narratives recounting the life and death of Jesus Christ

the Gospel describes Jesus’ ministry in and around Galilee

 clearly written for Gentile converts: it traces Christ’s genealogy, for example, back to Adam, the “father” of the human race rather than to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. 

the only one of the four not considered among the Synoptic Gospels

was apparently written in Rome, perhaps between 70 and 90 CE, though some think a slightly earlier date is also possible.

The letter has been intensely studied since early Christian times and was the basis of Martin Luther’s teaching on justification by faith alone.

The letter is valuable for its illuminations both of Paul’s thoughts and of the problems of the early church.

The letter, which may have been written after an actual visit by Paul to Corinth, refers to an upheaval among the Christians there, during the course of which Paul had been insulted and his apostolic authority challenged.

The interpretation of the letters depends in part on who actually wrote them. 

Usually understood to be pseudepigraphical, with the purpose of gaining apostolic authority for its needed message.