Yes. In the standard order of the Christian Bible, the New Testament begins with the Gospel of Matthew, the first of its four Gospels.
Matthew is placed first, then Mark, Luke, and John, before the rest of the New Testament writings.
New Testament opening
The New Testament starts with the Gospel of Matthew. In the usual arrangement, Matthew is the first book, and it is followed by Mark, Luke, and John. These four writings are known collectively as the Gospels.
This order matters for how the New Testament is read as a collection: it opens with the accounts of Jesus presented in the four Gospels, and only after that does it move to the later books.
Order of the Gospels
The first section of the New Testament is made up of the four Gospels in this sequence:
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
So if you open a typical New Testament at its beginning, you will arrive at Matthew first, then proceed through Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew’s beginning
Matthew begins with a genealogy. That genealogy traces Jesus back to Abraham and David. By starting this way, Matthew links the opening of the New Testament to the Old by anchoring Jesus’ story in Israel’s earlier history.
This is one of the notable features of Matthew’s placement at the front: the first lines of the New Testament immediately connect Jesus to Abraham and David, creating a bridge in the reader’s mind between the Old and the New.
What comes after
After the four Gospels, the New Testament continues with other kinds of writings. The Gospels come first, and then come Acts, the letters, and Revelation.
In other words, Matthew is not only first in the New Testament, but it stands at the start of a larger sequence: four Gospel accounts first, followed by the narrative of Acts, then letters, and finally Revelation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the New Testament start with Matthew?
Yes. The New Testament begins with the Gospel of Matthew, which is placed first among the four Gospels.
Which books follow Matthew at the beginning?
Matthew is followed by Mark, then Luke, then John. These four Gospels come first in the New Testament.
How does Matthew begin?
Matthew begins with a genealogy tracing Jesus back to Abraham and David, which links the New Testament’s opening to the Old.
Why is Matthew seen as linking the Old and New?
Because Matthew starts with a genealogy that traces Jesus back to Abraham and David, tying Jesus’ story to figures associated with the Old.
What comes after the four Gospels in the New Testament?
After Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the New Testament continues with Acts, the letters, and Revelation.