Christians: You're thoughts on..(continued)?

Sorry..... wrong. Aramaic Matthew was written approximately 40 A. D. Mark was written approximately 45-48 B.C. Greek Matthew which expanded Aramaic Matthew was written approximately 50 B. C. Luke was also written prior to the destruction of the temple in 70 A. D. The dating on John is less sure. There is some traditions which exist which say that he died a martyr approximately 80 A.D. but other traditions that he died of old age in Ephesus some time later. Paul is not mentioned in ANY of the gospels as he was not a believer, but rather a young man at the time. The first mention of him is in the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke as the "young man" who held the coats of those who were stoning St. Stephen, the first martyr. He, like many of the persecutors of early Christians was a Pharisee.

Edit to Sarah: You are mixing Paul up with Matthew. Matthew was the tax collector.

Edit: Oh, and although Aramaic Matthew was written approximately 40 A. D. there already existed other written texts which were perhaps used as source material, but are now lost to us. This source is referred to by Biblical scholars as "Q" or as the "Supplemental Collection".

Edit: Strange timing... I was just reading it again last night. It is explained in the introduction to the Synoptic Gospels in the Jerusalem Bible. I also remember it from courses which I took many years ago. One of the most glaring things which date the gospels to prior to 70 A. D. is the simple fact that NONE of them speak about the most traumatic incident of Jewish culture of the day.... the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.

Edit again: nothing exists of the the supplemental collection or of Q today. The very first line of Luke however states that "MANY others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events" concerning Christ. So earlier sources existed. According to the intro I mentioned they believe that Matthew first wrote his gospel in Aramaic. This is believed by many to be the lost "The Gospel of the Hebrews". Mark, whose gospel was more interested in showing how Christ fulfilled Messianic prophesy used Aramaic Matthew as a source for some details. Shortly after Greek Matthew was written (by either Matthew or editors who are unknown) which expanded Aramaic Matthew, and is the Gospel of Matthew which we know today. They believe that this was after Mark because is seems evident to them that Greek Matthew used a small portion of Mark as a source. Luke was written last and apparently used all four of them as sources (Q, Aramaic Matthew or The Gospel of the Hebrews, Mark and Greek Matthew) as well as other sources as well.

Edit: I looked it up on wikipedia, they mention "Q" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synoptic_Gospels

Edit again, again, again: In as far as authorship.... Matthew was one of the apostles who travelled with Christ and had direct first hand knowledge of many of the events. Mark MAY have been one of the 72 who also travelled with Christ, (as was Mattias, the man chose to replace Judas). The somewhat odd incident that rings so true but found only in Mark is the story about how when Christ was arrested they tried to grab a "young man clothe only in a sheet" who ran off naked. Many specualate that this was in fact Mark. For quite a long while he served as Peter's interpreter, and as a result his gospel can claim the authority of Peter. Luke was a physician and either a convert of Paul or a later disciple. Although he can claim the authority of Paul, Paul himself was a convert.

The Bible does not record Paul's death.

He arrived in Rome c 60 and spent two years under house arrest

The first COPIES THAT WE HAVE AND HAVE DATED were written.

Even non theistic scholars agree that there are older documents..even the mysterious Q.

Galatians 1:1-20-Galatians 1

1 Paul, an apostle—sent not with a human commission nor by human authority, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters with me,

To the churches in Galatia:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that person be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let that person be under God’s curse!

10 Am I now trying to win human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any human source, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

He was a tax collector who had a dramatic conversion after he saw God. Then he sold his possesions and dedicated his life to preaching the good news.

"You're thoughts"

tl;dr