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As such, this is one of the most important, as well as most exciting, topics in recent New Testament studies. Scholars have pointed out several textual indicators that these creeds are present. The clearest indication of a creedal statement occurs when a writer specifically tells us that he is passing on such a tradition. The best example is in Paul, who distinctly states on various occasions that he is repeating teachings or traditions, sometimes explaining that they have been given to him by others, such as 1 Cor. 11:2,23.
The early church unanimously held that the gospel of Matthew was the first written gospel and was penned by the apostle of the same name (Matt. 10:2). Generally, Mark is said to be the earliest gospel with an authorship of between A.D. 55 to A.D. 70 and was the disciple of Peter, who recounted to Mark, the evnets contained hin his Gospel.
An excerpt from Luke states "...To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God," (Acts 1:1-3). Notice how Luke speaks of "them," of those who had personal encounters with Christ. Luke is simply recounting the events from the disciples. Since Luke agrees with Matthew, Mark, and John and since there is no contradictory information coming from any of the disciples stating that Luke was inaccurate, and since Luke has proven to be a very accurate historian, we can conclude that Luke's account is very accurate. Scholars generally agree that Luke was written before A.D. 62. (Source Mays, James Luther, Ph.D., Editor, Harper�s Bible Commentary). By the way, we now have an excerpt from the Dead Sea Scrolls Manuscript 7Q5 which contains Mark 6:52-53 and confirmed to have been written before 68 A.D.
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