Are the Gospels and the smaller New Testament letters always in the same order in the manuscripts?
No. Manuscripts show the four Gospels and the small letters at the back of the New Testament are not always in the same order. Paul's letters, however, never appear in a different order; among all the New Testaments available in museums and libraries, they are always exactly as in our New Testament today.
Les teaches that the order of the New Testament books is not accidental but according to content, in the exact order the Holy Spirit wanted. He points out that of all the New Testaments still available in museums and libraries around the world, Paul's letters are never found in a different order than what we have in our New Testament today — they have always been the same. Other books, though, may be in different orders. The four Gospels aren't always in the same order, and the little letters at the back aren't always the same. But Paul's letters are always in the same exact order as we have them today, even though that is not the chronological order in which they were written. Thessalonians was written first, and probably then Galatians, then Romans, then the Corinthians, then Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and then first and second Timothy and Titus. From there Les moves into the little book of Galatians, written about two years before the Corinthian letters, whose whole theme is to convince them and us that we're not under Law, we're under Grace.