The stories about Jesus were first circulated by word of mouth. They were written down between 20 and 70 years after his death. Among the earliest writings are the letters from the Apostle Paul to various early Christian communities. The New Testament is made up of 27 books and letters in total.
In order to determine which writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Church examined a number of aspects including the origin of the authors and extent to which the texts conformed to the entire teaching of Jesus.
