Aug 11, 2008 who wrote the books of the new testament, and is the new testament as we know it in chronological order. A chronological new testament is different from and yet the same as the new testament familiar to christians. The idea here is to give you a brief summary of what books are in the new testament and what is contained in these books. John the apostle had the distinguished role of collecting all the books extant and completing the canonization of the bible somewhere between 96 to 99 a. The majority of the new testament was written by secondhand witnesses from 3055 years after the death of jesus.
To answer this question and to help stimulate your study of scripture, here is a listing of the order in which the books of the new testament are believed to have been written, as well as their approximate dates and their authors. Writings of the new testament voice of the faithful. One of the earliest epistles is james, written in 49 a. It contains the same 27 documents, but sequences them in the chronological order in which they were written. There are many examples of this in the new testament. Forty men shared in the writing of the bible over a span of about 1,600 years from the time of moses to the last book written by john. Bible timeline of the new testament book 1 before time in the beginning was the word john 1 2 before 4000 bc the creation genesis 1 3 before 4000 bc the garden of eden genesis 2 4 before. This is a critical piece upon which the reliability of the new testament. Here we research when the old testament and new testament were written, compiled, the original language, and the history of the english bible. In the cases in which historians disagree on the date, we have identified the prominent historians who support the earliest and lastest possible dates. In what order were the books in the new testament written. Chart of the 27 books of the new testament with historical timeline. Apr 28, 2014 one of the many difficulties the new testament presents for scholars is dating and sequencing the books in order. Every author of the new testament was jewish except for luke.
We now know that the entire new testament was written by first, second, and thirdhand witnesses, in the range of 20120 years after the death of jesus. People in the class had no clue how long it took for the new testament to be written, nor did they know about the canonization process, or the translation process. D unfortunately, the new testament does not give a precise timeline for these significant. Dating of the new testament books in order by most likely date free beginning home. Timeline of new testament books new testament charts bible.
This table summarises the chronology of the main tables and serves as a. Whats the chronological order of the new testament books. The books of the new testament are grouped into the 4 basic categories described above, not published chronologically in the order in which they were written. The new testament was written by, or its writing was supervised by, the chosen disciples of jesus christ. You may be referring to 325 ad, when the council of nicaea officially recognized the new testament as having been written by god. Infographic the jericho new testament timeline new. This chronology is based on the most sound evaluations of the evidence in scripture and its historical context. Who decided which books would be in the new testament. Although the gospels and the book of acts give us a fairly good idea of the sequence of events, we do not have the exact years in which things happened.
The new testament contains 27 different books written by nine different authors. I will list the new testament books in approximate chronological order, but alter this when necessary for clarity. Wasnt the new testament written hundreds of years after. Home timelines chronology of the new testament books. The new testament was written during the first and second century ad and there are substantial documents dating from that period. Revelation was probably written at the end of john the apostles life. For example, matthew, the first gospel, is actually the 20th book, written between 60 and 69 a. Robinson demonstrates that the books in question were written relatively early. Much of the old testament speaks of a redemption for mankind which will come in the form of the messiah. The new testament books fall into five general categories. Other scholars believe that most of the new testament was written before the fall of jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 a.
The new testament timeline covers only about seventy years. The book of daniel is the best example from the jewish scriptures the book pretends to be written in the 500s, but it gets historical details wrong, has a few greek loan words, and describes the situation in detail that happened between 167165 bce. It focuses primarily on the ancient languages and not the english translations see also the history of the bible in english timeline. I know the version fo the bible i read had the letters from paul ordered by their size, and not when they were written. The aim of studying chronology is to discover the sequence of past events and. Was nt the new testament written like 300 years after jesus. Mar 01, 20 the first book of the new testament, matthew, was written about 40 a. This chart has been modified some according to my own reading.
Have you ever thought about which books of the new testament were written first. The 27book new testament was first formally canonized during the councils of hippo 393 and carthage 397 in north africa. Acts is the only new testament book which records how much time elapsed between jesus death and his ascension. As with the study of the old testament, understanding the contextthe times, the original audience, the inspiration of the spirit through the writer for his present timeis essential. Who wrote the books of the new testament, and is the new testament as we know it in chronological order. Consult this timeline when reading the new testament and understand the biblical narrative better than ever. Im just curious as to the actual timeline and known dates of the new testament books. The following list arranges the books of the bible according to their most probable dates. Oct 15, 2018 unlike other explorations of the new testament in modern christianity, this book breaks down each chapter into its contextual meaning the audience it was written for, the writers perspective at that moment of writing, the relationship it has with the other books of the new testament, and the bible as a whole. The apostle john must address a heresy, spreading is some new testament asian churches, that denies jesus humanity.
Writing author comments ca 5052 1 thessalonians paul probably written from corinth, the letter may contain some later additions by other writers. Dates of the books of the new testament sacred scripture. No, the new testament was nt written 300 years after jesus. While no arrangement of these books can be made with absolute confidence, the following dates are sufficiently. If you want a printable chart without all of the links so that you can keep this with your.
However, please note that this is only a proposed ordering of events most events in the new testament are not given specific datestimes in the scriptures and thus the table presented below is theoretical only. Approximate chronology of the new testament writings religion. Though this information is basic, it supplies enough evidence to support the apostolic authorship of the new testament documents. Some of the books were written anonymously and did not specify an author. Early collections of the sayings of jesus and notes on his life, written shortly after his death, possibly in. He writes 1, 2 and 3john to refute these false teachings. The blue letter bible ministry and the blb institute hold to the historical, conservative christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of scripture. Approximate chronology of the new testament writings. The next key event after the ascension of jesus into heaven was pentecost acts 2. Table ii treats the old testamenthebrew bible books, grouped according to the divisions. These visual aids will help you study, learn, and more fully understand gods word and the events of scripture.
The bible is a collection of sixtysix books composed and compiled over 2,000 years by forty authors on three continents. The first book of the new testament, matthew, was written about 40 a. Some hold to the 90s and it is the last book written in the new testament. Now that you know where it fits in the chronology, you can avoid this. The holy book used by the early christians is the jewish bible, known to christians now as the old testament testament meaning in this context a covenant between god and man. Many early church fathers regarded some books as canon that did not make into the final cut. The last book of the old testament, malachi, was written about 443 b. Bible timeline of the old testament book believers portal. Chronology of the new testament encyclopedia of the bible. The new testament, as usually received in the christian churches, is made up of twentyseven different books attributed to eight different authors, six of whom are numbered among the apostles matthew, john, paul, james, peter, jude and two among their immediate disciples mark, luke.
In his book named redating the new testament, john a. To answer this question and to help stimulate your study of scripture, here is a listing of the order in which the books of the new testament are believed to have been written, as well as their approximate dates and their. Mar 02, 2018 the books of galatians and james are thought to be the oldest in the new testament canon, written by 49 a. On the other hand, many scholars believe that most of the new testament was written before the fall of jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 ad. Below is a table showing when each book was written, where, by whom and the time frame covered. The earliest known complete list of the 27 books of the new testament is found in a letter written by athanasius, a 4thcentury bishop of alexandria, dated to 367 ad. The four tables give the most commonly accepted dates or ranges of dates for the old testament hebrew bible, the deuterocanonical books included in roman catholic and eastern orthodox bibles, but not in the hebrew and protestant bibles and the new testament, including, where possible, hypotheses about their formationhistory.
The 27 book new testament was first formally canonized during the councils of hippo 393 and carthage 397 in north africa. But by then, christians had been reading the new testament as gods word already for two centuries. In almost all christian traditions today, the new testament consists of 27 books. It is a collection of christian texts written in the common koine greek language of the first century, at different times by various writers.
Story of the bible part two overview of the new testament. It is generally accepted that pauls undisputed epistles romans, 1 corinthians, 2 corinthians, philemon, galatians, philippians and 1 thessalonians were written by about 60 ce. Also, look for the free chronological bible reading schedule on our bible reading plans page. Robinson demonstrates that the books of the new testament were written relatively early. The new testament consists of 27 separate books, written mainly, though not exclusively, by apostles of the lord jesus christ. It seems peculiar at first that luke, the author of acts, should record this. This chart shows a chronology of historical events in the first century ad, including the dates and places of the new testament books. This is a timeline and table of the new testament books.
The books of galatians and james are thought to be the oldest in the new testament canon, written by 49 a. The four tables give the most commonly accepted dates or ranges of dates for the old testament hebrew bible, the deuterocanonical books included in roman catholic and eastern orthodox bibles, but not in the hebrew and protestant bibles and the new testament, including, where possible, hypotheses about their formationhistory table i is a chronological overview. All 15 ot books 0 old testament timelines 7 new testament timelines 9 nt books 0 homepage 0 basics 0 beyond the basics 0 timelines 0 timeline of salvation history chronology of jesus life and ministry. It will also show you what letters were written where and when by paul. Timeline based on traditionally accepted timeframes and general consensus of a variety of sources, including wilmingtons guide to the bible, a survey of israels history wood, the mysterious numbers of the hebrew kings thiele, esv study bible, the treasury of scripture knowledge, international standard bible encyclopedia, and eastons.
Acts is the only new testament book which records how much time. To some people, jamess emphasis on good works contradicts the all important christian doctrine of justification by faith alone. Timeline of new testament books new testament charts. Table ii treats the old testamenthebrew bible books, grouped according to the. The way in which the new testament canon came into existence, however, is the subject of an immense amount of disinformation and uninformed opinion.
Writings, date or range of dates most widely held by scholars. The canon or list of the books of the new testament was defined by the catholic church. The four tables give the most commonly accepted dates or ranges of dates for the old. Origins of the church timeline page 1 writings of the new testament date a. The following chart provides the dates when the new testament books were written. While no arrangement of these books can be made with absolute confidence, the following dates are sufficiently reliable to serve the purpose of the bible student. Chronological summary of the new testament gospels. This table will give you a simple chronology of the books of the new testament. But from the middle of the 1st century ad texts begin to be written which will later be gathered into a new testament, representing the updated covenant revealed by christ. List of the dates and places of the new testament books. Below is a proposed chronological outline of events in the new testament gospels as they likely occurred.
This timeline looks at the journey of the new testament text from its earliest manuscripts to the scholarly editions of today. During the forty days after his crucifixion he appeared to the apostles from time to time 1. Unlike the old testament, the new testament as a canon of 27 books is agreed upon by essentially all groups which identify as christian. Enhance your bible study and spiritual growth with timelines that bring clarity, organization, and important context to the new testament. Apr 09, 2020 the old testament was written in hebrew and aramaic, and the new testament in greek.
The old testament was written in hebrew and aramaic, and the new testament in greek. The familiar new testament begins with the gospels and concludes with revelation for obvious reasons. These books teach and testify of the ministry and atonement of jesus christ and the rise of the early christian church. After herod the greats death, his son herod antipas becomes the new roman tetrarch of galilee and perea. Oct 31, 2012 a chronological new testament is different from and yet the same as the new testament familiar to christians. Timeline of new testament books bible history online. Matthew, peter, and john were among the 12 disciples who walked with christ during his earthly ministry. Furthermore, there are places in the new testament that imply the books were written long after the purported events, such as when the text reads, in the days of john the baptist, which indicates that the writer is set far ahead in time and is looking back. We do not even know for certain in which years jesus was born and crucified. In spite of the late dates assigned by some scholars, it is. If the books in my bible dont follow a chronological arrangement, what was the order in which they were written. This is a complete biblical timeline of the old testament book from creation note. Daniel 164 bce, combining newlywritten visions, chapters 712, with the.
428 1212 440 844 1257 1252 650 1264 1491 240 404 293 316 527 1358 493 1275 1410 7 351 204 959 68 9 1313 920 1150 1487 971 2 681 685 1013 1000 1047 872 1109 899 621 21 506 314