Vivid Christianity
Teaching Christians how to live a "vivid" Christian life.


Who Wrote the New Testament?


by Dave Root, VividChristianity.com, last modified on 10/18/2023.


Introduction

Here's 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. This information comes from The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary), but other sources tend to have similar opinions.

There are 27 books in the New Testament, and scholars have made deductions and educated guesses about who wrote them. As we'll see, it's believed that the apostle Paul wrote 13 books (almost half of the New Testament), the apostle John wrote 5 books, the apostle Peter wrote 2 books, and the apostle Matthew wrote 1 book. The rest of the apostles did not write any Scripture, and the remaining 6 books of the New Testament were written by non-apostles.


Timeline

6 BC to 4 BC
Jesus is born. His birth was "in the days of Herod the king" (Matthew 2:1), and many scholars believe that Herod died in 4 BC according to Wikipedia Offsite Link. Bible commentaries tend to say that Jesus is believed to have been born in or near the last year of Herod's reign, and they usually put His birth between 6 BC and 4 BC.

Monday, March 30, AD 33
Jesus officially presents Himself to Israel as the Messiah by entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey (John 12:12-16), which pastors and Bible teachers refer to as the "Triumphal Entry." This fulfilled a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 ("Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt"), and it also marked the completion of 69 of the 70 "sevens" (483 years) in a prophecy that the angel Gabriel gave to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27). This prophecy is thoroughly examined in my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Two. According to The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Daniel 9:25-26), the 483 years in Daniel's prophecy began when a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 5, 444 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-8), and the 483 years ended on Monday, March 30, AD 33, at the Triumphal Entry. For a detailed description of the math involved, see The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Daniel 9:26), or The Footsteps of the Messiah (Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.131), or Major Bible Prophecies (John Walvoord, chapter 16), or other books on Bible prophecy.

Friday afternoon, April 3, AD 33
Jesus is crucified (search online for the year that Jesus was crucified). Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18-19, Acts 4:27, 13:28), who was the governor of Judea from AD 26/27 to AD 36/37 (according to Wikipedia Offsite Link). Jesus died around 3pm (Mark 15:34-37) on a Friday, which was the Preparation Day before the Saturday Sabbath (Mark 15:42). Searching online indicates that the only dates between AD 26 and AD 36 when Jesus could have been crucified on a Friday after having a Passover meal on a Thursday were on April 7, AD 30 and April 3, AD 33. The Wikipedia entry for Tiberius Caesar Augustus Offsite Link says that he was the second Roman emperor, and that he reigned from AD 14 to AD 37. Luke 3:1-18 says that John the Baptist began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign, which would be AD 29. Jesus began His earthly ministry when He was about 30 years old after He was baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21-23), and many people online show that Jesus' ministry lasted for at least three and a half years. Based on this and other evidence, Jesus most likely died on Friday, April 3, AD 33, at around 3pm, several days after the Triumphal Entry on Monday, March 30, AD 33 (see above). We saw that He is believed to have been born in or near the last year of King Herod's reign, which means He was about 37 years old when He was crucified. Since He began His earthly ministry when He was about 30 (Luke 3:23), and since 7 is a very important number throughout the Bible (for example, see sign #11 in my article called End-Times Prophecies Are Coming to Pass Right before Our Eyes), it's reasonable to conclude that His earthly ministry lasted for 7 years, ending with His death and resurrection.

Sunday morning, April 5, AD 33
Jesus is resurrected from the dead early on Sunday morning (Mark 16:1-6) on April 5, AD 33, if He was crucified on Friday, April 3, AD 33.

Notice that Jesus had said that He would be buried for three days and three nights:
"Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."" (Matthew 12:38-40)
Based on the above passage, some people say that Jesus was buried for 72 hours (24 x 3). If they're right then it calls into question our whole concept of when He was crucified and resurrected because if we say that He died at around 3pm on a Friday and was resurrected early on Sunday morning, this is far less than 72 hours.

However, when people say that Jesus was buried for 72 hours based on the above passage, they're making a wrong interpretation because they didn't try to look for the full picture (see my article called How to Study the Bible for the reasons why it's important to try to be thorough, objective, and unbiased in order to see the full picture of whatever we're studying in the Bible). As that article shows, people in biblical times tended to speak or write using flowery or poetic language, indirect or imprecise language, symbolism or figurative language, hyperbole (exaggeration), metaphors, and so on. People back then did not always speak in literal or precise ways. For example, notice that the following passages say that Jesus was resurrected "on the third day" and "after three days" and "three days later" and "in three days":
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." (Matthew 16:21)

"When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief." (Matthew 17:22-23)

"Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"" (Matthew 20:17-19)

"He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." (Mark 8:31)

"They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."" (Mark 9:30-31)

"They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."" (Mark 10:32-34)

"Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."" (Luke 9:21-22)

"On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You." And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'"" (Luke 13:31-32 NKJV)

"Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."" (Luke 18:31-33)

"He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" (Luke 24:6-7)

"Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." They replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." (John 2:19-22)

"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen." (Acts 10:39-40)

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
Scripture doesn't contradict itself, so when the above passages say that Jesus was buried for "three days and three nights" and that He was resurrected "on the third day" and "after three days" and "three days later" and "in three days," we must interpret all of these expressions as being true. Therefore, "three days and three nights" is not meant to be taken literally as 72 hours. All of those expressions can be reconciled with each other as meaning that Jesus was resurrected on the third day (which is what the majority of the above passages say). As a number of Bible commentaries Offsite Link point out (search for "part of" at that link), a part of a day is sometimes counted as a full day in the Bible.

For further confirmation that "three days" does not automatically mean 72 hours (24 x 3), notice how days are counted in these passages:
"Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" And he put them all in custody for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households."" (Genesis 42:14-19)

"Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean." (Numbers 19:11-12)

"Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat - part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago."" (1 Samuel 30:10-13)

"Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance." (Esther 4:15-5:1)
So based on all of the scriptural evidence, Jesus was not buried for 72 hours. He died around 3pm on a Friday and was resurrected early in the morning on the following Sunday.

Thursday, May 14, AD 33
Jesus physically ascends up to heaven. Acts 1:3-11 says that He appeared to various disciples over a period of forty days after His resurrection, so if He was resurrected on Sunday, April 5, AD 33 (which was the first day that He appeared to His disciples after being raised from the dead - John 20:1-20), then He ascended up to heaven around May 14, AD 33 (which was the fortieth day that He appeared to His disciples).

Sunday, May 24, AD 33
The church is born on the day of Pentecost when the first disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. (My article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One shows that the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 was the birth of the church.) Pentecost always took place fifty days after the Sabbath of the Passover (Leviticus 23:15-16), so if Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 3, AD 33, which was the day before the Sabbath of the Passover, then Pentecost would have been around May 24, AD 33.

AD 45-48
The book of James is written. Most non-Catholic Bible scholars agree that James was one of the half-brothers of Jesus (Catholics disagree because they believe that Jesus' mother had no other children) and the one who presided over the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1-30 (AD 48-50). There are several other men named James in the New Testament (including two apostles), but there are strong reasons for eliminating them as the author of the book of James (for example, see the Introduction to James in The People's New Testament commentary). In James 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

AD 48
The apostle Paul is in Antioch of Syria and he writes his first letter, which we call the book of Galatians. This is during the time period of Acts 14:26-28, just after Paul finished his first missionary journey. In Galatians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle."

AD 50-54
The apostle Paul writes 1 and 2 Thessalonians from Corinth, during the time period of Acts 18:1-17. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1 we're told that these books were written by "Paul, Silas and Timothy."

AD 53-55
The apostle Paul writes his second letter to Corinth from Ephesus (his first letter to them has been lost - see 1 Corinthians 5:9). We call this second letter the book of 1 Corinthians. This is during the time period of Acts 19:1-41. In 1 Corinthians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes."

AD 56
The apostle Paul writes his fourth letter to Corinth from Macedonia (his third letter to them has been lost - see 2 Corinthians 2:3-4 and 7:8). We call this fourth letter the book of 2 Corinthians. This is during the time period of Acts 20:1-2. In 2 Corinthians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother."

Late winter/early spring of AD 57-58
The apostle Paul writes his letter to the Romans from Corinth. Tertius is listed as the one who actually wrote this letter (Romans 16:22), so he was probably taking dictation from Paul. Other passages indicate that Paul might have frequently dictated his letters to someone else, and that he preferred to write the concluding remarks himself (e.g., 1 Corinthians 16:21, Galatians 6:11, Colossians 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 3:17, Philemon 1:19). This is during the time period of Acts 20:2-3. In Romans 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God."

AD 57-59
The Gospel of Mark is written during this time period. Early Christian authors believed that this Gospel was written by Mark, who was an associate of the apostle Peter and the one who is referred to as "John, also called Mark" in Acts 12:12. This book is anonymous.

Scholars can't be absolutely certain when the books of the New Testament were written, but in particular there's some debate concerning the order in which Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. According to Bible scholars, roughly 91% of Mark is found in Matthew and Luke combined, and Matthew and Luke tend to follow Mark's order of events in the life of Jesus. For these and other reasons, a number of scholars believe that Mark's Gospel was written first and that Mark's Gospel was used as one of the sources for Matthew's Gospel and Luke's Gospel. The testimony of some of the early church fathers, and the internal evidence in Mark's Gospel, indicates that it was written in Rome. Mark is believed to have been in Rome around AD 57, so a plausible date for his Gospel is AD 57-59.

AD 58-60
The Gospel of Luke is written. Luke was a physician who sometimes traveled with Paul (Colossians 4:14), and he's also the author of the book of Acts. Luke wrote his Gospel before he wrote the book of Acts (Acts 1:1), and Acts ends with Paul in custody in Rome but living in his own rented house (Acts 28:16-31). This implies that Acts was finished before Nero's persecution in AD 64, and since Luke's Gospel was written before Acts, a plausible date for his Gospel is around AD 58-60. This book is anonymous.

AD 60-62
The apostle Paul is under house arrest in Rome, where he writes the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. This is during the time period of Acts 28:14-31. In Ephesians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." In Colossians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother." In Philippians 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus." In Philemon 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother."

AD 60-65
The apostle John writes the books of 1, 2, and 3 John. These books are anonymous.

AD 60-69
The Gospel of Matthew is possibly written during this time period, if the apostle Matthew used Mark's Gospel as part of his source material. If Matthew's was the first Gospel to be written, as some people believe, then it may have been written around AD 50. Many scholars believe that Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all written before AD 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, because they never mention this highly significant event. This book is anonymous.

AD 62-65
The book of Acts is finished around this time, written by Luke the physician. It's a chronological account of the spread of Christianity during the first 30 years after the cross. This book is anonymous.

AD 63-66
The apostle Paul writes 1 Timothy and Titus after being released from imprisonment in Rome and continuing his travels. In 1 Timothy 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope." In Titus 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ."

AD 64-65
The apostle Peter writes the book of 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ."

AD 64-68
The apostle Peter writes the book of 2 Peter. This is the last New Testament book that Peter will write. He's believed to have been martyred in late AD 67 or early AD 68. In 2 Peter 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ."

AD 67
The apostle Paul writes 2 Timothy while imprisoned in Rome again. This is the last New Testament book that Paul will write. He's believed to have been martyred in AD 67 or AD 68. In 2 Timothy 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God."

AD 67-80
Jude writes his letter, referring to himself as a brother of James (believed to be the one who wrote the book of James). There are several men named Jude in the New Testament, but for a number of reasons many scholars believe that Jude was one of the half-brothers of Jesus. In Jude 1:1 we're told that the book was written by "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James."

AD 68-69
An unknown person writes the book of Hebrews. Some people believe that the apostle Paul wrote Hebrews, but the evidence that Paul did not write this book is very strong (for example, notice that all of the books written by Paul say that they were written by Paul, yet Hebrews does not say who wrote it). A number of scholars believe that there's strong evidence that Barnabas wrote Hebrews. Barnabas (who is mentioned a number of times in Acts 11 through 15) was Paul's traveling companion, so he would have picked up many of Paul's phrases and expressions from hearing Paul preach so much. This might be why Hebrews sounds as if Paul wrote it, even though it doesn't say that it was written by Paul and it doesn't have Paul's usual greeting. This book is anonymous.

AD 85-95
The apostle John writes the Gospel of John during this period. This book is anonymous.

AD 95-96
The apostle John writes the book of Revelation while in exile on Patmos Island during the reign of Domitian (who died in AD 96). This is the last New Testament book that John will write, and the last New Testament Scripture to be written (until after the Second Coming - see my article called All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today). In Revelation 1:1 we're told that the book is "The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John."

At this point, John is the last surviving member of the original twelve apostles, and the only one of them to have died a natural death (according to tradition). Judas Iscariot hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5), and the other ten of the original twelve apostles were martyred:
  • Andrew: Crucified.
  • Bartholomew: Crucified (some say he was skinned alive).
  • James, son of Alphaeus: Crucified (some say he was then sawed in pieces).
  • James, son of Zebedee (brother of the apostle John): Death by the sword (Acts 12:2).
  • Matthew: Death by the sword.
  • Peter: Crucified upside-down at his own request (he didn't feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as the Lord).
  • Philip: Crucified (some say he died by hanging).
  • Simon the Zealot: Crucified.
  • Thaddaeus: Death by arrows.
  • Thomas: Death by a spear thrust.
Around AD 140
A heretic named Marcion creates what is possibly the first formal list of books of the New Testament. This helped to accelerate the establishment of the final New Testament canon (see The Canon of the New Testament Offsite Link and Development of the New Testament canon Offsite Link).

AD 397
If you search online, you'll find articles describing the criteria that were used for determining which books are inspired by God and should be included in the New Testament canon (for example, see What criteria were used to determine the canon of Scripture? Offsite Link and The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture Offsite Link). There were 27 books that fit those criteria, which are the books of the New Testament in all of our Bibles. In AD 397, at the Council of Carthage, the complete New Testament canon containing all 27 books was officially approved.

Between the 13th and 16th centuries AD
Chapter numbers and verse numbers are added to the Bible (see Chapter and Verse Divisions Offsite Link).


For the glory of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh, was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life for our justification.

Dave Root
home page and email: https://www.vividchristianity.com

"Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist - denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23)

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God." (1 John 4:15)

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 John 1:6-7)

"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
 
 
Modification History

  • 10/18/2023 - Added a quote from each New Testament book concerning its authorship (or else pointed out that the book is anonymous).

  • 10/13/2023 - Updated the capitalization of "church" throughout the article for consistency, as explained in my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One.

  • 08/13/2023 - Added some information about the probable length of Jesus' earthly ministry under "Friday afternoon, April 3, AD 33."

  • 05/03/2023 - Modified some of the information about the apostles' deaths under "AD 95-96."

  • 03/28/2023 - Deleted the information about eclipses under "Friday afternoon, April 3, AD 33" because it didn't really contribute much.

  • 02/22/2023 - Modified the information about the New Testament canon under "AD 397."

  • 02/09/2023 - Added a link to some Bible commentaries under "Sunday morning, April 5, AD 33."

  • 10/31/2022 - Added more information under "Sunday morning, April 5, AD 33."

  • 09/15/2022 - Added a link to my article called "All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today" under "AD 95-96."

  • 08/20/2022 - Modified the information about the New Testament canon under "AD 397."

  • 07/23/2022 - Added more information about the New Testament canon under "AD 397." Modified my closing statement.

  • 03/20/2022 - Slightly modified the description of Mark's Gospel and Matthew's Gospel. Added the fact that James, son of Zebedee, was the brother of the apostle John, and that his martyrdom is recorded in Acts 12:2.

  • 01/26/2022 - Added "Monday, March 30, AD 33."

  • 01/19/2022 - Added "Sunday, April 5, AD 33," "Thursday, May 14, AD 33," and "Sunday, May 24, AD 33."

  • 12/20/2021 - Added some more information concerning the book of Acts.

  • 12/01/2021 - Updated the information concerning the date of King Herod's death.

  • 11/03/2021 - Made the font size a bit bigger and added a fish symbol as a favicon (which is displayed in the browser tab).

  • 12/19/2020 - Added more information concerning the possible date of Jesus' death.

  • 11/08/2020 - Clarified some of the dates, and added a couple of links under "Around AD 140."

  • 08/27/2020 - New article.