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how many of the gospel writers were apostles

by Tate Powlowski Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Matthew and John were two of the original Twelve Apostles. They were with the Savior often as He taught. But who were Mark and Luke, and how did they come to write about the Savior's life and ministry? Here are a few things scholars know about the four men who wrote their testimonies of the Savior.

Full Answer

Who were the four gospel writers?

The four authors of the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the Evangelists. They are often represented with their attributes: the Angel for Saint Matthew, the Lion for Saint Mark, the Ox for Saint Luke and the Eagle for Saint John. Sometimes these symbols stand in for the Evangelists.

Who really wrote the Gospels?

Named for Jesus’s most devoted earthly disciples, or apostles—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—the four canonical Gospels were traditionally thought to be eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. 12th-13th century depiction of evangelists Luke and Matthew writing the Gospels.

Did the four gospel writers know Jesus?

Those who wrote the Gospels did not know Jesus personally. None of them were eye witnesses: they did not wander around with Jesus with pens and paper writing down everything he said and did! Instead, When we look at the Gospels it is easy to see that Luke heard stories that Mark, Matthew and John did not, the Good Samaritan for example.

Who are the writers of the four Gospels?

The Four Gospels/Gospel Writers - List. Discover the four gospels where in Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the Gospels. The four Gospel accounts in the New Testament are a testament of the public life of Jesus. Scribes originally wrote the accounts in Greek, and they ...

How many of the 4 Gospel writers were also apostles?

twoWhile the periods to which the gospels are usually dated suggest otherwise, convention traditionally holds that the authors were two of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, John and Matthew, as well as two "apostolic men," Mark and Luke, whom Orthodox Tradition records as members of the 70 Apostles (Luke 10):

Which of the Gospel writers were disciples?

These books are called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John because they were traditionally thought to have been written by Matthew, a disciple who was a tax collector; John, the "Beloved Disciple" mentioned in the Fourth Gospel; Mark, the secretary of the disciple Peter; and Luke, the traveling companion of Paul.

How many apostles were listed in the Gospels?

twelve apostlesThese are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

Was the Gospel written by the apostles?

It speaks of an unnamed "disciple whom Jesus loved" as the source of its traditions, but does not say specifically that he is its author; Christian tradition identifies him as John the Apostle, but the majority of modern scholars have abandoned this or hold it only tenuously. Most scholars believe it was written c.

Is Luke an apostle?

Luke was a physician and possibly a Gentile. He was not one of the original 12 Apostles but may have been one of the 70 disciples appointed by Jesus (Luke 10). He also may have accompanied St. Paul on his missionary journeys.

What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple?

So if you believe Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour then you are a Disciple. I am a disciple. An Apostle was specifically chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel after his death and resurrection. The twelve apostles mentioned above were Jesus' closest disciples.

Are there 12 or 13 apostles?

Jesus has only twelve apostles and Paul is not one of them: “When it was day, (Jesus) called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was ...

What was Jesus's wife's name?

Mary Magdalene as Jesus's wife One of these texts, known as the Gospel of Philip, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesus's companion and claimed that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples.

How many apostles were there originally?

the 12 ApostlesIt has been a tourist favourite for years, even before it was named the 12 Apostles. Until the 1960s, the area was nicknamed the Sow and Pigs, with the Muttonbird island being the sow, and the limestone stacks being the pigs.

Who were the 4 Gospel writers?

Nature confirmed that the number four was appropriate because, as Irenaeus observed, the Earth had four zones where people lived and there were also four winds. Irenaeus thus identified the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as the four pillars of the Church, the four authors of the true Gospels.

Did Peter write a Gospel?

The Gospel of Peter (Ancient Greek: κατά Πέτρον ευαγγέλιον, kata Petron euangelion), or the Gospel according to Peter, is an ancient text concerning Jesus Christ, only partially known today.

Who wrote the first Gospel?

Eventually some stories were written down. The first written documents probably included an account of the death of Jesus and a collection of sayings attributed to him. Then, in about the year 70, the evangelist known as Mark wrote the first "gospel" -- the words mean "good news" about Jesus.

What is the Gospel of John?

John was concerned that his readers, like the church, Jewish Christians and even the Gentile or Greek Christians, knew that belief in Christ meant eternal life (John 3:16, 36) and that by this belief, they could have the sure knowledge of their security in Christ (John 6:37, 39; 10:28-29). Much of the content is John is unique to this gospel like the necessity of being born again and this gospel is the only place where we find the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus (John 14-17). The Passion of Christ is seen more clearly and intensely in this gospel than in all of the other gospels.

Who wrote the Gospel of Mark?

The Gospel of Mark. Mark or sometimes called and known as John Mark, wrote the Gospel of Mark but Papias who was the Bishop (or pastor) of Hierapolis, located near Laodicea and Colossae and an early Apostolic leader of the church, indicates that the Gospel of Mark is actually the testimony of the Apostle Peter and so it’s believed ...

What was Luke's purpose in writing the Gospel of Luke?

Luke’s audience may have been the Greeks since he himself was a Greek and that his purpose in writing this gospel was to reveal that Jesus was the Son of God. The Gospel of Luke contains the greatest number of medical references of all the gospels including that of the Birth of Christ, the Passion, and the crucifixion.

What does John conclude his gospel by saying?

No one single gospel or even all 4 of these gospels can tell us of all of glorious things that our Savior has done. John concludes his gospel by writing “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, ...

What is the purpose of the Gospels?

The purpose of the gospels is to point sinners to the only way to receive eternal life.

How many prophecies does Matthew mention?

Matthew does so in a highly accurate historical genealogy. Matthew also references at least 7 prophesies that were fulfilled in Christ and these Old Testament references to Christ’s fulfillment of them include the books of Psalms, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Zechariah, and Malachi. Matthew wanted the Jews to know with certainty ...

When was the Gospel of Mark written?

Most scholars agree that this gospel had to have been written in the late 50s or in the 60s while others believe that Mark was written between A.D. 65 and 70 just prior to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

What are the four Gospels?

Discover the four gospels where in Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the Gospels. The four Gospel accounts in the New Testament are a testament of the public life of Jesus. They were originally written in Greek and describe the works and deeds of Jesus which ...

Which Gospel writer emphasizes the words of the Lord?

02. Mark. -. Mark was much younger than the other Gospel writers. The mother of Mark was also follower of Jesus Christ. Whereas Matthew emphasized the words of the Lord, Mark, underscores Christ's deeds. 03. Luke. -.

Why are the first three Gospels called Synoptic Gospels?

The first three of these are usually referred to as the "synoptic gospels" because they look at things in a similar way, or they are similar in the way that they tell the story. The Four Gospels/Gospel Writers. Actions. 01.

Who was the physician in the Gospels?

By training Luke was a physician. Luke become a follower after the death of Jesus, Paul taught him the Gospels. 04. John. -. John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, and was the author of the fourth Gospel. Of all the apostles, he was closest to the Lord. John writes about other things the other writers did not include.

Was Matthew Levi a Jew?

Matthew Levi was a tax collector. Because of this, he was well educated and knew how to read and write, possibly in multiple languages. It was part of Jewish Messianic expectation that the Messiah should be a descendant of King David, Israel's ideal king. Matthew was a Jew and it would be important to the Jews to learn that the Messiah was about to initiate his reign, he identified Jesus in the gospel as the promised "son of David" many times.

How many accounts of Christ's life are there in the Bible?

The Bible gives us four accounts of Christ’s life. Each records a unique perspective of the most significant event in history—the crucifixion and resurrection. All four gospels are named after men who lived during or shortly after Christ’s early ministry. Tradition considers these men the authors, but there’s one problem: not one ...

Who wrote the Gospel of Mark?

Several early church fathers claim that the Gospel of Mark was written by a man named John Mark —a companion of both Paul and Peter. Through a game of literary telephone, we may even have word that one of the apostles (John) says John Mark wrote it.

Why is the Gospel of Matthew not a tax collector?

If the Gospel of Matthew was written by a tax collector, the gospel couldn’t have such intimate knowledge of the Law —because tax collectors were religious outsiders. This could arguably be addressed by the use of sources, but there may be more reason to believe the author was not a tax collector. 3.

Why is the Gospel of Matthew organized?

Being a tax collector required constant upkeep of records and accurate relaying of information. Matthew needed to be organized in order to do his job , and the author of the book of Matthew appears to be highly organized.

What are the similarities between the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark?

The similarities between the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark —including using the same wording to describe the same events in the same general order— have led most scholars to believe the author of Matthew used the Gospel of Mark as a source.

How many sermons does Jesus have in Matthew?

The major sections of the gospel are neatly divided into parts. Jesus has five prominent sermons in Matthew, and each ends with some variation of the same transition: “When Jesus had finished saying these things . . .”. (Matthew 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). In Matthew 13, the author gives us seven parables in a row.

Why is Matthew called Levi?

Some scholars argue that these are two separate men, but most believe Matthew was known by two names, possibly called Levi because he belonged to the tribe of Levi. While tradition claims the Gospel of Matthew was written by Matthew the tax collector, there’s plenty of evidence for and against this claim.

Who wrote the New Testament?

Beside above, who actually wrote the books of the New Testament? Its authorship has been attributed either to John the Apostle (in which case it is often thought that John the Apostle is John the Evangelist, i.e. author of the Gospel of John) or to another John designated "John of Patmos" after the island where the text says ...

Who are the 12 sons of John?

The full list of the Twelve is given with some variation in Mark 3, Matthew 10, and Luke 6 as: Peter and Andrew, the sons of John (John 21:15); James and John, the sons of Zebedee; ; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Jude, or Thaddaeus, the son of James; Simon the Cananaean, or the.

Why are the books of Matthew called Matthew?

These books are called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John because they were traditionally thought to have been written by Matthew, a disciple who was a tax collector; John, the "Beloved Disciple" mentioned in the Fourth Gospel; Mark, the secretary of the disciple Peter; and Luke, the traveling companion of Paul.

Who are the four evangelists?

In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles: Gospel according to Matthew; Gospel according to Mark; Gospel according to Luke and Gospel according to John.

Why are the Gospels of Matthew and Mark called the Synoptic Gospels?

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels, because they include many of the same stories, often in the same sequence. While the periods to which the gospels are usually dated suggest otherwise, convention traditionally holds that the authors were two of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, John and Matthew, ...

What is it called when the symbols of the four evangelists appear together?

When the symbols of the Four Evangelists appear together, it is called a Tetramorph, and is common in the Romanesque art of Europe, in church frescoes or mural paintings, for instance.

Who is the disciple of Jesus?

Also known to have written the book of Acts (or Acts of the Apostles) and to have been a close friend of Paul of Tarsus, John – a disciple of Jesus and the youngest of his Twelve Apostles.

Who was the youngest disciple of Jesus?

John – a disciple of Jesus and the youngest of his Twelve Apostles. They are called evangelists, a word meaning "people who proclaim good news," because their books aim to tell the "good news" ("gospel") of Jesus.

What does John mean by the Logos?

John starts with an eternal overview of Jesus the Logos and goes on to describe many things with a "higher" christology than the other three (synoptic) gospels; it represents Jesus's Ascension, and Christ's divine nature.

How many books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles?

At least 13 of the books of the New Testament were written by the Apostle Paul. Of the original 12 Apostles, Matthew, John, and Peter wrote 8 books between them. This leaves 5 to 6 books that were not written by one of the main Apostles: James, Mark, Luke, Acts, Jude, and possibly Hebrews.

Who wrote the book of James?

James: The book of "James" was written by "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" ( James 1:1) This was likely Jesus' brother, 'James the Just', who was a prominent church leader in Jerusalem. Some hold that it was written by a cousin of Jesus, or by James the son of Alphaeus.

Who is the brother of Jesus?

James the brother of Jesus is perhaps the most unique author of a Biblical book, as he was not even a disciple of Jesus during His earthly ministry ( John 7:5 ), but became a Christian after the Resurrection ( Acts 15:12-21, I Cor 15:6-8, Gal 1:18-19 ). Though not among the twelve, James was considered an apostle ( Gal 1:19 ).

Was James an apostle?

Though not among the twelve, James was considered an apostle ( Gal 1:19 ). An apostle was one who was sent on a mission, in this case to spread the gospel. Mark: Mark the Evangelist was probably one of the seventy (possibly seventy-two) apostles/disciples sent out by Christ to go before him in his ministry ( Luke 10:1-24 ).

Who is James the son of Alphaeus?

James the son of Alphaeus (also known as James the Less) was an Apostle, however there is little backing behind the idea he authored "James". James the son of Zebedee, the other Apostle named James, was martyred in 44 A.D and so could not have been the Author ( Acts 12:2 ).

Was Jude a disciple of Jesus?

At the very least, he was a disciple of Jesus who was eyewitness to Jesus' ministry ( Luke 1:2 ). Luke was a physician and a historian. Jude: Jude may have been another brother of Jesus, or another relation such as a cousin ( Jude 1:1) If he was one of Jesus' brothers, then he probably would not have been a disciple of Christ during his earthly ...

How many gospels were written in the lifetime of the authors?

All four gospels were written within the conceivable lifetime of the traditional authors. The real Mark would have been in his thirties or forties when the gospel of Mark was written, and the real Luke would have been in his forties or fifties when his gospel was written.

Who were the Apostles in the Bible?

Only Matthew and John were Apostles. There’s no reason to believe any Gospel was written by other than the ones attached to them in spite of the so called “higher critics”. Those “scholars” couldn’t find Jesus in Heaven let alone the Bible which speaks of Him.

How were the New Testament gospels written?

The New Testament gospels were all written anonymously and remained anonymous until later in the second century, when the Church Fathers attributed them to the persons who, in their opinions, were likely to have been the authors. Prompted by the heretic Marcion and the success of the gnostic Christians, the Church Fathers needed to ‘prove’ that their gospels were written by unimpeachable sources. They could see that there was a literary dependency among the three synoptic gospels, so they could only safely attribute one of them to a disciple of Jesus and it was decided that this was written by

What did the Church Fathers need to prove?

Prompted by the heretic Marcion and the success of the gnostic Christians, the Church Fathers needed to ‘prove’ that their gospels were written by unimpeachable sources.

What are the four canonical gospels?

The four canonical gospels comprise of synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) plus John. None are eye-witness accounts of Jesus' life and they are all written in Greek, not in the native tongues of anyone who met and followed Jesus. Many of the stories in the Gospels are copied from Greek god-man legends, especially those of Dionysus and Osiris. ...

What would happen if the Gospels were anonymous?

If the gospels were anonymous, we certainly would not have expected Church tradition to assign them to people who were not eye witnesses to the events they describe. So, considering all of that, it is certainly a stretch to claim unequivocally that the gospels were anonymous works.

How old was John when he wrote the Gospel of John?

Church tradition maintains that the gospel of John was written 96 AD, during the last year of John’s life, when he was 82 years old. In the case of Matthew, it isn’t hard to make the case that Matthew could have been the author.

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The Gospel Matthew

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Matthew, being one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, was originally a tax collector or publican and was viewed as a betrayer by his own people. As usual, Jesus selects those who the world despises to become His disciples showing that God is no respecter of persons. Since Matthew was well paid, as were all of the tax collecto…
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The Gospel of Mark

  • Mark or sometimes called and known as John Mark, wrote the Gospel of Mark but Papias who was the Bishop (or pastor) of Hierapolis, located near Laodicea and Colossae and an early Apostolic leader of the church, indicates that the Gospel of Mark is actually the testimony of the Apostle Peter and so it’s believed that Peter is the original source for this gospel. This seems hig…
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The Gospel of Luke

  • Luke the Physician who wrote the gospel bearing his name and is also clearly the author of the Book of Acts has been hailed as one of the greatest historians of all time due to the empirical evidence of his dates, times, places, and names recorded in his gospel. Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul and the many references of “we” and “us” in the Book of Acts, plus the introduct…
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The Gospel of John

  • If I had only one gospel that I could have access to, it would be the Gospel of John because this gospel above all others shows the divinity of Christ and the great passionate love which He had for the disciples and lost sinners. This is the apostle of whom it was often said “the disciple whom Jesus loved”(John 13:23). John was concerned that his readers, like the church, Jewish Christia…
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Conclusion

  • This brief survey of the writers of the 4 gospels gives the reader eyewitness perspectives from 4 different views. If there were 4 witnesses to an accident at an intersection that were placed at the corners of each area of that intersection, they would give details that had differing views yet all basically saying the same thing. The uniqueness of each eye witness would deem certain detail…
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