The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible, which contains 27 books that tell the story of Jesus Christ and his followers. The New Testament is also a collection of writings by various authors who lived in the first and second centuries A.D. Here are some of the main facts about who wrote the New Testament and when.
The four Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament, which narrate the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. The traditional names of the authors are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but most scholars agree that these names were assigned later and do not reflect the actual identities of the writers1. The Gospels were probably written between 65 and 100 A.D., based on internal and external evidence.
The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book of the New Testament, which describes the history of the early church and the spread of Christianity after Jesus’ ascension. The author of Acts is also believed to be the author of the Gospel of Luke, based on similarities in style, language and theology. Acts was likely written in the late first or early second century A.D., after most of Paul’s letters.
The Pauline epistles are 13 letters attributed to Paul, the apostle who converted to Christianity after encountering the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul wrote these letters to various churches and individuals that he founded or visited during his missionary journeys. Most scholars accept that seven of these letters are authentic, while six are disputed or considered pseudonymous. The authentic letters are Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians and Philemon, and they were written between 50 and 60 A.D. The disputed letters are Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, and they were written between 60 and 150 A.D.
The Epistle to the Hebrews is a letter addressed to Jewish Christians who were tempted to abandon their faith in Jesus and return to Judaism. The author of Hebrews is unknown, but some early traditions suggested Paul, Barnabas, Apollos or Priscilla as possible candidates. Hebrews was probably written before 70 A.D., when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.
The general epistles are seven letters written by various authors to different audiences. They are James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John and Jude. The authorship and date of these letters are uncertain, but most scholars agree that they were written between 60 and 120 A.D., with some exceptions.
The Book of Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, which contains a series of visions and prophecies about the end times and the return of Christ. The author identifies himself as John, a servant of God who was exiled on the island of Patmos because of his testimony about Jesus. Most scholars agree that this John was not the same as the author of the Gospel or the epistles, but a different Christian leader known as John of Patmos. Revelation was probably written around 95 A.D., during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Domitian.
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