The Life and Faith of the People of God as in the New Testament

This book has been set according to the B. D. syllabus of the Serampore University for the course with the title of this new book. Some decades back this course was entitled as: An Introduction to the New Testament. Thus this course is actually very similar in content to an introduction to the New Testament giving emphasis to the early Christians whose life and faith could mould the writing of the New Testament.

Rev. Dr. Abraham Philip is a visiting Professor at FFRRC, Kottayam. He has taught at the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary at Kottayam for nearly two decades during the early part of this century staying at the Campus. He was visiting Professor at MSOT Seminary, Mulanthuruthy, near Kochi during the last decade of the last century for a few years.

He has authored several books. Some of them are Daily Prayers for the People of God (2011, 2014, and 2018), Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (2012, 2015), Enlightening Words of Truth (2017). An Introduction to the New Testament (2017, 2022), The History and Theology of the Gospel According to St. John (2018), The Holy Spirit in the New Testament (2018), Biblical Hermeneutics: Methods and Perspectives (2020, 2022), and Reading the Apocalyptic: The Book of Revelation - A Commentary (2022).

Early in 2022, Mr. Sudhanshu Kanda of Christian World Imprints Delhi contacted me and asked for theological manuscripts so that they could be published. Then I promised him to give a manuscript which I had been working for quite some time. In three months time I could manage to keep my word and I gave the material for the book entitled Reading the Apocalyptic: the Book of Revelation - a Commentary. As soon as I gave the material for publication, he asked me to consider writing another book with the title: The Life and Faith of the People of God as in the New Testament. This title is the name of one of the important New Testament courses - a four credit one that a student studies for one's Bachelor of Divinity (B. D.) degree under the Senate of Serampore University. I replied to him that I would seriously consider writing it. After seeing the publication of my first book by the Christian World Imprints Delhi, I promised them to give the next book with the said title in another three months time and I kept working on it. Thus this book has taken shape.

Who are the people of God? God created human beings in his own image and breathed in the nostrils and humans became living beings. But we find them losing the image of God through sin and alienation. There we find God entering into a covenantal relationship with Israel. Of course, there is a course for B. D. students which deal with the life and faith of the people of God: Old Testament. The Old Testament is the name that Christians have given to this book, but it is the sacred book of the Jewish people. Hence the Old Testament is hereafter referred to as the Hebrew Bible in this book. Then the question arises as to who constitute the People of God. Does the People of God point to the Jewish people the Israelites, or the Christians who believe in Lord Jesus Christ? This brings to our mind the call of Abraham and the blessing given to him that Abraham would be made a nation - a great people who will be a blessing and a light to the nations. But in the history of Israel we find that the people of God were not able to abide by the standards of the covenant with God and they often fell astray. Though God sent many prophets to bring them back in the right track we find the people persecuting the prophets and was unwilling to be the true observers of their covenantal relationship with God. It is also to be noted that there was always The Life and Faith of the People of God as in the New Testament a minority who tried abide by the covenant which God had laid with the people of Israel. In the fullness of time, God sent the Messiah in Christ Jesus who the Jewish hierarchy rejected and crucified unto death.

The believers in Jesus Christ believe that the old covenant with Israel has been replaced by the new covenant in Lord Jesus Christ established on the cross of Calvary. Hence, the church believes of herself as the new Israel - the true people of God. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we read: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." In this volume we deal with the people of God as per such New Testament records. The New Testament was written during the first century Common Era (C.E.) and the early part of the second century. Hence, the life and faith of the early church during the first couple of centuries are portrayed in the New Testament. The New Testament wants the believers in Jesus Christ to follow the life and faith practiced by the early church to be followed by the believers of Jesus Christ in every generation.

**Contents and Sample Pages**