Good News For All The Earth: Understanding the story of the New Testament

by Mitchell L. Chase

10ofThose | 78 comments
The New Testament reports the arrival of God’s promised deliverer. In several Gospels, a book of early church history, many letters, and a visionary book of judgment and hope, we learn about the ministry and mission of Jesus and the lives of those who followed him.
The Old Testament contained the shadows and patterns and prophecies that anticipated the Christ, and the New Testament announces that the Light of the world has come. We need to understand the story of the New Testament because it is about the one who changed the world--and who changes us.
Through various genres and over the course of twenty-seven books, the New Testament points us to the living Christ who secured our atonement, builds his church, and will return in victory to make all things new.

176 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2025

Reviews

[Bianca]

This book provides a clear, concise overview of the story of the New Testament, and I especially appreciated this reminder: "We should not pick Paul against Jesus or Jesus against James or Jude against Peter. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Holy Gospels inspired the 21 letters, and these letters guide us in wisdom."

That was easily my favourite part of the book.

Unfortunately, much of the rest wasn't a good fit for me. Statements such as Jesus "was forming a new Israel in the promised land" appear throughout the book, and I found the theological perspective unbalanced from my point of view. More than that, the tone often came across as, "this is simply how it is," rather than inviting readers to wrestle with the biblical text. I prefer books that acknowledge faithful Christians may understand some passages differently.

Well organized and easy to follow, but it didn't resonate with me.

[Daniel Ryan]

Mitchell Chase summarizes the New Testament in Good News for All the Earth, as he did in another book for the Old Testament.

The Old Testament points to Jesus. The New Testament shows us Him, the God-made-Flesh, and covers:
- Jesus' birth and the proclamation of great joy
- The beginning of His ministry, from His baptism to temptations
- The teachings of Jesus as He traveled in the region and gave the people "Kingdom Words and Wonders"
- His passion [his death on the cross]
- His resurrection
- The rise and spread of the early church (as captured in the book of Acts)
- Letters from the Apostles
- Apocalypse [Revelation] of the end times

Like his first book, this is a deliberate overview/simplification. The focus is not on the events or words of Jesus per se, but a structural overview of the New Testament with some observations along the way. It is a solid offering.

[Mark A Powell]

Chase provides a brief overview of the storyline, structure, and substance of the New Testament. It’s great for those who are new to studying the Bible, and easy enough to read that even those seasoned in Scripture will find it helpful.

[Daniel Taylor]

This is the single best summary of the New Testament I have ever read. Doesn't take more than 2 hours to read, but it is exciting, tells the full story, makes the gospel clear, and teaches even someone who has been a believer for a while new things. I highly recommend this book to new believers and old believers alike.

The true mark of this being a 5-star book is that it filled me with desire to go straight into God's word. Absolutely loved it!