Did Eyewitnesses Write the Gospels? | Discussion with Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

Who wrote the Gospels? The traditional view is that the Gospels are based on eyewitness testimony, and that the authors were Matthew (a disciple of Jesus and former tax-collector), Mark (a scribe and disciple of the apostle Peter), Luke (a Gentile physician and companion of the apostle Paul), and John (supposedly Jesus’ “beloved” disciple). Many New Testament scholars would say the authors were second- or third-generation Christians who incorporated written sources and oral traditions into their creative writings—writings which represented distinct Christian communities and were dedicated to such communities. Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh offers a different perspective: she says the Gospels were written by literary elites engaging with Graeco-Roman literary tropes within a network of others elites. They were not written by eyewitness testimony, and they are not straightforward historical accounts. They are more like creative writing projects focusing on a philosopher who subverts expectations. That's what Dr. Walsh thinks. In our conversation, I offer some questions and objections: could the disciples of Jesus have trained later to write prose later on in their lives? How plausible is it to suggest that, even if they didn't write it with their own hands, it's still based on eyewitness testimony? Do other ancient biographies consistently have legendary, fantastical stories? #gospels #bible #newtestament #eyewitness #reliable #gospelreliability #author #gospelauthorship #interview #greek #biography #matthew #mark #luke #john ---------- RESOURCES The Origins of Early Christian Literature (book by Dr. Walsh) -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/1108793134/ “Who Wrote the Four Gospels” (debate between Dr. Walsh and Jonathan Sheffield) --    • Full Debate: Who Wrote the Four Gospels?  ...   "The Origins of Early Christian Literature" (presentation by Dr. Walsh for Cambridge) --    • Robyn Walsh, ‘The Origins of Early Christi...   "The Alleged Anonymity of the Canonical Gospels" (article by Dr. Simon Gathercole) -- https://sci-hub.se/10.1093/jts/fly113 Studies in the Gospel of Mark (book by Dr. Martin Hengel) -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592441882/