The question of which gospel was written first is an important one for understanding the origins and development of the four canonical gospels attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Most biblical scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was likely the first gospel to be written down, sometime around 70 AD.
Evidence for Markan priority includes:
- Mark is the shortest gospel with just 16 chapters.
- Mark’s writing style is simple and direct compared to the more sophisticated Greek of the other gospels.
- Nearly all of Mark’s content is found in Matthew and Luke, suggesting they used Mark as a source.
- Matthew and Luke sometimes differ when they are paraphrasing Mark, suggesting Mark was their source.
Most scholars date the Gospel of Mark to just after 70 AD because Mark 13 refers to the destruction of the temple, which occurred in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. The Gospel of Mark is thought to have been written for a gentile audience in Rome, which would explain Mark’s need to explain Jewish traditions and translate Aramaic phrases.
The Gospel of Matthew is believed to have been written sometime around 80-90 AD. Matthew contains about 90% of Mark’s content in its 28 chapters, often copying Mark word-for-word. Matthew’s additions include a lengthy Sermon on the Mount, stories about Jesus’ birth, and an emphasis on Jesus as the Jewish messiah sent to the lost sheep of Israel. For this reason, scholars believe it was written for a Jewish-Christian audience.
The Gospel of Luke is dated to around 80-90 AD, likely after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Luke draws on Mark as a source, includes about 60% of Mark’s content, and like Matthew copies Mark verbatim in many passages. Luke’s unique contributions include parables like the Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son, a focus on women, social outcasts, and Gentiles, and the most thorough account of Jesus’ birth. Luke’s gospel appears to be written for a Hellenistic Gentile Christian audience.
Most scholars date the Gospel of John to around 90-110 AD, making it the last gospel written. John differs significantly from the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in terms of structure, language, themes, and theological emphasis. John includes no parables, focuses on lengthy dialogues and discourses of Jesus, and emphasizes his divine nature and salvific work more explicitly. For this reason, John’s high Christology reflects a later stage of theological development and meditation on Jesus’ life and teachings compared to the earlier synoptic accounts.
In summary, most biblical scholars and historians agree on Markan priority and date the four gospels as follows:
- Gospel of Mark – written around 70 AD
- Gospel of Matthew – written around 80-90 AD; uses Mark as a source
- Gospel of Luke – written around 80-90 AD; uses Mark as a source
- Gospel of John – written around 90-110 AD
Mark’s priority is due to its early date, primitive Greek style, brevity, and word-for-word overlaps with Matthew and Luke. Matthew and Luke built upon Mark, adding their own material, while John represents a later theological development and meditation on Jesus’ teachings and divinity.
However, some conservative scholars argue Matthew was written first, while others suggest Matthew and Luke were written before Mark. Arguments for Matthean priority emphasize the testimony of the early church fathers, Matthew’s connection to the apostles, and its more developed theology compared to Mark. But most biblical scholars find the evidence for Markan priority more convincing.
Ultimately, the precise dating of the gospels remains open to debate. But the majority scholarly view supports Markan priority, with Mark written around 70 AD drawing from oral traditions and material shared among early Christian communities, followed by Matthew and Luke in the 80s AD, and John in the 90s AD.
Understanding the likely order the gospels were written provides insight into how the traditions about Jesus emerged and developed in the decades following his life. Mark gives us a primitive account from around 40 years after Jesus’ death. Matthew and Luke built upon Mark, adding material important to their communities and audiences. John reflects later theological rumination and is the most mystically focused gospel. Together, they provide four unique perspectives that contributed to the foundations of the early Christian faith.
Whether Markan priority is correct or not, all four gospels remain central texts for understanding the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. As the canonical Word of God, the four gospels collectively testify to the good news of salvation through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Their testimony has provided the bedrock of Christian faith and theology for nearly two thousand years.
In conclusion, while debate continues, most biblical scholars affirm the Gospel of Mark was the first gospel written. But ultimately, the precise order and dating matters less than each gospel’s unique contribution to a rich, fourfold testimony of Jesus’ life and message – a message that continues to speak today as the Word of God written and revealed in the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
