When Chapters of Bible Written : And Ponders

Here are the dates from Biblegateway for the first five 'books' of the New Testament :

Gospels & Acts      
Matthew: Written after 70 AD, preserving oral accounts from the previous generation     
Mark: Written 64-70 AD, preserving oral accounts from the previous generation     
Luke: Debated; could be written between 62-90 AD, preserving earlier oral accounts     
John: Written 90-110 AD, preserving earlier oral accounts     
Acts: Written 62-90 AD (by Luke)  

A thought struck me of why were they written when they were.

Then I looked in Paul's life.
Paul's 13 main letter started around 50AD and stopped around 67AD.

These dates are based on Jesus ascending around the year 33AD. 

Therefore, there is room for a little this way or that way for the actual dates.

The thought I had was to see when Paul died.
According to the Bible, the Apostle Paul was killed in Rome between 64 and 67 AD (CE Common Era).

Look at the dates. It looks like right after Paul was killed, is when the importance to write the stories took root. 

Matthew was 35+ years after Jesus.
Mark was 30+ years after Jesus.
Luke 33 to 55+ years after Jesus.
John is 55 to 70 years after Jesus.
Acts was 30 to 55+ years after Jesus.
Paul was killed around 30 to 35 years after Jesus.

Let's use the lowest number : Paul 30 AD, the others 35, 30, 33, 55.

Note : Matthew and John were part of the original 12 Disciples of Jesus.
(Two others of interest are James 45-62 AD and Jude 65-80 AD, both brothers of Jesus.)
(Peter 60-68 AD)

That is a lot of years.
Until then, it was stories being passed from one person to another. 

How well would I remember : 30 years back from 2025 is 1995. 40 years back is 1985. 50 years back is 1975. 60 years back is 1965. 70 years back is 1955.
Things have to be remembered or repeated or shared carefully to stay accurate.  So it is obvious why some stories are told slightly different between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

This is why although "inspired", these books or letters are very heavily based as historical more than supernatural words. They tell the story or stories that have been passed down. Within that history is the parts that are vital to what Jesus told the Disciples to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

So whatever the Disciples knew or were brought back to their remembrance .. must be the Gospel.

Gospel actually means Good News.  What was the Good News at Pentecost?

I know this is a bit raw, but Jesus made them News Reporters. 
The tool they needed was the Day of Pentecost.
They had "Christ in you the hope of glory" and the GodSpirit in them brought things to their remembrance. 

And Paul never existed at that time.  Paul got the rough job : going to heathen gentiles who knew nothing about the Torah or Israel, and somehow throw out the fish net of The Good News. No wonder the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit said, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48 

The basic thought of this is that it is very possible that it was the death of Paul that ignited the urgency to write down the first five 'books' of the New Testament. 

Why am I pondering? As I search to see what the Gospel, Good News, actually is .. what the Disciples had at Pentecost, the Template of Christianity .. I look at these sort of things.

to be continued tbc


This is what I believe... comma,
T.H.Tatman
GodComma.com


...

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