Early dating on the Gospels

So you see our subject so the question then becomes what are currant views by scholars on the dating of the Gospels? These mind you are dates by secular scholars not theologians of true faith in our Lord Jesus.But let us unpack the secular point of view for it is them we at truth in mikra argue against.

Mark is what now they say was written first :65-70 ce

Matthew :70-80 ce

Luke : 75-85 ce

John: 95-115 ce

This is a general outline and theory and the dates are not precise and many still argue if Mark or Matthew were written first or not.Luke is without a doubt the third Gospel and John is also without dispute much later in date.

But is it possible the Gospels were written sooner?

Here is Galatians 5.13-15

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. ¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Notice it says “the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.

Where does this come from (let it be noted scholars put Galatians in the late 40’s ce or ad)

Matthew 22.38-39

³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Here is Mark 12.30-31

³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Looks like Paul had access to Gospel material then and of course secular scholars can’t argue that Paul got Matthew and Mark material from divine revelation because they do not believe in that.So taking God and theology out of the picture for a minute it is clear the Gospels existed in some at least proto form before the 50’s first century.And by the way I used the same wikipedia source both for dating the Gospels and Pauls letters so if secular historians then want to late date Paul then they must throw out there own theories then.

And some will say: What about Leviticus 19:18-19

 ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Paul being a former Pharasee and Torah expert would have quoted the Torah exactly ,Galatians sounds more like Matthew and Mark than Leviticus 19!

For those who know Judaism well you may ask was Paul quoted Rav Hillel ?

As the story goes a pagan says to Rabbi Hillel I will convert to Judaism but you must teach me the Torah while I’m standing on one foot.And Hillel said “That which is hateful to you do not unto your neighbor and that is the entire Torah,all the rest is commentary”

First thing here though is Mark and Matthew say “love your neighbor as yourself” whereas Hillel said in the form of “that which is hateful to you do not to your neighbor”

There is a difference and especially Paul being a Jew would not disrespect Rav Hillel by changing the quote.So clearly what is being quoted is not Rabbi Hillel but the Gospels.So I think it is clear that even if not in final polished form there were versions of the Gospels shortly after the crucifixion ,maybe late 30’s early 40’s first century.Paul would not have seen Hillel as an adversary theologically because Hillel died before the crucifixion and was a very old man when Jesus would have been a boy and not started the 3 or so year ministry.So hillel would not have needed faith in Christ to be saved at that time period.

Here is some dates on Paul and of course true precision is not possible but it should close.

c. 48	Galatians	Antioch (uncertain)
c. 49–51	1 Thessalonians	Corinth
c. 49–51	2 Thessalonians	Corinth
c. 53–55	1 Corinthians	Ephesus
c. 55–56	2 Corinthians	Macedonia
c. 57	Romans	Corinth
c. 62	Ephesians	Rome
c. 62	Philippians	Rome
c. 62	Colossians	Rome
c. 62	Philemon	Rome
c. 62–64	1 Timothy	Macedonia
c. 62–64	Titus	Nicopolis
c. 64–67	2 Timothy	Rome

Does Paul ever get late dated? Yes but not by anyone credible ,there is one guy on youtube an amateur historian which I am too but I go strictly by scripture on things.You can check out history valley podcasts and he dates Paul to the 2nd century ce or ad. In general there is to much evidence of Christianity among Greeks and Romans around the 40’s to the 60’s ce or ad to say its likely Paul lived in the second century.For instance Nero blaming the fire on Christians and Nero died in 68 1st century and there is no evidence of Christianity among gentiles before Paul.

The same frindge crowd that dates Paul 2nd century also date the Gospels later than that so that point is mute! Not to put them down personally but there has not been a super respectable peer reviewed work dating Paul later than being born about 5 ce or ad and dying about 64 or 65 ce or ad.Nothing has ever disproven this dating even if people have offered other theories.

Are secular historians like Bart Ehrman and other historians who date the Gospels from the 70’s to the early 100’s as is now most commonly accepted totally wrong? Not totally ,I think for sure in the most formal form they may be right but wrong in that the material likely was first written in Aramaic shortly after Jesus death.

Here is my timeline ok

Jesus is crucified and dies between 29 and 33 ce

The first Aramaic telling of the life of Messiah happens between 35-40 ce or ad

Who were the authors ,Mark was a Jew name Yohannan Markos or simply John Mark and some say he may have known Paul also which could explain Paul quoting

Matthew was a tax collector named Levi also Jewish Matthew comes from Matityahu meaning “gift of the Lord”

Lucus or Luke who is also believed to be the author of Acts also was a Syrian from Antioch and a doctor from a Greek speaking family.Some suggest Hellenistic Jewish ancestry but this is not substantiated.

Another problem with dating the Gospels into the 70’s is that evidence shows they were all contemporaries of Paul ,not likely that they lived into the 80’s ce.

I think as Aramaic accounts of the life of Jesus written in the late 30’s early 40’s were spreading the need to put these into Greek became important.So I would say some time after the death of Paul in 64 ce or ad Mark,Matthew and Luke put their accounts into Greek likely thinking that their accounts were the only one.The three left us with what is now the synoptic Gospels along with Acts.

I would go with most historians putting the Gospel of John ,the Revelation of John the divine and the letters of John that come after Paul’s letters in or around the turn of the second century.

Thank you and God bless you all