1. Dr. Rick Griffith • Singapore Bible College • BibleStudyDownloads.org
Matthean Priority
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Dr. Rick Griffith • Singapore Bible College • BibleStudyDownloads.org

2. Dating the Synoptic Gospels49
Dating the Synoptic Gospels
Adapted from the NIV Study Bible, 1431
MARK
MATTHEW
LUKE
MARK
MATTHEW
LUKE
ASSUMPTION A:
ASSUMPTION B:
Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source
Matthew and Luke did not use Mark as a source
View #1
View #1
Mark written in the 50s or early 60s
Mark could have been written anytime between 50 and 70
(1) Matthew written in late 50s or the 60s
Taught in this class
View #2
(2) Luke written 59-63
Mark written 65-70
View #2
(1) Matthew written early 50s (see Matthew notes)
Mark written 65-70
(1) Matthew written in the 70s
(2) Luke written (see Luke notes)
(2) Luke written in the 70s

3. Indicators that Matthew wrote the First Gospel

4. External Indicator #1: Testimony of Eusebius (4th cent.)
"Among the four Gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition [from 2nd cent. Origen] that the first [Gospel] was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts from Judaism, and published in the Hebrew language."
(Eusebius, Eccl. Hist quoting Origen of the 2nd century)

5. External Indicator #1: Testimony of Eusebius (4th cent.)
"The second is by Mark, who composed it according to the instructions of Peter, who in his Catholic [i.e., General] epistle acknowledges him as a son, saying, 'The church that is at Babylon elected together with you, saluteth you, and so doth Marcus, my son.' And the third by Luke, the Gospel commended by Paul, and composed for Gentile converts. Last of all that by John."
(Eusebius, Eccl. Hist quoting Origen of the 2nd century)

6. External Indicator #2: Papyrus from about AD 50
"The Magdalen fragment now appears to belong to a style of handwriting that was current in the first century BC and slowly petered out around the mid-first century AD" (Dr. Carsten Thiede)

7. External Indicator #3: Placement First in the NT
The Gospels
History
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Letters by Paul
What overall observations can you make in your small group for the NT?
• There are 5 parts to the NT (grouped by category)
• 4 versions of Christ's life but only one of the church
• Most the NT are letters (especially by Paul)
• 6 of Paul's 13 letters are to people he wrote twice (all follow-up except Rom & Col)
• 2 groupings (general epistles & gospels) named after their authors while Paul's after their recipients
Prophecy
General Letters
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation

8. Internal Indicator: Matthew Wrote to Jews
"Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome [AD 60-68], and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure [post AD 68], Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him [no date given]. Afterwards [post 68], John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia."
Irenaeus AD 180
Against Heresies 3.1

9. Acceptance of the Four Gospels Before Nicaea
Clearing History
Acceptance of the Four Gospels Before Nicaea
Individuals
Canons
Translations
Pseudo-Barnabas (70-130)
Clement of Rome (95-97)
Polycarp ( )
Didache ( )
Papias ( )
Origen ( )
Irenaeus ( )
Justin Martyr ( )
Hermas ( )
X= Citation or allusion
Cyril of Jerusalem ( )
Marcion (140)
Muratonian (170)
Barococcio (206)
Apostolic (300)
Tatian Diatesseron (170)
Old Latin ( )
Old Syriac (200)
O= Named as authentic
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John X X X X X O X X O O O O O O O
This is found in H. Wayne House, Chronological & Background Charts to the New Testament, It is also the last page of the notes for this seminar. The point here is that our four gospels were consistently cited whereas "Brown's Gnostic gospels" were likely not even written until the second century (even if Thomas appeared as early as AD 40 it was still deemed heretical). X X X O X X O O O O O O O X X X O X X O O O O O O O O
Gospel of Thomas AD
Gospel of Judas AD 170? X X X O O X O O O O O O O
1st Cent.
AD 325
Council of Nicaea
Geisler & Nix, Introduction to the Bible (Chicago: Moody, 1968)

10. NT Overview: I Put Matt First!
NT Overview: I Put Matt First!
"To the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8)
Acts
Apr 48- Sep 49
1 Galatia
Apr 50- Sep 52
2 Aegean
Spr 53- May 57
3 Asia
Feb 60- Mar 62
1 Rome
Spr 62- Fall 67
4 Spain
Aut 67- Spr 68
2 Rome
Summer
Damascus Antioch
May 57- Aug 59
Trials
Fall 49
The
Council
Spring 68
Expansion of Church
Matt
Luke
Acts
Mark
John
40s
Gal
1 Thess
1 Cor
Eph
1 Tim
2 Tim
Jude
James
2 Thess
2 Cor
Col
Titus
Heb
1 John
Romans
Philem
1 Pet
2 John
Gospels & Acts
Phil
2 Pet
3 John
1234
Pauline Epistles
Journeys
Rev
Rome
General Epistles
Imprisonments
No Animations

11. When I Think They Were Written…
51a
When I Think They Were Written… 2 3 4 1
MATTHEW
MARK
JEWS
ROMANS
The A.D.40s
TO:
TO:
A.D
AS:
KING
AS:
SERVANT
WHAT
HE:
SAID
WHAT
HE:
DID
LUKE
JOHN
A.D
GREEKS
A.D. 69 AFTER THE SYNOPTICS
CHURCH
Now…what about the dates of the writing of these crucial documents? And here we are left to our best scholarly guesses. There will ALWAYS be argument here. But some of the best guesses, based on decades of academic research and study are these – in suggested order…
//// MATTHEW…composed sometime during the A.D. 40s…
//// LUKE is suggested as next, between the years A.D. 57 and 59 A.D…
//// Mark…in the next decade…between 64 and 68…
//// and finally…John's Gospel…around A.D. 69….but certainly after the Synoptics were set down. Again, you will always find disagreement on these dates. However, these dates are from the research of well-known Christian scholars and teachers.
TO:
TO:
AS:
GOD/MAN
AS:
GOD
FELT
WHAT
HE:
MEANT
WHAT
HE: 4 27

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