There is great speculation about whether Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John actually ever met/knew Jesus. According to Rev. Mark Roberts, and other Biblical Scholars, the estimated dates of writing are:
Matthew: 70-80 A.D.
Mark: 60-70 A.D.
Luke: 70-80 A.D.
John: 80-90 A.D.
Wow, they must have been pretty old! Considering the life expectancy back then was relatively short, it seems that it is unlikely that they knew Jesus.
What do you think?
Reference: http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/gospelsreliable.htm
2006-12-28 09:58:37 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It depends on which scholars you beleive. Traditionally Mathew and John were with Jesus those three years of his ministry.
Mark is said to be Barnabus's nephew who travelled with his uncle and Paul.
Luke is beleived to be one of Pauls companions on his missionary travels and a doctor. He is said to have gained the knowledge to write his gospel by talking with Paul.
Does it really matter? either you beleiv or you don't either way it should not matter.
2006-12-28 10:06:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Matthew and John were both disciples of Jesus (Luke 6:13-16). As for Mark and Luke, they were passing along details of the story to another audience. The gospel according to Mark was meant for a specifically Roman audience. Mark was a young man whose work in the ministry was in conjuction with the Apostle Paul, but likely not to a large degree (Act 15:36-40; II Timothy 4:11). Luke was a Greek physician. He also wrote the book of Acts, and unless I am mistaken, the gospel according to Luke and the book of Acts were originally one volume. But I don't believe that he had personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus, at least, not to the extent that Matthew and John did during the three-plus years that they travelled with Him and were taught by Him on a daily basis.
2006-12-28 10:09:00 · answer #2 · answered by firebyknight 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matthew was written by the very Matthew whom Jesus called (Mt 9:9-12). His was the first Gospel written down, though not dissiminated. The actual estimate date is before 50 AD, so, before Rev. Roberts' estimate. Mark was the secretary to St. Peter so his account is actually Peter's. Both St. Luke and St. John were witnesses. John was actually the youngest disciple, hence he wrote his last.
2006-12-28 10:04:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
St. John & St. Matthew knew Jesus personally, as they were among His 12 disciples.
St. Mark was not among the 12 disciples but he followed Jesus at some point and the tradition tells that St. Peter contributed alot to St. Mark's gospel.
2006-12-28 10:06:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Gospel writers did. They spent his final years with him as he preached. The only NT writer that didn't know Jesus personally and was converted after the Resurrection was Paul (all those letters) Remember AD stands for "anno dominae" not "after death" They would have been old when the books were written but still possible to be alive. Also remember that the Disciples had disciples and they would have told the Gospel story to them as well. The Gospel might be according to Mark but could have been written by one of his students.
2006-12-28 10:05:20 · answer #5 · answered by Nita C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Considering that Paul admits that he did not know
Jesus and that the gospels were written after Paul's letters were written, I do not think that the authors of the gospels knew Jesus at all. In fact, no historian alive during the time that Jesus is purported to have lived, wrote anything about him. For someone who could "draw the multitudes" to him, that raises a lot of questions in my mind.
2006-12-28 10:11:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is seen to be written by utilising people who weren't Jesus' disciples. John has greater means besides the undeniable fact that that's debatable. Peter is in all probability written by utilising somebody linked with Paul and not Peter himself. James is presupposed to be Jesus' brother yet we don't understand that for beneficial the two. Timothy and Titus are considered forgeries and not from Paul's hand. Paul in simple terms knew Jesus from a ingenious and prescient. certainty is, no person is conscious if any easily works from Jesus' followers are valid. you are able to desire to take it on faith. Mark is understood to be the suited and maximum precise source.
2016-10-28 14:03:07 · answer #7 · answered by arrocha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure they were old, but what makes you think that life expectancy back then was short? If they never got any deadly diseases, there would be no reason for them to die quickly. Short life expectancy started in Europe when people worked hard under unsafe conditions and weren't very clean so that germs and diseases were everywhere. Jews probably did not get such diseases so much because of all the things they regarded as unclean, they didn't come into contact with as much dangerous germs and bacteria. That's what I think anyway.
2006-12-28 10:03:43 · answer #8 · answered by Lady of the Garden 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
John, Matthew, and Mark were Jesus' disciples. Follow the link for some interesting info about Luke.
2006-12-28 10:01:11 · answer #9 · answered by moviesmiss1 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The only thing that can prove the truth is the truth itself. The bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. If the bible is the truth and faith truly is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen, then faith rests on believing what the bible says. If you can't believe that Jesus was born of a virgin then what do you base any of the truths of the bible on. Because when you reject the bible truths then all you have left is relativism. We're behind enemy lines here. The battle is for souls not for the truth. Most people don't believe in absolute truth anymore. Jesus Christ said "I am the way, the truth, and the life." That is absolute truth, and everything that comes with believing him.
2006-12-28 10:13:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋