Gospel
Matthew
Jewish-Christian framing, genealogy from Abraham, fulfillment formulae, long teaching blocks, and the Sermon on the Mount.
Traditional date: AD 50 – AD 65
Scholarly range: AD 75 – AD 90
Witnesses in dataset: 4
Gospel evidence · dates · witnesses
Gospel manuscript evidence for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
A manuscript-history comparison of the four Gospels: traditional authorship, likely dating ranges, earliest physical witnesses, major textual issues, and where the stories overlap or diverge.
This Bible History page is the evidence spine. The full side-by-side story comparison belongs in the separate Gospel Compare project.
Gospel
Mark
Shortest Gospel, usually treated as earliest, fast narrative pace, and an abrupt ending at 16:8 in the oldest complete codices.
Traditional date: AD 50 – AD 70
Scholarly range: AD 65 – AD 75
Witnesses in dataset: 4
Gospel
Luke
Orderly account paired with Acts, strong birth narrative, attention to the poor and outsiders, and a careful Alexandrian witness in P75.
Traditional date: AD 60 – AD 85
Scholarly range: AD 80 – AD 95
Witnesses in dataset: 5
Gospel
John
Different chronology and style, signs and long discourses, high Christological language, and the earliest small NT fragment in P52.
Traditional date: AD 70 – AD 100
Scholarly range: AD 90 – AD 110
Witnesses in dataset: 7
Dating and manuscript evidence
| Gospel | Traditional author | Traditional date claim | Scholarly range in this dataset | Earliest physical witness | Earliest complete copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Matthew the apostle (tax collector) | AD 50 – AD 65 | AD 75 – AD 90 | Papyrus P45 (Chester Beatty I) (AD 200 – AD 250 (~AD 225)) | Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330 – AD 360 (~AD 350)) |
| Mark | John Mark, companion of Peter | AD 50 – AD 70 | AD 65 – AD 75 | Papyrus P45 (Chester Beatty I) (AD 200 – AD 250 (~AD 225)) | Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330 – AD 360 (~AD 350)) |
| Luke | Luke, companion of Paul | AD 60 – AD 85 | AD 80 – AD 95 | Papyrus P75 (Bodmer XIV-XV) (AD 175 – AD 225 (~AD 200)) | Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330 – AD 360 (~AD 350)) |
| John | John the apostle | AD 70 – AD 100 | AD 90 – AD 110 | Papyrus P52 (Rylands Library Papyrus P52) (AD 100 – AD 200 (~AD 150)) | Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330 – AD 360 (~AD 350)) |
Story coverage bridge
This is a reference map, not a complete parallel text. It shows why Matthew, Mark, and Luke are usually compared together, and why John often needs a separate column. Use Gospel Compare for the interactive four-column synopsis.
| Scene or theme | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth or infancy narrative | Yes: genealogy, Magi, flight to Egypt | No | Yes: annunciation, shepherds, temple scenes | No infancy story; theological prologue |
| John the Baptist and Jesus baptism | Yes | Yes | Yes | Baptist witness, but no direct baptism scene |
| Temptation in wilderness | Yes | Briefly | Yes | No |
| Major teaching collection | Sermon on the Mount | Shorter teaching blocks | Sermon on the Plain and parables | Long discourses |
| Passion and resurrection | Yes | Yes; oldest ending stops at 16:8 | Yes; Emmaus and Jerusalem emphasis | Yes; extended trial, cross, and resurrection scenes |
Separate project
Compare Gospel stories side by side
Open Gospel Compare for the full Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John story table, filters, and teaching handout.
Textual issue
Why does Mark end differently?
Open the witness list for Mark 16:9-20 and see which early manuscripts omit or include the long ending.
Timeline
Put the Gospels on the fragment timeline
Compare claimed composition windows with P45, P52, P66, P75, Sinaiticus, and other witnesses in the wider Bible evidence graph.