Which gospels were written first

Acts also fails to mention the incredibly significant events of 70 A. Remember, Acts is a book of the history of the early Christian church. The fact that the incredibly significant destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple is not recorded is very strong evidence that Acts was written before A. For clarity, Q is supposedly one of the source documents used by both Matthew and Luke in writing their gospels.

If what is said of Acts is true, this would mean that Luke was written at least before A. The early church unanimously held that the gospel of Matthew was the first written gospel and was penned by the apostle of the same name Matt. Lately, the priority of Matthew as the first written gospel has come under suspicion with Mark being considered by many to be the first written gospel.

The debate is far from over. The historian Papias mentions that the gospel of Matthew was originally in Aramaic or Hebrew and attributes the gospel to Matthew the apostle. This would mean that if Matthew did write in Aramaic originally, that he may have used Mark as a map, adding and clarifying certain events as he remembered them. But, this is not known for sure. The earliest quotation of Matthew is found in Ignatius who died around A. Therefore, Matthew was in circulation well before Ignatius came on the scene.

The various dates most widely held as possible writing dates of the Gospel are between A. But Ignatius died around A. Therefore Matthew had to be written before he died. Nevertheless, it is generally believed that Matthew was written before A. He was a disciple of Peter and undoubtedly it was Peter who informed Mark of the life of Christ and guided him in writing the Gospel known by his name.

Luke was not an eyewitness of the life of Christ. But, both had ample opportunity to meet the disciples who knew Christ and learn the facts not only from them, but from others in the area. Some might consider this damaging to the validity of the gospel, but quite the contrary. Luke was a gentile convert to Christianity who was interested in the facts. He obviously had interviewed the eyewitnesses and written the Gospel account as well as Acts.

Luke is simply recounting the events from the disciples. The date of Acts is still in dispute, but the early date about A. Buy Now: DVD. Buy Now: MP3. Buy Now: Book Kindle ePub. Buy Now: Book. WEB Webster's Bible. RVR60 Reina-Valera VUL Latin Vulgate. TR Textus Receptus. Search Bible Search. Line-By-Line Order:. Separate Line. Verse Only. Reference Only. No Number. No Delimiter — Square — [15]. Parens — Abbreviate Books. Use SBL Abbrev. En dash Hyphen. None — Jhn KJV. Square — [Jhn KJV].

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Let's Connect x. Subscribe to our Newsletter. Daily Devotionals x. Daily Bible Reading Plans x. Recently Popular Pages x. Recently Popular Media x. When Were the Four Gospels Written? The Amazing Historical Accuracy of the Bible — Question 10 The evidence shows that the four Gospels were written in a relatively short time after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The evidence is as follows: 1. It says: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

He welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Acts NLT The inference is that Acts was written while Paul was still alive, seeing that his death is not recorded.

Paul wrote of a brother who was well-known among the churches for the gospel: And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. John Was an Eyewitness to the Events The Gospel of John is usually assumed to have been the last of the four gospels composed. He said: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life. You must follow me. This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. The gospel contains numerous details that appear incidental, some not even bearing a symbolic significance:.

The writer of the Gospel of John also records numerous details about Jewish ceremonies and frequently uses Jewish festivals to show when events occurred. The Dead Sea Scrolls support the themes and imagery John uses, such as light vs. John may have been martyred before this gospel was written.

Some scholars have suggested the apostle John was martyred too early to have written this gospel, citing Mark —39, where Jesus may be suggesting that an early martyrdom was in his future:.

A fourth-century church historian says there were two Johns. According to Eusebius, Papias claims that there were two men named John ministering in Ephesus where the gospel is believed to have been written. Papias mentions John the apostle and John the Elder, both of which could refer to John the apostle. A literary representation of a faithful follower. Lazarus first appears in John , and two chapters later, the writer identifies someone as the disciple whom Jesus loved John The gospel also explicitly says Jesus loves Lazarus:.

Despite alternative theories about the disciple whom Jesus loved, most evidence still points to the apostle John. The text seems to point to John, too. The disciple whom Jesus loved was clearly close to Peter:.

Since James is martyred early Acts , and John is never mentioned by name in the whole book which for anyone else would be a mistake , John is believed to be the most likely author. At the end of the day, the gospels are still anonymous. Not one of them identifies its author.

Learn more about the Bible. Get started with a free online course. The gospels are anonymous—so how do we know who wrote them? Who wrote the Gospel of Matthew? Arguments in favor of Matthew as the author 1. Papias mentioned Matthew wrote about Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew is highly organized. The use of the name Matthew in The Gospel of Matthew talks about money more than the other Synoptics.

The church ascribed the book to Matthew. Arguments against Matthew as the author 1. Matthew could suggest the author was a converted scribe or Pharisee. Most scholars believe Matthew borrowed material from Mark.

You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at yourprivacy harpercollins. Learn more about the Bible Get started with a free online course. ZA Blog Books and articles that equip you for deeply biblical thinking and ministry. Mark L. To study the Gospels is to study the foundation of Christianity, and in Four Portraits, One Jesus, author and professor Mark Strauss provides an expert and understandable introduction to these first four books of the New Testament.

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