Dating the Four Gospels and Acts

Matthew

The date of Matthew’s writing can be deduced from this report by Irenaeus, a second-century church father, who said that Matthew composed his gospel “while Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel and founding the church in Rome.” (Against Heresies, III. 1.1) The only time that we know of Peter and Paul together in the capital of the Roman Empire was the early to mid-60s.[1]

Mark – info to be added

Luke – info to be added

Acts – info to be added

In conclusion, a very strong case can be made to date the composition of Acts in the early 60s. This in turn provides a reference point that historians can use to date the three Synoptic Gospels that preceded the book of Acts.[2]

John

Almost any date between about AD 55 and 95 is possible. None of the arguments for a more precise date is entirely convincing. But if we must suggest a date for when John wrote the Fourth Gospel, we may very tentatively advance AD 80– 85. One of many reasons for this is to allow for some time between the writing of John’s Gospel and the writing of his three letters, which were probably written in the early 90s and which combat an incipient form of Gnosticism and respond in part to a Gnostic misunderstanding of the Fourth Gospel. (Carson, NIVZSB, 2140)[3]

Conclusion Regarding the Dating of the Gospels and Acts

It can be reasonably argued that all four biographies of Jesus in the New Testament, as well as the book of Acts, were written within a few decades— and certainly within a century— of the events they describe.[4]

[1] McDowell, Josh; McDowell, Sean. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 91). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[2] Ibid, 95

[3] Ibid, 95

[4] Ibid, 95