Foundations of Faith

FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH IN JESUS
M. M. NINAN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE DATES OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
OF NEW TESTAMENT
Now we come to the New Testament Documents and their original dates. We have already
noticed that since the gospels were written at least before the year 70 A.D., it is proper and
logical to assume that they were written by the disciples of Jesus themselves or who were close
to them. Who else would know the details of the ministry and miracles and teachings of Jesus
better? At any rate if there were any mytholization or fabrication on the part of the writers,
some eyewitness would have certainly questioned them.
LUKE AND ACTS
Born to pagan Greek parents, and possibly a slave. He was certainly not an Apostle but was one
of the earliest converts to Christianity. He was a Physician, studying in Antioch and Tarsus and
was probably a doctor on board of ships for travelers. Legend has that he was also a painter who
may have done portraits of Jesus and Mary. He met Saint Paul at Troas, and evangelized Greece
and Rome with him, and was with Paul during his shipwreck and other perils of the voyage to
Rome. He stayed behind in Rome for during Paul‘s two years of prison to serve him. He wrote
the Gospel According to Luke, much of which was based on the teachings and writings of Paul.
He seems to have done a large amount of historical research ("I too decided, after investigating
everything carefully from the very first, to write" Luke 1; 1-3) interviewing people connected
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