Which is the earliest of all the gospels written?

Answer 1

A:Mark's Gospel was written approximately 70 CE and was the first New Testament to be written. Scholars reading the Gospels of Matthew and Luke synoptically in the original Greek language have demonstrated that these were actually based on Mark's Gospel and were therefore not independent accounts. John's Gospel was loosely based on Luke's Gospel, with some material taken direct from Mark. Thus, Mark was the first of the New Testament gospels. However, there are many other gospels, the most important of which were the Gospel of Thomas and the 'Q' Gospel.

Q is a hypothetical document, meaning that no copy has survived independently to the present day. However, it was used extensively as a second source for Matthew and Luke. There is continuing debate as to whether Thomas was an early gospel, or was written much later, but there is persuasive evidence that it was written around the same time as Q. Both could have been written before Mark, although both were added to over time.

Thus, the choice is Mark, Q and Thomas, with the probability that early versions of Q and Thomas existed before Mark was written.