New Testament Chronology
Important NT events | Date (approx.) | Referenced to Acts | When NT books were written
--- | --- | --- | ---
Birth of Jesus Christ | 6-4 BC |  |
Baptism of Jesus | 26 AD |  |
First Passover of Jesus with His disciples | 27 |  |
Jesus' Death, Resurrection, & Ascension, and Pentecost in Jerusalem | April-May 30 | Acts 1-6 | (Some date these events at 29 or 33 AD.)
Martyrdom of Stephen | 33-34 | Acts 6-8 |
Conversion of Paul | 35 | Acts 9 |
Peter takes Gospel to Gentiles (Cornelius) | 40 | Acts 10 | ''James'' (half-brother to Jesus), written 35-50 AD
Peter reports conversion of Gentiles in Jerusalem |  | Acts 11 |
Death of James, son of Zebedee | 44 | Acts 12 |
Death of Herod Agrippa I | 44 |  |
Famine under Claudius | 46 |  |
Paul & Barnabas visit Jerusalem with alms | 46 |  |
Paul's first missionary journey | 47-49 | Acts 13-14 |
Edict of Claudius expelling Jews from Rome | 49-50 |  |
Proconsularship of Sergius Paulus | 51 |  |
Apostolic Council at Jerusalem | 50 | Acts 15:1-29 | ''Matthew'', 40-50AD
Paul returns to Antioch | 50 | Acts 15:30-35 |
Paul's second missionary journey | 51-53 | Acts 15:36-18:22 |
Proconsularship of Gallio | 52,53 | Acts 18:1-18 | ''1+2Thessalonians'' (from Corinth)
Paul visits Jerusalem & returns to Antioch | 53 | Acts 18:18-22 |
Paul's Third missionary journey | 54-58 | Acts 18:23 |
...in Ephesus | 57 | Acts 19:1-20 | ''1Corinthians'' (from Ephesus)
...in Macedonia | 57 | Acts 20:1-2 | ''2Corinthians'' (from Macedonia)
...in Greece | 57 | Acts 20:2b-3 | ''Galatians'' (from Macedonia or Corinth)
...Paul delivers gift from gentile churches to Jerusalem |  | Acts 20:3b-21:16 | ''Romans'' (from Corinth)
Paul's arrest in Jerusalem | 58 | Acts 21:17-23:30 |
Accession of Festus | 58 |  |
Paul in Caesarea | 58-59 | Acts 23:31-26:32 |
Paul's trip to Rome | 60 | Acts 27:1-28:15 |
Paul's first Roman imprisonment | 61-63 | Acts 28:16-31 | ''Hebrews''
| 62 | Acts 28:30,31 | ''Ephesians'', ''Colossians''
| 63 |  | ''Philippians'', ''Philemon'' Gospel of ''Luke'' and ''Acts''
Paul's release and subsequent missionary journeys | 64-67 | After Acts 28 | ''1Timothy'' and ''Titus'' (from Macedonia)
Nero's persecution of Christians in Rome | 64 |  | ''1Peter'' (from Rome; some think 51-52 from Babylon )
Paul's arrest & return to Rome | 67-68 |  | ''2Timothy'' (from Rome)
Death of James (half-brother to Jesus) in Jerusalem | 66-67 |  | ''2Peter'' (from Rome?)
Death of Peter in Rome | 67 |  | ''Mark'' (from Rome), ''Jude''
Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus | 70 |  |
Death of John (approx. 100) | 90-100 |  | Gospel of ''John'' ''1,2,3 John'' (from Ephesus) ''the Revelation'' (from Patmos)

Notes:

1. Dating of some books varies slightly between scholars.
2. Paul's travels after Acts 28 are uncertain, since there is no biblical record. According to tradition, he may have traveled to Spain and beyond, as indicated above. The NT Timeline shows an alternate scenario which assumes that his first visit to Rome was his final visit.
3. You may wish to print this chart, for easy comparison, as you study.

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