Why was the New Testament written so late?

Answer 1

We do indeed know that the gospels were written long after the traditional date for the death of Jesus, and we even know that they were written anonymously and only attributed to the apostles whose names they now bear later in the second century. The first gospel was Mark's Gospel, which was written approximately 70 CE. We can not be certain as to why forty years had passed, but its authorship was possibly prompted by the savage end to the First Roman-Jewish War and the Civil War in Jerusalem, described vividly in chapter 13.

Scholars can also demonstrate that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were based on the earlier Gospel of Mark. That being the case, it was not possible for the later gospels to be written until Mark had been published and distributed widely. John's Gospel, in turn, was loosely based on Luke's Gospel, with some material taken directly from Mark. So, since Luke was only written around the end of the first century, John's Gospel was necessarily written early in the second century.

It was common practice, and considered not at all improper, to attribute a text to an earlier, respected source, as long as it was felt that the later work was in line with what the earlier author would have written. Thus we see Ephesians and Colossians written in the second half of the first century in Paul's name, and the Pastorals written in the second century, again in Paul's name. In the same way, the Epistles of Jude and Peter are clearly second century works attributed to the disciples whose names they bear.Jude even speaks, somewhat carelessly, of the disciples as people who had lived in the distant past.

Answer 2

Another answer from our community:

Late? 1 Corinthians 15 Paul reiterates a Christian creed that can be traced to within three to eightyears of Christ's crucifixion. John writes, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of life". Peter reminded his readers that the disciples "did not follow cleverly invented stories but were eye witnesses of Jesus' majesty". In contrast, the Gnostic Gospels are dated long after the close of the first century.

Answer 3

Oral Tradition and illiteracy.