New Testament

The New Testament gathers 27 books written in Greek in the second half of the 1st century. It proclaims the fulfilment of the promises in Jesus Christ: his life, death and resurrection, the birth of the Church and the hope of his coming.

🎯 Learning objective

Gain an overview of the New Testament: how and when its 27 books were written and what they tell us about Jesus and the Church.

🏛️ Historical context

Jesus lived in Palestine under the Roman Empire. After his resurrection the apostles first preached by word of mouth; then came Paul's letters (from AD 50), the Gospels (65-100) and the other writings. The Church recognized the canon of 27 books in the 4th-5th centuries.

🕰️ Timeline

6 BC-AD 30Life, death and resurrection of JesusGospels
AD 30-67Birth and spread of the ChurchActs, Paul's letters
Around AD 95Final hopeRevelation

🧭 Comparison chart

Section	Books	Date	Central theme
The Gospels	4	6-4 BC – Around AD 90-100	The life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts of the Apostles	1	Around AD 30 – Around AD 60-62	The birth and spread of the Church.
Letters of Saint Paul	13	Around AD 34 – Around AD 65-67	The apostle Paul's letters to communities and co-workers.
Hebrews and the Catholic letters	8	Around AD 62 – Around AD 90-100	The letter to the Hebrews and the letters of James, Peter, John and Jude.
Revelation	1	AD 64-68 – At the end of time	The revelation of Christ's victory and the hope of the Church.

💡 Why it matters

It is the apostles' witness to Jesus and the rule of faith of the Church. The Gospels are its heart (Dei Verbum 18).

📖 How to read these books

Start with a Gospel (Mark or Luke), continue with Acts to meet the first Church, then read the letters knowing to whom they were written, and finish with Revelation.