Changes

While it is impossible to examine the gospels in detail here, it will suffice to show that they clearly presented themselves as historical documents, describing historical events in a falsifiable way and within a specific historical setting known to their audience.  The three [[synoptic gospels]], Matthew, Mark, and Luke, were written before A. D. 70, with a much earlier date possible concerning Matthew.  Their textual relations with one another, and their authorship, are complex topics, but a general summary based on the witnesses of history will prove useful.  As the Church Fathers recorded, the Gospel of Matthew was written by [[Matthew the Apostle]], who was an eyewitness to the events he described.  Mark was a follower of [[Peter the Apostle]], and he also had access to other sources, including Matthew's Gospel, and probably Luke's.  Luke was a follower of [[St. Paul|Paul]], who would have had access to disciples of Jesus, and even his relatives, through connections with [[Antioch]] and ultimately Jerusalem.  John's Gospel was written last, around A. D. 90, by a disciple of the Lord and eyewitness to the events, referred to as the [[John the Apostle|‘beloved disciple’]] in the text. Historians have established that the [[Gospel of John]] is entirely dependent of the Gospels, and is not in any way reliant on them, directly or indirectly, and it has been shown that there is no evidence as of yet to suggest this. Thus, the gospel writers were either on the spot themselves, or they had access to people who were.

While it is impossible to examine the gospels in detail here, it will suffice to show that they clearly presented themselves as historical documents, describing historical events in a falsifiable way and within a specific historical setting known to their audience.  The three [[synoptic gospels]], Matthew, Mark, and Luke, were written before A. D. 70, with a much earlier date possible concerning Matthew.  Their textual relations with one another, and their authorship, are complex topics, but a general summary based on the witnesses of history will prove useful.  As the Church Fathers recorded, the Gospel of Matthew was written by [[Matthew the Apostle]], who was an eyewitness to the events he described.  Mark was a follower of [[Peter the Apostle]], and he also had access to other sources, including Matthew's Gospel, and probably Luke's.  Luke was a follower of [[St. Paul|Paul]], who would have had access to disciples of Jesus, and even his relatives, through connections with [[Antioch]] and ultimately Jerusalem.  John's Gospel was written last, around A. D. 90, by a disciple of the Lord and eyewitness to the events, referred to as the [[John the Apostle|‘beloved disciple’]] in the text. Historians have established that the [[Gospel of John]] is entirely dependent of the Gospels, and is not in any way reliant on them, directly or indirectly, and it has been shown that there is no evidence as of yet to suggest this. Thus, the gospel writers were either on the spot themselves, or they had access to people who were.

[[File:512px-The Apostle Matthew.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Matthew the Apostle]] ]]

[[File:512px-The Apostle Matthew.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Matthew the Apostle]] ]]

Academics have also affirmed that the Gospels were written under the genre of ancient biography.<ref>[http://jesusevidences.com/ntgospelsbiographies.php Quotations of academics on genre of the Gospels]</ref> In fact, the great scholar [[Craig Keener]] states the following relating to the genre that the four Gospel accounts were written under;

Academics have also affirmed that the Gospels were written under the genre of ancient biography.<ref>[http://jesusevidences.com/ntgospelsbiographies.php Quotations of academics on genre of the Gospels]</ref> In fact, the great scholar Craig Keener states the following relating to the genre that the four Gospel accounts were written under;

:''Through most of history, readers understood the Gospels as biographies, but after 1915 scholars tried to find some other classification for them, mainly because these scholars confused ancient and modern biography and noticed that the Gospels differed from the latter. The current trend, however, is again to recognize the Gospels as ancient biographies.''<ref>Keener, Craig, Commentary on Matthew, Intervarsity Press, Downer’s Grove, Ill.,  

:''Through most of history, readers understood the Gospels as biographies, but after 1915 scholars tried to find some other classification for them, mainly because these scholars confused ancient and modern biography and noticed that the Gospels differed from the latter. The current trend, however, is again to recognize the Gospels as ancient biographies.''<ref>Keener, Craig, Commentary on Matthew, Intervarsity Press, Downer’s Grove, Ill.,