The Evidence for the Traditional Authors of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are central to the New Testament and the Christian faith. However, the question of whether these gospels were indeed written by the traditional authors named in their titles has been a subject of scholarly debate. This article explores the evidence behind the traditional authorship of these texts and evaluates the reliability of the evidence.

The Role of Church Fathers

One of the earliest pieces of evidence supporting the traditional authorship comes from Church Fathers. Around the year 100 AD, Papias, a Church father, wrote about two texts. One of these was an account of Jesus' sayings in Hebrew, attributed to Matthew, and another was an account of Jesus' life written by Mark, who was a secretary to St. Peter. However, it is important to note that the current text we call The Gospel of Matthew is not the same as the text Papias mentioned. While it might contain some material from it, it is almost certainly not the work of Matthew as the main author.

Mark’s Gospel is considered a better candidate for the text that Papias referred to as the account drawn up by Mark. Although the text Papias mentioned is not securely identified, there is a tradition that it was written by Mark. This tradition is further bolstered by the reference in Iraneus’ Against Heresies, written around the years 175 to 190 AD, which lists all four of the canonical gospels and assigns them their respective authors. Iraneus’s work supports the belief that the gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Authorship of John’s Gospel

The Gospel of John presents a unique challenge when it comes to authorship. The text is transparent about the identity of “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” who is stated to be John. The gospel claims that it was either written by John himself or by someone who was writing on behalf of John. While some scholars view this as a straightforward claim, others suggest that it might be a form of literary fiction, where one of John's companions wrote what they believed John would have written in his name.

Historical Reliability and Scholarship

Despite strong traditions supporting the traditional authorship, many scholars date the Gospel of Mark to around 70 AD. This dating casts doubt on the traditional attribution of authorship, as the authors would have been writing by old men. This has led to a series of debates about the authenticity of these texts.

From the 15th century onwards, with the rise of modern historical-critical methods, there was a shift in how these texts were viewed. Scholars began to dismiss the traditional witnesses, often labeling them as “catholic” and “dogmatic.” Over time, these scholars decided that all views older than their own were merely “tradition,” and sought to “rediscover,” “reform,” or “restore” the Gospel to suit their own opinions.

This process has led to a significant departure from the original manuscripts and has resulted in a more critical, scholarly approach to the Gospels. Modern scholars now rely heavily on textual and source criticism to determine the authorship and historical accuracy of these texts.

Conclusion

The question of whether the Gospels were written by their traditional authors remains a topic of debate. While there is evidence to support the traditional authorship from early Church Fathers and later works, modern scholars have provided alternative theories based on the historical context and textual analysis. It is crucial to engage with these debates and consider multiple perspectives to gain a well-rounded understanding of the Gospels' authorship and historical reliability.

Keywords: gospel authors, traditional authorship, historical reliability