Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 2: What Are The Four Gospels?

This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”.  For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.

In this chapter, Williams explores the four Gospels themselves. 

The four Gospels are some of the earliest and best historical sources on the life of Jesus. Even most serious non-Christian historians agree on that point (he cites a famous scholar Bart Ehrman who became an ex-Christian and sceptic). 

Four is a big number when it comes to historical sources about people of that time.

Tiberius, emperor during Jesus’ time, also had four major historical sources about that time, but were actually written 80 years after the time of Tiberius. In comparison, the Gospels were not as late compared to their topics.

By the time of Irenaeus (ca. AD 185), the authors of the four Gospels are identified as follows:

1. Matthew, the tax collector from Capernaum that was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles (Matt 9:9; 10:3).
2. Mark, identified as John Mark, was Peter’s interpreter in Rome. He was from Cyprus (Acts 4:36). His mother Mary had a property in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). He was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10).
3. Luke was a doctor who accompanied Paul on some of his travels. He was possibly a Gentile. (Col 4:14)
4. John son of Zebedee was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles and brother of James. He was also a fisherman from Capernaum.

The chapter goes into some detail on the relationships between the Gospels and possible origins, including the Q / Two Source Hypothesis. However, the point is that there are multiple witnesses to the factual events in the Gospels. 

Williams then discusses possible dating of the Gospels. The following table of date ranges are proposed by non-Christian scholars. 

The point is that the Gospels are dated by non-Christian scholars to be within the time limits of reliable memory and coming from the first generation of Christians.