Viti

I had mused to myself a couple of weeks ago that maybe Paul had written the Gospels in his quest for power, then saw this book at B & N so picked it up has anyone read it?

freemonkey

Bought it awhile ago, haven't read it yet. Sorry, I'm no help at all, am I?

FunkyRes

Paul could not have written the gospels.

A study of the writing style clearly indicates that they do not match the style that Paul used.

Luke and Acts were clearly written by the same person, though not Paul.

Hebrews was possibly written by Paul- but none of the other books in the New Testament (including the gospels) that do not claim pauline authorship match the writing style of Paul.

It is far better to look at things from a scholarship perspective than to fantasize things and make them up, because your fantasy will be challenged by scholarship.

[ July 15, 2002: Message edited by: FunkyRes ]</p>

Viti

Funky...the book was 75% off and sounded interesting so I will at least read it.

Do you have a theory on who did write the gospels?

FunkyRes

The people who said they did.

Viti

You mean Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Scolarship should tell you that the gospels weren't written by firsthand witnesses...I thought even Christian scholars agreed on that.

Vorkosigan

LadyShea, does it really say that Paul wrote the gospels, or just that they are dependant on him? Is it Maccoby's book you're referring to? He is a respected scholar and thinker, and well worth reading.

In any case, Paul could not have written the gospels, as FunkyRes noted, the style is different, and they refer to events that occurred after Paul was probably dead.

Vorkosigan

Viti

Yes it's Maccoby's book. I have only read a few pages, but it seems that the gospels were written AFTER Paul had started writing his letters and whatnot...so it may not indicate he wrote them himself but somehow influenced the authors.

FunkyRes

Luke is not a firsthand witness.
Actually, some very notable scholars such as Bruce Metzger do agree that they were written by who they say they were- possibly drawing from "Q" (except John) and adding their own personal notes.

Vorkosigan

Funky, they don't say they are anybody. Who is "Mark?" Does it say anywhere in the text or title who "Mark" is? "Mark" could be anyone. Ditto for "Matthew" or "Luke" or "John."

It's later Christian tradition to associate these names with various figures from Christian legend, but the texts themselves say nothing about who or what their writers are. They cannot be "written by who they say they were" because they do not say who wrote them.

And no, please don't tell me that John was written by the Beloved Disciple. John 21:24 simply says:

• NIV
  24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Nowhere in this passage does it say that the BD wrote the Gospel of John. It merely mentions that he wrote them down.

Vorkosigan