Ordering the Gospels

Ordering the Gospels is an issue worth revisiting, because the current order is based on at least two historical misunderstandings:[1]

* that the Gospel of Mark relied on the Gospel of Matthew, when basic analysis shows the opposite to have been true;[2]
* that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, which modern scholars, often prone to liberal bias in contradicting the apostolic record of the ante-Nicene Fathers, reject while observing that its terminology is uniquely Greek (such as his use of "hypocrite"[3])

The Church Fathers incorrectly felt that the Gospel of Matthew was written first: "External evidence is absolutely demonstrative that St. Matthew the Apostle himself wrote the Gospel of Matthew, wrote first, and wrote well before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This is attested to by Bishop Saint Papias, who knew St. John the Apostle; Tertullian in Africa; Saint Irenaeus, who was bishop of Lyons in Europe but well acquainted with the Tradition of the East, having spent a significant time in Asia; and several other witnesses. Thus we have the unanimous witness of three whole continents and virtually the entire early Christian world that Saint Matthew the Apostle is the first of the Evangelists and wrote his Gospel well before 70 A.D." [4]

## Augustinian hypothesis[edit]

The "Augustinian hypothesis" or "Augustinian order" is another name for the Matthew-Mark-Luke sequence, because Saint Augustine advocated for it, but based on his misperception about the origin and significance of the Gospel of Mark.[5] Many, perhaps most, scholars today, both Roman Catholic Church and Protestant, support ordering the Gospel of Mark first.[6]

The flaw in Augustine's reasoning is that he assumed, based on extensive close similarities between the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, that the latter must be based on the former. But "such similarity of language could be explained either by Mark using Matthew or by Matthew using Mark."[7]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Saydon, P. P. The Order of the Gospels, pp. 190b–96. Biblical Studies. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
2. ↑ Luke's ordering of events corresponds that of Mark's, while Matthew's record differs greatly. If Matthew's Gospel was written first, then either Mark copied also from Luke or Luke from Mark, which relies on unsubstantiated theories. Occam's razor favors Markan priority—more likely, Mark wrote his Gospel first, and Matthew and Luke copied from his account separately.
3. ↑ See, e.g., Matt. 23:13-30; 6:2, 5, 16 Biblical vocabulary.
4. ↑ https://onepeterfive.com/matthew-first-dates-gospels/
5. ↑ https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-is-the-real-story-about-the-order-of-the-synoptic-gospels
6. ↑ https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-is-the-real-story-about-the-order-of-the-synoptic-gospels
7. ↑ https://jimmyakin.com/2014/09/was-st-augustine-wrong-about-matthew-and-mark-2.html