Quiet Time Notes

Notes from my daily Quiet Times with God

New Testament Early Writtings

March 2nd, 2025
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All books were written before AD 100, 25 of the 27 books were quotes by early church fathers between 95-100

Jude (Jesus' half brother)  was dead by 100 and 2 John (3 John was quoted)

If written after 70AD, they would have likely mentioned the fulfillment of the destruction of Jerusalm and the temple

Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, lived until the mid-60s

Is the gap between the event too wide (15-40 years)?

1. We remember major event in our lives as it was yesterday, example: Challenger explosion or 9/11
2. The vast majority of the people at the time were illiterate, initally writting did not have value except for future generations
3. Verbal communication at that time was more efficient way to rapidly expand the church
4. Writers had high hopes Jesus was return in their lifetimes

Why is there not more written?

• There is enough to estiablish beyond a reasonable doubt
• More written about Jesus than the Roamn emeror
• First-century Palestine was an oral culture
• Even today, how many people perfer a movie instead of the book?
• There may have been more written but not copied by scribes - John 21:25

 

 

 

Key Phrase: Verbal communication at that time was more efficient way to rapidly expand the church

Notes from: I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Frank Turek.