While it is impossible to say with 100% accuracy the exact chronological order of the New Testament, the following list is fairy accurate and will serve as a reasonable list to study from.
- James – 50 A.D.
- First Thessalonians – 52-53.
- Second Thessalonians – 52-53.
- Galatians – 55.
- First Corinthians – 57.
- Second Corinthians – 57.
- Romans – 57-58.
- Philippians – 62-63.
- Colossians – 62-63.
- Philemon – 62-63.
- Ephesians – 62-63.
- Luke – 63.
- Acts – 64.
- First Timothy – 65.
- Titus – 65.
- Second Timothy – 66.
- Mark – 66.
- Matthew – 67.
- Hebrews – 67.
- First Peter – 67-68.
- Second Peter – 68.
- Jude – 68.
- Apocalypse (revelations)- 68.
- John – c. 85.
- Epistles (Letters) of John – 90-95
So why is the chronological order of the New Testament (or Old Testament) important? Knowing the order of the books allows us to:
- See progress of the story of the early church
- Connect what was being written with historical events
- See a line of thought or progression of thought (e.g. multiple letters written to the same churches)
- Catch a sense of the history of the Bible
- Understand some of the biases or thoughts affecting the writers of the books and what they may be writing about or against