Table of Contents

Origins 1
Writers

The New Testament was written (including dictation and attribution) by 8 individuals. (Plus, the Book of Hebrews was anonymously written.) This blog serves to give the background of the known authors to put their writings into context.

James the Just
- (Epistle of) James

Little is known of James, aside from Paul referring to him as "the brother of the Lord". This can be taken to mean he was the half-brother of Jesus (like Joses, Jude, and Simon, traditionally are), a more distant relative (like a cousin), or a figurative brother (i.e. a fellow Christian, like Paul). Several contemporary historians state that he died in Jerusalem, though the year is unclear, being either AD 62 or AD 69.

John, son of Zebedee
- The Gospel of John
- 1st (Epistle of) John
- 2nd (Epistle of) John
- 3rd (Epistle of) John
- Revelation

John and his brother James were fishermen, who worked with their father on the Sea of Galilee. Along with fellow fisherman Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew, they were all disciples of John the Baptist who were called to the Inner Twelve by Jesus. John was among the youngest of the Apostles, as he was born circa AD 15. He was a witness to the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. John was the closest fiend to Jesus and took in Mary as his adopted mother until her death. Younger in life, John was "unlettered", and spoke Aramaic; later, he spoke and wrote in Greek. His writings are among the latest of the New Testament, most likely dating to the end of the 1st century, a few years before his death in Ephesus, circa AD 100. Writings (though not autographs) of his disciple Papias survive today, providing additional information on the context of the Apostles and John's later years.


John Mark
- The Gospel of Mark

He was born in Cyrene (Libya) and was part of the Seventy Disciples and was not a direct witness to the Resurrection and Ascension. Since Simon Peter was "unlettered", Mark served as his translator and amanuensis to pen the Gospel of Mark, which is generally considered by scholars to be the earliest published of the Gospels. Mark was martyred on April 26th, AD 68, in Alexandria, Egypt.

Jude
- (Epistle of) Jude

Little is known about Jude, aside from him being "a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James". This is due to the large number of people with the same name in the New Testament. Some believe him to be the half-brother of Jesus (along with James, Joses, and Simon), while others believe he was the Apostle Jude.

Luke
- The Gospel of Luke
- Acts (of the Apostles)

He was a physician from Antioch (modern day Syria), who also had interests in history and art. Luke was a disciple of Paul and traveled with him through the Mediterranean. He may have been one of the Seventy Disciples, but he was not a witness to the Resurrection or Ascension. His writings came from both interviews and his own travels. As a physician, he paid very close attention to details of his writings and made sure to use correct names, places, and events, and as he made new discoveries, he would release new editions of his writings. For this, his writing is categorized as Greek historiography. Luke died at the age of 84 and was buried in Thebes, Greece.

Matthew (Levi), Son of Alpheus
- The Gospel of Matthew

He was a Jew from Capernaum, who served as a publican, or port tax collector, for the Romans under the reign of Herod Antipas. Due to the frequent trade in the area, he would have been able to speak Aramaic, Greek, and possibly Hebrew. Jesus called Matthew to be part of the Inner Twelve. He was a witness of the Resurrection and the Ascension. There is scholarly debate as to whether his Gospel was originally written in Aramaic (from a quote of Papias in the 2nd century) or Greek. It is believed that he died in Ethiopia.

Paul/Saul of Tarsus
- (Epistle to the) Romans
- 1st (Epistle to the) Corinthians
- 2nd (Epistle to the) Corinthians
- (Epistle to the) Galatians
- (Epistle to the) [Ephesians]
- (Epistle to the) Philippians
- (Epistle to the) Colossians
- 1st (Epistle to the) Thessalonians
- 2nd (Epistle to the) Thessalonians
- 1st (Letter to) Timothy
- 2nd (Letter to) Timothy
- (Letter to) Titus
- (Letter to) Philemon

Paul was born circa AD 5 in Tarsus, Cilicia (Turkey), of a Jewish mother of the Benjamite tribe and a Roman father. His dual "citizenship" afforded him opportunities not available to other Apostles in his travels. Originally, Paul (known as Saul in Aramaic) was a Jewish Pharisee who persecuted the early Christians, violently trying to destroy it before the perceived blasphemy against Judaism could spread. This changed on a road to Damascus, when he had a vision of Jesus and went blind for a few days. His entire life transformed at this point, and he spent the remainder of it preaching the Gospel and founding churches along the Mediterranean. Throughout his ministry, he spoke directly with several of the Inner Twelve apostles and the Seventy Disciples and wrote letters to the newly-formed churches to instruct them on doctrine. He died circa AD 67 in Rome.

Simon Peter, son of John
- 1st (Epistle of) Peter
- 2nd (Epistle of) Peter

Simon was a fisherman in Bethsaida, who, along with his brother Andrew, was a disciple of John the Baptist before following Jesus in the Inner Twelve. Both Simon and Andrew lived in the same house in Capernaum, where Simon's wife, mother-in-law, and potentially other relatives, dwelled. Jesus gave Simon the title "Peter", from "rock" (same root word as "petrify", because he would become the solid foundation of the eventual Church. He was a witness of the Crucifixtion, Resurrection, and Ascension. Early in life, Simon was "unlettered", so John Mark served as his translator to Greek and his amanuensis. Simon later wrote his epistles. The Gospels depict Simon as stumbling in his faith frequently (walking on water, denying Jesus), yet he eventually risked and gave his life by traveling to Rome to preach. It was there in Rome that, either in AD 64 or AD 67, he was crucified upside down on Vatican Hill - by his own request, since he felt unworthy of dying how Jesus died. His grave lies under St. Peter's Basilica.