Here’s a list of ancient Christian letters from the First and Second Centuries that support this Website – The Book – The Podcast – and The Experience. Many of these letters are in the New Testament of the Bible. However, some of them are only available in libraries, or by special order from bookstores, or on various Internet websites. The approximate year that each letter was written and a few words about its contents are included, and in some cases the pronunciation of its title is included. The letters are listed here in the order in which they were written:
1. James (45 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, James, and addressed to worldwide Christians. James, one of Jesus’s younger half-brothers, wrote the letter in Jerusalem, Israel. This is the earliest known Christian letter ever discovered.
2. Galatians (49 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in the province of Galatia, Turkey. Paul wrote the letter in Antioch, Turkey. This is the first letter known to be written by Paul.
3. Mark (50 AD). A record of the life of Jesus written by John-Mark, one of the original twelve apostles and addressed to non-Jewish and Roman Christians worldwide. John-Mark wrote this record in Jerusalem, Israel.
4. First Thessalonians (51 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in the port city of Thessalonica, Greece. Paul wrote this letter in Corinth, Greece.
5. Second Thessalonians (51 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in the port city of Thessalonica, Greece. Paul wrote this letter in Corinth, Greece.
6. First Corinthians (56 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in the port city of Corinth, Greece. Paul wrote the letter in Ephesus, Turkey.
7. Second Corinthians (56 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in the port city of Corinth, Greece. Paul wrote the letter in Macedonia, Greece.
8. Romans (58 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in Rome, Italy. Paul wrote the letter in the port city of Corinth, Greece.
9. Matthew (60 AD). A record of the life of Jesus written by Matthew, one of the original twelve apostles and addressed Jewish Christians worldwide. Matthew wrote the record in Jerusalem, Israel.
10. Luke (60 AD). A record of the life of Jesus written by the apostle, Luke (Dr. Lucus), a physician, and addressed non-Jewish Christians worldwide. Luke wrote the record in Caesarea, Israel.
11. Ephesians (61 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in Ephesus, Turkey. Paul wrote the letter in prison in Rome, Italy.
12. Philippians (61 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in Philippi, Greece. Paul wrote the letter in prison in Rome, Italy.
13. Colossians (61 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to the Christians in Colossae, Turkey. Paul wrote the letter in prison in Rome, Italy.
14. Acts (61 AD). A historical record of the early Christian experience written by the Christian apostle and physician, Luke (Dr. Lucas), and addressed to worldwide Christians. Luke wrote this history in Rome, Italy.
15. Philemon (61 AD, “phi-lee‘-mon”). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to a Christian named Philemon, a Christian slave owner living at Colossae, Turkey. Paul wrote the letter in prison in Rome, Italy.
16. First Timothy (63 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to a Christian evangelist and apostle named Timothy at Ephesus, Turkey. Paul wrote the letter in Macedonia, Greece, having been released from prison.
17. First Peter (63 AD). A letter written by the Christian elder and apostle, Peter, and addressed to worldwide Christians. Peter wrote the letter in Rome, Italy where he was visiting Paul in prison and teaching local Christians.
18. Second Peter (64 AD). A letter written by the Christian elder and apostle, Peter, and addressed to worldwide Christians. Peter wrote the letter in Rome, Italy just before he was arrested by the Emperor Nero and crucified upside down near the giant obelisk in Nero’s racetrack in Rome on October 13, 64 AD.
19. Titus (65 AD, “tie‘-tus”). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to a Christian elder named Titus at Crete, Greece. Paul wrote the letter in Macedonia, Greece, still free from prison.
20. Second Timothy (67 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, prophet, and teacher, Paul, and addressed to a Christian evangelist and apostle named Timothy at Ephesus, Turkey. Paul wrote this letter in prison in Rome, Italy a few months before he was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero three miles outside of Rome on the highway to the seaport of Ostia on June 29, 67 AD. This is Paul’s last known letter.
21. Hebrews (68 AD). A letter written by an unknown Christian apostle and addressed to the Jewish Christians in Italy. Where the letter was written is also unknown. Some scholars claim that the apostle Paul wrote this letter, which is why some scholars claim Paul wrote 14 of the New Testament letters, instead of 13. However, Paul was beheaded in Rome in 67 AD, so it is doubtful that he wrote this letter.
22. Jude (70 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, Jude, one of Jesus’s younger half-brothers, and addressed to worldwide Christians. Jude wrote the letter in Jerusalem, Israel.
23. John (85 AD). A record of the life of Jesus written by the apostle, John, and addressed to worldwide Christians. John wrote this record in Jerusalem, Israel.
24. First John (90 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, John, and addressed to the Christians in Asia Minor. John wrote the letter in Ephesus, Turkey.
25. Second John (90 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, John, and addressed to an unnamed Christian woman and her children. John wrote the letter in Ephesus, Turkey.
26. Third John (90 AD). A letter written by the Christian apostle, John, and addressed to a Christian elder somewhere in Turkey. John wrote the letter in Ephesus, Turkey.
27. Revelation (90 AD). A vision written down live as it unfolded by the Christian apostle, John, and addressed to worldwide Christians. John wrote the record of this vision in his cave on the island of Patmos, Greece, where he was exiled by the Roman Emperor Domitian.
28. Didache (90 AD, “did‘-uh-key”). A First Century Christian training manual written by an unknown Christian teacher and addressed to worldwide Christians. It is also sometimes called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles by scholars. Some researchers think the apostle Paul helped write it in the city of Antioch, Turkey about 60 AD. Others think it was written by an unknown author in Ephesus, Turkey about 90 AD. It was found by a Greek Orthodox priest in a monastery in Istanbul, Turkey in 1883, and today many researchers believe it to be one of the most important early Christian documents ever discovered.
29. Clement (95 AD, “clem‘-ent”). A letter written by the Christian elder, Clement, and addressed to the Christians at Corinth, Greece. Clement wrote the letter in Rome, Italy. The letter was important to the early Christians and was read aloud in Christian groups as late as 170 AD.
30. Ignatius (112 AD, “ig-nay‘-shush”). A collection of seven letters written by the Christian elder, Ignatius, at Antioch, Syria and addressed to Christian groups at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, Rome, and Smyrna. Ignatius wrote the letters while in route to Rome, Italy where he was executed by being thrown to wild animals.
31. Barnabas (120 AD, “barn‘-uh-bus”). A letter written by an unknown Christian apostle (not the apostle Barnabas who traveled with Paul in the mid-First Century) and addressed to worldwide Christians. This letter was important to the early Christians and was considered inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, it was not included in the New Testament in later years.
32. Diognetus (125 AD, “die-ahg-knee‘-tuhss”). A letter written by the Christian elder, Quadratus (“quah-drah‘-tooss”), from Athens, Greece, and addressed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian in Rome, Italy. This is one of the most beautiful early Christian letters ever written. Some scholars believe Quadratus presented this letter in person to Hadrian when he visited Athens in 125 AD.
33. Papias (130 AD, “pah‘-pea-us”). A teaching written by the Christian elder, Papias, from Hierapolis, Turkey, and addressed to worldwide Christians. Papias tried to copy a record of all the teachings of the original twelve apostles of Jesus, and he filled five books with them. However, only the portions now known as “Papias” have survived in history.
34. Hermas (140 AD, “air‘-mess”). A teaching written by the Christian elder, Hermas, from Rome, Italy and addressed to worldwide Christians. His teaching is also known as The Shepherd by some scholars and is thought to have been written over a period of several years starting about 90 AD. This document is still considered inspired by many Christians and is still read and revered by some of the institutional Christian denominations today.
35. Polycarp (156 AD, “polly‘-carp”). A letter written by the Christian elder, Marcion, from Smyrna, Turkey and addressed to the Christians at Philomelium in Turkey. The letter is about the execution of another elder from Smyrna by the name of Polycarp. Polycarp’s execution is what gives the document its name. This document is the earliest known letter describing in detail the execution of a Christian.