When were the Gospels written?

A timeline of when the Gospels and the books (letters) of the New Testament were written

Some loud voices say that the Gospels were written too long after Jesus had left the Earth, but this timeline shows when the Gospels and Epistles were written.

When you look at the actual time they were written, the people writing them were either eyewitnesses or had lived at the same time as those who saw these events, it is not unreasonable to accept their validity.

Also, many people still living had been around at the time of Jesus, so if they had seen anything different written within the Gospels, these writings would have gone down like a lead balloon and no one would have believed them.

1. Some have dated the Gospels according to their worldview

Unfortunately, some scholars are influenced by their presuppositions when trying to fix a date on the Gospels:

For example, in the past many liberal theologians have argued for a later dating of many of the New Testament books than is probably warranted or valid, in an attempt to discredit or cast doubts upon the content and authenticity of the Gospel accounts.
On the other hand, there are many scholars who look to a much earlier dating of the New Testament books…
There are scholars who believe the Gospel of Matthew was written as early as ten to twelve years after the death of Christ.
Those who hold to this earlier dating of Matthew believe he first wrote his Gospel in Aramaic, and then it was later translated into Greek.
One of the evidences of this earlier dating of Matthew’s Gospel is that early church leaders such as Irenaeus [c. 120 AD to c. 200], Origen [c. 185 AD to c. 253], and Eusebius [c. 260 AD to c. 340] recorded that Matthew first wrote his Gospel for Jewish believers while he was still in Israel.
In fact Eusebius (a bishop of Caesarea and known as the father of church history) reported that Matthew wrote his Gospel before he left Israel to preach in other lands, which Eusebius says happened about 12 years after the death of Christ. Some scholars believe that this would place the writing of Matthew as early as AD 40-45 and as late as AD 55.”

‘When were the Gospels written?’ Got Questions Ministries ¹

The Wikipedia article ‘Gospel’ is heavily influenced by the author’s presuppositions with remarks such as:

“…almost certainly none were by eyewitnesses, and all are the end-products of long oral and written transmission…” ²
This is a very sweeping statement considering it was almost certainly less than 40 years after Jesus.

The Wikipedia writer continues: “…the differences of detail among the gospels are irreconcilable…”
But the differences are from four individuals who were aiming at different audiences and none are an exhaustive biography. ³
John actually states that his account does not contain everything Jesus did ⁴.
John aimed to present a selection of events from Jesus’ life whilst bringing out many deeper spiritual truths.
Matthew aimed his gospel at the Jews who knew the Old Testament and he therefore quoted from it a lot.
Mark aimed his writing at the powerful Romans so his gospel shows the power of Jesus’ miracles.
Luke aimed his gospel at the Greeks who loved culture, beauty and ideas. He was also initially presenting an orderly account to the ‘most excellent Theophilus’.
The gospels are not irreconcilable and scholars have produced a harmony of the Gospels, see ‘The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Harmony of the Gospels’ ⁵

Wikipedia continues: “…Mark never calls Jesus ‘God’ or claims that he existed prior to his earthly life, apparently believes that he had a normal human parentage and birth…”
Just because Mark does not mention those facts it does not mean that he didn’t believe those things.

“…the ‘young man’ who appears at Jesus’ tomb in Mark becomes a radiant angel in Matthew…”
Wikipedia is trying to discredit the two accounts by saying that one says it was an ordinary man, whereas the other account says it was an angel.
But it is obvious that the “young man” in Mark is referring to an angel in “a white [bright, gleaming] robe, and they were alarmed”⁶ They were so scared that Mark records “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them…”⁷
Both accounts speak of a supernatural encounter with an angel, so the gospels of Mark and Matthew are talking about the same incident.

Wikipedia also states that John’s Gospel changes certain situations, for example: “…placing the cleansing of the Temple at the beginning rather than at the end…”
Whereas, what happened was that Jesus cleansed the temple at the start of his public ministry ⁸ and at the end of his ministry⁹ which makes sense to me, in that Jesus wanted to emphasise the point that the temple was corrupted.

Unfortunately, this sceptical viewpoint affects the dating of the gospels and the outcome is: “The Gospel of Mark probably dates from c. AD 66–70, Matthew and Luke around AD 85–90, and John AD 90–110.”

So, when were the Gospels written and how can we find out when they and other New Testament documents were written?

Certainly, any of the gospels and church letters that mention anything related to the temple would have mentioned its destruction in 70 AD (about 40 years after Jesus).
So when Mark records the disciples praising the beauty of the temple and Jesus replied that the temple would be destroyed, it would have been unthinkable for Mark not to have said that this prophesy was fulfilled – if he was writing this after 70 AD:

And as he [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!
And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’
And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us when will these things be…’ ”

Mark 13:1-4 ESV

Mark had recorded that some of the disciples asked Jesus when the stones would be thrown down – in other words, when would the temple be destroyed, but Mark obviously could not reply as to when it would happen, because Mark must have written this gospel before AD 70.

The destruction of the temple was such an important event where God intervened and showed that the old order of worship was now abolished.
It was a pivotal moment, and so the date AD 70 became very important in the writings of the gospels and Epistles.
In light of that date, we can now look at the written documents and ask, ‘Would they have worded their letter or gospel differently if it was written before, or after that date?’

2. A timeline of when the Gospels and books of the New Testament were written

AD 30 Jesus′ death and resurrection (approx) to AD 39

Tiberius Caesar Augustus (reigned 14 to 37 AD)
He was remembered as a dark, reclusive and sombre ruler who never really wanted to be emperor. ¹⁰

In the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection many people saw him. The apostle Paul recorded the number, and who saw Jesus at that point:

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, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV

Stephen was stoned by the Jews probably around AD 32 -34. (Acts 7:59)

Paul’s conversion was probably AD 34. (Acts 9)

Paul’s escape from Damascus
“but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall lowering him in a basket.” (Acts 9:25 ESV) was probably AD 36.

Caligula – Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (reigned 37 to 41 AD)
He started many ambitious construction projects, including racetracks, theatres, amphitheatres, and improvements to roads and ports. He had to abandon the installation of his statue in the Temple of Jerusalem. ¹²

AD 40 to 49 approximately ten to nineteen years after Jesus

Claudius – Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (reigned 41 to 53 AD)
He had a limp and slight deafness which probably saved him from the purges of Tiberius and Caligula, as potential enemies. He was an able and efficient administrator. He expanded the imperial bureaucracy to include freedmen and helped restore the empire’s finances after Caligula’s excesses. He constructed new roads, aqueducts, and canals across the Empire. ¹⁴

James′ letter

The prevailing view remains that James, the brother of Jesus, is the author of the epistle bearing his name.
Some modern scholars propose a pseudonymous alternative, suggesting that an anonymous author wrote the book under James’ name. However, this remains a speculative hypothesis, and there is no reason to discard the traditional view.”

‘Who wrote the book of James? Who was the author of James?’ Got Questions Ministries¹⁶

The letter of James starts with: “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” which seems to be written to Jewish Christians and this would point to a very early letter, otherwise, it would have been addressed to churches consisting of Gentiles and Jewish converts spread throughout areas like modern Turkey.

…a Jewish audience would be more in keeping with the obviously Jewish nature of the letter (e.g., the use of the Hebrew title for God, kyrios sabaoth, ‘Lord Almighty,’ 5:4)…
It has been plausibly suggested that these were believers from the early Jerusalem church who, after Stephen’s death, were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Syrian Antioch (see Ac 8:1; 11:19 and notes).”

‘Summary of the Book of James’ Bible Study Tools ¹⁷

In a Crosswalk article, four clues are given as to the letter of James being a very early date:

1. Its distinctively Jewish nature suggests that it was composed when the church was still predominantly Jewish.
2. It reflects a simple church order — officers of the church are called “elders” (5:14) and “teachers” (3:1).
3. No reference is made to the controversy over Gentile circumcision.
4. The Greek term ‘synagoge’ (“synagogue” or “meeting”) is used to designate the meeting or meeting place of the church (2:2).”

‘Who Wrote the Book of James and Why?’ By Jessica Udall. Crosswalk. ¹⁸

Matthew’s Gospel

There are two main views on the date of Mathew’s Gospel.
Many scholars today put it at AD 75-90, but Matthew specifies Jesus’ prophesy about the destruction of the temple without saying it had been fulfilled which seems to be improbable.
The second view is a much earlier date and is based on:

Irenaeus [c. 120 AD to c. 200], Origen [c. 185 AD to c. 253], and Eusebius [c. 260 AD to c. 340] recorded that Matthew first wrote his Gospel for Jewish believers while he was still in Israel.
In fact Eusebius (a bishop of Caesarea and known as the father of church history) reported that Matthew wrote his Gospel before he left Israel to preach in other lands, which Eusebius says happened about 12 years after the death of Christ. Some scholars believe that this would place the writing of Matthew as early as AD 40-45 and as late as AD 55.”

‘When were the Gospels written?’ Got Questions Ministries

Clement Harrold of the St. Paul Center, quotes from a recent book, ‘Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament – The Evidence for Early Composition’, by the New Testament scholar Jonathan Bernier¹⁹ which summarizes some of the latest evidence that supports early dates for all four Gospels:

…he does offer a robust case for placing the Gospels before the critical date of AD 70. For Bernier, Matthew was likely written around the years 45-59, Mark around 42-45, Luke around 59, and John around 60-70.
Arguments for these earlier dates are multiple, but they include the fact that none of the Gospels speak of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple as a past event, therefore suggesting a pre-70 date of composition.
Another argument is based on the fact that Luke’s Gospel was written before the Acts of the Apostles, which appears to have been penned during the lifetime of apostle Paul.
Given the scholarly consensus that Luke’s Gospel was the third of the three synoptics, it then follows that not only Acts but also Luke, Mark, and Matthew must have all been composed prior to Paul’s death in AD 64/65.”

‘When Were the Gospels Written?’ By Clement Harrold. St. Paul Center. ²⁰

Apostle Paul’s first missionary journey “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3 ESV) Probably AD 47-48 or AD 49-50.

AD 50 to 59 approximately twenty to twenty-nine years after Jesus

William F. Albright, the distinguished archaeologist and biblical scholar, affirmed that:

every book of the New Testament was written by a baptised Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century AD
(very probably sometime between about AD 50 and 75).”

William F. Albright ²¹

Paul’s second missionary journey “And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’ ” (Acts 15:36 ESV) Probably AD 50-52.

Nero – Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (reigned 54 to 68 AD)
The Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his wife and so Nero became Emperor. Nero murdered his mother, his wife and his stepbrother. History records him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched. Tacitus thought he was compulsive and corrupt. Suetonius reported that the Great Fire of Rome was instigated by Nero to clear land for his planned “Golden House”. Tacitus claimed that Nero seized Christians as scapegoats for the fire to satisfy his cruelty. ²²

Paul’s third missionary journey “After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples.” (Acts 18:23 ESV) Probably AD 53-57.

Letter to the Galatians

The Encyclopedia Britannica gives this date for Galatians:

Paul probably wrote the epistle from Ephesus about 53–54 to a church he had founded in the territory of Galatia, in Asia Minor, though there is uncertainty about the date of the letter’s composition.”

‘Letter of Paul to the Galatians’. Encyclopedia Britannica ²⁴

The first and second letters to the Thessalonians

Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, two New Testament letters written by St. Paul the Apostle from Corinth, Achaea (now in southern Greece), about 50 CE and addressed to the Christian community he had founded in Thessalonica (now in northern Greece).”

‘Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians’. Encyclopedia Britannica. ²⁵

The Bible Gateway states a similar date:

It is generally agreed by scholars that this epistle was written in the early fifties (c. 50-51).”

‘First Epistle to the Thessalonians’ Bible Gateway. ²⁶

The first letter to the Corinthians

The Encyclopedia Britannica gives an early date:

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, probably written about 53–54 CE at Ephesus, Asia Minor, deals with problems that arose in the early years after Paul’s initial missionary visit (c. 50–51) to Corinth…”

‘Letters of Paul to the Corinthians’. Encyclopedia Britannica. ²⁷

The English Standard Version Resources page gives an early date for the first letter to the Corinthians:

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church in the spring of AD 53, 54, or 55. This was near the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus.”

‘Introduction to 1 Corinthians’ English Standard Version Resources. ²⁸

The second letter to the Corinthians

Paul’s second letter in the Bible to the Corinthians was written fairly soon after his first:

The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians was written from Macedonia in about 55 CE.
The letter, which may have been written after an actual visit by Paul to Corinth, refers to an upheaval among the Christians there…
he [Paul] evidently wrote an intervening letter (2:3–4; 7:8, 12), now lost, in which he told the Corinthians of his anguish and displeasure.”

‘Letters of Paul to the Corinthians’. Encyclopedia Britannica.

Letter to the Romans

The Encyclopedia Britannica and the majority of scholars put this date on the book of Romans:

It was probably composed at Corinth in about 57 CE. The epistle was addressed to the Christian church at Rome, whose congregation Paul hoped to visit for the first time on his way to Spain.”

‘Letter of Paul to the Romans’. Encyclopedia Britannica. ²⁹

Paul’s first letter to Timothy

Many modern scholars generally put a date on 1 Timothy as some time in the late 1st century or first half of the 2nd century AD.
However, Irenaeus (writing c. 180 AD) is the earliest author to clearly and unequivocally describe Paul as the author. ³⁰

Craig Davis has some interesting points about the dating of the first letter of Timothy:

There is no hint in 1 Timothy that Paul is in prison. In other letters, where Paul is in prison, he says so or alludes to it multiple times, so this fact alone tends to date 1 Timothy prior to Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea in 57 A.D.
Paul says he urged Timothy to stay at Ephesus while he went to Macedonia (1 Tim 1:3). These are events from Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 20:1).
This provides the reason for the letter, instructing Timothy in how to manage the church in Paul’s absence.
Timothy is still quite young (1 Tim 4:11-15). Timothy would have needed this letter toward the beginning of his time in Ephesus, not years later, so it is best to assume that Paul wrote it very shortly after his departure.
Since Paul spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31) and his departure was toward the end of his third missionary journey, the best date for 1 Timothy would be around 56 or early 57 A.D.”

‘The First and Second Letter to Timothy’ Dating the New Testament. ³¹

The Gospel of Mark

Many scholars today date the gospel of Mark at AD 65-70 and Matthew and Luke are placed ten or twenty years later.

But the early church historian Eusebius AD 326 wrote about the author of Mark’s Gospel and quoted Papias’ words from about AD 140:

And John the presbyter also said this, Mark being the interpreter of Peter, whatsoever he recorded he wrote with great accuracy, but not however, in the order in which it was spoken or done by our Lord, but as before said, he was in company with Peter, who gave him such instruction as was necessary, but not to give a history of our Lord’s discourse:
Wherefore Mark has not erred in any thing, by writing some things as he has recorded them; for he was carefully attentive to one thing, not to pass by any thing he had heard, or to state any thing falsely in these accounts”.

Ecclesiastical History, III, 39

The Bible Gateway’s article ‘Gospel of Mark’ has several ancient quotes:

The Anti-Marcionite Prologue to Mark (AD 150-180) has an interesting reference. It says that Mark was called ‘stump-fingered,’ because he had small fingers, and then adds: ‘He was the interpreter of Peter. After the death of Peter he wrote down this same Gospel in the regions of Italy.’ ” ³²

“Irenaeus (c. AD 185), as quoted by Eusebius, says that after the ‘departure’ (death?) of Peter and Paul, ‘Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing what had been preached by Peter’ (op. cit., v. 8). Just before this Irenaeus discusses the gospel of Matthew, and afterward the gospels of Luke and John. So he is clearly talking about the second gospel.”

“Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 195) has this to say about the origin of the Gospel of Mark: ‘When Peter had proclaimed the word publicly at Rome, and declared the gospel under the influence of the spirit; as there was a great number present, they requested Mark, who had followed him from afar [for a long time], and remembered well what he had said, to reduce these things to writing, and that after composing the gospel he gave it to those who requested it of him. Which, when Peter understood, he directly neither hindered nor encouraged it’ (ibid., VI, 14). There are two other similar statements by Clement.”

Tertullian (c. AD 200), in his book Against Marcion (IV, 5), says that the gospel ‘which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter’s, whose interpreter Mark was.‘ ”

‘Gospel of Mark’ Bible Gateway. ³³

From this, we learn that Mark either wrote his gospel during Peter’s lifetime which ended around AD 64-67 or shortly after that.
So, the Gospel of Mark could have been written between AD 50 to mid-60s.

The Apostle Paul before Festus and Agrippa (Acts 25:1-32) was probably AD 59.

AD 60 to 63 approximately thirty to thirty-three years after Jesus

The Gospel of Luke was written before Acts

The Gospel of Luke was written before the Book of Acts because Acts starts with this:

In my former book*, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.
He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

Acts 1:1-3 NIV

* this ‘former book’ is known as the Gospel of Luke.

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus prophesies the fall of Jerusalem because they rejected the Messiah (Luke 13:34-35).
It would be unimaginable for Luke not to mention such a fulfilment of prophecy if he were writing after AD 70 (which was when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans).
Therefore Luke′s Gospel must have been before AD 70.
The modern view is that Luke’s Gospel seems to rely on the ‘eyewitness accounts’ of Mark and Matthew as sources of information (Luke 1:1-4).

There may be a reference in the writings of Luke that he used Mark as a written source.
John Mark is called a ‘minister’ by Luke in Acts 13:5 (the Greek word huparetas).
In 1:2, Luke says he derived the information for his gospel from those who were ‘eyewitnesses’ and ‘ministers’ of the word.
The term translated ‘minister’ is the same Greek word huparetas.
It is possible that this could be a reference to Mark as one of his written sources.”

‘When were the four Gospels written’ Blue Letter Bible. ³⁴

The Encyclopedia Britannica states this concerning the dating of the Gospel of Luke:

The date and place of composition are uncertain, but many date the Gospel to 63–70 CE, others somewhat later.”

‘Gospel According to Luke’ Encyclopedia Britannica. ³⁵

E. F. Bruce dates: Mark at around AD 64 or 65, Luke shortly before 70, and Matthew shortly after 70,³⁶

The Acts of the Apostles

The Book of Acts in the Bible was written by Luke and is a history of the early church with a lot of historical detail.
Therefore, it is logical to be able to put a date on this book. Acts does not record the monumental fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed it.
The Temple was also demolished, so surely this event would have been recorded if Acts had been written after AD 70.

The picture shows the Temple being plundered which comes from a carving on the Titus arch in Rome.

The Book of Acts stops short of the result of Paul′s arrest and appeal to Caesar (Acts 28:17-19 and 30-31).
This was probably due to the outcome not being known at the time Acts was written.
It is thought that Paul was martyred in AD 64-67, so Acts must have been written before that.³⁷

The Blue Letter Bible website states this:

The inference is that Acts was written while Paul was still alive, seeing that his death is not recorded. Since there is good evidence that Paul died in the Neronian persecution about AD 67, the Book of Acts can be dated approximately AD 62.”

‘When Were the Four Gospels Written?’ Blue Letter Bible. ³⁸

The Encyclopedia Britannica states that “Acts was apparently written in Rome, perhaps between 70 and 90 CE, though some think a slightly earlier date is also possible.” ³⁹
But this date cannot be correct, because the Book of Acts does not mention the killing of James in AD 61 and Peter in AD 65, whereas Stephen′s death is in Acts 7.
Wikipedia puts Stephen’s death at around AD 34⁴⁰

The Book of Acts also does not mention Nero′s massive persecution of Christians in about AD 65.
To omit these details seems unlikely because other persecutions were described within Acts.
Therefore, Acts must have been written before AD 65 and quite probably before AD 61.
So it was probably written in AD 60 by Luke.

Letters to the Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon

Paul is classed as an Apostle but he wasn’t one of Jesus’ twelve disciples.

The (almost) undisputed letters attributed to Paul being the author are Galatians, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philemon, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians.

These three letters are hotly debated as to whether Paul wrote them or not: 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians and Colossians. ⁴¹

Three of the letters in Paul’s name 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are seen by many scholars as being written by someone else.

The English Standard Version Bible Resources says about the letter to the Colossians:

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to Christians living in the small city of Colossae. It was probably written c. AD 62, while Paul was in prison in Rome (Acts 27–28). This was about the same time he wrote Ephesians and Philemon. All three letters were sent with Tychicus and Onesimus.”

‘Introduction to Colossians’ ESV Resources. ⁴²

Wikipedia states that scholars have questioned Paul’s authorship to Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, and this would make them between AD 80 and 100.⁴³. ⁴⁴. ⁴⁵
Their rationale for attributing the letter to the Colossians to an early follower is for these reasons:

• The epistle’s language doesn’t seem to match Paul’s, (48 words are unique to Colossians, including 33 unique to the New Testament. ⁴⁶
• Colossians uses a liturgical-hymnic style which is not used to the same extent in Paul’s other letters. ⁴⁷
• The epistle’s themes related to Christ, eschatology and the church seem to have no parallel in Paul’s undisputed works. ⁴⁸

Wikipedia also states that the advocates for Paul’s authorship of Colossians say:

• the differences between those commonly considered the genuine work of Paul (e.g. 1 Thessalonians) and Colossians can come from human variability, different occasions for writing and the use of different secretaries. ^{49 50}
• The number of words foreign to the New Testament and Paul is no greater in Colossians than in the undisputed Pauline letters (Galatians, of similar length, has 35 hapax legomena).
• The differences in Colossians are not as great as they are purported to be. ⁵¹
• Other scholars still defend these letters as being authentic. ⁵²
• Pauline authorship was held by many of the early church’s prominent theologians, such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen of Alexandria and Eusebius. ⁵³

In the letter to the Ephesians, Wikipedia says that:

if Paul is regarded as the author, the impersonal character of the letter, which lacks personal greetings or any indication that the author has personal knowledge of his recipients, is incongruous with the account in Acts of Paul staying more than two years in Ephesus. ⁵⁴
For these reasons, most regard Ephesians to be a circular letter intended for many churches. ^{55 56}
The Jerusalem Bible notes that some critics think the words “who are” would have been followed by a blank to be filled in with the name of “whichever church was being sent the letter”. ⁵⁷

‘Epistle to the Ephesians’ Wikipedia. ⁵⁸

The Bible Study Tools website states this about the letter to the Ephesians:

The author identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1; cf. 3:7,13; 4:1; 6:19-20).
Some have taken the absence of the usual personal greetings and the verbal similarity of many parts to Colossians, among other reasons, as grounds for doubting authorship by the apostle Paul.
However, this was probably a circular letter, intended for other churches in addition to the one in Ephesus.
Paul may have written it about the same time as Colossians, c. AD 60, while he was in prison at Rome”

‘Book of Ephesians’ Bible Study Tools. ⁵⁹

The letter to Philemon

The Epistle to Philemon was composed around AD 57–62 by Paul while in prison. ⁶⁰

AD 64 to 65 approximately thirty-four to thirty-five years after Jesus

The Great Fire in Rome; Major persecution of Christianity begins in AD 64.

Letter to the Philippians

The Letter to the Philippians may possibly have been written in AD 64.
The Encyclopedia Britannica puts a date on the letter:

Letter of Paul to the Philippians, eleventh book of the New Testament, written by St. Paul the Apostle to the Christian congregation he had established in Philippi. It was penned while he was in prison, probably at Rome or Ephesus, about 62 CE.”

‘Letter of Paul to the Philippians’. Encyclopedia Britannica. ⁶¹

The Book of Hebrews

Hebrews was written earlier than AD 70 because the temple and the Sanctuary is referred to many times as an ongoing ritual and not one that had ceased.
Wikipedia says:

The use of tabernacle terminology in Hebrews has been used to date the epistle before the destruction of the temple, the idea being that knowing about the destruction of both Jerusalem and the temple would have influenced the development of the author’s overall argument.
Therefore, the most probable date for its composition is the second half of the year 63 or the beginning of 64, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia… ⁶²
…Despite this, some scholars, such as Harold Attridge and Ellen Aitken, hold to a later date of composition, between 70 and 100 AD. ^{63 64}

‘Epistle to the Hebrews’ Wikipedia. ⁶⁵

The Apostle Paul was martyred around AD 64 to 67.

AD 66 to 95 approximately thirty-six to sixty-five years after Jesus

Vespasian – Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (reigned 69 to 79 AD)
He reformed the financial system of the Roman Empire and built the Flavian Amphitheatre (the Roman Colosseum). He left his son, Titus, to carry on the siege of Jerusalem while he became Emperor. He restored political stability to Rome following the chaotic reigns of his predecessors. ⁶⁶

Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (reigned 79 to 81 AD)
As Vespasian’s son, he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and was commemorated with the Arch of Titus which still stands today. He was considered a good emperor by historians of his day. ⁶⁸

Domitian – Caesar Domitianus Augustus (reigned 81 to 96 AD)
He was ruthless, probably cruel and paranoid, but an efficient autocrat whose cultural, economic, and political programs provided the foundation for peace. ⁷⁰

John′s Gospel

It is thought that John′s Gospel was written in the AD 90s. But this is not proven, and it could have been written earlier than that.
Wikipedia states that:

John reached its final form around AD 90–110, ⁷² although it contains signs of origins dating back to AD 70 and possibly even earlier. ⁷³
Like the three other gospels, it is anonymous, although it identifies an unnamed “disciple whom Jesus loved” as the source of its traditions. ^{74 75}
It most likely arose within a ‘Johannine community’.” ⁷⁶

‘Gospel of John’ Wikipedia. ⁷⁷

How can we work out who the author of John’s Gospel was? Here are some clues:

The Gospel of John doesn’t explicitly name its author.
At every mention of himself, the author states that he is “’he disciple whom Jesus loved’ (e.g., John 13:23).
The author was an eyewitness to the events (see John 21:24), and, based on the fact that he was the disciple ‘leaning back against Jesus’ at the Last Supper (John 13:25), he was likely one of Jesus’ inner circle, with Peter and James. Peter is mentioned as separate from the author (John 21:20), and James was martyred early in the history of the church (Acts 12:2).
That leaves John as the remaining disciple of the inner three and, thus, the author.
Apart from the internal clues, the early church uniformly affirmed the authorship of John.
Church fathers like Irenaeus plainly spoke of John writing an epistle. Besides Irenaeus, writers like Tatian, Theophilus, Clement, and Tertullian attributed the fourth Gospel to John.”

‘Who wrote the book of John? Who was the author of John?’ Got Questions Ministries. ⁷⁸

Many scholars object to John’s authorship because they believe he was almost illiterate, after all, he was a fisherman.
But Jewish boys received training at an early age, learning to memorise and write the Torah. Also, John was acquainted with the high priest “Since that disciple was known to the high priest…” (John 18:15–16 ESV).
Another point is that John may have used a scribe, known as an amanuensis, like Paul did (Romans 16:22).

John’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd letters

The 3 letters of John were probably written around AD 90

Wikipedia on the Johannine epistles page states that:

Most scholars assume the letters to have been written simultaneously and after the Gospel of John, dating them between AD 85 and 100. ⁷⁹
Most scholars agree that all three letters are written by the same author, although there is debate on who that author is.” ^{80 81 82}

‘Johannine epistles’ Wikipedia.⁸³

Holding John the son of Zebedee to be the author of Revelation are the second-century church fathers, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, along with third-century fathers Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian of Carthage, Origen of Alexandria, and Hippolytus of Rome.
Ignatius (35-107), Papius, Iraneus and Origin (185-254) assigned John the son of Zebedee as the author of the Gospel of John.
However, Papius identifies a separate John as the writer of the letters of John and Revelation, so there is some variance in early tradition as to authorship of the Johannine letters.”

‘The Gospel of John, the Letters of 1, 2 and 3 John, and Revelation’ Dating the New Testament ⁸⁴

Papias Bishop of Hierapolis (c. 60 to c. 130 AD)

Papias was a Greek Apostolic Father at Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale, Turkey), and an author.⁸⁶.⁸⁷
He wrote ‘The Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord’ in five books, but these are lost apart from some excerpts in the works of Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180) and Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 320)⁸⁸

Papias of Hierapolis wrote for the stated purpose of presenting an accurate record of the teaching and works of the apostles, as reported to him by “John the Elder.” Irenaeus assumes this to be the Apostle John, while Eusebius assumes Papias is speaking of a lesser-known John.
It is from Papias that we learn that Mark’s gospel is based on the preaching of Peter.
Papias also says that Matthew originally composed his gospel in Hebrew (which at the time could refer either to Hebrew as we know it or to Aramaic, a Semitic language spoken in Israel at the time of Christ).”

‘Who was Papias of Hierapolis?’ Got Questions Ministries. ⁸⁹

The Book of Revelation

Revelation was probably written between AD 90 to 95.

The author of Revelation identifies himself as John:
“He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.” (Revelation 1:1-2 ESV)
John also affirms his authorship in Revelation 1:4 “John to the seven churches that are in Asia”, and again in Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom”, and finally in Revelation 22:8 “I John, am the one who heard and saw these things…”

The early church almost unanimously agreed that Revelation was written by one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ: John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James:

Church fathers such as Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Hippolytus, and Victorinus affirmed the apostle John as the author of Revelation.
Even Justin Martyr (135 AD), who had ministered in Ephesus, one of the seven churches of Asia Minor that John wrote to in Revelation 2:1-7, affirmed the son of Zebedee as the author of Revelation.”

‘When Was Revelation Written?’ Joel Ryan Christianity.com ⁹⁰

From AD 96 to 150 approximately sixty-six to 120 years after Jesus

What was being written about the Gospels and epistles from the end of the 1st century and into the 2nd century?
Also, what events did the New Testament writers mention and what did they omit?

Nerva Caesar Augustus (reigned 96 to 98 AD)
He tried to restore liberties curtailed by Domitian. He was marred by financial difficulties and he was unable to assert his authority over the Roman army. ⁹¹

Pope Clement I (died c. 100 AD)

Clement, the first Apostolic Father of the Church, writing from Rome in about AD 96 refers to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 8 other New Testament books.⁹³

Therefore, taking the information so far, at least 25 of the 27 books of the New Testament were in circulation by about the year AD100.

Trajan – Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus (reigned 98 to 117 AD)
He introduced social welfare policies and was considered a good Emperor. Trajan told Pliny to continue prosecutions of Christians if they merited that in the interests of justice. Non-citizens who admitted to being Christians and refused to recant were to be executed “for obstinacy”. Citizens were sent to Rome for trial. ⁹⁴

Ignatius (died c. 110 AD)

Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch, in seven of his letters around AD 108, referred to the four Gospels, Acts and 19 other New Testament books.

Ignatius had in his possession, or was very familiar with, the following books of the New Testament: ⁹⁶

• Matthew (4 direct quotations + 8 allusions)
• Luke (1 clear allusion)
• John (1 direct quotation + 6 allusions[2])
• Romans (3 direct quotations + 3 allusions)
• 1 Corinthians (3 direct quotations + 10 allusions)
• 2 Corinthians (1 direct quotation)
• Galatians (2 allusions)
• Ephesians (2 direct quotations + 2 allusions)
• Philippians (1 allusion)
• Colossians (1 allusion)
• 1 Thessalonians (1 allusion)
• 1 Timothy (6 allusions)
• 2 Timothy (2 allusions)
• 1 Peter (1 allusion)
• 1 John (1 allusion)

Moreover, based on possible quotations and allusions, we can say that Ignatius may have been familiar with these New Testament books in addition:

• Mark (2 possible allusions)
• Acts of the Apostles (1 possible allusion)
• Titus (1 possible allusion)
• Philemon (1 possible allusion)
• Hebrews (1 possible allusion)
• James (3 possible quotations)

Hadrian – Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus (reigned 117 to 138 AD)
He was remote and authoritarian, with a capacity for both great personal generosity and extreme cruelty and driven by insatiable curiosity, conceit, and ambition. ⁹⁷

Polycarp (69 to 155 AD)

Polycarp, a bishop of Smyrna, was a disciple of the apostle John who taught Irenaeus.

For I have a more vivid recollection of what occurred at that time than of recent events (inasmuch as the experiences of childhood, keeping pace with the growth of the soul, become incorporated with it); so that I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and discourse — his going out, too, and his coming in — his general mode of life and personal appearance, together with the discourses which he delivered to the people; also how he would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord; and how he would call their words to remembrance.”

‘The writings of Irenaeus’ by Irenaeus, Saint, Bishop of Lyon; Roberts, Alexander, 1826-1901; Rambaut, W. H. (William Hautenville) Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus. ⁹⁹

In one of his letters written about AD 110 to the Philippians, he refers to the: 4 Gospels, the book of Acts and 13 other New Testament books.

The Letter of Polycarp [to the Philippians] is a general amalgamation of biblical teachings with many quotes and allusions to Paul’s epistles, mainly the Pastoral Epistles, but there are also quotes and allusions to Ephesians, 1 John, 1 Peter, and Matthew.
Polycarp was steeped in the apostolic writings, even if they were not yet recognized as ‘the New Testament.’
He does not speak on his own authority as the apostles did, but he applies the words of the apostles to the church in Philippi.”

‘What is Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians?’ Got Questions Ministries. ¹⁰⁰

Both Irenaeus and Tertullian record that Polycarp had been a disciple of John, one of Jesus’ disciples.¹⁰¹

From AD 151 to 200 approximately 121 to 170 years after Jesus

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 to c. 215 AD)

Clement of Alexandria, was a Christian theologian and philosopher, (recorded by Eusebius who lived about AD 260 to 340) said that John wrote to supplement the writings of the other Gospels.¹⁰²

Irenaeus (c. 130 to c. 202 AD)

Irenaeus was a Greek bishop in southern France, he commented that (the Apostle) John wrote his Gospel and his letters (1 John, 2 John and 3 John) after the three Gospels were written (Matthew, Mark and Luke).¹⁰³

3. The New Testament books that are difficult to fix a definite date

The Apostle Peter’s 1st letter

Simon Peter′s first letter was probably written around AD 63-63 but some scholars question the authorship of the letter and therefore the date could go as late as the second century.

Wikipedia has many paragraphs debating whether Peter was the author, but then also states:

On the other hand, some scholars argue that there is enough evidence to conclude that Peter did, in fact, write 1 Peter.
For instance, there are similarities between 1 Peter and Peter’s speeches in the Biblical book of Acts, ¹⁰⁴ allusions to several historical sayings of Jesus indicative of eyewitness testimony (e.g., compare Luke 12:35 with 1 Peter 1:13, Matthew 5:16 with 1 Peter 2:12, and Matthew 5:10 with 1 Peter 3:14), ¹⁰⁵ and early attestation of Peter’s authorship found in 2 Peter (AD 60–160) ¹⁰⁶ and the letters of Clement (AD 70–140), ¹⁰⁷ all supporting genuine Petrine origin.”

‘First Epistle of Peter’ Wikipedia. ¹⁰⁸

The English Standard Version Resources page gives an early date:

…c. AD 64-67 Peter martyred in Rome.
He probably wrote the letter from Rome (see 5:13; ‘Babylon’ almost certainly refers to Rome) around AD 62–63 during Nero’s reign.
The letter is addressed to Christians scattered in ‘Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia’ (1:1). This is an area north of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).”

‘Introduction to 1 Peter’ English Standard Version Resources. ¹⁰⁹

Paul’s second letter to Timothy

Many modern critical scholars argue that 2 Timothy, 1 Timothy and Titus, were not written by Paul but by an anonymous author, sometime between 90 and 140 AD.¹¹⁰.¹¹¹. ¹¹²

But this epistle, according to tradition, may have been written around AD 63.
Craig Davis makes this observation on the second letter of Timothy, that it was written by Paul from Prison, in difficult circumstances (2 Tim 1:8, 1:12, 1:16, 2:3, 2:9), not the prison in Caesarea, but in Rome, since Onesiphorus found him there in 2 Tim 1:17.

Luke and Demas are with Paul in Col 4:14, but in 2 Tim 4:10-11 Demas ‘has forsaken’ Paul and only Luke remains with him.
Paul says in the past tense in 2 Tim 4:12 that ‘Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus’, while in Col 4:7 and Eph 6:21-22, Tychicus is being sent.
Paul’s outlook for his own life has darkened considerably from his earlier prison letters, and he doesn’t expect to live much longer (2 Tim 4:6-8). This may have been due to an unfavorable first legal hearing (2 Tim 4:16) occurring in between the earlier prison letters and this one.
These circumstances can only have come about after the upbeat end of the account in the book of Acts.
Therefore, we should consider 2 Timothy to be chronologically the last letter of Paul that appears in the Bible, written around 63 A.D.”

‘The First and Second Letter to Timothy’ Dating the New Testament

Jude′s letter

Jude 1 identifies the author of the Book of Jude as Jude, a brother of James. This likely refers to Jesus’ half-brother Jude, as Jesus also had a half-brother named James (Matthew 13:55). Jude likely does not identify himself as a brother of Jesus out of humility and reverence for Christ…
Date of Writing: The Book of Jude is closely related to the book of 2 Peter.
The date of authorship for Jude depends on whether Jude used content from 2 Peter, or Peter used content from Jude when writing 2 Peter.
The Book of Jude was written somewhere between AD 60 and 80.”

‘Summary of the Book of Jude’ Got Questions Ministries. ¹¹³

The Apostle Peter’s 2nd letter

The Church Fathers do not give a clear indication on the date and author of Peter’s second letter: ¹¹⁴

• Cited or alluded to by Pseudo-Barnabas (c. 70-130) ¹¹⁵
• Cited or alluded to by Clement of Rome (c. 95-96) ¹¹⁶
• Named as disputed by Origen but accepted as canonical. (c. 185-254)¹¹⁷ However, he cites the Epistle six times and as Guthrie writes, “It is a fair assumption, therefore, that Origen saw no reason to treat these doubts as serious, and this would seem to imply that in his time the Epistle was widely regarded as canonical” (Ibid.) Origen wrote, “Peter…has left one acknowledged epistle, and, it may be, a second also; for it is doubted” (Ecclesiastical History, 6.25.8).
• Named as authentic by Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-86)
• Named as disputed by Eusebius (c. 325-40) He placed this epistle among the Antilegomena making clear that the majority accepted this epistle along with James and Jude, but that he had doubts about it because writers whom he respected did not regard it as canonical, and because it was not quoted (by name?) by the ‘ancient presbyters’. ¹¹⁸
• Named as authentic by Jerome (c. 340-420) ¹¹⁹
• Named as authentic by Augustine (c. 400)

The English Standard Bible Resources says this:

Peter identifies himself as an ‘apostle of Jesus Christ’ (1:1).
He specifically mentions that he was an eyewitness of the transfiguration (1:16–18; see Matt. 17:1–8).
Peter probably wrote this letter from prison in Rome (see 2 Pet. 1:12–15) not too long before his death by execution, sometime during A.D. 64–67.
It is impossible to identify with certainty the churches Peter addresses. He may have been writing to the churches of Asia Minor, because Peter mentions that this is his second letter to these same people (3:1; see 1 Pet. 1:1–2).”

‘Introduction to 2 Peter’ ESV Resources ¹²⁰

Paul’s letter to Titus

Those who reject Pauline authorship of Titus say the letter was written by one of Paul’s followers in his name…
Fortunately, the objections to Pauline authorship of Titus are easily resolved. For example, Paul may have used an amanuensis [secretary], accounting for stylistic differences.
Paul also wrote his pastoral letters later in life, which would explain the different subject matter and even different style.
Criticisms notwithstanding, the traditional view that Paul penned the book of Titus remains well-founded.”

‘Who wrote the book of Titus? Who was the author of Titus?’ Got Questions Ministries. ¹²¹

Bible Gateway supplies a probable date and gives a good overview of where Titus is mentioned within the Bible:

If we accept the attribution of this Letter to Paul, it would date from A.D. 64 or 65 and be addressed to Titus…
Titus was a Gentile Christian converted by Paul (see Tit 1:4) who became one of his most helpful coworkers. The Apostle took him along to Jerusalem when he went there to meet the leaders of the Church and discuss his Gospel (see 2 Tim 2:8). The leaders accepted Titus as a Christian without imposing circumcision on him, thereby vindicating Paul’s teaching (see Gal 2:3-5).
…he is mentioned 13 times in the rest of the New Testament.
Titus worked with Paul at Ephesus on his Third Missionary Journey and possibly his Fourth.
From there the Apostle sent him to assist the Church at Corinth (see 2 Cor 2:12f; 7:5f; 8:6), where he courageously and tactfully carried out his mission of reconciliation (see 2 Cor 7:6-16).
Upon Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment, he and Titus worked in Crete (see Tit 1:5).
When Paul departed, he left Titus behind to continue the work (Tit 1:5; 2:15; 3:12f). In the present Letter, Paul asks Titus to bring his ministry in Crete to a close…”

‘The Letter to Titus’ Bible Gateway. ¹²²

How reliable are other sources in history? How do the Gospel sources compare with Caesar′s manuscripts on the Gallic War, Thucydides′ History of Peloponnesian War or Tacitus Histories?
Could authors writing about Winston Churchill in the 1970s say that Winston performed miracles and fed 5000 people, etc, there would have been an uproar and the authors would have had no following.

More detailed articles covering: How reliable and when were the gospels written:
Gospels written too long after Jesus?
How reliable are sources in history?
Jesus myth or true stories?

References and credits – open in new tabs:

Picture of the Temple being plundered on the Titus arch in Rome, by David Alexander, (The Lion Handbook to the Bible), with thanks.
Scroll image: thanks to GSP 100,000 Clipart CD

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108. ‘First Epistle of Peter’ Wikipedia. Last edited on 10 June 2024 ↩

109. ‘Introduction to 1 Peter’ English Standard Version Resources. ↩

110. ‘New Testament Letter Structure‘ Just, Felix, Catholic Resources ↩

111. ‘1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary’, Collins, Raymond F. (2004), Westminster John Knox Press, p. 4, ISBN 0-664-22247-1 ↩

112. ‘The Pastoral Epistles”, Understanding the Bible’, Harris, Stephen L. (1985), Palo Alto: Mayfield, pp. 340–45. ↩

113. ‘Summary of the Book of Jude’ Got Questions Ministries.  ↩

114. ‘An Introduction To The Book Of 2 Peter’ Bible.org ↩

115. Second Peter 3:8 is used in Pseudo-Barnabas 15:4. ↩

116. Second Peter 2:6-9 is quoted in 1 Corinthians 11:1 by Clement of Rome. ↩

117. Origen is usually the pivotal Church Father in this discussion because reviews of the evidence usually begin with the statement that “the Epistle was not certainly known until his time and the authenticity becomes immediately suspect, especially as he also mentions doubts held by some about it (Guthrie, NTI, 815). ↩

118. cf. Ecclesiastical History, 3.3.1-4; 25.3-4. ↩

119. He unreservedly accepted this epistle along with the other Catholic Epistles, but he notes that doubts about its authenticity do exist (Scriptorium Ecclesiasticorum 1, Letter to Hedibia (Epist. 120.11).  ↩

120. ‘Introduction to 2 Peter’ ESV Resources ↩

121. ‘Who wrote the book of Titus? Who was the author of Titus?’ Got Questions Ministries. Last updated: 29 April 2024. ↩

122. ‘The Letter to Titus’ Bible Gateway. ↩