So, when were the gospels written?

Answer 1

Which ones? They were written at different times and many of them never made it into the New Testament

Answer 2

Most of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, all were written between; 45 AD and 95 AD with Mark being the first of the Gospels written. John was the last one written.

I possibly could be wrong with the order but am pretty close on the dates. I do know that John was the last Gospel written. John also wrote the Book of Revelation which bears a date of around 95 AD and is considered the last NT book written.
The Gospels were written before this date.

Answer 3

Scholars have yet to agree on Matthew and Mark but it is extremely positive that they were written between 40 AD and 65 AD. Luke was most written between 70-80 AD and John sometime around the 90's AD.

They were all written by individuals who had either had first hand accounts of Jesus Himself or by contemporaries who knew of first hand accounts.

Compare this to the Gnostic Gospels, the earliest of which was written sometime after 200 AD by someone not only removed from the time frame but from the culture as well. (This is why the four gospels are given more credit than the Gnostic's - purely literary criticism.)

Answer 4

You've received some excellent answers, and most of them are right.

We don't know for sure, since we don't have access to the original manuscripts, and even if we did, they wouldn't exactly have the date on them most likely.

However, from archaeological discoveries, it's been established that the ENTIRE New Testament was written between about 45 A.D. and 95 A.D. The 45 A.D. is disputed, of course, but even more liberal estimates place the date somewhere around 50 A.D.

From a historical standpoint, not long after the fact at all. News was usually passed by word of mouth in those days, not by writing. And as a sidenote (I love sharing this fact), when was the history of Alexander written? Look it up.

Answer 5

I really wonder where Honey got those numbers. Every time I read up on it, by theologians and those that study the history and the styles of writing in the bible, not the self serving nutters trying to prove it true from any angle possible, they range from 70 CE to 170 CE.

The bible has some good literature in it and whether we like it or not is is ingrained in out history and culture. If you ever pick up a copy of the God Delusion and turn to the end of chapter nine, maybe its ten, you see that Shakespeare has some lovely biblical plagiarism. There are many more phrases I can think of not on that list we use that come from the bible.

It isn't bad to study it, but when people take it as literal and start to twist history and science to fit it we lose so much.

Answer 6

Matthew - A.D. 50
Mark - A.D. 50's
Luke - A.D. 60-62
John - A.D. 80-90, 95
Genesis about 1405 B.C
1st Hebrew Old testament -200-150 B.C. 2nd Dead Sea Scrolls 200-100 B.C. the Septuagint or LXX (Greek) manuscripts date to ca. A.D. 325 These are the main ones you may like. If you want each one, please just ask.

Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" This means that no inspired Scripture has been lost in the past an still awaits rediscovery.
Hope this helps in your search for the Truth.....

Answer 7

Which ones?

The ones that are accepted as the New Testament canon (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) have disputed dates. There are some things we can determine. Most scholars agree the were written before the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D.

It's assumed that Matthew was written first, around 50 AD. Mark himself was not an eyewitness, he was a disciple of Paul, it's assumed he wrote later, around 60 or 70 AD. Luke was also not an eyewitness, it was written along with Acts, is dated to before Nero's persecution in A.D. 64, so sometime before that.

John is considered by a lot to be an actual eyewitness due to writing it as a first person narrative and his knowledge of the specific geography/customs. The date of his gospel is highly disputed.

There's also a belief that the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) all draw from one earlier source due to commonalities, that source is referred to as "Q." That would have been written much earlier. It's quite interesting: http://www.religioustolerance.org/gosp_q.htm

Answer 8

Matthew was written about 41 CE
Mark about 60-65 CE
Luke about56-58 CE
John about 98 CE

Jesus Died 33 CE, so these were eyewitness accounts written by faithful followers, John was an Apostle. He also wrote Revelation and the 3 letters of John. Luke also wrote Acts. Jesus' brother wrote Jude.

Answer 9

The first started with Moses, then through the progression of times and down through the years God raised up men to carry on these holy writings. Observe the trust placed on the apostles.
1st Timothy, 2:4
To be sure, YOU yourselves know, brothers, how our visit to YOU has not been without results, 2 but how, after we had first suffered and been insolently treated (just as YOU know) in Phi·lip′pi, we mustered up boldness by means of our God to speak to YOU the good news of God with a great deal of struggling. 3 For the exhortation we give does not arise from error or from uncleanness or with deceit, 4 but, just as we have been proved by God as fit to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, as pleasing, not men, but God, who makes proof of our hearts.

Answer 10

they're talking about matthew, mark, luke and john.

I don't know exactly when they were written, but some people were being stupid, so I had to say it.