“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
So begins the gospel of Luke. This short introduction teaches us a great deal about the formation of our New Testament.
(1) The dramatic events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection made a profound impact upon the hearts & minds of his followers. They believed that Jesus represented the climax of the long story of God & Israel. By raising him from the dead, God declared that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the king of Israel. He was the one who would redeem and restore God’s creation, establishing justice and peace forever.
The history of Israel had been faithfully recorded in the Jewish scriptures. But until the coming of Jesus, the story had been incomplete. Now at last it had an ending. This fulfillment naturally meant that more sacred writings were necessary.
(2) Luke indicates that “many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us.”
The followers of Jesus had created written records of the Lord’s words & actions. These records might have contained only a few sayings of the Lord; perhaps they recounted a parable or described one of his mighty deeds. But such fragmentary writings provided rich source material for later Christians like Luke who sought to produce a more comprehensive account.
There is no doubt that Luke was keenly aware of Mark’s gospel. In the book of Colossians, Paul sends greetings from “Mark, the cousin of Barnabus” and “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor.” The two crossed paths in Rome not long before Mark completed his work. Both Luke & Matthew incorporate much of Mark’s material into their own gospels.
(3) These written accounts originated from “eyewitnesses and servants of the word.” The new sacred writings were based upon the testimony of those who directly witnessed the events pertaining to Jesus. This primarily refers to the 12 apostles of Jesus – those who traveled with him, talked with him, heard his words and observed his powerful acts. It would also include the Apostle Paul, to whom Jesus appeared on the road to Damascus.
Thus, the primary criterion for the documents which were admitted to the New Testament was apostolicity. Was it written by one of Jesus’ apostles? The first Christians believed that the authority of Jesus himself had been invested in his closest followers; they were accredited as reliable agents who would faithfully transmit the truth.
This attitude is reflected in a letter written by Clement, the bishop of Rome, in 96 AD: “The apostles were made evangelists to us by the Lord Christ; Jesus Christ was sent by God. Thus, Christ is from God, and the apostles from Christ…The Church is built on them as a foundation.”
However, the church allowed some flexibility when it applied the criterion of apostolicity. For example, we know that Mark was a close companion of Peter. Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis in the early 2nd century, wrote, “Mark, having been the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that [Peter] mentioned, whether sayings or doings of Christ.” Similarly, Luke traveled extensively with the Apostle Paul.
The church understood that the criterion of apostolicity did not require that sacred writings come directly from the hand of an apostle but could also come indirectly through a faithful associate.
(4) The opening words of Luke’s gospel remind us that the early Christians held the truth in highest regard. Luke “carefully investigated everything,” so that those reading his work could be certain of the things which they had been taught.
Likewise, Papias wrote, “So then Mark made no mistake…for he paid attention to this one thing, not to omit anything that he had heard, nor to include any false statement among them.”
When exactly was the New Testament written?
Jesus was most likely crucified in 30 AD. Scholars believe that Mark was the first of the four gospels to be written, probably around 65 AD. The eminent Biblical scholar F.F. Bruce made the case that the Luke penned his gospel shortly before 70 AD – that date being important because it marks the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple.
Luke also produced the book of Acts, a record of the early church from Jesus’ ascension until Paul’s house arrest in Rome circa 62 AD.
Bruce also argues that Matthew composed his gospel just after 70 AD. It’s widely believed that the gospel of John was one of the last New Testament books to be written, around 90 AD.
These dates are remarkable because they indicate that the four canonical gospels were completed within 30-60 years of the time of Jesus.
The Apostle Paul composed 13 letters now contained in our New Testament. Most or all of Paul’s Epistles actually predate the gospels. Paul’s letter to the Galatians has a strong claim to being the first NT book; this small epistle was likely written in 48 AD – less than 20 years after the crucifixion! The book of Romans (universally regarded as Paul’s greatest work) can be confidently dated to 57 AD. Paul penned the books of Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and Ephesians while in prison around 60 AD. The three pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy & Titus) came last, between 63 and 65 AD. The Apostle Paul was probably beheaded in Rome in 64/65 AD during the reign of Nero.
The small book of James was written by the brother of Jesus who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. The death of James is recounted in the writings of Flavius Josephus. Porcius Festus was the Roman procurator of Judea who presided over the trial of the Apostle Paul (recorded in Acts 25). In 62 AD, Festus died early in his term of office.
While the new procurator was in route, the Jewish high priest Ananus used the interregnum as an opportunity to strike at the Christians. Josephus writes, “[Ananus] assembled a council of judges and brought before it the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, whose name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as lawbreakers, he delivered them over to be stoned.”
Since the death of James occurred in 62 AD, this obviously marks the latest possible date of his epistle. Some scholars have speculated that James was composed in the 40s, which would make it one of the first NT books.
The Apostle Peter penned two letters before his martyrdom. There is strong evidence that Peter was crucified in Rome during the reign of Nero about 64/65 AD. (Paul, being a Roman citizen, would have been offered a more merciful death by beheading.)
Interestingly, the gospel of John gives us some insight into Peter’s fate. Near the conclusion of his gospel, John recounts a conversation Jesus had with Peter: “‘Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.” John’s comment indicates that when he composed his gospel, he was aware of how Peter had perished.
Clement’s letter (96 AD) indicates that Peter was executed for his faith in Rome but does not provide any details. The Latin church father Tertullian (late 2nd century) tells us that Peter died in the same manner as Jesus: “what a happy church [Rome] is, on which the apostles poured out their whole doctrine with their blood, where Peter had a passion like that of the Lord…”
An apocryphal work called Acts of Peter (also late 2nd century) indicates that Peter was crucified upside down because he thought himself unworthy to suffer in the same manner as his master. But this detail is less certain.
Revelation was perhaps the last New Testament book written. The author was a man named John, who received his grand vision while living in exile on the Island of Patmos. Many Christians believe that John was the disciple of Jesus & the son of Zebedee. However, there is significant evidence that the author of Revelation was different John. This mysterious & magnificent book was likely written during the latter part of the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, who ruled from 81-96 AD.
Thus, the entire New Testament was completed by the end of the 1st century. Historically speaking, these works were written very close to the events which they describe and were based upon the eyewitness testimony of those who had followed Jesus. Knowing this, we can have great confidence that our New Testament is reliable and true.
