Which gospel is commonly understood to be the earliest written?

• A. Gospel of Matthew
• B. Gospel of Luke
• C. Gospel of Mark
• D. Gospel of John

Answer: (C)

Mark is considered the earliest written gospel because its brevity and straightforward narrative seem to lay a foundation that Matthew and Luke later expand upon. The two other gospels share a lot of material with Mark, often in the same order, which suggests they used Mark as a primary source. In addition, scholars commonly posit a second source (often called Q) for sayings that Matthew and Luke share but that aren’t in Mark, reinforcing the idea that Mark came first and others built on it. Mark’s lack of infancy narratives and its brisk, action-driven portrayal of Jesus also contrast with the more developed infancy stories and theological elaboration found in Matthew, Luke, and especially John, supporting the view that Mark was written earlier, roughly around the 60s to 70 CE.