Beacon-Ministries

 

LogoColorTextRight.jpg The Greek Scriptures

 

Rom.1:16; Rom.2:10

The order of the books in most Bibles, today, is not the original order. Here then, in detail, is the correct order of the books of the New Testament.

 

1.      First: Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts. This is the 'Torah' of the New Testament, the first 5 books.

2.      Then the 7 general epistles: James; Peter (1); Peter (2); John (1); John (2); John (3); and Jude. Notice that Jude, the 12th book, introduces Paul's epistles.

3.      Paul's epistles, then, the later ones containing the final revelation to humans — the mature teachings — called the 'secret' or 'mystery', -- the writings to the Body of MESSIAH are: Romans; Corinthians (1); Corinthians (2); Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; Thessalonians (1); Thessalonians (2).

At this point note that Paul wrote 9 letters to 7 ecclesias (assemblies, congregations, or groups), and 4 letters to 3 individual persons. The 2nd  group, at Corinth, and the 7th group, at Thessalonica, receiving 2 epistles each. The 2 letters to the 7th (and final) group at Thessalonica deal with the end time.

4.      So Hebrews comes 10th in Paul's epistles, and 22nd in the New Testament overall.

5.      Finally, Paul's 4 letters to 3 individuals: Timothy (1); Timothy (2); Titus; and Philemon. This completes Paul's epistles.

6.      The last book of all in the book of books is Revelation. This is the 27th book of the New Testament. It takes scriptures from all over the Bible, putting them into the correct sequence.

 The vast majority of New Testament manuscripts reflect this order of the books. This original order was rearranged by the Roman Catholic Ecclesia in the Latin Vulgate version. Up until the 4th century A.D. all of the ecclesiastical Fathers who list the New Testament books do so by placing the Jewish epistles FIRST, followed by Paul’s epistles. Not only that, but the ancient Aramaic manuscripts also follow this order.  It also agrees with the concept that James, Peter and John were emissaries that came BEFORE Paul -- see Galatians 1:17. The old manuscript order also agrees with the concept that Peter, James and John served as THREE PILLARS which Paul’s message was to replace and take preeminence.

 Gal.2:8–9: For, He that energized in Peter, into an apostleship to the circumcision, energized also in me, for the Gentile. And when they perceived the favor which had been given to me, James, Cephas, and John -- who were reputed to be pillars, gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, in order that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

 The reader of the New Testament was intended to read the “Jewish epistles” 1st and then to read Paul’s epistles, having already understood the Jewish epistles.