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THE GOSPELS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

We will note later that the most likely dates for the Synoptic Gospels range from the early AD 60's to the mid AD 70's.  Some scholars date the Gospels as late as the AD 80's.   On noted scholar, John A. T. Robinson dates them as early as the 50's!   We will hold the view in regard to Matthew that it was written in the mid AD 70's, possibly as late as AD 80.  We will learn later that a date as late as AD 80 says nothing against its apostolicity, nor its inspiration and authority.

Even if we take the earlier date, it is certain that several of Paul's epistles (Galatians, Thessalonians, Romans, Corinthians) were written before the Gospels.  One might ask why the Gospels were so late in appearing.   One reason would certainly be that in the early days of the mission and expansion of the church the need for the Gospels was not as great since the Apostles and other apostolic men were still alive and active. 

Another reason would be the active oral tradition that existed in Judaism and the early church.  (Consider 2 Tim 2:2 where Paul instructs Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ and to teach what he had heard from Paul among many witnesses and to entrust that to faithful men who would be able to teach others also.   Consider also 2 Thess 2:15 where Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to hold to the traditions which they had been taught by Paul and Timothy,  either by word of mouth or by letter.)  For many years the gospel message was passed on and down by oral tradition by the apostles and evangelists who taught and preached the apostolic gospel.

The core of the gospel was already present in Paul's teaching as early as the writing of Gal 1:6-8 and 1 Cor 15: 1-5 where Paul speaks of the gospel by which the Corinthians were saved, and which in the case of the Galatians could not be changed under threat of anathema!  Read and note these two passages.

As the church spread far and wide (the mission and rapid expansion of the church), and as the apostles and apostolic men were dying, the need arose for the gospel message to be set into a firmer form than the apostolic and oral tradition.   Furthermore, as Luke indicates (Lk 1:1-4), many others had attempted to write gospel accounts which were not reliable and needed correction.  The time had come for the gospel message to be formalized.

Furthermore, as the gospel spread to distant lands and among different Gentile cultures it became necessary to explain the story of Jesus in terms the new communities of believers or would be believers could understand.  It became necessary to interpret the significance of Jesus for a second generation of believers, namely, Gentile Roman and Greek seekers.

Hence there arose a need for Gospels that would explain Jesus to a Roman audience (The Gospel of Mark), a Jewish audience (The Gospel of Matthew), and a Greek audience (The Gospel of Luke).   Some years later and in the region of Asia (Turkey) it became necessary for John to retell the story of Jesus to a church that was being challenged by new false doctrines about Jesus divinity and human form (The Gospel of John).

Soon after their being set in written form these Gospels became central in the life of the church.  Although Mark may have been the first written, Matthew apparently soon became the favorite in the early church, and was widely quoted.

The Gospels are really accounts (narrative stories) about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (for this reason we call them passion narratives since the Greek word for passion involves suffering) with an extended introduction explaining why the death of this seemingly marginal Jew, Jesus, was so significant.  The Gospels give reasons why people should respond to a radical call to discipleship and surrender their lives to this Jesus and follow him wherever that might lead, possibly even to a martyr's death.  (Remember that martyrdom for Jesus was a real and constant threat to Christians in the first century AD.)

By the close of the first century AD several attempts had been made to write "gospels" or narratives of Jesus' life (see Lk 1:1 "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us...).  We know of several by name, some dating into the early second century:   The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of the Truth, The Gospel of Phillip, The Gospel of the Egyptians, et al.  However, as early as AD 180 it seems that the orthodox or main stream church had fixed some form of Gospel canon (canon refers to a list of accepted writings, see the Glossary of Biblical and Theological Terms).   We know of a collection of four Gospels by Tatian (AD 180) called the Diatessaron (through four) which included our four canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.