The New Testament
Matthew portrays Christ as a great King,
As through it’s wondrous discourses ring;
The Mighty man, the princely Prince,
Matthew, the author, set to evince.
Mark sees Jesus as a humble servant,
Who preaches a message of Truth so fervent;
And teaches of the Miraculous One,
The Christ, God’s beloved Son.
Luke, who sees Him as a Man,
The doctor sees as few people can;
The suffering Christ depicted here,
The human aspect, a human tear.
John sees Christ as Almighty God,
Deity, Israel’s Mighty Ephod;
Deals with the spirit and souls of men,
With eternal life, world without end.
Acts, the Book of the church’s zeal,
The book with the apostles’ mighty seal;
The acts of holy men of old,
Has the gospel story often told.
The Romans, written to Christians in Rome,
By Paul himself, from his prison home;
Full of doctrines and practical Truth,
For men in their prime, or in their youth.
First Corinthians with errors exposed,
The church rebuked, its judgment imposed;
Many chapters of love, and gifts of grace,
And a glimpse of our Saviors’ loving face.
Second Corinthians, the giving of saints,
Rehearsed in this Book, with no complaints;
The sinner restored, back in the flock,
As Peter was after the crowing cock.
Galatians, the demise of the law,
Explains God’s grace, giv’n freely to all;
Judaism defeated in the church of today,
Legalism is beaten in a mild foray.
Ephesians, a hard book to explain,
God gives us a look at hypocrisies’ stain;
The armor of God for all His to wear,
Against the wiles of Satan, and sin's evil stare.
Philippians, chock-full of splendorous verse,
Many profound Truth’s made simple and terse;
The amazing book of the mind of Christ,
The joy of the Lord is mentioned twice.
Colossians many splendid truths doth reveal,
His part in creation and the Spirit’s seal;
Practical holiness, a walk with God,
Dying to flesh, a people called “odd.”
First Thessalonians, the return of the King,
Throughout its pages, this theme will ring;
“He’s coming again,” the shout is heard,
And we are admonished to spread the word.
Second Thessalonians is much the same,
Its splendor rings of the Spirit's fame;
Judgment is seen here to prevail,
For all who ignore, their sin to bewail.
1 Timothy is much about the order of church,
And advice for the youth, his heart to search;
A good report from they that are without,
Beyond reproach, without a doubt.
2 Timothy has to do with our walk,
To be sure our walk matches our talk;
Practical advice for a man to seek,
As he strives to walk among the meek.
Titus the encourager of a good work,
The duty of man we are not to shirk;
That Blessed Hope is seen here too,
The return of Christ, His church to woo.
Philemon a blessed book indeed,
Written by Paul, for a specific need;
Onesimus returning to his former place,
Is a picture of God’s restoring grace.
Hebrews, a special Book for all,
Written for Jews who kept the law;
Full of the customs of the Jewish race,
Resplendent in God’s amazing grace.
James, the hope of the Christian world,
Coated with beauty, elegantly pearled;
A book for the wise and serious saint,
Often read, its message quaint.
1 Peter speaks of a victorious life,
Of suffering, atonement, and worldly strife;
Of submitting to others, and ordinances of man,
Of getting along the best we can.
2 Peter adds some things to our faith,
As strange to us as a mystical wraith;
The Day of the Lord is mentioned here,
A day for the sinner to greatly fear.
1 John tells of our holy state,
Made so by Christ, our Advocate;
He warns of false prophets, and how to tell,
The true from the false, the proponents of hell.
2 John is to the elect lady sublime,
A book for all men and for all time;
A warning of bidding God speed
To those that are not of His Holy Seed.
3 John, written to Gaius, a beloved brother
Who walked in Truth, as nary another;
A personal note from John the aged,
Who writes as an elder in final stages.
Jude is a book of the wrath revealed,
For the apostate and the devil’s field;
A stern warning for opposers of Truth,
Eternal damnation for those uncouth.
The Revelation of the future of earth,
Of the judgments of fire, and great dearth;
Of the glory revealed in Heaven's domain,
And the hope of our eternal reign.
Gypsy Martindale
~Used With Permission~
