A Nonchurchgoer’s Guide to Jesus and the Bible

BSN: Authors of the Bible’s 66 Books

Related: The Authors and Books of the New Testament

God, through Jesus Christ, is the ultimate author of the Bible. However, He used human beings as His instruments, speaking His thoughts through their various personalities. It is those human beings who are listed here.

Consider those listed here as the primary or lead human authors as many of them had help in the writing, including the use of scribes. Notably, David did not write all of the Psalms, and neither did Solomon write all of the Proverbs. And Samuel had considerable help with 1 and 2 Samuel. Sometimes those who helped with producing the writing are named in the text and sometimes they are not. For an example of the former, see the list of Paul’s various co-authors in these notes on Paul.)

Note that there are 8 authors of the New Testament and 24 of the Old Testament. Note also that the New Testament writings were all produced in the 1st century AD while the Old Testament writings were produced over a thousand-year period from the 15th to the 5th century BC.

Note that not all the primary authors are named in the texts. For those that aren’t, we take the word of ancient Jews regarding the Old Testament books and the ancient Christians regarding the New Testament books since they were, respectively, the recipients and custodians of the original texts.

Scriptural Order, NT First

The New Testament
  1. Matthew – Matthew
  2. Mark – Mark
  3. Luke – Luke
  4. John – John
  5. Acts – Luke
  6. Romans – Paul
  7. 1 Corinthians – Paul
  8. 2 Corinthians – Paul
  9. Galatians – Paul
  10. Ephesians – Paul
  11. Philippians – Paul
  12. Colossians – Paul
  13. 1 Thessalonians – Paul
  14. 2 Thessalonians – Paul
  15. 1 Timothy – Paul
  16. 2 Timothy – Paul
  17. Titus – Paul
  18. Philemon – Paul
  19. Hebrews – Paul
  20. James – James
  21. 1 Peter – Peter
  22. 2 Peter – Peter
  23. 1 John – John
  24. 2 John – John
  25. 3 John – John
  26. Jude – Jude
  27. Revelation – John
The Old Testament
  1. Genesis – Moses
  2. Exodus – Moses
  3. Leviticus – Moses
  4. Numbers – Moses
  5. Deuteronomy – Moses
  6. Joshua – Joshua
  7. Judges – Samuel
  8. Ruth – Samuel
  9. 1 Samuel – Samuel
  10. 2 Samuel – Samuel
  11. 1 Kings – Jeremiah
  12. 2 Kings – Jeremiah
  13. 1 Chronicles – Ezra
  14. 2 Chronicles – Ezra
  15. Ezra – Ezra
  16. Nehemiah – Nehemiah
  17. Esther – Mordecai
  18. Job – Moses
  19. Psalms – David
  20. Proverbs – Solomon
  21. Ecclesiastes – Solomon
  22. Song of Solomon – Solomon
  23. Isaiah – Isaiah
  24. Jeremiah – Jeremiah
  25. Lamentations – Jeremiah
  26. Ezekiel – Ezekiel
  27. Daniel – Daniel
  28. Hosea – Hosea
  29. Joel – Joel
  30. Amos – Amos
  31. Obadiah – Obadiah
  32. Jonah – Jonah
  33. Micah – Micah
  34. Nahum – Nahum
  35. Habakkuk –Habakkuk
  36. Zephaniah – Zephaniah
  37. Haggai – Haggai
  38. Zechariah – Zechariah
  39. Malachi – Malachi

Chronological by Primary Author, NT First

The New Testament

All eight authors of the New Testament texts were contemporaries of Jesus, so that is the main point to be made about their chronology. The only order being followed here is their Jesus’ appointment of apostles, the apostles’ enlistment of helpers, and the involvement of Lord’s brothers. That all eight authors were part of Jesus’ generation is what should be compared to the chronology of Old Testament authors which is spread over a millennium.

  1. Peter –
  2. John –
  3. Matthew – The Gospel According to Matthew
  4. Paul
  5. Mark – The Gospel According to Mark
  6. Luke –
  7. James – James
  8. Jude – Jude
The Old Testament

The order below is inexact in several places, so do not make too much of it. History has not preserved for us precise dating of a number of these men. The point is to give a known general chronology that begins with Moses writing the first five books and ends with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the final prophetic preparation for Messiah – who would come about 400 years after Malachi. For this reason, the chronology of OT prophets can be said to span from Moses to Malachi…and that Malachi and Matthew next to each other provide a suitable link between the testaments.

  1. Moses –
  2. Joshua – Joshua
  3. Samuel –
  4. David – Psalms
  5. Solomon –
  6. Jonah – Jonah
  7. Hosea – Hosea
  8. Joel – Joel
  9. Amos – Amos
  10. Isaiah – Isaiah
  11. Micah – Micah
  12. Nahum – Nahum
  13. Zephaniah – Zephaniah
  14. Jeremiah –
  15. Habakkuk – Habakkuk
  16. Obadiah – Obadiah
  17. Mordecai – Esther
  18. Daniel – Daniel
  19. Ezekiel – Ezekiel
  20. Ezra –
  21. Nehemiah – Nehemiah
  22. Haggai – Haggai
  23. Zechariah – Zechariah
  24. Malachi – Malachi

Alphabetical by Primary Author, NT First

The New Testament
  1. James – James
  2. John –
  3. Jude – Jude
  4. Luke –
  5. Mark – The Gospel According to Mark
  6. Matthew – The Gospel According to Matthew
  7. Paul
  8. Peter –
The Old Testament
  1. Amos – Amos
  2. Daniel – Daniel
  3. David – Psalms
  4. Ezekiel – Ezekiel
  5. Ezra –
  6. Habakkuk – Habakkuk
  7. Haggai – Haggai
  8. Hosea – Hosea
  9. Isaiah – Isaiah
  10. Jeremiah –
  11. Joel – Joel
  12. Jonah – Jonah
  13. Joshua – Joshua
  14. Malachi – Malachi
  15. Micah – Micah
  16. Mordecai – Esther
  17. Moses –
  18. Nahum – Nahum
  19. Nehemiah – Nehemiah
  20. Obadiah – Obadiah
  21. Samuel –
  22. Solomon –
  23. Zechariah – Zechariah
  24. Zephaniah – Zephaniah

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