A meaningful pattern of the development of the organization and doctrine of the New Testament Church from purely a Jewish sect to an international assembly becomes apparent if we organize the books in the order and the context in which they were written.
While the dates the books of the New Testament can’t be known with absolute certainty, the order and historical context in which books were written is what matters, and can be determined for the most part by internal evidence. A review of this history establishes that the early church was a sect of Judaism.
Chronological New Testament
| ~Date | Historical Event | |
| 15-34 | Acts 22:3 | Saul, means Asked or Questioned, indicative of his zealous studies at the highest level as a Pharisee, studies the Law under Gamaliel, opposes Jesus & denounces his sect.
(On a side note, this is still a common name with the same meaning in Arabic as Chaoul, which to my personal delight is the family name of my granddaughter’s boyfriend.) |
| 29 | Acts 2-8:1 | Crucifixion, Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, apostles and Jewish believers continue meeting in the temple. |
| 32 | Acts 6-8 | Stephen stoned, persecution of Messianic Jewish sect by Jewish religious rulers including the Pharisee Saul. |
| 32-42 | Acts 8, 11:19the |
“they [Jewish believers in Jesus as the Promised Savior] which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. [until] some of them…of Cyprus and Cyrene [notable international crossroads]…when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians…and a great number believed… Then…the church which was in Jerusalem…sent forth…Barnabas and Saul…unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the [Gentile] disciples were called Christ-ians / Christ-Ones first in Antioch.“ (Acts 11:19-25) NOT because they had just founded a new religion! In the eastern Roman provinces, previously the Greek Empire, the lingua franca was Greek. So, speaking Greek instead of Hebrew to the Gentiles, the Hebrew term for “Messianic Whatever” became Greek “Christ-one”. This church plant, following the typical pattern Paul warned against constantly, became the Melkite Church following the Greek vs Roman Catholic Byzantine Rite which traces its origins to the early Christian community of the Patriarchate of Antioch in the 1st century AD, traditionally founded by the apostle Saint Peter. (On a side note, I was married in a Melkite Church in Beirut during the war, on the “Green Line” separating the adversaries, including the Greek Melkite Church from the Maronite Roman Catholic Church.) |
| 34-37 | Acts 9 | When the prominent Jewish legal authority, Saul, joins Messianic sect, his previous colleagues target him for death, indicating how great religious authority he has ergo how great a threat to their authority. He is smuggled out of Judea by his supporters, and from then on he is known not by his Hebrew name, but by the Gentile name of Paul, meaning “little”. Obviously he is being belittled by his former colleagues. |
| 37-47 | Galatians 1:17-21 | Paul spends 14 years in isolation from Messianic headquarters at Jerusalem, restudying Law and matching to Jesus’ teaching. |
| 40 | Acts 10-11 | Cornelius is the first uncircumcised Gentile accepted into fellowship with Jewish believers, by Peter. |
| 43 | Acts 11:20-26 | Gentiles converted in numbers & called Christians at Antioch in Syria prior to Paul’s involvement. |
| 43 | Acts 12 | Herod Agrippa I (d. 44) kills James brother of John, son of Zebedee at Jerusalem, James brother of Jesus assumes leadership. |
| 45 – 62 | James 1:1-3 | Epistle of James written by brother of Jesus, to encourage “the twelve tribes” under tribulation. |
| 47 | Acts 11:26 | Barnabas brings Paul from Tarsus (Turkey) to Antioch (Syria) to help in existing Jewish-led evangelistic ministry to Gentiles. |
| 47-48 | Acts 13-14 | Paul’s 1st missionary journey thru cities in region of Turkey called Galatia, meets at synagogues, evangelizes Jews & Gentiles. |
| 49 | Acts 15 | Enough Gentiles have joined the Jewish sect in Antioch, Syria that a Church Council meets to settle question of requirement of Gentile believers to follow Mosaic Law, Paul opposes any requirement for Gentiles to follow Jewish law and his significant academic, legal and zeal under persecution help settle this issue. |
| 49-53 | Acts 16-18 | Paul’s 2nd journey delivers decrees excluding Gentile converts from requirements to practice Jewish rituals still existing for Jews to existing churches in Galatia, crosses over to Europe at Macedonia & Greece. |
| 52 | Acts 18:4-8 | Paul leaves Corinth synagogue when they blaspheme, meets in the first house church mentioned in the Bible, with Jewish and Gentile believers. |
| 52-53 | Acts 18:1-18 | Letter to Galatians to strongly counter persistent Judaizers, 1st & 2nd letters to Thessalonians to encourage during tribulation, written by Paul from Corinth. |
| 54-59 | Acts 18:23-21 | Paul’s 3rd missionary journey |
| 50-55 | I Peter 5:13 | Mark’s biography of Jesus written from Rome in collaboration with Peter to present Jesus as Messiah. |
| 55-56 | Acts 19:1-10 | Paul leaves Ephesus (Turkey) synagogue, meets daily in schoolhouse, great church growth. |
| 56 | Acts 20:1-2 | 1st letter to Corinthians written from Macedonia by founder Paul in response to church problems. |
| 58 | Acts 20:2 | Romans is written from Corinth. |
| 58 | Acts 20:3-4 | 2nd letter to Corinthians follow up on previous instructions, references great tribulation, Paul meets personally with Ephesus elders. |
| 58 | I Peter 5:13 | 1st letter from Peter backs up Paul’s ministry to his Gentile churches, and supports them in their fiery trial of tribulation. |
| 58 | Acts 21 | Paul at Jerusalem denies the charge that he teaches Jews to forsake Mosaic Law. |
| 58-60 | Acts 22-24 | Paul imprisoned at Caesarea by Romans to protect from illegal Jewish plot against his life, witnesses to Roman governors Felix and Festus, Jewish King Herod Agrippa II, appeals to Caesar. |
| 55-60 | Mathew 1:1 | Matthew writes biography of Jesus to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. Such biographies were “a genre of Greco-Roman literature interested in describing the goals, achievements, failures, and character of ancient historical persons and whether or not they should be imitated.” |
| 60-63 | Acts 28:16-31 | Paul imprisoned at Rome, reaches out first to Jewish leadership and only to Gentiles after Jews unaccepting |
| 60 | Luke 1:1-4 | Luke’s biography of Jesus is written in collaboration with Paul, possibly for evidence in trial before Caesar |
| 62-63 | Philippians, Colossians, Philemon written by Paul from prison in Rome. | |
| 62-63 | Act 1:1 | Acts by Luke at this time or later. James brother of Jesus stoned to death by High Priest at Jerusalem as Jewish nationalistic aspirations heighten. |
| 63 | Letter to Ephesian Gentiles is written by Paul from Rome to encourage picking up their qualified leadership roles after his outreach to Jewish leadership is repulsed. Paul is aware of gathering storm in Judea from insight into current events as fulfillment of Jesus’ warning to “this generation”, predicting Jerusalem doomsday by 70 AD. | |
| 63 | Hebrews written explaining identity as Hebrew priests under High Priest Melchizedek, in preparation for transition of leadership from Jews to Gentiles. | |
| 63 | Paul is acquitted and released, leaves Rome | |
| 64 | I Timothy 1:3 | 1st letter to Timothy, Titus is Written from Macedonia |
| 64 | The Great Fire of Rome triggers a seven year great tribulation by the Roman Empire of pagan Gentiles who converted to Jewish Messiah | |
| 64 | II Peter 1:1, 2:1-3 | 2nd letter by Peter written from Rome prior to Paul’s death, supporting Paul’s transfer of leadership from Jews to Gentiles. |
| 64-67 | Peter is martyred under Nero, | |
| 65 | II Timothy 4:6 | 2nd letter to Timothy written when Paul is imprisoned for 2nd and last time, mourning that the response to his letter to the Ephesians, the leading church of Asia was that “All in Asia be turned away from me“.
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God…For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers / authoritive replicators: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” (I Corinthians 4:1-16) |
| 66 | Paul martyred at Rome under Nero as the anticipated revolt by Judean Jews explodes, Messianic Jew flee across the Jordan river to Pella, Jerusalem church and Jewish leadership in shambles. | |
| 70 | Jerusalem besieged, temple destroyed and Jews are deported | |
| ~80 | Jude | Jude, brother of Jesus, exhorts believers to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” which he references as pre-Judaism believers, i.e. Hebrews |
| ~80 | John, I, II, III John | John’s biography of Jesus written to Gentiles unfamiliar with Jewish customs, and three letters. |
| ~89 | Revelation is Written by last surviving apostle, John, to Paul’s Gentile churches in Turkey, detailing Judgment Day on faithless leadership. |
Kingdom Come 