A New Testament Timeline- (which can only ever be approximate)
c6 BCE - c30 CE / c30 – c48 CE / c49 - c63 CE / c64 - c73 CELife, preaching and death of Yeshua the Nazarene (c 6 BCE- c 30 CE) / Followers of Jesus tell stories of his actions and teaching
Oral Gospel/Passion Narrative (30-60 CE) / 2nd generation of followers of Jesus tell stories of his life and teaching / 2nd generation of followers of Jesus tell stories of his life and teaching and that of early followers
Reign of Tiberius I Caesar (14CE-37 CE) / Followers of Jesus a sect of Judaism / Followers of Jesus- Christians- still a sect of Judaism / Followers of Jesus – Christians- still a sect of Judaism, though significant differences appearing
Reign of King Herod (40 BCE-6 CE) / Debate and tension between sects of Judaism about Jesus / Sometimes violent dispute between sects of Judaism over Jesus. / Sometimes violent dispute between sects of Judaism over Jesus. Nero expels Jewish Christians from Rome.
Life and preaching of John the Baptist
(c 8 BCE- c 28 CE) / Death of Stephen (first known martyr) 31 CE / 13 ? “Pauline” letters to Jesus communities in Asia Minor (49- 60 CE) / First primitive gospels appear- e.g.
Gospel of Peter (40-120CE)
Signs Gospel (50-90CE)
Gospel of Thomas? (50-120CE)
Mark’s gospel: First Narrative Gospel written c 70
Pontius Pilate governor of Judea 26 CE- 36 CE / Conversion of Paul to the Jesus sect 34-35 CE / 1 Thessalonians (51)
2 Thessalonians 51 or 90’s
Galatians 54-57
Philippians 56-57
1 Corinthians 57
2 Corinthians 57
Romans 58 / Death of Peter and Paul (67 CE)
Letter to Titus 65 or 95-100CE
1 Timothy 65 or 95-100CE
2 Timothy 66-67 or 95-100CE
Caiaphas becomes High Priest in Jerusalem (18-36 CE) / Followers of the Way spread across the Empire / Nero persecutes Christians (54 CE) / Jewish Revolt against Romans 66-70 CE
James, brother of Jesus, executed by Herod Agrippa I (44 CE) / Peter to Rome? (55 CE) / Qumram (Essenes) community destroyed by Rome 68 CE
First recorded use of the term Christian - in Antioch (47 CE) / Philemon 56-7 or 61-63
Colossians 61-63 or 70-80
Ephesians 61-63 or 95-100 / Destruction of Temple by Romans , led by Titus (70 CE)
Council of Jerusalem decides on membership by Gentiles (48-49 CE) / Lists of sayings and deeds of Jesus begin to appear- Q Source (40-80CE) / Masada (outpost of Zealots) destroyed by Rome 73 CE
c70 - c80 CE / c80 – c90 CE / c90 – c120 CE / c120 - c200 CE / c201-400 CE
Mark’s Gospel written / Gospel of Luke- Acts written / Gospel of John written and re-edited / Julius Severus, formerly governor of Britain, crushed a revolt in Palestine. Final Diaspora(dispersion) of the Jews occurs. / Festal Epistle of St. Athanasius offered earliest known list of the New Testament canon in its current form. (367 CE)
Jewish rabbis gather at Jamnia (Javneh) and regroup after destruction of Temple to redefine Judaism without sacrifices, priests and temple. / Old Testament books, called "The Writings," were established as part of Christian canon: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles. (90 CE) / Composition of the "Catholic” Epistles: Hebrews, I & 2 Peter, James, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
2 Thessalonians ?
Ephesians ?
Letter to Titus? (100-150)
1 Timothy? (100-150)
2 Timothy? (100-150) / Shimeon Bar-Kokhba and Rabbi Akiba Ben-Joseph led Jews in a revolt against Roman rule. They captured Jerusalem and created an independent state of Israel.(132 CE) Many Jews believe that in Bar-Kochba the Messiah had come at last. / St. Jerome completed the Vulgate - a Latin translation of both the Old and New Testaments. This remains the Latin Bible of the Roman Catholic Church. (c 405 CE)
Christian sect of Judaism expelled from Judaism at Council of Jamnia for heresy. / Gospel of Matthew written (85-90 CE) / Book of Revelation probably written (95 CE) / The Shepherd of Hermas was written, describing a highly developed system of bishops, deacons, and priests.(140 CE) / Canon of Christian Bible closed c 395 CE
Council of Hippo 393 CE
3rd Council of Carthage (397 CE)
Colossians ? / Gospel of Hebrews? (80-150)
Gospel of Egyptians (80-50) / Four canonical gospels collected together (c 150 CE) / However, in some parts of the Church, a common canon was not evident until the 7th century and not even then, in the Eastern Church
Gospel of Mary (120-180)
Gospel of the Saviour (120-180)
Gospel of Judas (130-180) / The Protestant Reformation brought on more questioning of the 27 books, so it could be argued that it was not until the 16th century that the matter was finally settled.
The Council of Trent declared canonicity as being composed of inspiration and continual use.
See: Early Christian Writings; Jerome Biblical Commentary Canonicity pp 1034-1054); Chronology of the New Testament and Christianity