A Quick Look at Order of New Testament Books, #1 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In what position does the Gospel of John appear?

Answer: 4th

The Gospel of John is the fourth book in the New Testament and the last of the four Gospels. It follows Matthew, Mark and Luke and precedes Acts. While the three other Gospels provide details about Jesus' ministry over three years, John largely concentrates on the final days of His ministry before the crucifixion and resurrection.

Many Christians, myself included, see the Gospel of John as proof of deity of Jesus Christ. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible sum up things this way: "John meticulously records the statements and describes the miracles of Jesus that can be only attributed to God Himself."

2. In what position does Ephesians appear?

Answer: 10th

The Book of Ephesians is the tenth book in the New Testament. In the order of appearance, it is the fifth of thirteen books written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. The first four books by Paul are Romans, First Corinthians, Second Corinthians and Galatians. The book is addressed to members of the early church at Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia. The area is part of present-day Turkey.

"Ephesians like so much of Paul's writing, underscores the truth that salvation is by faith alone and not through works of human striving," state notes in the NKJV Study Bible.

3. In what position does Second Corinthians appear?

Answer: 8th

The eighth book in the New Testament is Second Corinthians. The book, as well as 1 Corinthians, was written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. According to the website Christiananswers.net, Corinth was a city on the isthmus which joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece.

The website states Corinth was known for its wealth and for the "immoral and vicious habits of the people." The city had a mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews. Second Corinthians is preceded by First Corinthians and is followed by Galatians.

4. In what position does First Timothy appear?

Answer: 15th

The Book of First Timothy is the fifteenth book, in order of appearance, in the New Testament. The book was written by Paul and addressed to Timothy, a young worker in the early church. 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus are often referred to as Paul's Pastoral Epistles. In 1 Timothy, Paul instructs Timothy on how the church should function.

5. In what position does Colossians appear?

Answer: 12th

The Book of Colossians is the twelfth book in the New Testament. It is one of thirteen books written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. The letter was addressed to members of the early church in Colossae, about one hundred miles east of Ephesus in the Lycus River valley. Colossians follows Philippians and appears before First Thessalonians.

Paul wrote Colossians to deal with some doctrinal heresies that were beginning to rear their ugly heads in the church at Colosse, according to notes in the NKJV Study Bible.

6. In what position does Romans appear?

Answer: 6th

The Book of Romans is the sixth book in the New Testament. Out of the thirteen books written by Paul, Romans is the largest, consisting of sixteen chapters. The book, of course, is addressed to believers in the early church at Rome. Romans follows Acts and appears before First Corinthians.

Outside of the four Gospels, some people describe Romans as the "bull's eye" of the New Testament. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible describes Romans as the "flagship" of Paul's letters.

7. In what position does Galatians appear?

Answer: 9th

The Book of Galatians is the ninth book in the New Testament. Galatians was written by Paul and addressed to believers in Galatia, a community in present-day Turkey.

The book consists of only six chapters, but is big on theology. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have gushing praise for the book: "In the whole Bible, there is no more passionate, comprehensive, yet concise statement of the truth of the gospel than Galatians."

Many people agree the one of the prominent themes of Galatians is salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. (See 2:16; 3:11-12.)

8. In what position does the Gospel of Mark appear?

Answer: 2nd

The Gospel of Mark is the second book in the New Testament and the second of four Gospels. It is preceded by the Gospel of Matthew and followed by the Gospel of Luke.

Although there is no conclusive proof, many theologians believe the writer of Mark was John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. Similar to many people in the New Testament, John Mark often did not go by his full name and was simply referred to as Mark. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and John Mark had a major falling out, according to Acts 15:36-41. However, their fractured relationship was smoothed over as Paul states in 2 Timothy 4:11 he wanted Mark to come to him because he was helpful to him in his ministry.

9. In what position does Second Thessalonians appear?

Answer: 14th

The Book of Second Thessalonians, in order of appearance, is the fourteenth book of the New Testament. Written by Paul, the book appears after First Thessalonians and before First Timothy. It is one of the smaller books in the Bible, consisting of three chapters.

The book is addressed to believers in the early church at Thessalonica. In the book, Paul counters false teachings which had surfaced.

10. In what position does the Gospel of Matthew appear?

Answer: 1st

The Gospel of Matthew is not only the first of the four Gospels, but also the first book in the New Testament. It appears before Mark, which is followed by Luke and John.

Theologians believe the Gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, as it makes numerous references to the Old Testament and prophecies about the coming Messiah.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Matthew 11:28-30. The verses in the NKJV state: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew, according to Scripture, served as a tax collector before he accepted Christ's invitation to follow Him. Matthew, also known as Levi, is identified as a tax collector in three different places in the Bible: Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27.

11. In what position does Philippians appear?

Answer: 11th

The Book of Philippians is the eleventh book of the New Testament. Philippians was written by Paul and the book was addressed to believers at Philippi, a community in present-day Greece. Incidentally, some of the people who belonged to the early church at Philippi were Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe, and the Philippi jailer. Their conversion is recorded in Acts 16:11-40.

Two of the major themes in Philippians are joy and being content in whatever the circumstance. In his letter to the believers at Philippi, Paul praises them for being generous givers, as per Philippians 4:14-16.

12. In what position does the Book of Acts appear?

Answer: 5th

The Book of Acts is the fifth book of the New Testament. The book was written by Luke, a physician who served in the early church alongside Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. We know Luke's occupation because Paul describes him as the "beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14.

Acts, similar to the Gospel of Luke, is addressed to Theophilus. However, there is no conclusive proof as to who Theophilus actually was. Some believe he was a prominent official in the Roman government while others believe he was a lawyer who represented Paul in his trial before Felix. Some believe Theophilus is a collective name for Christians in general but this view is disputed by others because the Gospel of Luke describes Theophilus as "most excellent," a term for a specific person and not a collective body.

The book is largely a history of the early church and how Christianity was introduced to Europe and present-day Turkey.

13. In what position does First Thessalonians appear?

Answer: 13th

The Book of First Thessalonians is the thirteenth book, in order of appearance, in the New Testament. It appears after Colossians and before Second Thessalonians. First Thessalonians was written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and consists of five chapters.

In First Thessalonians, Paul reinforces the basic gospel message, instructs believers further in the faith, and provides practical applications for spiritual truths, notes in the NKJV Study Bible state.

14. In what position does First Corinthians appear?

Answer: 7th

The seventh book in the New Testament is First Corinthians. The book was written by Paul and is addressed to believers in Corinth. Ancient Corinth was part of Greece and a modern-day city bears the name Corinth. Fittingly, First Corinthians is followed by Second Corinthians.

The 13th chapter of First Corinthians is known as 'The Love Chapter' and is a favorite with tens of millions of Christians around the world.

Paul had received reports from Chloe's household about division in the church (First Corinthians 1:11) and he apparently responded by writing the book.

15. In what position does the Gospel of Luke appear?

Answer: 3rd

The Gospel of Luke is the third book in the New Testament and the third of four Gospels. It contains a number of parables and miracles not recorded in the three other Gospels.

The parables found in only Luke are The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, A Friend in Need, The Rich Fool, The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, The Faithful and Wise Steward, The Barren Fig Tree, The Great Supper, Building a Tower and King Making War, The Lost Coin, The Unjust Steward, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Unprofitable Servants, The Persistent Widow, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector and finally The Minas (Pounds).

Miracles reported in only Luke include the Healing of the Ten Lepers, Escape From the Hostile Multitude, Draught of Fish, Raising the Widow's Son from the Dead at Nain, Healing the Infirm Bowed Woman, Healing the Man with Dropsy and Restoring a Servant's Ear.

What's more, Luke appears to have been a man with tremendous compassion and special love for the disadvantaged, the downtrodden of society, the outcasts. Time and again we read in his Gospel accounts of the down-and-out winning special favor in the Lord's eyes. We read of people who made mistakes and messed up their lives big time.

The Bible states God's eye is on the sparrow. Well, to paraphrase Luke, God's eye is not only on the sparrow -- but on the turkey too! (And for this fact, I am forever grateful.)

I remember a number of years ago reading Luke 15:7 ("there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent") and my life was changed forever.

Source: Author Cowrofl

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Questions		Choices
1. In what position does the Gospel of John appear?		4th
2. In what position does Ephesians appear?		12th
3. In what position does Second Corinthians appear?		3rd
4. In what position does First Timothy appear?		6th
5. In what position does Colossians appear?		8th
6. In what position does Romans appear?		11th
7. In what position does Galatians appear?		5th
8. In what position does the Gospel of Mark appear?		10th
9. In what position does Second Thessalonians appear?		7th
10. In what position does the Gospel of Matthew appear?		13th
11. In what position does Philippians appear?		9th
12. In what position does the Book of Acts appear?		15th
13. In what position does First Thessalonians appear?		2nd
14. In what position does First Corinthians appear?		1st
15. In what position does the Gospel of Luke appear?		14th

This quiz takes a look at the order of the first fifteen books of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Your challenge is to match the book with the correct order in which it appears in the New Testament.