When Were the Gospels Written?
We do not need historians to know Jesus lives, but here is more thought on this. Seven of Paul’s Epistles are seen to be authentic and written about 50AD. But Historians are stand offish on saying the Gospels and Acts, filled with miracles, are authentic. When were the Gospels written?
Paul goes to Old Testament texts and his own knowledge directly from God in arguing for the faith. So it is hard to make an early date for the gospels from Paul. Two items make for an earlier date.
Historians verify I Thessalonians is authentic and it refers the thief in the night like Jesus does in the gospels.
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Paul says Thessalonians know very well that Jesus will come like a thief in the night. How would they know? From the date a certain gospel was hand written till it could be hand copied and transported to Greece would take some time. Each city held the Old Testament in Greek as it had been published in 200 AD. This gospel text, according to Paul, was well known in Thessalonnica after Jesus spoke it in Judea in about AD 30. That seems to indicate that sometime before 50AD, they had access to the contents of the gospels. Other locations might not.
When are the Gospels Written? Mighty Early
The book of Acts ends with Paul in house arrest in Rome while Paul is still alive. If Paul had been dead when Luke wrote Acts, Luke certainly would have said so. Acts ends before Nero burned down Rome and blamed the Christians(AD64). That got Paul killed along with Peter. Acts had to be written in early 60’s AD. Luke wrote Luke in the 50’s, and Luke says he was not the first to write a gospel. Many historians still say they are written in 80-90 AD, so most think written in 1st century. Finally, AD 50 and early 60’s for Luke-Acts will win out I think.
Church Fathers in 2d century say John the Apostle wrote the Gospel of John between AD85 and 95. Modern historians buy that date but think a community wrote John and not just John. I suggest that they need time to get over that weird theory.
There is a fragment of the book of John from about 125 AD. It could almost be an original.
The writers of the gospels wrote early enough that witnesses could have disputed.
God has given enough rational support. We all must take the leap of faith. I find God to be more true than most history I read.
