The Bible
The Gospels were written too late to be reliable.
Short answer
Most scholars date the Gospels to roughly AD 65-95, within the lifetime of eyewitnesses. Paul's letters and the creeds they preserve are earlier still, going back to within a few years of the crucifixion. By ancient standards, that is remarkably close to the events.
In simple words: The Gospels were written while people who saw Jesus were still alive and could say if something was wrong.
Response
Even on mainstream dating, Mark was written around AD 65-70, about 35-40 years after the crucifixion. Matthew and Luke follow, and John is usually dated in the 90s. Some scholars argue for earlier dates; for example, Acts ends with Paul still alive in Rome (around AD 62), which may suggest Luke and Acts were finished before that.
Forty years sounds long until we compare it to other ancient history. The earliest surviving biographies of Alexander the Great were written more than 300 years after he died, and historians still consider them useful.
More importantly, the Gospels draw on earlier sources and oral tradition carefully passed down in a culture that valued memorization. Paul's letters, written in the 50s, preserve creeds that were already being recited, such as 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, which many scholars date to within five years of the crucifixion.
The Gospels were written while eyewitnesses, including hostile ones, were still alive. Luke even says he investigated the accounts of those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning.
Key evidence
- Mainstream dating: Mark c. AD 65-70; Matthew and Luke c. AD 70-90; John c. AD 90-95.
- Paul's letters (c. AD 48-60) are earlier than the Gospels and already describe Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
- The creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 is widely dated to within a few years of the crucifixion.
- The earliest surviving accounts of Alexander the Great (Arrian, Plutarch) were written about 400 years after his death.
- Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses argues that named individuals in the Gospels point to eyewitness sources.
Bible passages
- Luke 1:1-4 Luke's research from eyewitnesses.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 An early creed passed on to Paul.
- 2 Peter 1:16 "We were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
- 1 John 1:1-3 "What we have seen with our eyes... and our hands have touched."
Discussion questions
- How long ago was 40 years before today? Could you still find eyewitnesses to events from then?
- Why does it matter that hostile eyewitnesses were still alive?
- How might an oral culture remember teachings differently than we do?