show_no_mercy

Ok, so if the gospels themselves weren't written by the disciples, how come the disciples of Jesus never wrote anything? The only writings we have come from Paul, Luke, and 3 ghost writers. Am I missing anything? What about the other 10 disciples? What the hell were they doing?

One person actually tried to convince me that the discrepancies with little details between the 4 gospels is actually proof that the gospels were eyewitness accounds...

Chris Weimer

Maybe because they never existed. Come to think of it, who does Paul mention but Peter, James, and the Twelve? Mark must have used that to name the disciples, adding James and Peter, who were separeate from the Twelve, as names for two of them.

Demigawd

Standing in an employment line?

andrewcriddle

Most of the original apostles were probably illiterate or nearly so.

Andrew Criddle

Chamaeleon

But they did realize something rather extraordinary was going on at the time, right? Perhaps be a little proactive and seek out someone with a bit of writing skill would be a prudent measure? :huh: "Hey! We've got this guy who has been doing these amazing things, and we're part of his inner circle! Want to piece of fame and fortune? Write for us!" / "We humbly ask you for your assistance in conveying the words of our lord" / "..."

I don't put much stock in any story except as a possible historical depiction (exaggerated or otherwise) of actual or fictional normal human beings. Just my view (and I have no personal knowledge where to draw the line between fiction and reality).

Diogenes the Cynic

FYI, neither Paul nor Luke were disciples. Also the author of Luke is just as anonymous and unknown as the authors of the rest of the gospels. The character of the the physician/companion to Paul comes from 2nd century folklore.

As for the disciples not writing anything- first off, we don't actually know that there were any disciples but if there were any, as Andrew says, they were probably illiterate. 95-98% of the Palestinian state was illiterate at the time and that was especially true of the peasant and sub-peasant classes to whom Jesus allegedly took his ministry.
You're assuming that any sort of miracle tradition existed during HJ's lifetime. The miracle stories were literary creations not historical events. If there was a HJ then it's likely that nothing much more would have been preserved than a sayings tradition which was fairly easy to transmit orally.

Chamaeleon

I am absolutely assuming the opposite, that no miracles were taking place.

spin

"How Come The Disciples Never Wrote Anything Down?"


I seem to recall having gone through this discussion relatively recently, but, to answer the OP question, the disciple were tortured, had their fingers broken, so they could never write. It also made it hard to wank as well.


spin

B_Sharp

One has to admit that it makes good sense that a Publican, Tax collector, Doctor & a Lawyer, were chosen to document. They would be somewhat literate. The rest of the Apostles wer fishermen and other illiterate occupations of the time.

So the 'documenters' vs occupation is quite logical and rational.

However, for such a significant event as a divine event, one could expect God to be smarter than he was and perhaps BURY multiple, 100s of copies of writings so that one day, some would be dug up centuries later. God can create the Universe but cannot think ahead about ideas of document persistence and discovery.

spin

What would ever make you think that any of them were literate in that era?? A swill seller, an extortionist, a quack, and a liar.


spin