Date of the Gospels

[jeffweeder]

You going to put a date on it? That's the thread topic.

NNNNO.....can you put a date on how quickly Isiah put pen to paper?
It was almost immediately after he recieved the word of the Lord i suppose.

[Fenris]

NNNNO.....can you put a date on how quickly Isiah put pen to paper?

We can, but that isn't the topic here.

It was almost immediately after he recieved the word of the Lord i suppose.

30?

I posted information from wikipedia.

"Majority scholar view"

Mark: c. 68–73, c 65-70
Matthew: c. 70–100. c 80-85.
Luke: c. 80–100, with most arguing for somewhere around 85, c 80-85
John: c 90-100, c. 90–110, The majority view is that it was written in stages, so there was no one date of composition.

"Traditional Christian scholarship view"

Matthew: c. 50 to 70s
Mark: c. 50s to early 60s, or late 60s
Luke: c. 59 to 63, or 70s to 80s
John: c. 85 to near 100, or 50s to 70

Agree? Disagree? What?

[jeffweeder]

I dont know.
What i do know is, that they were proclaiming/ preaching what the written Gospels say from pentecost AD 30. The time it took to send a telegram in those days, Paul went himself and delivered it in person.

[Fenris]

I dont know.

Fair enough.........

[jeffweeder]

Fair enough.........

What would you do if you recieved a word from the Lord ( as large as the Gospel account) that he wanted you to deliver to his people.....?

A) Write it down so you dont forget
B)rely on memory and hope you didnt forget any of the details.

[Fenris]

What would you do if you recieved a word from the Lord ( as large as the Gospel account) that he wanted you to deliver to his people.....?

Even traditional Christian scholarship doesn't date the gospels to earlier than the early 50s.

[jeffweeder]

Even traditional Christian scholarship doesn't date the gospels to earlier than the early 50s.

I can live with that.....but i doubt the OT Prophets waited 20 years before they wrote their revelation down. It appears as the Lord spoke to them they wrote it down...like Moses on the mountain.

[Fenris]

I can live with that.....but i doubt the OT Prophets waited 20 years before they wrote their revelation down. It appears as the Lord spoke to them they wrote it down...like Moses on the mountain.

Well perhaps someone can explain the rationale for the dates.

One thing to note is that the gospels were written in Greek but probably spoken in Aramaic.

There's a perfectly good reason for that. Writing them in Greek would reach a much larger audience, Greek being the universal language of the day. But that fact alone means they probably weren't written down as they occurred.

[Bandit]

Even traditional Christian scholarship doesn't date the gospels to earlier than the early 50s.

From what I've read, you are correct. The earliest letters of Paul were probably written about 20 years after Jesus' death. The gospels (as we have them) probably within 10 to 20 years after that. And the 'Q' source so often mentioned may have been nothing more than the oral word used to spread the story (there may not have been any previous written source). And as for the delay in writing the gospels down, my guess is that the disciples had originally expected Jesus to return in their lifetime, so they may have at first percieved no need to write down the details of Jesus' life; they would just tell people the story. But as time went on, and the eyewitnesses began to die, they perhaps realized the need to record what they had seen.

[Fenris]

And as for the delay in writing the gospels down, my guess is that the disciples had originally expected Jesus to return in their lifetime, so they may have at first percieved no need to write down the details of Jesus' life, they would just tell people the story. But as time went on, and the eyewitnesses began to die, they perhaps realized the need to record what they had seen.

Ah, this is an interesting spin on things. Perhaps, perhaps.

[John 8:32]

And as for the delay in writing the gospels down, my guess is that the disciples had originally expected Jesus to return in their lifetime, so they may have at first percieved no need to write down the details of Jesus' life, they would just tell people the story. But as time went on, and the eyewitnesses began to die, they perhaps realized the need to record what they had seen.

I have heard that explanation along with many others, but that is the one that makes the most sense and fits the scenario. God just hasn't revealed every little piece of information, maybe for this reason...

Joh 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

[jeffweeder]

Well perhaps someone can explain the rationale for the dates.

One thing to note is that the gospels were written in Greek but probably spoken in Aramaic.

There's a perfectly good reason for that. Writing them in Greek would reach a much larger audience, Greek being the universal language of the day. But that fact alone means they probably weren't written down as they occurred.

Hmmm, But werent the Jews of the day reading the Greek OT.? Why did they translated their scriptures into Greek and not Aramaic?

[Fenris]

Hmmm, But werent the Jews of the day reading the Greek OT.?

Not the Jews in Judea. They spoke Aramaic.

Why did they translated their scriptures into Greek and not Aramaic?

They were translated into Aramaic as well. One such translation is used even today.

[jeffweeder]

Hmm, ok, thanks for entertaining me Fenris, but its midnight here in Australia and im off to bed..God bless you real good.

[Fenris]

Hmm, ok, thanks for entertaining me Fenris

My mission is done here.

but its midnight here in Australia and im off to bed..God bless you real good.

Nite nite. God bless you too.