June 21, 2014 (Saturday)
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we presented Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If we had presented them in the order in which they were written, then it would have been Mark first, then Luke, then Matthew. All of them were written at some date between 48 and 70. On
Monday, we will look at the Gospel of John and the date for that book is in the 90’s, as are all five of John’s books in the New Testament. In other words, John’s gospel was written more than twenty years after the latest possible date for Matthew.
Here are somebody’s dates for the four gospels: Mark, 48-55; Luke, 57-62;Matthew, 65-70; and John, 90’s.
Paul’s 13 letters were written between 53 (48?) and 66. We don’t know who wrote Hebrews, but the accepted date is sometime between 50 and 68. Jude’s date is 65-80.
Luke wrote Acts shortly after his gospel, around 62-64. Peter’s two letters are dated 64-68. Keeping in mind that Jesus was resurrected around the year 29, we can see that quite a bit of time elapsed between Jesus’ ministry and the New Testament writings.
On Monday when we take a look at the Gospel of John, we will be looking at a book written much later than those by other men. We expect, therefore, that the approach will be different from the others, and we are not disappointed about that when we see it. When John writes his five books (Gospel, 1, 2 & 3 John, and Revelation), he is much older than the other writers and is living in a new world of false ideas about Jesus and His church that need to be refuted. Expect something different, therefore, from the other writers when you read the works of John, and when you read Monday’s blog.
I recall when the gospel of John was put in the form of a tiny booklet and passed around as a gospel tract, because Jesus is presented in that gospel as the One you must decide “for” or “against.” If you have not yet made that decision, isn’t it about time you do? “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that every one who believes in him shall not be lost, but should have eternal life. You must understand that God has not sent his Son into the world to pass sentence upon it, but to save it–through him” (John 3:16-17 Phillips).