Why are the Gospels written in third person?
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R
Probably not the answer you were looking for -
I never bothered to have it matter if it were in third person, but now that you mention it, it does make me wonder.
I know Jesus cast some demons out of me, opened my eyes, made me able to walk, and so on.
So maybe it's so the reader of the gospel can determine if he himself is an eye witness.
I know there's a miracle waiting in this quote from the gospel, when I stare at it with my physical eyes -
"Behold, I send my messenger before thy face"
I never bothered to have it matter if it were in third person, but now that you mention it, it does make me wonder.
I know Jesus cast some demons out of me, opened my eyes, made me able to walk, and so on.
So maybe it's so the reader of the gospel can determine if he himself is an eye witness.
I know there's a miracle waiting in this quote from the gospel, when I stare at it with my physical eyes -
"Behold, I send my messenger before thy face"
L
1st person point of view is almost exclusive to comedies and personal letters until 2nd century ad. If written in 1st person, exclusively, it would have very little credibility in the time period.
The Gospel of Matthew was a collaboration of the 12 apostles. Luke is 3rd person because it is an investigative work (a collection of eye witness accounts).
The Gospel of Matthew was a collaboration of the 12 apostles. Luke is 3rd person because it is an investigative work (a collection of eye witness accounts).
B
The accounts couldn't be creditable by a single person. How could Matthew know what happened at the birth of Christ? Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds had witnessed it. Every source is creditable to a lot. Eye witnesses for each account.
Thus you might as well make it third person, if the collaboration like LT said was all 12 apostles and Jesus' other disciples instead of one person.
Thus you might as well make it third person, if the collaboration like LT said was all 12 apostles and Jesus' other disciples instead of one person.
It would really depend on this culture and personal style. Histories, Jewish and Greek, might typically contain first person opinions or editorialising, but the depiction of facts, even if eyewitnessed, would necessarily be so. Part of the style of the era.
Luke writes in the first person in a couple of places in Acts, presumably to indicate that he was travelling with the people when events occured, and at the very beginning of Luke. Mark is generally held to be largely based on Peter's story, while Matthew writes for a Jewish audience and his style is particularly different from the other synoptics. The most likely candidate for direct eyewitness authorship is John, but given the particularly theological contour of his book, and the fact that in all likelihood he wrote it in the twilight of his life, we shouldn't expect him to be writing in first person either.
But really, the most concise response is this - the most vivid and ever present examples of eyewitness testimony today are in newspaper articles. Journalists quote people who give eyewitnesses testimony, but aren't necessarily eyewitnesses themselves. This does not, however, change the fact that their articles constitute eyewitness testimony.
Luke writes in the first person in a couple of places in Acts, presumably to indicate that he was travelling with the people when events occured, and at the very beginning of Luke. Mark is generally held to be largely based on Peter's story, while Matthew writes for a Jewish audience and his style is particularly different from the other synoptics. The most likely candidate for direct eyewitness authorship is John, but given the particularly theological contour of his book, and the fact that in all likelihood he wrote it in the twilight of his life, we shouldn't expect him to be writing in first person either.
But really, the most concise response is this - the most vivid and ever present examples of eyewitness testimony today are in newspaper articles. Journalists quote people who give eyewitnesses testimony, but aren't necessarily eyewitnesses themselves. This does not, however, change the fact that their articles constitute eyewitness testimony.
T
I find the Bible difficult to read, because while it's the Word of God and I love reading, I find the sparse details make for unusual reading. Reading the Bible is very different to say, reading a piece of fiction. I'm not talking about the content but the style in which it's written. You don't get to hear what's going on in XYZ's head at the time, or the extreme struggles Jewish and Christians go through (you read about the experiences but don't 'experience' them with those involved - save something like Job etc). It's a very different writing style, much more ancient.
Not to detract from the other answers/thoughts provided, but to speak as a "writer."
The Gospel of Matthew........is written in 3rd person because it is an eyewitness account of the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Not the ministry of Matthew. Matthew isn't writing about his life.......his accomplishments....his teachings......he is writing about Jesus Christ.
ERGO----------------3rd person
Now, there are a plethora of debates as to who actually wrote the four Gospels......and you can find any number of different opinions........but the truth is: No one knows with absolute certainty.
As for me? I accept that the four Gospels are the inspired Word of God...........and does that not make Him the Author?
Works for me
The Gospel of Matthew........is written in 3rd person because it is an eyewitness account of the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Not the ministry of Matthew. Matthew isn't writing about his life.......his accomplishments....his teachings......he is writing about Jesus Christ.
ERGO----------------3rd person
Now, there are a plethora of debates as to who actually wrote the four Gospels......and you can find any number of different opinions........but the truth is: No one knows with absolute certainty.
As for me? I accept that the four Gospels are the inspired Word of God...........and does that not make Him the Author?
Works for me
Even if this was true, how come the Gospels of Luke and John were inspired in third person; but God didn’t inspire Luke to write the Acts of Apostles fully in third person. -And how come God didn’t inspire John to write his three epistles in third person. Well if the answer to that is God designed it that way, then one can imply God inconsistent in his writing style. And the idea of writing in third person was the writing in ancient history is just straight absurd. We don’t need to look any farther than the bible to see that other parts of the bible are written in first person. Even the other works by Luke- Acts of the Apostles and John- 1, 2, & 3 John are all written in first person. So this can’t be it.
So, I've read the comments, offered my opinion, but in the end........I'm left wondering........
WHAT DOES IT MATTER, AND WHY DO YOU CARE?
Either the four Gospels are the Inspired Word of God, or they are a lie..........which do you believe to be true?
There are a plethora of writing styles on display throughout Scripture, the "style" does not take away from Scripture being the Word of God.
WHAT DOES IT MATTER, AND WHY DO YOU CARE?
Either the four Gospels are the Inspired Word of God, or they are a lie..........which do you believe to be true?
There are a plethora of writing styles on display throughout Scripture, the "style" does not take away from Scripture being the Word of God.
Should have indicated my comment was for the author of the OP.......sigh.......sorry bout that
Maybe we should discuss why some Bibles print the words of Jesus in red AND other do not...........aren't they suppose to be exact translations? I mean, let us get to the bottom of this mystery...........sigh........
Oh, I know! Why are some Bibles hard cover editions, and others are not?
Why all the different artwork on the front covers of different Bibles? That really confuses me.......
Why do some Bibles come with colorful artwork representations of a moment/event in Scripture, and others do not?
Why do............oh well........
Anyway, just saying.........it's ok to be curious, (unless you are a cat )
Maybe we should discuss why some Bibles print the words of Jesus in red AND other do not...........aren't they suppose to be exact translations? I mean, let us get to the bottom of this mystery...........sigh........
Oh, I know! Why are some Bibles hard cover editions, and others are not?
Why all the different artwork on the front covers of different Bibles? That really confuses me.......
Why do some Bibles come with colorful artwork representations of a moment/event in Scripture, and others do not?
Why do............oh well........
Anyway, just saying.........it's ok to be curious, (unless you are a cat
)
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Some were illiterate and so they had scribes to write down their testimonies what they had witnessed. Fishermen and other tradesmen only knew their own professions which they were taught from birth. And the ones that knew how to write, their writings were translated for a newer generation to understand. Martin Luther translated it from Hebrew (Social status) and ancient Greek understanding to German understandings. Because of why it was translated from the ancients language to German, most people didn't understand Hebrew and Greek. Scribes more were like Biblical scholars/ Linguistics/ Secretaries that studies the scriptures and write them down and give it to the Pharisees for them to understand the purpose of its meanings, and then give it to the people. In our time, almost anyone know how to spell the words in their own language, but in those time, writing or reading was a profession which Jesus had known to read and write, especially the ancient scrolls and which He was the son of a handyman. In the scriptures One Book has spelled Elohim, Eloi, and another Book spelled it Eli. It could be poor spelling or the language were in the process of changing, or the both and which short-hand spelling and slang-words are use commonly.
L
As for the questions about 1st and 3rd person, please reread my other post... It is traditional for personal letters (John 1,2,3) to be written in 1st person, and narratives and historical documents (the Gospels) to be almost exclusively 3rd person. Read the work of any of the early Roman historians, or any of the historical books in the Old Testament. Acts only has brief 1st person passages.
Matthew was written before 45 ad, as it was referenced in writings from before ad 50 in Rome.
I am not sure where you are getting your info, but it seems very faulty, and obviously biased. Please post the website. Mark was most certainly written down before 60 ad.
Matthew was written before 45 ad, as it was referenced in writings from before ad 50 in Rome.
I am not sure where you are getting your info, but it seems very faulty, and obviously biased. Please post the website. Mark was most certainly written down before 60 ad.
Obviously biased? What about your info? It was my understanding that Mark was the
earliest gospel written and Matthew and Luke took parts from Mark.
Where do you get Matthew 45AD from?
One of the internal clues to the date of Mark's Gospel is at Mark 13:2, where Jesus was said to prophesy the destruction of the Temple, an event that occurred in 70 CE. According to Mark, Jesus went on to predict the end of the world within the lifetime of his followers. If Jesus had really prophesied the destruction of the Temple, he would have been correct, but he would have been in error about the imminent end of times. Since it can not be accepted that Jesus made predictions that were capable of being in error, these prophecies must have originated with Mark, writing at a time when he would have known of the destruction or imminent destruction of the temple. Other references in this Gospel indicate that it could not have been written much after 70 CE.
earliest gospel written and Matthew and Luke took parts from Mark.
Where do you get Matthew 45AD from?
One of the internal clues to the date of Mark's Gospel is at Mark 13:2, where Jesus was said to prophesy the destruction of the Temple, an event that occurred in 70 CE. According to Mark, Jesus went on to predict the end of the world within the lifetime of his followers. If Jesus had really prophesied the destruction of the Temple, he would have been correct, but he would have been in error about the imminent end of times. Since it can not be accepted that Jesus made predictions that were capable of being in error, these prophecies must have originated with Mark, writing at a time when he would have known of the destruction or imminent destruction of the temple. Other references in this Gospel indicate that it could not have been written much after 70 CE.
B
I don't understand why this is a problem. Apostles, teachers and them taught abroad. It's not like they stopped teaching for 30 years and took a break to them write the gospel. I'm sure they all taught what they knew over and over and over again since as an apostle and disciples of Jesus taught nations and people and they would get a good grasp of the teachings and storyline. If you're preaching and hearing others testimony about Jesus for that many years, you would have to write them down sooner or later before everyone forgets and the first witnesses would die. There may have even been written before but then made copies, how do we know? Heck they all might have died near the late century (of course most of them), just in time for all the gospels to be written, recorded, and memorized by various testimonies.
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