COLEGIO DE SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA

Supervised by the Lasallian Schools Supervision Office

Ramon M. Durano Foundation Compound
Guinsay, Danao City, Cebu

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2 – MIDTERM

MODULE 2 – THE NEW TESTAMENT

Compiled by:

REYMARK G. MATA

STUDENT’S NAME:
DEGREE PROGRAM & YEAR LEVEL:
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME:

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2: MODULE 2 – THE NEW TESTAMENT | Page 1

 MODULE 2: THE NEW TESTAMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LEARNING CONTENTS PAGE
LESSON 1: FOUR CATEGORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
A. Gospels
B. Acts of the Apostles
C. Letters and Epistles 3
D. Revelation

LESSON 2: THE FOUR GOSPELS AND GOSPEL FORMATION

A. The Four Gospels
B. Gospel Formation
C. The Gospel Portrayal of Jesus 3–5
D. The Gospel Symbols

LESSON 3: JESUS’ TEACHINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE

PARABLES
A. Good News in the Parables
B. Types of Parables 5–6
C. The Good News Themes in the Parables
D. Teaching about the Kingdom of God Outside the Parables

LESSON 4: THE BEATITUDES

A. Living the Beatitudes
7

MODULE 2 LEARNING ACTIVITIES

LESSON 1: FOUR CATEGORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 8

LESSON 2: THE FOUR GOSPELS AND GOSPEL FORMATION 9

LESSON 3: JESUS’ TEACHINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE 10

PARABLES

LESSON 4: THE BEATITUDES 11 – 12

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LESSON 1: FOUR CATEGORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament narrates Jesus Christ’s birth, teaching, Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It also
narrates the life of the early Christians. The twenty-seven books of the New Testament are grouped into
four categories, namely, Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Letters/Epistles, and Revelation.

OBJECTIVES:
- Know the books in the New Testament;
- be open to the living Word of God by listening attentively and engaging in the discussion; and
- celebrate one’s personal relationship with God by reading the Bible for personal reflection and
prayer.

LEARNING CONTENTS:

A. Gospels
The word “Gospel” is derived from the Greek word
“euangelion” which means “announcement of the Good News.”
These are not historical biographies of Jesus, but are rather faith
accounts about Jesus by His early followers. The Gospel
accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the narratives of
the principal witnesses to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
B. Acts of the Apostles
This part of the New Testament describes the early
evangelization of the Good News to the world and the formation
of the early Church. It is written in Greek, presumably by the
Evangelist Luke, whose gospel concludes where Acts begins,
namely, with Christ's Ascension into heaven. It is also believed
to be the sequel of Luke’s Gospel wherein it records the life of
the Apostles after the Ascension of Jesus.
C. Letters and Epistles
The 21 letters in the bible are called epistles. They are addressed to the early Christian
community and to the individual leaders of these communities.
13 Letters attributed to Paul are: Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
On the other hand, the Letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus in the light of the Old Testament. It
quotes passages from Old Testament that refers to the Messiah.
The remaining letters are: James, 1&2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Jude. They are attributed to the
Apostles. The epistles express how Christian should apply Jesus’ teachings, His Good News of salvation,
to their daily lives.
D. Revelation
It is also called Apocalypse. It is the only prophetic book in the New Testament. Highly symbolic
and visionary account of the decisive struggle of Christ and His followers against Satan and his forces.

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LESSON 2: THE FOUR GOSPELS AND GOSPEL FORMATION

Why do we have to study the New Testament? The primary way to know Jesus is to read
the New Testament. There is only one Jesus but there are four inspired Gospels. Each Gospel
presents a different perspective on Jesus. Hence, the Gospels challenge us Christians to allow
them to transform us.

OBJECTIVES:
- Know and enumerate the four Gospels;
- discuss how the Gospels were formed; and
- study and reflect on the four Gospel portraits of Jesus and the different Gospel symbols.
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 LEARNING CONTENTS:
A. The Four Gospels
We have seen in the Old Testament how God revealed
His plan of salvation to His chosen people, the Israelites. In the
second section of the bible, the New Testament, God let us realize
how His promise of a Messiah in the Old Testament was fulfilled
in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was made man
and the Savior of the world. Studying the New Testament,
particularly the Gospels open our doors to Christ to love Him more
and make conscious and deliberate decisions to follow Him, so we
can personally experience the salvation He has won for us.
The Gospels consist of the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The four gospels re the
principal witnesses to the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. These accounts can help us deepen our
personal faith relationship with Jesus as members of His people, the Church. The ultimate meaning of
our lives is in finding our true selves in Jesus Christ (Gal 2:20). We are disciples of Jesus Christ. We
cannot follow someone we do not know. Through Scripture, particularly in the Gospels, we get to know
more about Jesus, the key and center of our being (CFC 77). As John 14:6 says, Jesus is the Way, the
Truth, and the Life.
The Gospels are good news for they provide accounts of the victory of Jesus, through His
Death and Resurrection, over all powers of opposed to God. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke
are called Synoptic Gospels because they present Jesus in almost similar view. They have almost the
same content. They present Jesus in almost similar view. They have almost the same content.

B. Gospel Formation
The history behind the Gospels is fascinating. The Gospels underwent a process of
composition and formation that took 40 – 70 years. It seems that the Gospel were written approximately
thirty years after the narrated events had happened.
The Church teachings describe three stages in the formation of the Gospels. These stages
area: (1) Jesus’ earthly life in Palestine, (2) the Oral Tradition, and (3) the written Gospels.
1. Jesus’ Life in Palestine (1-30 CE)
The Gospels present the works and words of Jesus of Nazareth (Mt 2:1). He was raised in the
small village of Nazareth. Growing up, He learned and practiced the trade of carpentry. It was at about
the age of thirty that Jesus started His public ministry of preaching the Good News of our salvation.
2. Oral Tradition (30-64 CE)
This period after Jesus’ Resurrection constituted the oral tradition stage in the formation of the Gospels.
The Good News was spread only by word of mouth. Faith in Jesus was the core teaching that the first
preachers pass on to the world. Their teaching and missionary activities started the period of “great
evangelization.” The original proclamation of the apostles after Pentecost is called kerygma.
3. The Written Gospels (65-100 CE)
The Gospels were written over a period of 30-40myears approximately from 65-100 CE. The evangelists,
the writers of the four canonical Gospels, drew their materials from the oral preaching of the apostles
and earliest disciples of Jesus, and partial written compilations of Jesus’ teachings and accounts of Jesus’
miracles, Passion and Death that were available to them. They were able to do this with the special grace
of the Holy Spirit, which is called biblical inspiration.

C. The Gospel Portrayal of Jesus

The four Gospels reveal to us a unique way of understanding Jesus through His portraits that
they present. Through each of the four evangelists present a number of images of Jesus, no amount of
images will give us a complete picture of God.
1. Gospel of Mark: Jesus is the Suffering Messiah
In this Gospel, the evangelist wanted to make clear to the persecuted Roman Christians that
Jesus Himself also suffered like them.
2. Gospel of Matthew: Jesus is the Messiah and King
The portrayal of Jesus as the Messiah-King prophesied in the Old Testament in the Old
Testament is the Gospel of Matthew.
3. Gospel of Luke: Jesus is the Savior of the World
Luke wanted to bring to the Gentile community the Good News that Jesus was the Savior of
all people, especially those considered outcasts of the Jewish society.
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 4. Gospel of John: Jesus is the Son of God, the Word of God made man
John’s Gospel emphasizes the divinity of Jesus who is described in symbolic images and titles
such as “the Word of God enfleshed” and “the Light of the world,”

D. The Gospel Symbols

1. Gospel of Mark: His Gospel is represented by a desert lion because starts with John the Baptist
“crying out in the desert.”
2. Gospel of Matthew: He is represented by a man because his Gospel opens with a record of Jesus’
ancestors.
3. Gospel of Luke: His Gospel is represented by an ox because he begins with Zechariah offering a
sacrifice to God in the temple.
4. Gospel of John: Represented by an eagle because his Gospel starts with a prologue praising
Jesus, who alone can look at the face of God just as the eagle alone can look upon the sun.

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LESSON 3: JESUS’ TEACHINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE PARABLES

The Kingdom Parables and the images of the Kingdom deepens our understanding of God’s
Kingdom through few parables and stories of miracles from the Gospels. In the parables, Jesus vividly
presented the qualities of the Kingdom using simple everyday language.

Objectives
- Discuss Jesus’ unique vision of the
Kingdom;
- examine the Church teachings on the
Kingdom, which will complement the
understanding of Jesus’ teachings in
the Scriptures; and
- reflect on the implications of living in
the Kingdom of God in the here and
now as an empowerment to become
witness of the Kingdom.

LEARNING CONTENTS
A. Good News in the Parables
What is the Kingdom of God? This refers not to the place over which God reigns but to his
divine power. We are part of the Kingdom, which is already here but not yet fully. As baptized
Christians, we are called not only to belong to the Kingdom, but also to help bring it about where we are,
as we are. Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God has been preserved in the form of parables which
usually contain metaphors and similes.
Jesus was a great storyteller. He usually tell His audience stories to explain the meaning of
the Kingdom of God. Many of these were parables.
A parable is a comparison drawn from nature (like the mustard seed) or human life (like the
marriage feast) told as a story to embody or evoke some moral or religious insight. Through parables,
Jesus was able to clearly convey His teachings to the people. This style of Jesus was meant to highlight
some countercultural values of the Kingdom. The values that are reflected in the Gospels are
countercultural because they often run contrary to the values of the society. When we read Jesus’
parables at present, we are lead to question our attitudes or values that are contrary to the Gospel values.
We are then challenged to rethink our behavior and our relationship with others.
The following are some of Jesus’ parables:
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 The Parable of the Lost Coin
Having lost a tenth of her money, the woman
understandably panics and turns her house upside down as
she searches for the coin well into the night. Once she finds
it, she can't contain her joy and invites those around her to
rejoice with her (Luke 15:8-10).
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person
took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a
large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’” Mt 13:31-32
The Parable of the Net
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is
full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus
it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and
throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” Mt 13:45-46
B. Types of Parables
1. Parables that describe the King/God – His nature, His qualities, and His attitudes in dealing with
people.
The Lost Sheep (Lk 15:4-7), The Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10), The Lost Son (Lk 15:11-32), and
The Workers in the Vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16)
2. Parables that emphasize the kind of response to enter the Kingdom.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14), The Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21), and The
Talents (Mt 25:14-30)
3. Parables that deal with our relationship with other people.
The Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-35) and The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37)
4. Parables that refer to the future coming of the Kingdom
The Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14), The Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13), and The Weeds among the
Wheat (Mt 13:24-30)
C. The Good News Themes in the Parables
1. God’s loving mercy is at the heart of the Good News
Jesus reveals that God is “Abba” – (an Aramaic word for “father”)
2. Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom.
The coming of the Kingdom was prefigured in Yahweh’s covenant with the children of Israel.
3. The Kingdom demands our repentance and persevering response.
When Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, He challenged the people to “repent and believe in the
Gospel”
4. Rejoice and be hopeful.
Jesus reveals to us God’s goodness, generosity, forgiveness, love, and offer of salvation.
D. Teaching about the Kingdom of God Outside the Parables
1. The Kingdom of God Has Drawn Near (Mk 1:14 = Mt 4:17) - The Kingdom of God is already
here but not yet completed. It is progressive.
2. The Kingdom of God in the Midst of You (Lk 17:20-21) - Our choices are contributory of the
growth of the Kingdom.
3. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom (Mt 18:1-4) - If we
received God’s undeserved mercy, we should also be willing to forgive those who have wronged
us.
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 LESSON 4: THE BEATITUDES
“The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine
origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can
fulfill it” (CCC 1718).
Objectives
- Examine and understand the meaning of each Beatitude as taught and live by Jesus Himself;
- Describe how each Beatitude can be lived in their particular context; and
- Show love for the downtrodden, the unwanted, the poor, the outcasts, and the sinners.
LEARNING CONTENTS
A. Living the Beatitudes
Set of declarations
spiritual standards that Jesus set for those who want to
follow Jesus. They present solemn pronouncements of
blessings for those who have embraced Jesus’ attitudes and
values.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? We are
called to recognize our radical dependence on God,
from whom flows all that we have and are.
2. Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be
comforted.
We are called to have sincere compassion for all who suffer. It is all right to grieve and it is
natural and healthy to mourn. “Your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20).
3. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
We are called to actively strive for justice and reject the injustices in our community. To
meek is to humble, gentle, and patient. Jesus taught, “When someone strikes you on your right
cheek, turn the other one to him as well” (Mt 5:39).
4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
We are called to actively strive for justice and reject the injustices in our community. As
teenagers/young people, we can apply the fourth beatitude to our everyday life by:
Studying well and not cheating;
Saving some money to buy what we need instead of resorting to stealing;
Staying away from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs; and
Doing homework instead of wasting time on unproductive activities with friends or watching
senseless programs on TV.
5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
We are called to be compassionate to all those who are suffering. Mercy is not a mere feeling
of pity, but a sense of compassion that is concretely shown in our acts. Being merciful often
involves two virtues: compassion and forgiveness. The word compassion comes from the Latin
words cum passus, meaning “suffer with”.
6. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
We are called to be upright and truly Christ-centered in our love for God and others. To be
clean of heart, we have to commit ourselves to live as Christ’s disciples, and we must always seek
to do God’s well. Living as authentic Christians draws us closer to Jesus.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
We are called to promote peace that is founded on truth, justice, and the grace of God. A
peacemaker does not need to have a position of authority or great power. All that is needed is the
willingness to act for peace. To merely love or want peace is to passively desire peace.
8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We are called to do what is right even in the face of strong opposition as Jesus Himself did
and thus discover the true “good life”. Our commitment to Jesus demands a willingness to
confront the reality of “not being too popular” because we have chosen what is good. Jesus did
not promise an easy life for Christians. What He promised was a life that is full.
“How is it, then that I seek you Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me
seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life

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from you.” St. Augustine
LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2
MIDTERM
LESSON 1 – FOUR CATEGORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Name: Score:
Degree Program & Year Level: Section: Date:
ACTIVITY I: Short Response. Write a short description in each of the category of the New
Testament

CATEGORIES OF THE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
NEW TESTAMENT

GOSPELS

ACTS OF THE
APOSTLES

LETTERS/EPISTLES

REVELATION

ACTIVITY II: Word of God and the Internet. On a separate sheet, do the given activity
below. (Content and development of ideas – 8 pts.; Organization and structure – 6 pts.;
Grammar, punctuation and spelling – 6 pts.)

1. Over the weekend, look for an entry about reflections on the Word of God in social networks.
2. Acknowledge the source and the author, and summarize the reflection. Determine its
relevance to your life. Write your own reflection on the verses used in the entry. Be prepared
to discuss your insights in class.

SELF-ASSESSMENT: On a separate sheet make a reflection guided by the question posted

below. (Content and development of ideas – 10 pts.; Organization and structure – 10 pts.;
Grammar, punctuation and spelling – 10 pts.)

What is needed to deepen your faith in Christ as you study the Bible, particularly the New
Testament books?

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LESSON 2 – THE FOUR GOSPELS AND GOSPEL FORMATION
Name: Score:
Degree Program & Year Level: Section: Date:

ACTIVITY I: The Four Gospels. Answer the following questions comprehensively. Give
concrete examples to justify your answer.
Criteria for rating: Content and justification – 5 pts. and Relevance of example – 5 pts.
1. What are the Synoptic Gospels?
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2. Why are they called Synoptics?

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3. How is the Gospel of John different from the Synoptic Gospels?

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SELF ASSESSMENT: Use a separate sheet of paper for your Reflection. (Content and
development of ideas – 10 pts.; Organization and structure – 10 pts.; Grammar,
punctuation and spelling – 10 pts.)

Why are there Four Gospels instead of one? How do these gospels come alive in our day-to-day
living?

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LESSON 3 – JESUS’ TEACHINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE PARABLES
Name: Score:
Degree Program & Year Level: Section: Date:
ACTIVITY I: A Representation of God's Kingdom.
Look around your place and find a thing which you think will symbolize or describe God’s
Kingdom. Draw the thing that you have chosen and provide a short explanation or description.
Relevance of the symbol to the topic ------------------------ 15 pts.
Coherence of the explanation --------------------------------- 15 pts.
Creativity and Uniqueness -------------------------------------- 5 pts.

ACTIVITY II: Composing One’s Own Kingdom Parable.

Compose your own parable. Compare the Kingdom of God to something relevant to young
people today. (Content and development of ideas – 10 pts.; Organization and structure – 5
pts.; Grammar, punctuation and spelling – 5 pts.)

SELF ASSESSMENT:
Use a separate sheet of paper for your reflection. Write your reflection on a given parable guided
by the questions below. (Content and development of ideas – 10 pts.; Organization and
structure – 10 pts.; Grammar, punctuation and spelling – 10 pts.)

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the
smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
- Mt 13:31-32
What do this parable tell us?
What response in faith do we make?

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LESSON 4 – THE BEATITUDES
Name: Score:
Degree Program & Year Level: Section: Date:

ACTIVITY 1: Review

Answer the following questions comprehensively. Give concrete examples to justify your
answer.

Criteria for rating: Content and justification – 5 pts. and Relevance of example – 5 pts.

1. What is the value of the Beatitudes? Give the blessings stated in each beatitude.
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2. What makes the Beatitudes challenging to live by? What should motivate us to apply them in
our lives?
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3. Why should we follow Jesus’ example? What makes Him our example?
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4. How can we live the Beatitudes in our lives?

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ACTIVITY 2: Works of Mercy
Research on either the seven corporal or the spiritual works of mercy. On a piece of short bond
paper, make a collage of pictures of people doing works of mercy.

SELF ASSESSMENT: LIVING THE BEATITUDES.

Copy each beatitude. Opposite each beatitude, write about how this is applied to your life. Which
beatitude do you find the hardest to observe? (Content and development of ideas – 10 pts.;
Organization and structure – 10 pts.; Coherence and relevance of the drawing and the
short explanation – 10 pts.)

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