The Gospel Writers

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Augustine3

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I know the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because the Magisterium teaches us so. I’m just wondering do we have other forms of evidence e.g. Church Father writings?

God bless,
 
Augustine3 said:
I know the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because the Magisterium teaches us so. I’m just wondering do we have other forms of evidence e.g. Church Father writings?
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Origen c.245
“Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew, who was at one time a tax collector and afterwards an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was written first and that he composed it in the Hebrew tongue and published it for the converts from Judaism. The second written was that according to Mark, who wrote it according to the instruction of Peter, who, in his General Epistle, acknowledged him as a son, saying, “The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you and so does Mark my son.” And third, was that according to Luke, the Gospel commended by Paul, which he composed for the converts from the Gentiles. Last of all, that according to John.” (Commentary on Matthew 1)

Tertullian c.207
“The same authority of the apostolic churches will afford evidence to the other Gospels also, which we possess equally through their means, and according to their usage. I mean the Gospels of John and Matthew while that which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter’s whose interpreter Mark was. For even Luke’s form of the Gospel men usually ascribe to Paul. And it may well seem that the works which disciples publish belong to their masters.”
(Against Marcion 4.5)

Tertullian c.207
“We lay it down as our first position, that the evangelical Testament has apostles for its authors, to whom was assigned by the Lord Himself this office of publishing the gospel… Of the apostles, therefore, John and Matthew first instill faith into us; while of apostolic men, Luke and Mark renew it afterwards. These all start with the same principles of the faith, so far as relates to the one only God the Creator and His Christ, how that He was born of the Virgin, and came to fulfill the law and the prophets.”
(Against Marcion 4.2)

Irenaeus c.180
“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, 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. Afterwards, 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.”
(Against Heresies 3.1.1)

Irenaeus is important to note as confirmation, he was a disciple of Polycarp wh owas a disciple of John the Apostle.
 
I don’t think that there is any definitive proof that the Gospels were written by any of the original apostles. The apostles were poor Jews who spoke Aramaic, and may or may not have been literate. The Gospels were originally written in Greek, and Luke, especially, is written by an educated person. You can tell by the writing style.
Luke may have been the secretary to Paul of Tarsus, commonly know as St Paul.
 
Augustine3 said:
I know the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because the Magisterium teaches us so. I’m just wondering do we have other forms of evidence e.g. Church Father writings?

God bless,
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As far as I’m aware, the Gospels weren’t written by the Apostles. They were written by unnamed individuals who attributed the work to an Apostle - sometimes referred to as “pseudepigrapha”.
 
bmullins said:
Origen c.245
“Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew, who was at one time a tax collector and afterwards an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was written first and that he composed it in the Hebrew tongue and published it for the converts from Judaism. The second written was that according to Mark, who wrote it according to the instruction of Peter, who, in his General Epistle, acknowledged him as a son, saying, “The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you and so does Mark my son.” And third, was that according to Luke, the Gospel commended by Paul, which he composed for the converts from the Gentiles. Last of all, that according to John.” (Commentary on Matthew 1)

Tertullian c.207
“The same authority of the apostolic churches will afford evidence to the other Gospels also, which we possess equally through their means, and according to their usage. I mean the Gospels of John and Matthew while that which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter’s whose interpreter Mark was. For even Luke’s form of the Gospel men usually ascribe to Paul. And it may well seem that the works which disciples publish belong to their masters.”
(Against Marcion 4.5)

Tertullian c.207
“We lay it down as our first position, that the evangelical Testament has apostles for its authors, to whom was assigned by the Lord Himself this office of publishing the gospel… Of the apostles, therefore, John and Matthew first instill faith into us; while of apostolic men, Luke and Mark renew it afterwards. These all start with the same principles of the faith, so far as relates to the one only God the Creator and His Christ, how that He was born of the Virgin, and came to fulfill the law and the prophets.”
(Against Marcion 4.2)

Irenaeus c.180
“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, 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. Afterwards, 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.”
(Against Heresies 3.1.1)

Irenaeus is important to note as confirmation, he was a disciple of Polycarp wh owas a disciple of John the Apostle.
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Wow - thanks very much that’s exactly what I was looking for! 👍

I would like to welcome you in advance upon your conversion in joining the Catholic family 🙂

God bless,
 
bmullins said:
Origen c.245
“Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew, who was at one time a tax collector and afterwards an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was written first and that he composed it in the Hebrew tongue and published it for the converts from Judaism. The second written was that according to Mark, who wrote it according to the instruction of Peter, who, in his General Epistle, acknowledged him as a son, saying, “The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you and so does Mark my son.” And third, was that according to Luke, the Gospel commended by Paul, which he composed for the converts from the Gentiles. Last of all, that according to John.” (Commentary on Matthew 1)
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If this is true, how come Matthew Mark and Luke are the same or similar in so many parts. I read some where that Mark was taken from Matthew’s writings, or the other way around.

I’m not sure, I think I just want clarification on this point
 
chazcheh said:
If this is true, how come Matthew Mark and Luke are the same or similar in so many parts. I read some where that Mark was taken from Matthew’s writings, or the other way around.

I’m not sure, I think I just want clarification on this point
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Well if you were writing a story down and you had it second hand, and you needed to clarify something and the other person was hundreds of miles away (there were no phones, cars, and jets) going to someone else who was also recording the story would be a very easy way to get the information correct. Also, they are telling the same story, so similarities should indeed be there. The fact that they aren’t exactly the same in every detail and every thing recounted is even more confirmation that it wasn’t just someone copying someone else.
 
Augustine3 said:
Wow - thanks very much that’s exactly what I was looking for! 👍

I would like to welcome you in advance upon your conversion in joining the Catholic family 🙂

God bless,
Click to expand...
Thank you, God bless you as well 🙂
 
Justin Martyr, writing about A.D. 155, mentions the Gospels without naming them:
The Apostles, in the Memoirs which they produced, which are called Gospels, have thus passed on that which was enjoined upon them: that Jesus took bread and, having given thanks, said, “Do this in remembrance of Me; this is My Body.” (First Apology, 65)

The Muratorian Fragment, written between A.D. 155 and 200, mentions the third and fourth Gospels by name:
The third book of the Gospel, is that according to Luke, the well-known physician… The fourth Gospel is by John, one of the disicples.
 
thistle said:
churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/authors-gospels-1.htm
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WOW! I was thinking of replying with a basic answer from my understanding, yet the above link gave a more detailed explanation that I would have (or could have) given. 🙂

In short, I’d just say that the Catholic Church is now very accepting of the modern study of Sacred Scripture and its findings - much of which dispute the original designation of the authors. There are many great books out on the topic, and I’ve been reading quite a few of them recently.

Some have gone to extremes by saying that we cannot even know what scripture actually said because the originals are lost to us - (Ernham). Others say that it is reasonable to accept that God would have looked after the Sacred Scripture and kept it in tact enough to convey what He wanted conveyed - (Willard). Many fall in between the two.

Pick some and read them critically. Study and learn as I am trying to do. It’s incredibly fascinating and gets deeper and deeper. I will actually be starting to learn Greek soon, so that I may better understand.

Good Luck and God Bless!

William
 
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