How We Know The Gospels Weren't Anonymous: Early Use

Описание: Previously I’ve discussed what the early church fathers said about the authorship of the Gospels. We saw that they believed Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote them, and there wasn’t a shred of disagreement over it. This attestation of authorship is early and geographically diverse, and there’s no competing tradition.

But there’s even earlier evidence we can look at — the early use of the Gospels. Many early church writers use the Gospels without mentioning or describing their authors. This takes us back even further than the evidence in the earlier video.

If you’re quoting something as authoritative to your audience, it means you assume they’ll recognize the quotes and accept them as genuine. That’s why these citations are a big deal.

So let’s get into it. Here are a few examples of the early use of the Gospels. A complete list would make for a longer and duller video, so let’s take a look at a few highlights.

References: Ignatius, Letter to Polycarp, Ch. 2, Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians, Ch. 2, Re: Basilides see Schaff, History of the Christian Church, see the section on Basilides. Clement, Letter to the Corinthians, Ch. 13, 46, Barnabas, Ch. 4, Justin, Dialogue 103:8, 1 Apology 61:4, First Apology, ch. 67

Many of the early quotes are found in Paley's Evidences of Christianity, https://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/paley/p..., Ch. 9, Section 1. Please read Paley for a more thorough treatment.

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