Exploring the New Testament | Teens Bible Course

This article about the importance of studying the New Testament was written by Dr Ashley Hibbard. She will be tutoring for Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Studies.

I am an Old Testament specialist, and I became so because I wanted to do something about the neglect of the Old Testament, to help the people of God understand it well and reclaim it appropriately as Christian scripture. This past year in O Level Biblical Studies with Arise, I have helped some keen young minds learn about and think through the implications of the Old Testament. And in the coming year, I shall do the same – for the New Testament, particularly the life of Jesus.

It’s not the Old Testament, and yet I could not be more excited.

Why study the New Testament after the Old?

The Old Testament leaves us with frustration, longing, and anticipation. God’s great rescue from Egypt, the covenant at Sinai, the giving of a homeland, the kingship of David, and the building of the Temple – all these point to a great plan that God is working out. The people’s apostasy results in God enacting the covenant curses against his people, instead of granting them the covenant blessings. They lose their land, their grand temple, their independence.

By the close of the New Testament period, some of them are home, but that home is now a far-flung province of Persia. They are governed by Persian laws and customs, not the law that was written by the finger of God. They have a governor who leads at the pleasure of the Persian emperor, not a descendant of David on the throne. As Ethan the Ezrahite asks, “Where are the former acts of your faithful love that you swore to David in your faithfulness?” (Psa 89:49). Nothing seems as it should be.

As the New Testament opens, things are worse, not better.

Yet there are prophecies that remind them that the plan is not over. Prophecies of a temple filled with glory (Hag 2:7), a coming king (Ezek 37:24), an anointed servant who will proclaim the year of God’s favour (Isa 61:1-2). The means by which these might be fulfilled is difficult to fathom within the reality of their decline, disgrace, and oppression. As the New Testament opens, things are worse, not better. The empire is no longer Persia, but now Rome. Rome rules fiercely, controlling the populace through heavy taxes and ever-present legions of soldiers who keep order through swift and brutal reprisals against those who would violate that order.

Jesus is born in an occupied land. He lives as a ‘free’ man in a world where freedom is a shadow of how we would define those terms. Jesus dies in one of the cruelest forms of execution ever devised, saved for slaves and rebels, intended as a horror to those who suffered it, but even more to those who witnessed it.

We live in a world in 2026 that is morally grey, economically unstable, profoundly multicultural, deeply divided, and beset by scandal. The New Testament is the story of a world surprisingly like ours. They shared all of our difficulties and more. And God broke into it and made something not only new, but eternal. ~Dr Ashely

The World Between the Testaments

Christians know fairly well the black-and-white of the New Testament. But we struggle to grasp the context of the New Testament. Biblical Studies Year 2 will aim to remedy that. It will answer those questions and longings that we are left with by a study of the Old Testament. It will help to fill in some of the gaps that we suffer from having roughly 400 years between the Testaments. And most of all, it will help students to see the realities in which Jesus lived, in which the gospels were written.

In the Lord’s prayer, we say the words, “Give us today today’s bread” (Matt 6:11), but we do not feel the earnest plea of a subsistence farmer.
“Going the extra mile” (Matt 5:41) is a colloquial saying to us, but a counter-cultural and even appalling command in a world where the first mile was a forced march.
Jesus is the heir of the fallen Davidic house, and yet he will tell his followers to put away their swords (John 18:11), and that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). David’s heir rejects David’s kingdom in favour of something greater.
Jesus speaks to Samaritans (John 4:7), touches lepers (Matt 8:3), and honours a woman’s desire to learn (Luke 10:42) in a world where none of those are remotely acceptable.

Turning the world upside down through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We live in a world in 2026 that is morally grey, economically unstable, profoundly multicultural, deeply divided, and beset by scandal. We wonder how the gospel fits, if our society is too lost, if the church is drowning among a multitude of clamouring voices.

The Roman Empire was morally grey, economically unstable, profoundly multicultural, deeply divided, and beset by scandal. And the Lord of the universe said, “Right there – that’s where my Son will enter history.” And with this message humility, compassion, sacrifice, and concern for the other, the first Christians turned their world upside down through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament is the story of a world surprisingly like ours. They shared all of our difficulties and more. And God broke into it and made something not only new, but eternal. Join us this autumn at Arise as we sit at the feet of our Lord, as we see how he fulfills humanity’s deepest needs and longings, as we learn about how he lived in his world with courage, humility, and sacrifice, and consider how we will do the same.

Dr Ashley’s Bible Courses for 14-16 Year Olds

Biblical Studies Year 2: Building a Strong Biblical Foundation for Christian Teens

One of the great challenges facing Christian young people today is not a lack of information, but a lack of foundation. They live in a world full of opinions, voices, and experiences, yet often without the deep biblical understanding needed to interpret those experiences wisely. A strong knowledge of Scripture is not simply an academic exercise. It is the framework on which a Christian builds their understanding of life, faith, and the world.

Biblical Studies Year 2 is designed to help students build that foundation. After studying the Old Testament, students naturally find themselves with questions. The story seems unfinished. In God’s word, we see God make promises, establish a kingdom, give his law, and yet the Old Testament closes with exile, disappointment, and longing. The prophets speak of a coming king, a restored people, and a future filled with glory, but the fulfilment is still ahead. Without understanding what comes next, it is difficult to understand the Christian faith as a whole.

This course focuses on the New Testament, especially the life and world of Jesus, so that students can see how those promises are fulfilled and how the gospel fits into the wider story of Scripture. A clear grasp of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments helps young Christians see that the Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories, but one coherent revelation of God’s plan. Developing that kind of biblical literacy is essential if faith is to remain strong in the face of questions, doubts, and cultural pressure.

Build a Framework of Understanding Using the New Testament

Teenagers today are growing up in a world that is morally uncertain, culturally divided, and constantly changing. Every day, they encounter ideas about identity, truth, justice, and purpose that often conflict with the teaching of Scripture. Without a solid grounding in the Bible, it is easy for experience to shape belief rather than allowing Scripture to shape experience. A biblical worldview gives young Christians a framework for understanding the world and making decisions, because the Bible provides the authority and values that guide Christian life.

Unlike typical youth group Bible studies, the Biblical Studies Year 2 course aims to provide students with that framework by helping them understand the real historical world in which Jesus lived. The New Testament can seem familiar, but it is often misunderstood because we read it without knowing its context. When Jesus speaks about daily bread, about Roman soldiers, about kings and kingdoms, or about honour and shame, he is speaking good news into a world very different from our own. Learning about the Roman Empire, the political tensions of Judea, and the expectations surrounding the Messiah allows students to read the gospels with new clarity and depth.

This kind of study does more than increase knowledge. It strengthens faith. When students see how the New Testament fits into historical context, how it answers the questions left by the Old Testament, and how it speaks into a world as complex as our own, they begin to see that Christianity is not fragile or outdated. It is rooted in real events, real people, and a real God who entered history at a specific moment to accomplish his purposes.

Developing that kind of biblical literacy is essential if faith is to remain strong in the face of questions, doubts, and cultural pressure.

Teens Seek Truth

Just as importantly, the course encourages students to think carefully about Scripture for themselves. Teenagers are capable of much deeper understanding than they are often given credit for, and when they are challenged to study the Bible seriously, they gain confidence in their faith and learn how to answer difficult questions. Careful study of biblical narratives helps them see how the different parts of the Bible fit together. This makes the biblical truth and message of the gospel clearer and more compelling.

Biblical Studies Year 2 is therefore not only about learning facts about the New Testament. It is about forming habits of thought, building a strong theological foundation, and helping young Christians understand the world through the lens of Scripture. In a time when beliefs are constantly being challenged, that kind of foundation is one of the greatest gifts we can give our teenagers.

By studying the life of Jesus in its historical setting, by seeing how the Old Testament finds its fulfilment, and by learning to read the Bible with care and understanding, students will be better equipped to live faithfully in their own generation — with confidence, humility, and a clear sense of the truth on which their lives are built.

Biblical Studies

Study the New Testament at Arise

Using online resources and live online discussions, today’s teens will deep dive into first century Christianity and make the connection with the back story of the Old Testament and the ancient world. The high school years are perfect for this course, where question-based teaching is applied regularly. The goal of the class is more than UK exam prep. Establishing strong foundations in a personal relationship with Christ and growing in spiritual discipline and spiritual maturity in the teen years will lay the foundation for each student’s spiritual growth for years to come. Take youth bible study to a whole new level for middle schoolers and high schoolers with big questions about the God of the Universe, and prepare them for today’s world by registering your teen in one of our live online Bible subject classes.