Don Stewart :: When Were the Four Gospels Written?

When Were the Four Gospels Written?

Which Written Records about Jesus Are Trustworthy? – Question 4

It is important to know when the four gospels were written. Were they composed close to the time of the events in Jesus’ life or were they written long after things transpired? Can we know which one was written first?

The evidence shows that the four Gospels were written in a relatively short time after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Examining the internal evidence of the New Testament itself can make this plain. The data are as follows.

The City of Jerusalem and the Temple Were Still Standing When the Gospels Were Written

The first three Gospels, and possibly also the fourth, were apparently written while the city of Jerusalem was still standing. This can be determined as follows. Each of the first three Gospels contains predictions by Jesus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), but none records the fulfillment. We know that Titus the Roman destroyed the city and Temple in A.D. 70.

Hence, the composition of the first three Gospels most likely occurred sometime before this event, otherwise their destruction would have been recorded. The fact that no fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy is given to us is a strong indication that these works were composed before the city and temple were destroyed.

The Book of Acts Gives a Clue to the Date of the Gospels

The Book of Acts also provides us with a clue as to when the gospels were written. Acts records the highlights in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. The book concludes with Paul at Rome awaiting trial before Caesar. 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. (Acts 28:30-31 KJV)

The New Living Translation reads,

For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. 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 28:30-31 NLT)

The inference is that Acts was written while Paul was still alive, seeing his death is not recorded. Since there is good evidence that Paul died in the Neronian persecution about A.D. 67, the Book of Acts can most likely be dated approximately A.D. 62.

Luke’s Gospel Was Written Earlier than Acts

If Acts were written about A.D. 62, then this helps us date the four gospels. The Book of Acts is the second half of a treatise written by Luke to a man named Theophilus. Since we know that the gospel of Luke was written before the Book of Acts, we can then date the Gospel of Luke sometime around A.D. 60 or before.

The Brother Who Was Well-Known May Have Been Luke

There may be further evidence for an early date for Luke’s gospel. 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. (2 Corinthians 8:18 TNIV)

There is ancient testimony that this refers to Luke and his written gospel. If this is speaking of Luke and the gospel he composed, then we have it well-known in the mid-fifties of the first century.

Matthew, or Mark, May Have Been a Source for Luke

In his prologue, Luke tells us that he used sources to compose his gospel. This could include written sources:

Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught. (Luke 1:1-4 NET)

There may be a reference here of Luke that he used the Gospel of Mark as a written source. John Mark is called a “minister” by Luke in Acts 13:5 (the Greek word huparetas). In 1:2, Luke says he derived the information for his gospel from those who were “eyewitnesses” and “ministers” of the word. The term translated “minister” is the same Greek word huparetas. It is possible that this could be a reference to Mark as one of his written sources.

There is also something else that should be considered. There is much material that is common to both Matthew and Luke that is not found in the Gospel of Mark. Since the unanimous teaching of the church is that Matthew was the first gospel written, it is likely that Luke used Matthew as one of his sources.

Matthew Was Always Believed to Have Been Written First

This brings us to our next point. According to the unanimous testimony of the early church Matthew was the first gospel written. The church father Eusebius places the date of Matthew’s gospel in A.D. 41. If the ancient testimony is true, and there is no reason to doubt it, then we have a third independent source about the life of Christ written during the eyewitness period.

John Was an Eyewitness to the Events

The Gospel of John is usually assumed to have been the last of the four gospels composed. John testified that he was an eyewitness to the events that he recorded. 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. (John 20:30-31 ESV)

The New Living Translation puts it this way:

Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. 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. (John 20:30-31 NLT)

John also wrote,

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. (John 21:24 ESV)

It is clear that John claimed to have been there when the events in the life of Jesus transpired.

There Is Internal Evidence of an Early Date for John

There is also internal evidence that John himself wrote before A.D. 70. We read the following description of Jerusalem in the fifth chapter of John:

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool called Bethesda in Aramaic, which has five covered walkways. (John 5:2 NET)

John describes the sheep gate as still standing at the time he wrote. He could not have made this statement after A.D. 70 because there was no sheep gate. The sheep gate was destroyed in the year A.D 70, along with the rest of the city of Jerusalem. The logical implication is that John wrote his gospel before the city of Jerusalem was destroyed.

Conclusion: There Is Evidence for an Early Date for the Four Gospels

When all the historical and textual evidence is amassed, it becomes clear that the four gospels were composed at a very early date either by eyewitnesses, or those who recorded eyewitness testimony. Therefore, we have every reason to trust what they wrote.

Summary – Question 4
When Were the Four Gospels Written?

One of the important questions with respect to the four gospels concerns the date of their composition. All things considered the closer they were written to the time the events they occurred the better chance of their story being reliable.

When all the evidence is in, it reveals that the four gospels were written soon after the events they recorded. An examination of the Matthew, Mark and Luke show that each gospel has Jesus predicting the destruction of the city of Jerusalem as well as the temple. However, none of these writings records the fulfillment.

Since the city and temple were both destroyed in the year A.D. 70 there is good reason to believe that these three gospels were written before this destruction took place. Otherwise we would expect the writers to record the fulfillment of this important prediction which Jesus made.

The same is true with the Gospel of John. It is written from the perspective of the city of Jerusalem still standing. If this is the case, then it would make all four gospels having been written during the period when eyewitnesses, both friendly and unfriendly, were still alive.

There is also possible evidence from the Book of Acts as to the early date of the gospels. Acts is the second part of two books written by Luke. There is internal evidence from Acts that it should be dated before the death of Paul. If this is true, then it was composed before A.D. 67-68 when Paul died. Since Luke’s gospel was written before Acts, that would place it in the early 60’s of the first century or earlier.

Add to this that Luke may have used Mark as a source we have an earlier date for Mark. Luke tells us that he used sources to compose his gospel. There is the belief that one of them was the Gospel of Mark. Of course, if this is true, then Mark had to have been composed before Luke’s gospel.

Finally, the early church unanimously believed Matthew was the first gospel written. His gospel could have been written within ten years of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This places the writing of the first three gospels within thirty years of the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, each of them would have been composed during the eyewitness period where people who had witnessed the events, both friendly and unfriendly, were still alive.

In sum, between the lack of the recording of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, as well as working back from the end of the Book of Acts we have internal evidence from the New Testament that the gospels were composed fairly soon after Jesus’ death and resurrection. All of this gives further testimony to their reliability.