GROUNDBREAKING Discovery on the REAL Dates of the Gospels

Summary

The video script discusses the contentious nature of dating the New Testament gospels, highlighting the wide range of scholarly opinions and the late first-century consensus. It critiques the reliance on church tradition and the influence of ideology on scholarship, emphasizing the need for critical analysis. The speaker promotes Dr. David Litwa's course on gospel dating, which offers a deep dive into scholarly methods without apologetics, aiming to clarify the complexities behind dating ancient texts.

Takeaways

• 📚 Bart Ehrman's 'The New Testament: A Historical Introduction' presents a consensus on late first-century dating for the four canonical gospels, despite wide-ranging scholarly opinions.
• 🕎 Mainstream academic dating places Mark's Gospel after 70 AD, with Matthew and Luke around 80-100 AD, and John around 100 AD, but some scholars propose dates as early as 45 AD or as late as 145 AD.
• 🎓 The lack of academic courses focusing on the dating of the gospels suggests a barrier to understanding the scholarly methods and debates around these dates.
• 🏛 Conservative Bible colleges tend to uphold traditional views without critically engaging with the dating question, perpetuating the myth of apostolic authorship.
• 🔍 Dr. David Litwa offers a course, 'Redating the Gospels Without Apologetics,' aiming to provide a deep dive into the scholarly methods used to date ancient gospel texts.
• 🏫 The decline of biblical literacy and the shift towards business models in higher education have led to the closure of many religion and biblical studies departments, impacting the study of the Bible.
• 💼 The study of the Bible is increasingly dominated by seminaries and religious schools with conservative ideologies, which may not align with historical critical scholarship.
• 📜 Conservative scholars often use handwriting analysis of papyri to date gospel texts, but this method is subjective and can lead to unreliable conclusions.
• 📖 The titles 'According to Matthew,' 'According to Mark,' etc., are later additions and do not indicate the actual authors of the gospels, reflecting the uncertainty around their origins.
• 🗝️ Early church tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers are not reliable historical sources for dating the gospels, as they are influenced by the desire to link the texts closely to Jesus and the apostles.
• 📝 The process of dating ancient texts like the gospels is complex and involves internal datable references rather than a single scientific method, leading to ongoing scholarly debate.

Q & A

Why do Christian apologists and Mainline Scholars of the New Testament often disagree on the dating of the gospels?

Christian apologists and Mainline Scholars often disagree on the dating of the gospels due to varying methodologies, biases, and the wide range of possible dates based on internal and external evidence, which can span from the 40s to the 60s AD.

What is the significance of the late first-century dating of the four gospels in modern academic consensus?

The late first-century dating of the four gospels has become modern academic orthodoxy, indicating a broad agreement among scholars. However, this consensus masks the wide range of possible dates and the ongoing debates about the exact timing of their composition.

What does Bart Ehrman's edition of the New Testament: A Historical Introduction contribute to the dating debate?

Bart Ehrman's edition provides updated perspectives on the dating of the New Testament documents, suggesting that Mark is dated after 70 AD, Matthew and Luke around 80 to 100 AD, and John around 100 AD, which aligns with the late first-century dating consensus.

Why is there such a wide range of dates proposed by scholars for the Gospel According to Mark?

The wide range of dates for the Gospel According to Mark, from 45 AD to 145 AD, reflects the lack of concrete evidence and the reliance on subjective scholarly judgments, as well as the influence of ideological and religious beliefs on scholarly interpretations.

What factors contribute to the difficulty in dating the texts of the gospels and the New Testament more broadly?

Factors contributing to the difficulty in dating the texts include the lack of internal datable references, the subjective nature of handwriting analysis, the influence of political and religious ideologies, and the scarcity of early manuscripts.

Why is there a scarcity of academic courses focusing on the dating of the gospels?

There is a scarcity of academic courses on the dating of the gospels because the subject is often considered too specialized, and there may be resistance from institutions that prefer to maintain traditional views or are influenced by religious ideologies.

What is the 'wave model of gospel scholarship' mentioned by David Litwa, and how does it relate to dating ancient documents?

The 'wave model of gospel scholarship' is a concept introduced by David Litwa that encourages thinking about the dating of ancient documents, such as the gospels, in new ways. It likely involves considering various waves of scholarly thought and evidence to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of dating.

How does the study of the Bible in public universities and colleges in America reflect the broader trends in religious education?

The study of the Bible in public universities and colleges in America has been influenced by broader trends in religious education, including the decline in biblical literacy and the shift towards business models in higher education, which has led to a focus on subjects that are seen as more profitable or relevant to contemporary society.

Why are traditional historical critical scholars of the Bible often unable to find jobs in academia?

Traditional historical critical scholars of the Bible often struggle to find jobs in academia due to the dominance of seminaries and religious schools that support conservative faith-based ideologies, which may be in opposition to their critical scholarship.

What is the role of internal datable references in dating ancient texts like the gospels?

Internal datable references are crucial in dating ancient texts like the gospels because they provide specific historical or contextual clues that can help scholars estimate when the text was written, in the absence of definitive external evidence.

How do conservative apologists use the concept of 'eyewitness memory' to support their dating of the gospels?

Conservative apologists use the concept of 'eyewitness memory' to argue that the gospels are based on the memories of those who were present during the life of Jesus, thus supporting their claim that the gospels were written close to the time of Jesus, reinforcing their view of the gospels' reliability and truthfulness.

What is the significance of the titles 'According to Matthew,' 'According to Mark,' etc., in the context of the gospels' authorship?

The titles 'According to Matthew,' 'According to Mark,' etc., are significant because they are later additions to the texts and do not necessarily indicate authorship by the named individuals. Instead, they reflect the Church's tradition and the mythologizing of the gospels' origins.

Why is the dating of early gospel papyri based on handwriting analysis controversial?

The dating of early gospel papyri based on handwriting analysis is controversial because it is inherently subjective and can lead to significant discrepancies in dating. Additionally, the earliest papyri often resemble handwriting from the 3rd and 4th centuries rather than the late 1st century, complicating efforts to date them accurately.

What is the 'telephone game' analogy used to illustrate the issues with the transmission of ancient texts?

The 'telephone game' analogy is used to illustrate how small changes made early in the transmission of a text can have significant effects on its meaning over time, much like how a message can change as it is passed from person to person in the game.

How does the Church tradition's use of mythology affect the historical understanding of the gospels?

Church tradition's use of mythology affects the historical understanding of the gospels by creating narratives that are more ideologically driven than historically grounded. This can lead to the perpetuation of myths about the gospels' authorship and dating, which may not align with critical scholarly analysis.