I've been investigating this for quite awhile now and the only thing that's consistent is inconsistency. Opinions vary from minor differences to wildy different.
Is there any way to reach a more certain knowledge of the exact order?
If I understand your post correctly you are wondering the “why” of the order…maybe this will help.... on some of it.
I have taken snippets from something I designed called the
Quick Start, which I give to new believers …to give them a brief synopsis of the Bible.
I placed the gospels last due to the addition of the
Branch, which I added Just to explain to explain my labeling of them.
If this helps …great! ….if you disagree …that’s fine.
…..GOSPELS WOULD BE HERE …..
The book of ACTS….. Is the fulcrum point between the Old and New Testament. It shows the rise and expansion of the First Century Church of Grace…starting with the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It basically gives a synopsis of how the age of Grace evolved….
ROMANS, 1&2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS, COLISSIANS, and 1&2 THESSALONIANS
The seven Church epistles in the New Testament, are addressed
DIRECTLY to those of us who are born again in this age of Grace.
Although there is a portion in Romans, between Chapter 9 and 12 that Paul (by revelation) is addressing Israel, and then to the Gentiles in chapter 11.
ROMANS, EPHESIANS and THESSALONIANS are
“Doctrinal” Epistles = right or correct believing….. written for the walk of the believers in the Body of Christ.
CORINTHIANS & PHILIPPIANS are
“Reproof” Epistles to show believers where they are off from the doctoral revelation.
GALATIANS & COLISSIANS are
“Correction” Epistles to get the believers back to the right believing of the doctrine.
**Notice the layout - Romans doctrine
, Corinthians reproof
, Galatians correction
, Ephesians doctrine,
Philippians reproof
, Colossians correction
. The book of Thessalonians stands alone as a doctrinal epistle.
Thessalonians although doctrinal epistles somewhat stands alone as they deal primarily with the return of our Lord Jesus Christ
FOR the Church of the Body
….and in II Thessalonians touches on the return (second part of the Parousia) of Christ WITH his saints (the Body of Christ) when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
**Although Thessalonians were the first epistles written so that the believers had the hope before them due to the mental pressure and persecution they endured. They are the last of the Church epistles as it is the culmination of the grace administration.
1&2 TIMOTHY, TITUS and I will include
PHILEMON {although there is some disagreement with this} are called the
Pastoral Epistles. These are written to the Church…. but are directed towards leadership within of the Body of Christ.
.
HEBREWS is not addressed to the church in the sense that we know the Church established on Pentecost. It is addressed to born again believers, but those who have never walked in the freedom of the new birth……. those who are still zealous for the law.
JAMES Much like Hebrews was written to the Christian Jews of the dispersion, “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. Those born again who seem to want to put themselves under the law. 1
&2 PETER, 1,2&3 JOHN and
JUDE closely align themselves to this category also. The reason so much of this seems applicable to many of us …is that we find ourselves not adhering to the doctrinal Epistles of Romans, Ephesians, and Thessalonians.
**I can understand why the pastoral epistles were placed after the Church epistles, but as to the sequence of Hebrews -Jude …I do not know.
REVELATION….
**For obvious reasons is the last book in the Bible.
THE FOUR GOSPELS give the account, of the life and walk of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from four different perspectives.
MATTHEW as the “
King”,
MARK as the “
Servant”,
LUKE as the “
Man”, and
JOHN as the “
Son”
The gospels although printed in the New Testament are figuratively the binding or the cohesive bond of the Bible; they stand alone, being neither in the Old nor the New.
**As for the order the gospels are placed I can see no other sequence other than chronological …..best guess.
==============================================================================================================
The Branch – Jesus Christ
The gospels were designed to show the four different aspects of Jesus Christ ministry ….as the prophets of old foretold them in regard to the
BRANCH in the Old Testament.
Matthew - as King.
Mark - as Servant.
Luke – as Man.
John – as Son of God.
KING
One quality of the coming BRANCH prophesied by Jeremiah would be that of a King descended from David.
In order for Jesus to be the Messiah He would have to be a descendant of David inherit the right to the throne and come as King to Israel.
Jeremiah 23:5 & 33:15
23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
Only in the book of Matthew do you find the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” and it’s used 32 times.
There are 10 parables unique to Matthew which relate to a King. Plus the royal genealogy chap 1, and the phrase son of David occurs more in Matthew than any other gospel.
SERVANT
As the promised BRANCH one of the aspects of Jesus Christ ministry would be the role of a Servant.
Zachariah 3:8
3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
The gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus as a Servant. There is no genealogy as a position gained by descendant. The word “lord” or “sir” Greek (
kurios) is used only 3 times of Jesus in Mark….. whereas it is used 73 times in the other three gospels.
There is a great emphasis in Mark on Jesus’s actions and responsibility in serving and helping others.
MAN
Another characteristic of the promised BRANCH is Jesus’s humanity …in other words, the Branch would be a man.
Zechariah 6:12
6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Luke clearly emphasizes Jesus Christ as a man. Luke 3:23-38 is the genealogy tracing Jesus’ legal ancestry …through Joseph (who adopted him) back to Adam the first man.
There are 11 parables particular to Luke which emphasize the human aspect of his walk. The entire gospel emphasizes His relationship with common man, including publicans and sinners…..It shows Jesus to be a full of human tenderness and compassion as the perfect man.
SON OF GOD
Isaiah 4:2
4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Jesus Christ was the Branch …the offspring of the Lord God. The gospel which clearly depicts and emphasizes Jesus as the son of God is John as seen in the following verses.
John 1:14, 18 & 34 - 3:16 & 20:31
1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
While every gospel encompasses all of these characteristics of Jesus Christ, each gospel specifically emphasizes one of them.