Faith & Reason Nexus

The New Testament frequently references the Old Testament, showing the continuity and fulfillment of biblical teachings. Below is a breakdown of the percentage of Old Testament references in each New Testament book:

• Matthew: 31% (310 references in 1,071 verses)
• Mark: 19% (131 references in 678 verses)
• Luke: 28% (328 references in 1,151 verses)
• John: 14% (129 references in 890 verses)
• Acts: 23% (231 references in 1,006 verses)
• Romans: 35% (153 references in 433 verses)
• 1 Corinthians: 26% (115 references in 437 verses)
• 2 Corinthians: 22% (57 references in 257 verses)
• Galatians: 19% (28 references in 149 verses)
• Ephesians: 30% (46 references in 155 verses)
• Philippians: 14% (15 references in 104 verses)
• Colossians: 10% (9 references in 95 verses)
• 1 Thessalonians: 18% (16 references in 89 verses)
• 2 Thessalonians: 34% (16 references in 47 verses)
• 1 Timothy: 19% (22 references in 113 verses)
• 2 Timothy: 14% (7 references in 83 verses)
• Titus: 15% (12 references in 46 verses)
• Philemon: 0% (no references in 25 verses)
• Hebrews: 69% (210 references in 303 verses)
• James: 47% (51 references in 108 verses)
• 1 Peter: 69% (72 references in 105 verses)
• 2 Peter: 23% (14 references in 61 verses)
• 1 John: 10% (10 references in 105 verses)
• 2 John: 8% (10 references in 13 verses)
• 3 John: 7% (1 reference in 14 verses)
• Jude: 68% (17 references in 25 verses)
• Revelation: 150% (605 references in 404 verses)

Total Old Testament References:

There are 2,606 Old Testament references across 7,967 verses in the New Testament.

Observations:

• Hebrews, Revelation, and James contain the highest percentages of Old Testament references.
• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) contain numerous Old Testament references, with Matthew having the most.
• Philemon and 3 John have minimal or no Old Testament references.

This shows the integral role of the Old Testament in the New Testament, fulfilling prophecies and providing the foundation for understanding the New Testament message.