Data Over Dogma
Episode 35: Who ACTUALLY Wrote the New Testament?
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- The authorship of the four Gospels is disputed, with scholars proposing anonymous authors and later attribution of apostles' names.
- The letters attributed to Apostle Paul, such as 2 Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians, are doubted by scholars due to linguistic differences and lack of external evidence.
Deep dives
The Identity of the Gospel Authors is Questioned
The authorship of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is called into question. The names of the apostles traditionally associated with these Gospels may not be the actual authors. Scholars propose that the Gospels were written anonymously and that the names of the apostles were later attributed to them. There is no direct evidence in the Gospels themselves identifying their authors. Moreover, linguistic analysis reveals significant differences in language and style between the Gospels and the writings of Paul. The Gospel authors are also associated with specific communities or traditions, suggesting that multiple authors or editors were involved in their creation. The traditional authorship attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John emerged in the second century CE and may have been influenced by a manuscript tradition that became widely accepted in the Christian community.
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