Who Chose the Gospels? A Dialogue
Who chose the Gospels? Constantine? I would be interested in knowing why you think that, but for now let me give you some background information and perhaps we can come to a conclusion together? Let me begin by saying that the gospels being “chosen” antedates Constantine and even Athanasius, Have you ever heard of Irenaeus, Tatian, or Papias? Let me tell you a bit about them and why they are important when discussing the question of who chose the gospels.

Irenaeus

Irenaeus was an incredible thinker, theologian, and apologist. History tells us that Irenaeus began writing around A.D. 180, which is quite the span of time before Constantine would show up on the scene. He argued that the church had four gospels–no more, no less–and this claim was well attested 60 to 80 years prior to Irenaeus’ writing. Interestingly, this did not come off to Irenaeus’ readers as wild or mad, but as plausible because the gospels had been in use for a long time. Irenaeus’ claim is bold. I mean, but was Irenaeus alone in this claim? History answers in the negative. Enter Tatian.

Tatian

Tatian was an interesting fellow and a bit controversial. He yo-yoed in the faith, but  nonetheless, he made a valuable contribution to the “who chose the gospels” question. Sometime before Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 180, Tatian had completed a work entitled, Diatessaron. Great name, right? Have any idea what it means? It means ‘through the four.’ What four? The four Gospels. Not five, six, or seven, but four. This is important because it tells us that Tatian, prior to Irenaeus, accepted only four gospels as canonical and by virtue of that fact thought it was a good idea to compose a harmony of them. So like Irenaeus, Tatian not only accepted the four gospels as canonical, but also knew that their acceptance antedated even him.

Papias

So what about the last guy with an odd name, Papias? Why is he important? What if I told you that Papias knew the four gospels well before Irenaeus and Tatian? What if I told you that Papias was writing about them anywhere between A.D. 110 to 130? That is some 300 years before Constantine. Papias wrote about the four gospels in his five book anthology entitled, Exposition of the Lord’s Oracles. What is incredible about this work is that Papias is very likely not the ultimate source. He collected his information from someone who antedated his writing, and this would place his source near A.D. 100. Just the thought of that is remarkable.

Papias had a source, a gentlemen named ‘John the Elder,’ who had very early knowledge of the gospels of Matthew and Mark. Papais was collecting his traditions around A.D. 100 and what is stunning is the fact that “attention was already being given to the origins of written Gospels which churches in Asia Minor were using.”  What is as equally stunning is Papias’ source was known by name. But here is one fact that trumps the aforementioned, this early testimony is the first indication we have of the belief that the gospel of Matthew was attributed to an apostle of Jesus, and Mark was written by a follower of an apostle, and the majority of scholars agree that the apostle was Peter.

I hope this clears up the matter for you and answers your question. But one more thing about Papias before you go. Papias knew all four gospels and this would make him the earliest person we can name who knew them. Incredible, isn't it?

Rev. Mike Hernandez serves as the senior pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian Church. He is a graduate of Trinity International University (B.A.), Knox Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) at Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando.
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