Why did people wait decades after Jesus died to write about him?

Question

And how can you quote Jesus decades after he had died?

Answer 1

They were waiting long enough so no one could remember the facts and they could make up their owns myths.

Answer 2

A good question I've often asked. The best estimates I've found is that Mark was written about 70 years after Jesus died, Matthew about 80 years after, Luke almost 90 years after, and John almost 100 years after. None of them knew Jesus, none ever met him, none were alive when Jesus died. All relied on heresay, none were eyewitness accounts of anything. The Nativity story was first written about in Matthew (80 years after). The writings associated to Paul were in fact never written by Paul but by a scribe. Paul also never met Jesus. All in all it is very hard to attribute any of writings in the bible as eyewitness accounts. More like imaginative story writing and editting.

Answer 3

No one knows the true answer to this, but my guess would be that they were all busy doing as He commanded them to do, preaching the Gospel to all nations. If they were all going around telling everyone about Jesus as He told them to do, maybe they didn't have time to sit down and write about Him until later.

Also, some things to consider, paper and pens were not cheap and readily available back then like they are now. Many times the followers of Christ were running for their lives and didn't have a "job" or steady income. The Apostle Paul wrote that he kinew what it was like to go hungry and I'm sure he was not the only one. As for the earlier comment about why other people didn't write about Jesus, He had 4 biographies written on His life during a time when there was no such thing as TV, radio, computers, or printing presses, not to mention public schools. If we still have problems with illiteracy in our times, I can only imagine how many people in Biblical times couldn't read or write.

***ndmagicman is incorrect in saying that none of the authors of the Bible even knew Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were all part of His original 12 apostles. In fact, John is referred to as the one whom Jesus loved (as a brother.) Matthew and Mark were written 50-70 AD , Luke 59-63 AD and John is thought to have been written about 85 AD, but some scholars have suggested that it was written as early as 50 AD but not later than 70 AD. All four men walked with Christ daily and gave eye witness accounts of His life as they saw it. As for the part about the Nativity, that was passed down through oral tradition.

Answer 4

The Old Testiment was written more than four hundred years before the birth of Christ. His birth was actually predicted long before it happened! The book of Luke was written about 60 years after Christ. Luke was still alive, and he walked with Christ and knew him personally! Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John were all eye-wittness accounts! The book of Revalation was written later, though it didn't really have a lot to do with things that Jesus did. It made more prophecies. Considering how long the Jews had to wait before their proficies about Christ's birth came true, it looks like we gotta wait a while before Revalation's profecies come true.

I'm sorry, but your accertion that the whole Bible was written decades after Christ is incorrect. The writing of the Bible spread from long before Christ's birth, to long after his death. I politely suggest you post things you are unsure of in question format.

*Please understand, I am not trying to be arrogant, like some of those who claim Christ are on this particular site. If you have other questions, or combating research from a credible source, please contact me.

Consider this situation: If your childhood was filled with memories of your mother consantly telling what to do, what not to do, and how to bake good cookies, do you think you would retain any of that? You would be able to quote your mother on such topics long after she was gone.

Also, hundreds of biographies are written many years after the subjects death, yet they are taken as fact, with little question. Why is this?

Answer 5

It was customary for human being from the being of time to pass down the wisdom of their culture from one generation to another through the process of oral teachings. This is called the Oral Traditions. Christianity has this. When the Christians began to realized that the second coming was not going to happen in their life time and that the Apostles and other disciples were dying off they stated to write the teaching and stories down.

Answer 6

They may have waited decades, but I'm glad they wrote about Him. It may have been late, but at least they didn't decide NOT to write about Him.

Answer 7

The Gospels were written within 25-30 years of Christ's death, a period where there were enough eyewitnesses to know if there were lies being told.

Answer 8

"Who says they did? xx"

Um, the bible.

Dolt

If jesus were real many more people would have written about him. The fact that there are no other writings about him (other than frauds) raises more than an eyebrow.

Answer 9

If you read the New Testament, you will find that the things He says are incredibly intense, and profound. There is little doubt that many would remember.

Answer 10

A good legend, like a good wine, takes time to mature.