Background Of...

Matthew
Author: Matthew, also called Levi, formerly a tax collector, later an apostle (9:9; Luke 5:27), as indicated by the omitted reference to him as the host of the reception in 9:10 and by the special mentioning of him as the tax collector in 10:3.
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 37-40, shortly after the Lord’s resurrection (28:15) and prior to the destruction of the temple (24:2).
Place of Writing: Probably the land of Judea.
Recipients: The Jews in general, as indicated by the absence of explanations about Jewish customs and festivals (15:2, c.f. Mark 7:2-3; Matt. 26:17, c.f. Mark 14:12).

Mark
Author: Mark; see details in note 1¹ in ch. 1.
Time of Writing: The words spoken in 13:2 seem to indicate that this book was written before the destruction of the holy temple. Perhaps it was written between A.D. 67 and 70, after the death of the apostle Paul.
Place of Writing: Perhaps Rome; see 2 Timothy 4:11.
Recipients: Frequent explanations of Jewish names, customs, and festivals in this book (3:17; 5:41; 7:3, 11; 14:12; 15:42) prove that it was written to the Gentiles, specifically the Romans.

Luke
Author: Luke; see note 3¹ in ch. 1.
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 60, before Acts was written (Acts 1:1).
Place of Writing: Probably Caesarea, when Paul was imprisoned there (c.f. Acts 23:33; 24:27; 27:1).
Recipient: Theophilus (1:3); see note 3² in ch. 1.

John
Author: The apostle John (21:20, 24), son of Zebedee (Matt. 10:2), whose brother was James and whose mother was Salome (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 90.
Place of Writing: Perhaps Ephesus.
Recipients: All believers, both in Judea and throughout the Gentile lands, as indicated by the translations offered by John in 1:38; 5:2; and 19:13).

Acts
Author: Luke; see note 3¹ in Luke 1.
Time of Writing: A.D. 67 or 68, after the Gospel of Luke was written (1:1).
Place of Writing: Perhaps Rome (cf. Philem. 24:2; 2 Tim. 4:11).
Recipient: Theophilus (1:1); see note 3² in Luke 1.

Romans
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 60, on Paul’s third ministry journey.
Place of Writing: Corinth (Rom. 15:25-32; Acts 19:21; 20:1-3).
Recipients: The saints in Rome (1:7).

1 Corinthians
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1; 9:1-2), twenty-five years after he was called (Acts 9:3-6, 15-16) and fourteen years after he was sent to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-4, 8).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 59, near the end of Paul’s three-year stay in Ephesus (Acts 20:31; 1 Cor. 16:3-8, 19).
Place of Writing: Ephesus (Acts 19:21-22; 1 Cor. 16:3-8, 19).
Recipients: The saints—the church—in Corinth and all who call upon the name f our Lord Jesus Christ in every place (1:2).

2 Corinthians
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 60, before the Epistle to the Romans was written; see notes 1¹ and 3¹ in Acts 20.
Place of Writing: Macedonia (2:13 and note 2; 7:5-6; 8:1; 9:2, 4).
Recipients: The church of God in Corinth, with all the saints in the whole of Achaia (1:1).

Galatians
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 54, during Paul’s second ministry journey, after traveling through Galatia and arriving in Corinth (Acts 18:1, 11).
Place of Writing: Corinth, while Paul was there for a year and a half (Acts 18:1-11).
Recipients: The churches in Galatia (1:2).

Ephesians
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 64.
Place of Writing: Rome, where Paul was imprisoned (3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Acts 28:30).
Recipients: The saints in Ephesus (1:1).

Philippians
Author: Paul, with Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 64, perhaps after Ephesians was written (cf. 1:25; 2:24).
Place of Writing: Rome, where Paul was imprisoned (1:13; Acts 28:30).
Recipients: The saints in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons (1:1).

Colossians
Author: Paul the apostle with Timothy the brother (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 64, when the Epistle to Philemon was written (4:9; Philem. 10-12).
Place of Writing: Rome ,where Paul was imprisoned (4:3, 10, 18).
Recipients: The saints in Colossae (1:2).

1 Thessalonians
Author: Paul with Silvanus and Timothy (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 54, during Paul’s second ministry journey, while he remained in Corinth (1:1; 3:6; Acts 18:1, 5).
Place of Writing: Corinth; see verses in the previous item.
Recipient: The church of the Thessalonians (1:1).

2 Thessalonians
Author: Paul with Silvanus and Timothy (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 54, as with the first Epistle (1:1).
Place of Writing: Corinth.
Recipient: The church of the Thessalonians (1:1).

1 Timothy
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 65, after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment.
Place of Writing: Probably Macedonia (1:3).
Recipient: Timothy (1:2).

2 Timothy
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 67, during Paul’s second imprisonment, near the time of his martyrdom (4:6).
Place of Writing: A Roman prison (1:16-17).
Recipient: Timothy (1:2).

Titus
Author: The apostle Paul (1:1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 65, after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, when he had passed through Crete and arrived in Nicopolis (1:5; 3:12).
Place of Writing: Nicopolis; see verse in the previous item.
Recipient: Titus (1:4).

Philemon
Author: Paul the apostle with Timothy the brother (v. 1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 64, shortly before Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment (vv. 9, 22).
Place of Writing: A Roman prison; see verses in the previous item.
Recipient: Tapphia, Archippus, and the church, which was in their house (vv. 1-2).

Hebrews
Author: Apparently the apostle Paul, who alone was qualified to write the deep, high, and rich content of this book. The mention of Timothy and the tone of the fellowship also point to Paul as the author (see also note 1 in 1:1).
Time of Writing: Perhaps A.D. 67, after Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment, while he was in Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20).
Place of Writing: Perhaps Miletus (see verse in the previous item). The mention of “those from Italy” in 13:24 indicates that the book as not written in Rome.
Recipients: The Hebrew believers, as indicated by the book’s content.

James
Author: James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ; the Lord’s flesh brother (1:1; Matt. 13:55).
Time of Writing: Perhaps around A.D. 50, prior to the decline of the church, which is never alluded to in this book.
Place of Writing: Probably Jerusalem, from which James apparently never departed.
Recipients: The twelve tribes in dispersion (see 1:2 and notes 3 and 4).

1 Peter
Author: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1).
Time of Writing: Probably around A.D. 64, prior to the martyrdom of Paul (see note 13³ in ch.5).
Place of Writing: Babylon on the Euphrates (see note 13² in ch. 5).
Recipients: The Jewish believers sojourning in the Gentile world (see 1:1 and note 5).

2 Peter
Author: Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1).
Time of Writing: Probably around A.D. 69, after Paul’s martyrdom (cf. 3:15-16) and before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as indicated by the allusions to the decline of the church; close to the time of Peter’s martyrdom (1:14).
Place of Writing: Perhaps Rome, where the tradition in church history places Peter’s martyrdom.
Recipients: The Jewish believers in dispersion in the Gentile world (see 1:1 and note 3).

1 John
Author: John, the author of the Gospel of John, as indicated by this book’s comparable style and tone.
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 90-95, after John’s return from exile on Patmos, according to church history and the content of this book.
Place of Writing: Ephesus, where, according to church history, John ministered in his last days.
Recipients: The believers in general, who have the eternal life of God by believing into the Son of God (5:11-13).

2 John
Author: John the elder (1:1).
Time of Writing: After the first epistle was written; see introduction to 1 John.
Place of Writing: Ephesus, where, according to church history, John was an elder.
Recipients: A chosen lady and her children; see v.1 and note 2.

3 John
Author: John the elder (1:1).
Time of Writing: After the second Epistle was written; see introductions to 1 and 2 John.
Place of Writing: The sane as the second Epistle; see introduction to 2 John.
Recipients: Gaius (v. 1 and note 2).

Jude
Author: Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a flesh brother of James (the author of the Epistle of James) and of the Lord (v. 1 and note 1).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 69, before the destruction of Jerusalem and around the same time as the writing of 2 Peter, as indicated by the allusions to the decline of the church similar to those found in 2 Pet. 2.
Place of Writing: Jerusalem or Judea, though this is difficult to establish with certainty.
Recipients: The Jewish believers, as indicated by the book’s Jewish tone.

Revelation
Author: The apostle John (1:1, 9).
Time of Writing: Approximately A.D. 90, while John was in exile on the island of Patmos.
Place of Writing: The island of Patmos (1:9).
Recipients: The seven churches in Asia (1:4).

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