Were all the books of the New Testament written by apostles?
Question:
I need to know some things. I was reading on your site The New Testament Canon outline. I came across this:
I-5. 5. From these early Christians we learn that Mark took the various stories told by Peter and placed them in a book as accurately as he could. Peter did not dictate the book directly from start to finish, instead he related stories as his audience had need. Mark collected the stories and put them together, but it appears that he did not complete the task before Peter’s death. However, the book was accepted because all Christians recognized that it was the accurate record of Peter’s stories.
6. In a similar manner, Luke’s writing were accepted because of his close association with Paul.
- So Mark and Luke not Apostles of Christ?
- Who wrote the books of Mark and Luke?
- So that doesn’t that mean these two books were written by someone without the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that a violation of the criteria for inspired writings?
Maybe it shouldn’t bother me, but finding this out is seriously pretty bothering. I always thought every single gospel account and book in the Bible was written by a real Apostle. Why would Peter need to have another person record something he could’ve written himself? Doesn’t that just open up more doors for skeptics to come along and throw seemingly righteous judgments of doubt toward the trustworthy character of the Bible? So then, it’s like, how can we even blame the skeptics? Maybe they’re right.
And I know this isn’t your problem, but I’m getting tired of going through this cycle. It’s like every time I think I got my faith together rock-solid, some fact, that I didn’t have prior knowledge of, comes along and throws me for a loop, causing me further examine my convictions. Every time I think I know all my reason for why I choose to believe what I do, something comes along as a new reason for me to MAYBE believe in something else. At some point, I always end up feeling like I been made a fool of by the very things or people I always trusted and valued in life, whether it’s God, the Bible, family, love, or myself.
I just want to know what my place is in Christ's ministry so I can stay put! But I tend to find myself bouncing from here to there. I don’t know what I’m in violation of, but it has to be something. Because a lot of times I really feel like I know what my place is, but at other times I feel like I don’t! Perhaps because of something I personally did on my own, thinking it was my place to do. But I know God has a place for me in His ministry, someplace that I will operate the best for His purpose. I just wish I knew what it is.
Answer:
"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).
The apostles were not the only inspired writers of the Bible. The entire Old Testament was written by prophets and God used prophets in the delivery of the New Testament as well. Mark and Luke were prophets in the early church.
Being a Christian is about learning. Since none of us know everything, it means I will discover over the years that some things I thought I knew were incorrect. As I learn and incorporate new knowledge with what I already know, my faith becomes stronger and more stable.
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:11-16).
So relax. you learned something that you hadn't realized before, and nothing but your improved understanding has changed.
Response:
From the heart, I appreciate that. I guess every once in a while I just feel I need some kind of assurance or something. I realize I do need to chill out though. A lot of times I worry over things that are not even worth it. I need to work on that. Again thanks. Blessings from above to you and yours.
