4) Were the Gospel writers the Apostles?

This is one of the questions that came up in our discussions recently and it is a fascinating one. It is important to know that the Gospel writers don't claim to be members of the 12 that Jesus chose to share in his life and mission.  Given that we now understand that the Gospels reached their final form some decades after the death of Jesus (Mark 65-70 CE, Matthew and Luke 80-90 CE, John 90-100 CE) it is unlikely that the authors of the Gospels were among the apostles. If you have a look at the first verses of Luke 1:1-4  it is very clear that Luke was not an eyewitness but has been in close contact with those who were to make sure that the Gospel provides a trustworthy and complete account.

In the earliest years of the Christian movement there was no need to write down the sayings of Jesus. Versions of Jesus' sayings and deeds circulated among the communities in oral form and these early Christians believed that Jesus would return in the near future. In the light of this it is reasonable to assume that in the early decades there seemed to be no pressing reason to commit the traditions about Jesus to writing. As time went on they realized that the Church needed to preserve these precious traditions for future generations.

The author of Mark's Gospel has traditionally been identified as a companion and disciple of Peter who wrote his powerful portrayal of Jesus in Rome. Luke provides a more expansive view and complements the story of Jesus with the story of the growth of the early Christian movement in Acts of the Apostles, with a particular focus on Peter and Paul. Like Luke, Matthew's Gospel is generally understood to be written quite late in the piece even though the traditional ordering of the Gospels in the New Testament starts with Matthew. This is largely due to St. Augustine giving it pride of place . The Gospel of John is generally dated later again and is understood to preserve not only the traditions of Jesus as given by the beloved disciple John, but also the fruits of the Christians that followed him in Asia Minor in the communities centred around Ephesus.

The four Gospels as we have them today were not the only ones written, but these were approved by successive communities over four centuries as precious and trustworthy portraits of Jesus. In a way it is not the fact that they came directly from apostles that was the most important thing as much as the fact that they preserved and presented the traditions of the sayings and deed of Jesus and that there work, and the reflection of the communities they represent, was judged to be inspired. In a way they did more than just pass on what Jesus had said, they handed on what they had learned about Jesus and being disciples after the resurrection. This is another way of  saying that that Holy Spirit was still at work after the apostles. We know that is still the case and that God continues to speak, to instruct and to inspire. As it turns out it is not simply apostolic origin that is important to consider when looking at the Gospels,  but the whole process over decades that is inspired.

For some interesting conversation about the authorship of the Gospels follow the links below.

You Tube by Dr Ben Witherington on the Gospel Writers

You Tube by Dr Darrell Bock on the Gospel Writers