What is the basic timeline of the New Testament?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The New Testament timeline spans roughly seventy years, beginning with Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, followed by the rapid growth of the early church. Although exact dates for all events are uncertain, key events include Jesus’ ministry starting around 26 A.D., Pentecost in 30 A.D., and Paul’s missionary journeys and writings through the mid-first century. The Old Testament set the foundation by prophesying the Messiah and establishing the covenant and sacrificial system that Jesus fulfilled. The early church faced persecution and expansion as the apostles spread the gospel amid changing political powers. Understanding this timeline helps us appreciate God’s unfolding plan and encourages us to live faithfully and share the gospel in our own time.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament set the stage for the New Testament by revealing God’s promises of a coming Messiah who would redeem His people, as seen in prophecies like Isaiah 9:6-7 and Micah 5:2. It established the covenantal history and sacrificial system that Jesus fulfilled and transformed (Exodus 19-24, 29, 34-40; Leviticus 1-7, 16, 17), bridging the timeline from law to grace. This progression prepares the arrival of Christ and the new covenant announced in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament timeline covers only about seventy years. Although the Gospels and the book of Acts give us a fairly good idea of the sequence of events, we do not have the exact years in which events happened. We do not even know for certain in which years Jesus was born and crucified.
• The Ministry of Jesus: The years in the New Testament timeline are approximate because, contrary to what logic would tell us, Jesus was not born at the fulcrum of B.C./A.D. It has been established that Herod died in 4 B.C., so Jesus must have been born before. The year of the beginning of His ministry is taken from Luke 3:1-2, which describes John the Baptist's debut in relation to current political leaders, and Luke 3:23, which says Jesus was "about thirty."
• Jesus born: 6-4 B.C. (Luke 2)
• King Herod dies: 4 B.C. (Matthew 2:19)
• The Young Jesus in the Temple: 8 A.D. (Luke 2:41-52)
• Beginning of John the Baptist's Ministry: 26 A.D. (Matthew 3)
• Chronology of Jesus' Public Ministry
• Jesus baptized (Mark 1:9-11)
• 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
• Gathers first disciples (John 1:35-51)
• Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)
• Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
• Chooses twelve disciples (Luke 6:12-16)
• Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
• Raises widow's son (Luke 7:11-17)
• John the Baptist killed (Matthew 14:1-12)
• Feeds 5000 (Mark 6:30-44)
• Refuses to be king (John 6:14-59)
• Feeds 4000 (Matthew 15:30-38)
• Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36)
• Stoning attempt (John 8:21-59)
• Sends out the seventy (Luke 10:1-24)
• Raises Lazarus: (John 11:1-44)
• Jesus crucified and raised: 30 A.D. (John 18-20)
• Jesus' Ascension: 30 A.D. (Acts 1:1-11)
• .
• The Early Church: Unfortunately, the New Testament does not give a precise timeline for these significant events—apparently God doesn't think we need them. The dates regarding the writings of the Gospels, especially, may be off by as much as 15 years. The dates of the deaths of the apostles are through church tradition, as the only death mentioned in the Bible is that of James the brother of the Apostle John in Acts 12:2
• Pentecost: 30 A.D. (Acts 2)
• First Persecutions: 32—34 A.D. (Acts 3-4)
• Paul on the Road to Damascus: 34—36 A.D. (Acts 9)
• Writing of the Book of Matthew: 43 A.D.
• Execution of James (brother of John): 44—45 A.D. (Acts 12:2)
• Execution of Philip: 54 A.D.
• Nero Emperor of Rome: 54 A.D. — 68 A.D.
• Writing of Book of Romans: 58 A.D.
• Execution of Matthew: 60 A.D.
• Writing of Book of James: 62 A.D.
• Writing of 1 Peter: 63 A.D.
• Writing of Acts: 63 A.D.
• Writing of Book of Mark: 64 A.D.
• Writing of 2 Peter: 65 A.D.
• Execution of Peter: 64-67 A.D.
• Jerusalem falls to Rome: 70 A.D.
• Execution of Thomas, possibly in India: 72 A.D.
• Writing of Jude: 75 A.D.
• Writing of John's Gospel: 85 A.D.
• Writing of John's Letters: 90 A.D.
• John on Patmos: 96 A.D.
• Writing of Book of Revelation: 97 A.D.
• Apostle John Dies: 100 A.D.
• The Ministry of Paul: Since Paul's journeys are chronicled in the book of Acts, and his dense ministry lasted only about twenty years, the New Testament gives us a few more clues as to the timeline of Paul. It's important to note that Paul's first imprisonment in Rome was a kind of house arrest, but his second was a brutal stay in a Roman prison. Ignatius (who served as the third Bishop of Antioch and likely knew Paul) recorded around 110 A.D. that Paul was killed by Nero in the mid-60s. Since he was a Roman citizen, he was not crucified (as tradition says Peter was) but beheaded.
• Paul on the Road to Damascus: 36 A.D. (Acts 9)
• First Missionary Trip Begins: 48 A.D. (Acts 13-14)
• Second Missionary Trip Begins: 51 A.D. (Acts 15:36-18:22)
• Writing of 1 & 2 Thessalonians: 52-53 A.D.
• Third Missionary Trip Begins: 54 A.D. (Acts 18-21)
• Writing of 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans: 57-58 A.D.
• Arrested in Jerusalem: 58 A.D. (Acts 21:26-22:29)
• Travels to Rome: 60-61 A.D. (Acts 27:1-28:16)
• First Roman Imprisonment: 62-63 A.D. (Acts 28:16-31)
• Writing of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon: 62 A.D.
• Writing of Hebrews, 1 Timothy, Titus: 63 A.D.
• Second Roman Imprisonment: 65-66 A.D.
• Writing of 2 Timothy: 66 A.D.
• Execution of Paul: 66 A.D.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Understanding the basic timeline of the New Testament helps us see how God’s plan unfolded through Jesus’ ministry, the early church’s growth, and Paul’s missions—all within a relatively short period of about seventy years. God works through history in specific times and ways, calling us to live faithfully in our own moment, actively sharing the gospel and building community just as the early believers did. Knowing the timeline also encourages us to trust God’s timing and purposes, even when details are unclear, and to remain committed to growing in faith and obedience today.

UNDERSTAND

• The New Testament covers about seventy years from Jesus’ birth and ministry to the early church’s growth and Paul’s missions.
• The Old Testament predicted the Messiah and set the covenantal foundation Jesus fulfilled.
• The New Testament timeline reveals God’s unfolding plan and urges us to live faithfully despite uncertain exact dates.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that God’s plan unfolded over a specific timeline encourage you to trust His timing in your own life?
• How can you live out the faithfulness and boldness of the early church in your daily walk today?
• How does understanding the connection between Old Testament promises and Jesus’ fulfillment impact your view of Scripture and God’s faithfulness?

ENGAGE

• How might the early church’s experience of growth amid persecution challenge our approach to faith in today’s culture?
• What can the timing and sequence of Paul’s missionary journeys teach about God’s strategic work through His people?
• How does the uncertainty of exact dates in the New Testament affect our interpretation and application of biblical history?