The Protestant New Testament contains 27 books. This total matches the New Testament book count used by Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians.
Basic book count
When people ask how many books are in the Protestant New Testament, the standard answer is 27. This number refers to the collection of writings recognized as the New Testament in Protestant Bibles.
Importantly, the same count of 27 New Testament books is shared across major Christian traditions mentioned here—Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox. Any differences between those traditions are not about the New Testament book count, but about the Old Testament.
Main groupings
These 27 books are commonly described in several groupings:
-
Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Books Worth Reading:Sponsored
-
Acts: the book of Acts.
-
Letters (21 total): 13 from Paul, plus Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude.
-
Revelation: the book of Revelation.
Books Worth Reading:Sponsored
This outline accounts for all 27 books: 4 Gospels + 1 Acts + 21 letters + 1 Revelation.
The four Gospels
The New Testament begins with four books called the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the list of 27, these are grouped together because they share the label “Gospels” and are counted as a set of four.
-
Matthew
Books Worth Reading:Sponsored -
Mark
-
Luke
-
John
Books Worth Reading:Sponsored
Acts and letters
After the four Gospels, the collection includes the book of Acts and then a large block of letters. Acts is counted as a single book, and the letters are counted as 21 separate books.
Those 21 letters are described as:
-
13 letters from Paul
Books Worth Reading:Sponsored -
Plus: Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude
In other words, the New Testament’s letters consist of Paul’s 13 letters and an additional set of named letters: Hebrews; James; 1 Peter and 2 Peter; 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John; and Jude.
Revelation
The list of 27 books includes Revelation as a distinct, final book in the count. Like Acts, Revelation is counted as one book.
Across Christian traditions
The statement that the Protestant New Testament contains 27 books can be made alongside an important clarification: the New Testament total of 27 is shared by Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians alike. The differences between those traditions concern only the Old Testament, not the New Testament count.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Protestant New Testament?
The Protestant New Testament contains 27 books.
Which books are the four Gospels?
The four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
How is the total of 27 books commonly broken down?
The 27 books are the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the book of Acts, 21 letters (13 from Paul, plus Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude), and Revelation.
Do Catholic and Orthodox Christians have a different New Testament book count?
No. The count of 27 New Testament books is shared by Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians alike.
Where do differences between Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles apply?
According to the facts provided, the differences between those traditions concern only the Old Testament, not the New Testament.