Paul's Letters Introduction

The New Testament consists of 27 books:
21 letters
4 gospels
1 history
1 apocalypse

The first time the exact list appeared was in an Easter letter by Athanasius in 367 where he described these as books that were "right and proper for a Christian to read."

There were similar lists as early as 170.


Most scholars believe Paul's letters are among the oldest materials in the New Testament.

Paul's letters often address specific problems in first century churches. Thus, studying the original context of the letters is crucial to applying their lessons today.


How did Paul's letters become part of the New Testament canon? One theory is as follows:

The book of Acts may have become available around 90. Paul appears prominently in Acts. As various churches read the book, they were reminded that they had letters from Paul and brought out these letters to share.

Paul made three missionary journeys that took him from Antioch to Cyprus, into Asia Minor, and later to Achaia and Macedonia, and finally to Rome where he was executed.

Click here for an article on the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.