July 29, 2024 The GOSPELS were written by whom and when?

 

The GOSPELS were written by whom and when?

The New Testament with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John had their origin in the following circumstances:

1. THE GOSPEL BY MARK.

We used to know that Jesus had 12 apostles, but indeed He had 13 apostles. Mark was a lad of 11 years old when he met Jesus at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan river. He then followed Jesus all the way for three years, and was at Jesus' side at the arrest of his Master at the Garden of Gethsemane. He was the son of Elijah Mark, and the Last Supper took place at the house of the Mark family.

John Mark wrote the earliest, briefest, and most simple record of his Master's life. He presented Jesus as a Minister, as man among men. Although Mark was a lad lingering about many scenes he saw and remembered lots of things when following Jesus. After the death of Jesus on the cross, he was associated with Simon Peter first, then later to Paul. Knowing how consistently his Master refused to write out His teachings while on earth, Mark was hesitant to put them in writing. But Simon Peter felt the church at Rome required the assistance of such writings, Peter encouraged him to write. Part of his Gospel came from the memory of Simon Peter.

He made many notes before Peter died in A.D. 67, and began his writing soon after Peter’s death. The Gospel by Mark was completed near the end of A.D. 68. He was then around 48 years old.

His Gospel has since been considerably changed. Numerous passages have been taken out and some added to replace the latter one fifth of the original Gospel, which was lost from the first manuscript before it was ever copied.

This Gospel by Mark, in conjunction with Andrew’s and Matthew’s notes was the written basis of all further Gospel narratives which try to portray the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

2. THE GOSPEL BY MATTHEW.

This Gospel was written for the education of the Jewish Christians. Matthew’s Gospel portrayed Jesus as a Son of David to fulfill what was spoken by the prophets, picturing Him as showing great respect for the law and the prophets.

Indeed Matthew did not write himself the Gospel, but his disciple Isador wrote it under the guidance and memory of Matthew. The sayings of Jesus at the crucifixion were remembered by Isador himself. Isador wrote it in Greek, later translated into Aramaic. It was the custom of those days for disciples to honor their teachers, so the Gospel bore the name of Matthew.

Matthew's original record was edited and added in A.D. 40, but it was a private record. The last copy had been destroyed in the burning of a Syrian monastery in A.D. 416.

Isador escaped from Jerusalem in A.D. 70, taking with him to Pella a copy of Matthew ‘s notes. In the year 71 A.D., while living at Pella, Isador wrote the Gospel of Matthew. At that time he got the first four fifths of Mark’s Gospel.

3. THE GOSPEL BY LUKE.

Luke was the physician of Antioch in Pisidia, was a gentile converted to Christianity by Paul. He followed Paul and learned through Paul the life and teachings of Jesus in 47 A.D. He was a physician to Paul and came to visit Paul in his prison at Rome and soothed Paul’s wounds secondary to daily beatings.

Luke talked much of “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” in his Gospel. He presented Jesus as the “friend of publicans and sinners”. He had other sources of information. He interviewed scores of eyewitnesses to the numerous episodes of his Master’s life, but he also had with him a copy of Mark’s Gospel that is the first four fifths, Isador’s record the Gospel of Matthew, and a brief record made in the year 78 A.D. at Antioch by a disciple of Jesus, named Cedes. Luke had some notes made by the apostle Andrew.

4. THE GOSPEL BY JOHN.

The Gospel according to John, the son of Zebedee tells us much of Jesus’ work and teachings in Judea and around Jerusalem, which is not contained in either Gospels. In the year 101 A.D. he encouraged his associate and disciple, Nathan, a Greek Jew from Caesarea to begin writing. He recalled to Nathan the stories from his memory and by reference to the three previous records already in existence. The Epistle as “First John '' was written by John himself as a covering letter for the work Nathan executed under his guidance.

IN SUMMARY:

The Gospel of Mark was written around 68 A.D., the Gospel of Matthew around 71 A.D. by Isador, Matthew’s disciple, the Gospel by Luke around year 78 A.D., and last the Gospel by John written by Nathan quite late around year 101 A.D.

“Dear God the Father, let me know You, and let me know myself. Knowing You, allows me to listen to You and practice what you command. Knowing me, to change my way into your righteous one, to have Heaven right in my heart and let You be with me forever.”

 Amen.