Regarding the identity and chronology of the gospel writers, the majority of scholars concur.
Gospel of Mark
It seems likely that Mark was the first gospel to be written in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Although he was not a follower of Jesus, the gospel is thought to have been composed from the eyewitness testimonies that Peter shared with him. He was also regarded as a close buddy of the apostle Peter. In the New Testament, he is referred to as John Mark on multiple occasions (Acts 12:12; 15:37; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 1 Peter 5:13).
Gospel of Matthew
It appears that Mark’s gospel served as the inspiration for the authoring of the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term “synoptic gospels” refers to these three gospels taken together. (The term “taking the same point of view” is synoptic.)
The second gospel to be written was Matthew. Originally known as Levi, he was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of Jesus (Mark 3:18; Matthew 9:9; 10:3; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). His work is thought to have been written around the late 1970s or early 1980s AD.
Gospel of Luke
The third gospel of the New Testament was written by Luke, who was a doctor. He had not been a disciple of Jesus. It is thought that he wrote his gospel around the middle of the AD 80’s. He said that he had set out to write and orderly account of the events in Jesus’ life, and was originally writing to one person, Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4). Luke is mentioned in other parts of New Testament as well: Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24.) He is believed to have used Mark’s gospel as a source of information for writing, but it is believed that he also talked to Mary the mother of Jesus in order to gain the very detailed information of the annunciation of the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus, plus details of Jesus’ early life.
Gospel of John
John wrote the final gospel in the New Testament. Known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” he was a follower of Jesus (John 13:23). There have been suggestions that he wrote the major edition and epilogue later, most likely between the years of 90 and 100 AD, but that he composed the early edition around the year 50. The other gospels are not at all like his gospel. Compared to the other gospels, John’s contains a greater amount of doctrine and places more emphasis on Christ’s deity. “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you have life in his name,” he stated in his letter (John 20:31).
