Short answer
No one knows for certain. None of the four New Testament Gospels (the books about Jesus' life) names its author in its text. The titles, such as "according to Matthew", were attached later. Matthew was one of the twelve, yet the Gospel under his name copies the story of his own calling from Mark, almost word for word. Mark was not one of the twelve. Most critical scholars hold that none of the four was written by an eyewitness. Luke says he gathered what others handed down. So the Gospels rest on church tradition, not on the books themselves. Islam holds that God (﷾) gave Jesus the Injil, the Gospel he preached. The Qur'an was written down in the Prophet's (ﷺ) lifetime by scribes whose names are known.
Full explanation
What church tradition says
Christians rely on tradition from the second century. Papias was a bishop of the early second century, and Eusebius, a church historian of the fourth century, quotes him. Papias says Mark wrote down what Peter taught. He says Matthew gathered Jesus' sayings in Hebrew. Irenaeus, a bishop writing about the year 180, is the first to name all four authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Eusebius quotes Papias (early second century), who says Mark had been Peter's interpreter and wrote down, though not in order, what he remembered of Peter's teaching, and that Matthew put the sayings together in the Hebrew language, each person translating them as best he could.
Irenaeus, writing about 180, is the earliest writer to name all four Gospel authors. He says Matthew issued a Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language, Mark handed down in writing what Peter had preached, Luke, Paul's companion, set down the gospel Paul preached, and John, the disciple of the Lord, published his Gospel at Ephesus.
The Gospels do not name their authors
Not one Gospel says who wrote it. Even the evangelical NIV Study Bible (a Bible with notes by conservative Protestant scholars) admits three things. There is no direct evidence inside Mark for its author. Luke's name does not appear in his book. John is not named in the Gospel given his name. Papias names only Mark and Matthew. The first writer to name all four, Irenaeus, wrote about 150 years after Jesus. Most critical scholars (scholars who study the Bible as history) conclude that the four were written anonymously by people who were not eyewitnesses. They date Mark to about 65-70, Matthew and Luke to the 80s, and John to the 90s.
The evangelical NIV Study Bible's introductions hold to the traditional authors, but grant that the books themselves do not name them. On Mark: there is no direct evidence inside the book of who wrote it; the name rests on the testimony of the early church. On Luke: the name of the writer does not appear in the book (it adds that other evidence points to Luke). On John: the apostle is not named anywhere in the Gospel, and the notes argue for him from that silence.
Eusebius quotes Papias (early second century), who says Mark had been Peter's interpreter and wrote down, though not in order, what he remembered of Peter's teaching, and that Matthew put the sayings together in the Hebrew language, each person translating them as best he could.
Irenaeus, writing about 180, is the earliest writer to name all four Gospel authors. He says Matthew issued a Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language, Mark handed down in writing what Peter had preached, Luke, Paul's companion, set down the gospel Paul preached, and John, the disciple of the Lord, published his Gospel at Ephesus.
Sets out the view held by most critical scholars: the four Gospels were written anonymously, decades after Jesus, by people who were not eyewitnesses, and the names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were attached later.
A standard textbook. It dates Paul's earliest letters to around 50 CE, Mark to about 65-70, Matthew and Luke to about 80-85, and John to about 90-95, and notes that Jesus spoke Aramaic while the Gospels were written in Greek by authors who do not name themselves. It also says Paul did not know Jesus during Jesus' lifetime and came to faith only after the crucifixion.
"Matthew" copies his own calling from Mark
The Gospel of Matthew tells of Matthew's call in the third person. Ancient writers sometimes wrote of themselves as "he", so that alone proves little. The telling point is the copying. The same scene stands in Mark, nearly word for word, told of "Levi". Most scholars hold that Matthew took most of Mark's material, often word for word and in the same order. An eyewitness tells his own story. A writer who copies his own conversion from another man's book was not there. And Mark was not one of the twelve.
“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”
“And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.”
The classic statement of the view most New Testament scholars still hold: Mark was written first, and Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a source, taking over most of its material, often word for word and in the same order.
Luke relied on others, and John was finished by others
Luke opens by saying that many had already written accounts. He says he wrote his from what eyewitnesses "delivered" to him. He does not claim to be one. John ends with a voice that is not the disciple's own: "we know that his testimony is true". The "we" are other people speaking about him. So the Gospel of John reached its final form in other, unnamed hands.
“Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,”
“This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.”
The disciples were not there
Mark is the earliest Gospel. It says that when Jesus was arrested all his disciples left him and fled. Of the twelve, only Peter followed, at a distance, into the high priest's courtyard. There he swore that he did not know Jesus. Mark places none of the twelve at the cross. Only women are there, watching from afar. Only John, the last Gospel written, places a disciple at the cross. Even John leaves him unnamed: "the disciple standing by, whom he loved".
“And they all forsook him, and fled.”
“And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.”
“But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.”
“There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;”
“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!”
How the Qur'an was carried
The Qur'an says the Prophet (ﷺ) could neither read nor write before it came. So no one could say he copied it from a book. It was recited aloud, learned by heart, and written down in his lifetime by scribes such as Zayd ibn Thabit. Zayd later gathered it into a single volume. The Qur'an itself promises that God (﷾) will guard it.
“And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.”
Zayd ibn Thabit reports that after many who knew the Qur'an by heart were killed at Yamama, Abu Bakr asked him to gather the Qur'an into one volume, reminding him that he used to write down the revelation for the Messenger of Allah. Zayd collected it from written pieces and from the memories of men, and the finished copy passed from Abu Bakr to Umar and then to Hafsa.
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
| Question | The Qur'an | The four Gospels |
|---|---|---|
| Where does it come from? | It was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ). He could neither read nor write before it came, so no one could say he copied it from a book. | They are accounts about Jesus, not the Injil (the Gospel God (﷾) gave him). Luke says he wrote from what others handed down to him. |
| Who wrote it down? | Scribes whose names are known, such as Zayd ibn Thabit. | No one knows for certain. None of the four names its author, and the titles “according to Matthew” and so on were attached later. |
| When? | In the Prophet's (ﷺ) lifetime, as it was recited aloud and learned by heart. | Some thirty-five to sixty-five years after Jesus, by writers who do not name themselves. |
| Were the writers there? | Yes. Scribes of his own time wrote down what he recited. | Most critical scholars hold that none of them was an eyewitness. “Matthew” copies the story of his own calling from Mark, who was not one of the twelve. |
So the Gospels' authority rests on church tradition, not on the books themselves. The Qur'an's line runs through men whose names are known, and it can be checked.
Point by point
Eusebius, Church History 3.39
Eusebius quotes Papias (early second century), who says Mark had been Peter's interpreter and wrote down, though not in order, what he remembered of Peter's teaching, and that Matthew put the sayings together in the Hebrew language, each person translating them as best he could.
Cited for
Christians say Papias shows that Matthew and Mark wrote the Gospels that bear their names.
The response
Papias says Matthew gathered sayings in Hebrew. The Matthew we have is in Greek and follows Mark's Greek closely. So most scholars conclude it is not that book. What Papias says of Mark is one report from a teacher he calls "the Elder". It is not a claim the book makes, for the book names no author.
Where it lands — The earliest tradition does not describe the Gospel of Matthew we have, and it does not come from the authors themselves.
John 21:24 — Gospel of John, chapter 21, verse 24
“This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.”
Cited for
Christians read this verse as the beloved disciple, John, saying that he wrote the Gospel of John.
The response
The verse speaks of the disciple as "he" and adds "we know that his testimony is true". The "we" are other people speaking up for him. The Gospel of John never names this disciple as John.
Where it lands — The verse shows unnamed editors at work; it does not show that John wrote the book.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
The four Gospels were written by Matthew and John, two of the twelve, and by Mark and Luke. Mark and Luke were companions of Peter, Jesus' leading disciple, and of Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century. The early church knew who they were and handed the names down.
Papias, in the early second century, says Mark recorded Peter's preaching and Matthew gathered Jesus' sayings.
Rebuttal
What Papias says of Mark is one report from a teacher he calls "the Elder". It is not a claim the book makes, for the book names no author. What he says of Matthew describes a book of sayings in Hebrew, but the Matthew we have is in Greek. Most scholars conclude it is not that book, because it follows Mark's Greek closely.
Irenaeus, about 180, names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as the authors.
Rebuttal
It is true that Irenaeus gives the four names. But agreement by about 180 shows what the church then believed, not who wrote the books. The books themselves name no author, and even evangelical study notes say so for Mark, Luke and John.
The Islamic perspective
The four New Testament Gospels are reports about Jesus by unknown writers. They are not the Injil (the Gospel Jesus preached) that God (﷾) gave him. The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) and written down by men whose names are known, so its line can be checked.
None of the four Gospels names its author, and evangelical study notes admit it for Mark, Luke and John.
Most critical scholars hold that the Gospels were written anonymously, decades after Jesus, by people who were not eyewitnesses.
The Gospel of Matthew tells of Matthew's own calling in the third person. Its words closely follow Mark's account of Levi.
Matthew took over most of Mark's material, often word for word, which is hard to square with an eyewitness author.
Luke says he wrote from what others handed down. John's last lines are written by others, speaking up for the disciple.
The Qur'an was written down in the Prophet's (ﷺ) lifetime by known scribes, and God (﷾) promises to guard it.