New Testament

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven texts written in Koine Greek during the first and early second centuries AD. The earliest texts are Paul's letters (c. 50–60 AD); the latest is probably 2 Peter (c. 100–150 AD). The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John were composed between approximately 65 and 100 AD.

The texts were written by diverse authors for diverse communities across the eastern Mediterranean. They include narrative (the Gospels and Acts), letters (the Pauline and Catholic epistles), and apocalyptic prophecy (Revelation). The Greek ranges from the sophisticated rhetoric of Hebrews and the polished narrative of Luke-Acts to the grammatically rough urgency of Mark and the visionary Greek of Revelation.

The New Testament was not compiled as a single book until the fourth century. The process of canonisation — deciding which texts were authoritative — was gradual, contested, and never entirely uniform across Christian communities. These texts, whatever one's religious convictions, are among the most consequential ever written.