Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave
I am not sure where you come up with John being the first gospel. It is well held it was the last.
|
I do not agree that it is "well held" that it was written last. It very well may be true that the version we have today was edited at a later date, drawing from material that was recorded by the eyewitness.
But I have three main reasons for arguing for an earlier date:
1) This author was the only one who seemed to know anything about Passover and the High Sabbath that followed.
2) He did not have any Virgin Mary stuff in it, which was already popular by the end of the first century.
3) He claims to be an eyewitness. Not ready to call him a liar just yet.
I also am not taking a firm stand on this. My faith has evolved and maybe someday I may achieve your level. But I will not get there by reading modern authors. I stick to my analysis of documents that have been preserved from the first and second centuries.
I don't have a "source" that claims parallel authorship of Matthew and Luke. It seems pretty obvious to me that these were written without knowledge of each other. About the only two things that are common between their accounts of the virgin birth are the assertion of virginity and the star overhead.