testament, from the four canonical Gospels to the frightening Book of Revelation.
Not only will you place Jesus in his historical time and place, you’ll also get a chance to
straighten the record of his philosophy, his life, and his legacy; to separate authentic
biblical accounts from forgeries; and to better appreciate how the New Testament,
cobbled together over centuries, still holds much of Western civilization together.
Unpack the Gospels

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Central to this exciting course is Professor Ehrman’s investigation of the Synoptic
Gospels—Mark, Matthew, Luke and John—which have enough in common to lend
legitimacy or forgery to their writing. One of the most interesting discoveries you’ll make
in The New Testament is that three of the Synoptic Gospels seem to all derive their
information from a mysterious source who scholars now call “Q.”
As you engage with the sacred writings of the first four Gospels, you’ll learn that actual
facts about Jesus are scant. What we do know is that the writers of these texts were well-
educated Greeks writing far after Jesus’s time; whether or not they were writing from
documents, they must have injected some of their own beliefs about what happened.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each portray a distinct view of Jesus. Some of these
distinctions include:
 Jesus's personality and his reaction to challenges
 The motive behind Jesus's miracles
 The scope of Jesus's mission
 The public’s reaction to Jesus
 A focus on Jesus’s Jewishness
 The emphasis of Jesus’s divinity
Professor Ehrman also delves into the details of the Apostles’ lives in order to shed light
on what could have been accurate about Jesus, as well as what was crucial for spreading
the message of Christianity.
Explore The New Testament's Unusual Narrative Structure
As you progress through the lectures, you’ll also engage with the other books of the New
Testament, as well as some fascinating and controversial noncanonical gospels that were
deeply influenced by the Egyptian Gnostics.
 The Book of Acts: This New Testament book explains the change of Christianity
from small Jewish sects to a full-blown world faith. It also introduces you to the
single most beloved figure alongside Jesus: Saul/Paul. Only a handful of men
were able to change the belief of an entire polytheistic empire the way he was.
 The Twenty-One Epistles: You’ll examine Paul’s handwritten letters, as well as
manuscripts about him, to further define how he maintained a very liberated and,
to some, even dangerous new view of religion. Paul’s personal discipline of faith
actually even contributed to the chaos erupting in his churches.

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 Noncanonical Gospels: While they didn’t “make the cut,” these gospels
nevertheless reveal telling information about Jesus. Most mysterious is the Gospel
of Peter, supposedly written by Jesus’s disciple. You’ll compare the writings in
this gospel with historical data to determine whether this was, in fact, the case.
 The Pastoral Epistles: Fakes and forgeries were a common occurrence. Of
course, some of these well-meaning but clearly fake letters make it into the New
Testament. Such may be the case with the Pastoral Epistles, written for spiritual
leaders who oversaw the early churches.
 The Book of Revelation: Unquestionably the most famous part of the New
Testament, this Book of Revelation explodes with mystical grandeur. From angels
to thrones of fire to spinning wheels in the sky, you’ll dig into the context that
makes these symbols still fascinating to this day.
Delve into the World's Most Influential Yet Elusive Book
An award-winning professor of religious studies and a New York Times bestselling
author, Professor Ehrman brings both his passion for theology and his talent for rigorous
historical analysis to The New Testament.
As Professor Ehrman makes clear at the beginning of the course, he’s examining the New
Testament from a historical angle—not a religious one. As resonate as the New
Testament's messages of hope and love are, he doesn’t shy away from how the New
Testament has also served as the source of much controversy.
Issues you’ll investigate include
 whether or not the New Testament is to blame for anti-Semitism;
 what accounts for the rift between Christianity and Judaism;
 passages in the New Testament that seem to advocate for sexism; and
 whether or not the Book of Revelation is a blueprint for things to come.
You’ll gain new insight into how to closely read passages from the New Testament using
historical context. In doing so, you'll learn how they could have been written or altered in
a way to advance a particular agenda, and how current interpretations—particularly with
the Book of Revelation—often take passages out of context.
By the end of The New Testament, you'll have a clear grasp on a spiritual text whose
history still remains elusive to so many.

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The New Testament
LECTURE COPY
1. The Early Christians and Their Literature
Is the New Testament a religious guidebook, a collection of parables, or a way of life?
Why did these 27 books "make the cut" while others were left out? Here, discover four
major ways to approach the New Testament as a cornerstone of Western civilization.
2. The Greco-Roman Context
This lecture pinpoints predicaments of life in the vast Roman Empire that allowed for the
spark and spread of Christianity. From the how of worshipping multiple gods to the why
of it, immerse yourself in the average Roman mentality and get a stronger understanding
of how this civilization viewed spirituality and faith.
3. Ancient Judaism
Explore the many sects of ancient Judaism, all of which derived from the law of Moses
(which was said to have been received directly from God). This lecture highlights the
subtleties of Judaism and the background of Jesus, who himself sprang from Jewish
apocalypticism.
4. The Earliest Traditions About Jesus
Compare the first four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—in an effort to
uncover discrepancies between their stories of Jesus’s life. What was historically
accurate? What facts were altered to make theological points? You’ll also explore key
differences between Jesus's own disciples and those who wrote the Gospels.
5. Mark—Jesus the Suffering Son of God
Hone in on the Gospel of Mark with its unique outlook and message, and its story of an
unlikely messiah that’s both inspiring and rich with nuance. Though Jesus's status as a
messiah is commonly accepted today, you'll discover why it was rejected in Jesus's time.
6. Matthew—Jesus the Jewish Messiah
In this lecture, learn that what makes the Gospel of Matthew so distinct is how it
vehemently stresses Jesus’s Jewishness and his paradoxical opposition to Jewish
leadership. It also, as you’ll see, offers striking parallels between the stories of Jesus and
Moses.
7. Luke—Jesus the Savior of the World
Examine Luke’s version of events to uncover a new genealogy of Jesus. Although very
similar to Mark, the Gospel of Luke emphasizes that Jesus brought salvation to all

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humans (not only Jews) as his father, God, is the father of all people. Luke, as you’ll
learn, also displays fascinating idiosyncrasies in his revelation of Jesus as a prophet.
8. John—Jesus the Man from Heaven
Discover why the Gospel of John is called the "renegade" gospel. Examine the striking
differences in this gospel from the others—a key one being the motive behind Jesus's
miracles. The stories in the Gospel of John portray Jesus as a divine savior who
demonstrates the truth of salvation from a singular God.
9. Noncanonical Gospels
This lecture explores two different types of noncanonical gospels: narratives and sayings.
Though considered by some to be heretical, these gospels reveal new insights into Jesus's
resurrection and teachings. They also were influenced by the Egyptian Gnostics and their
spiritual philosophy of personal divinity.
10. The Historical Jesus—Sources and Problems
How do the Gospels align with the actual, historical life of Jesus? Unfortunately,
everything that was written about Jesus in non-biblical texts during this time could fit on
a 3-by-5 index card. Despite this, learn to critically evaluate the historical accuracy of the
Gospels using three scientific criteria.
11. The Historical Jesus—Solutions and Methods
Examine the logical methods for separating fact from fiction in Jesus’s stories. While the
criteria are not perfect, they at least provide a tool for uncovering patterns and
incongruities in stories about Jesus’s place of birth, his Judaism, and his allegorical value
to Christian agendas.
12. Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
While early accounts of Jesus depict him as adamantly apocalyptic, later accounts sing a
far less dramatic tone. In this fascinating look at the radical philosophy of Jesus, marvel
at his revolutionary character and discover why he was a threat to leaders of the Jewish
Temple.
13. The Acts of the Apostles
Controversy, inconsistencies, and the miraculous workings of the Holy Spirit. Unpack the
New Testament’s anonymous book of Acts, which introduces you to the most famous
Christian convert, Paul, and which details the spread of Christianity after Jesus’s death.
14. Paul—The Man, the Mission, and the Modus Operandi
In this lecture, study perhaps the most famous missionary hero in Christianity: Paul.
Originally a persecutor of Christians, his dramatic conversion became a fanatical charge

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to spread this new religion. Look at the discrepancies between the stories of Paul in Acts
and in his own writings.
15. Paul and the Crises of His Churches— First Corinthians
Paul’s missionary work was extravagant and wide reaching. One of his biggest churches
at Corinth, in his absence, developed serious problems at a pivotal moment in Paul’s
faith. Detailing the chaos, sexual controversy, and savagery taking place at Corinth, this
lecture magnifies Paul’s contribution to the notion of salvation.
16. Pauline Ethics
Discover the ethical dilemmas surrounding Paul’s teachings and his very distinct take on
adhering to the laws of God. Paul advocated for certain laws while dismissing others,
which generated confusion. Chaos at Corinth and in other churches, however, could be
easily remediated through the universal principles that Paul preached.
17. Paul’s Letter to the Romans
This lecture looks at Paul’s remarkable letter to the Romans as the supreme manifestation
of his theology. From worries about being rejected for his “law-free gospel” to both
earthly and cosmic depictions of sin and the means of achieving salvation, Paul reveals
himself in apocalyptic fashion.
18. Paul, Jesus, and James
Paul was arguably as influential as Jesus, yet do his teachings stand in contrast? Look
deeply at similarities and differences in the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and James to
discover whether Christianity developed uniformly or through many small, independent
movements.
19. The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
Examine the legitimacy of the New Testament’s authorship in the context of an
extremely low literacy rate. Nearly anyone could write under any name and forgeries
were rampant. Learn the telltale signs that suggest works like the Deutero-Pauline
epistles were not authored by Paul.
20. The Pastoral Epistles
Three more letters, considered forgeries in Paul’s name, are included in the New
Testament. Decipher the vocabulary and blind authority that starkly contrast Paul’s
original stance. From an active suppression of women to promoting wrong teachings,
discover how Paul’s name was used to further an agenda.
21. The Book of Hebrews and the Rise of Christian Anti-Semitism
Despite its beginnings as a Jewish religion taught by Jesus (himself a Jew), Christianity
developed a schism with Judaism that has continued for centuries. Is the New Testament

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to blame? Review the darkest period of Christianity as Jews come under violent attack by
Christians.
22. First Peter and the Persecution of the Early Christians
This lecture looks at 1 Peter, which offers powerful encouragement and advice to
Christians under attack. Although early Christians were indeed persecuted in Rome, the
reality is much different than Hollywood makes it out to be. Discover the true story—as
well as the motives behind Christian persecution.
23. The Book of Revelation
Perhaps the most recognized and read book of all antiquity, this fantastical work
describes in detail the horrors of the apocalypse. Is it, in fact, a warning for future
generations, as countless popular evangelicals have made it out to be? Examining the
book's historical context provides some clues.
24. Do We Have the Original New Testament?
Copies of copies on papyrus and animal skin are the only surviving manuscripts of the
New Testament. This final lecture scrutinizes passages that indicate possible
misinterpretations as well as deliberate changes to the original. What might account for
these discrepancies?

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The New Testament
600-WORD COPY
THE NEW TESTAMENT
PROFESSOR BART D. EHRMAN
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Human civilizations from East to West have been built upon a
handful of rare books. One of these texts: the New Testament,
a collection of stories of the life and teaching of Jesus of
Nazareth that would inspire billions around the world.
Regardless of religious belief, any well-informed citizen of the world should seek to
understand the New Testament. Not only does it serve as the backbone of one of the
world’s major faiths, but its influence also extends to the realms of literature, art, politics,
and sociology. Consider, for example, that you can’t fully comprehend classic English
literature without understanding its references to characters and themes from the New
Testament. Similarly, passages from the New Testament have been used for hundreds of
years—often misinterpreted or deliberately skewed—to advocate views on controversial
issues including slavery, abortion, and nuclear disarmament.
When it comes to a book as important as the New Testament, there are a series of
questions we should all ask ourselves.
 What stories are historic fact, and which are embellished to push agendas?
 Who exactly is Jesus, and how did he become the celebrated icon he is today?
 How were the books of the New Testament collected, compiled, and edited?
 Why are there so many contradictory portrayals of Jesus in existence?
In The New Testament by Professor Bart D. Ehrman of the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, discover how historical research and inquiry can illuminate your
understanding of this civilization-defining religious text. In 24 lectures that combine
biblical scholarship, archaeology, and literary analysis, explore each of the books of the
New Testament, from the four canonical Gospels to the frightening Book of Revelation.
Not only will you place Jesus in his historical time and place, you’ll also get a chance to
straighten the record of his philosophy, his life, and his legacy; to separate authentic
biblical accounts from forgeries; and to better appreciate how the New Testament,
cobbled together over centuries, still holds much of Western civilization together.
Delve into the World's Most Influential Yet Elusive Book

9. 9
An award-winning professor of religious studies and a New York Times bestselling
author, Professor Ehrman brings both his passion for theology and his talent for rigorous
historical analysis to The New Testament.
As Professor Ehrman makes clear at the beginning of the course, he’s examining the New
Testament from a historical angle—not a religious one. As resonate as the New
Testament's messages of hope and love are, he doesn’t shy away from how the New
Testament has also served as the source of much controversy.
Issues you’ll investigate include
 whether or not the New Testament is to blame for anti-Semitism;
 what accounts for the rift between Christianity and Judaism;
 passages in the New Testament that seem to advocate for sexism; and
 whether or not the Book of Revelation is a blueprint for things to come.
You’ll gain new insight into how to closely read passages from the New Testament using
historical context. In doing so, you'll learn how they could have been written or altered in
a way to advance a particular agenda, and how current interpretations—particularly with
the Book of Revelation—often take passages out of context.
By the end of The New Testament, you'll have a clear grasp on a spiritual text whose
history still remains elusive to so many.

10. 10
The New Testament
AUDIBLE COPY
THE NEW TESTAMENT
PROFESSOR BART D. EHRMAN
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Human civilizations from East to West have been built upon a
handful of rare books. One of these texts: the New Testament,
a collection of stories of the life and teaching of Jesus of
Nazareth that would inspire billions around the world.
Regardless of religious belief, any well-informed citizen of the world should seek to
understand the New Testament. Not only does it serve as the backbone of one of the
world’s major faiths, but its influence also extends to the realms of literature, art, politics,
and sociology.
In The New Testament by Professor Ehrman of the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, discover how historical research and inquiry can illuminate your
understanding of this civilization-defining religious text. In 24 lectures that combine
biblical scholarship, archaeology, and literary analysis, explore each of the books of the
New Testament, from the four canonical Gospels to the frightening Book of Revelation.
Not only will you place Jesus in his historical time and place, you’ll also get a chance to
straighten the record of his philosophy, his life, and his legacy; to separate authentic
biblical accounts from forgeries; and to better appreciate how the New Testament,
cobbled together over centuries, still holds much of Western civilization together.
An award-winning professor of religious studies and a New York Times bestselling
author, Professor Ehrman brings both his passion for theology and his talent for rigorous
historical analysis to the table.
As Ehrman makes clear at the beginning of the course, he’s examining the New
Testament from a historical angle—not a religious one. As resonate as the New
Testament's messages of hope and love are, he doesn’t shy away from how it has also
served as the source of much controversy.
By the end of The New Testament, you'll have a clear grasp on a spiritual text whose
history still remains elusive to so many.