Historical background of the New Testament that the Temple would not be rebuilt in their lifetimes, Christianity reflected the acknowledgment of early Christians that the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth was not to happen in their lifetimes. The critical analysis of the Gospels involves, at least in part, a consideration of how these concerns affected the Gospels' accounts of Jesus. According to historian Paula Fredriksen (1988: 5), critical scholars rely on four basic criteria for extrapolating an "authentic" historical account of Jesus out of the New Testament sources: As Fredriksen observes, these criteria do not guarantee an accurate historical
Prayer in the New Testament evil men" (), Maranatha. According to Gilbert W. Stafford in "Theology for Disciples", there are eight different types of prayer in the New Testament: Prayer in the New Testament Prayer in the New Testament is presented as a positive command (; ). The People of God are challenged to include Christian prayer in their everyday life, even in the busy struggles of marriage () as it brings people closer to God. Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray in secret in their private rooms, using the Lord's Prayer, as a humble response to the prayer of the Pharisees, whose practices in