![]() ![]() Instead, we find the traditional names as the only names. Rather, it would have been highly contested, and we’d have records of that. ![]() To state it simply: if nobody knew for six decades who wrote the Gospels, the second-century witness wouldn’t have been unanimous. If the authors’ names were truly not attached to their writings, multiple names would have been attached (as is the case with Hebrews). Part of Hengel’s argument is that the authorship of the four gospels was unanimously attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John by the middle of the second century, and the only way for this to have happened was for the church to have known for quite some time who wrote the Gospels. These titles were added sometime before the end of the first century, prompted most likely by the presence of two or more gospels that needed to be distinguished. Martin Hengel makes the argument that titles like “According to Mark” were used much earlier than previously suspected ( Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 64–84). But it is false to suggest that their names are not attached in other, less direct ways. ![]() While it is true to say that the names of the authors are not embedded in the text of the Gospels. ![]()
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