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Data Over Dogma

Episode 35: Who ACTUALLY Wrote the New Testament?

Dec 4, 2023
This week on Data Over Dogma, Matthew and Paul discuss the authorship of the Bible, including who wrote the gospel of Matthew and the Pauline epistles. They delve into the complexities of the authorship of the Gospel of John, explore the identities of the authors of the New Testament, and address the disputed authorship of certain Pauline epistles. They also touch on the selective interpretation of religious texts and the neglect of women's rights.
59:09

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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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