Was the Gospel of Mark the First Written Gospel?

The longstanding debate among biblical scholars regarding the chronology of the four canonical gospels has led to a significant body of research. One of the central questions is whether the Gospel of Mark was indeed the first gospel to be written, setting the framework for later gospels such as Matthew and Luke.

Three Possibilities

The primary argument supporting the Gospel of Mark as the first gospel stems from the fact that Matthew and Luke contain approximately 90 percent of Mark, sometimes even verbatim. This has led to three main possibilities:

A Previously Existing Written Work: All three gospels copied from a hypothetical previous written work. However, no such document has been identified, and there are no reports by early patristic sources suggesting its existence. Mark Copying from Matthew/Luke: This idea was once a significant part of scholarly debate but was abandoned due to the highly unlikely flow of information in this direction. Partial and Modified Copying: The most plausible solution is that Mark was copied by both Matthew and Luke, with slight modifications and additional material to suit their own narratives.

Both Matthew and Luke clearly use Mark as a starting point, but then modify it and add their own material. This leads to the conclusion that Mark was indeed the first gospel to be written and that Matthew and Luke used it as a foundation for their own accounts.

Additional Insights

Another angle to consider is the possibility of Mark penning the first gospel. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. It is more likely that the Gospel of Matthew would not have sought inspiration from Mark, given that Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. On the other hand, Luke, also known as the Beloved Physician, might have been inspired more by Peter, as mentioned in the book of Acts.

Regarding the writing order of the other gospels, it is often thought that John, as the only gospel writer to live a long life, wrote his gospel, the three epistles, and Revelation while exiled on Patmos. This would make John’s gospel the latest or last written.

Rebuttal and Synoptic Analysis

Despite these speculations, the overwhelming evidence supports the idea that Mark was the first gospel written, and the authors of Matthew and Luke based their versions on it. Synoptic analysis shows that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were substantially based on the Gospel of Mark. Specifically, Matthew contains around ninety percent of the verses in Mark, often in the same Greek language order and sometimes in the same words.

A key difference is seen in how Mark ends without mentioning the risen Jesus being seen by the apostles. This led to the development of different endings for Matthew and Luke.

Today, most New Testament scholars no longer consider this a matter for debate. The scholarly consensus is that the Gospel of Mark was the starting point for the subsequent gospels, shaping the narrative and structure of the Christian canon.