Who Wrote the Christmas Story?

The story of the first Christmas comes from two books in the New Testament, namely the Gospel accounts attributed to Matthew and Luke. Who wrote those Gospels? Can we trust the story we hear each Christmas does, in fact, come from these two men, who lived in 1st century Jewish Palestine and who (especially in Matthew's case) followed Jesus?

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Who wrote the Gospel that first appears in the New Testament canon, the Gospel of Matthew? Doubts about Matthew's authorship stem largely from the fact that modern New Testament scholars largely date it after Mark. Would Matthew, so the thinking goes, rely on the writing of Mark, even though Matthew was an eyewitness and Mark was not?

This skepticism, of course, assumes that Matthew primarily utilized Mark, yet this theory has never been conclusively established, certainly not to a degree that would have the author of Matthew actually dependent on Mark's Gospel. Thomas Jefferson utilized George Mason's Virginia Constitution when writing the Declaration of Independence, but utilization does not equate to absolute reliance. No historian would argue that Jefferson was helpless in his task of authoring America's independence document absent Mason's handiwork. Accordingly, even if Matthew had Mark's Gospel at his disposal, it hardly discredits the notion that the apostle himself wrote the Gospel of Matthew.

The strongest evidence attesting to Matthew's authorship is the fact that four ancient sources, not counting the title itself, specifically attribute the Gospel to Matthew, the disciple of Jesus. Those sources are Papias of Asia Minor, Irenaeus of Gaul, Pantaenus, and Origen of Alexandria and Caesarea, all significant leaders or writers in the early Christian community. Moreover, the Gospel of Matthew was in wide circulation in the early church, and was circulated as an account written by Matthew, with no apparent question or contestation.

There is no compelling reason to question early church tradition. Almost certainly, Matthew wrote the Gospel which bears his name.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

The question of Luke's authorship of his Gospel is closely tied with that of Acts, which seems very much like the second installment of a two-part series. Evidence associating Luke with his Gospel and Acts includes the Muratorian Canon of A.D. 180 as well as the writings of Irenaeus, Clement, and famed early church historian Eusebius.

Doubts about Luke's authorship once again stem from the dating of the Gospel and probably Acts to be after Mark, which many scholars put in the latter half of the 1st century A.D. In addition, it continues to be argued by many critics that the names of early church leaders were associated with the Gospels to enhance their credibility. This charge is usually hurled at the Christian community by way of fiat, with demands of incontrovertible external evidence to refute it. The burden of proof, however, rightly rests on those that would overturn tradition, not those that support it. That tradition is quite strong in attributing both the Gospel that bears his name and the book of Acts to Luke's pen.

Moreover, if the early church truly wished to enhance this particular Gospel, why choose Luke's name? Though Luke was a friend of Paul's, would it not be better to pick an actual eyewitness to Jesus' life, someone like Peter or John?
Skepticism over Luke's authorship simply does not stand up to the logic and testimony of early church tradition. Luke wrote his Gospel.

CONCLUSION

As investigative journalist Jeffery Sheler writes, "[T]he early origins and strength of the traditions linking the gospels to the apostles make a strong argument for the soundness of those traditions." The Gospels then, including Matthew and Luke, were almost certainly written by those whose names they bear.

That means that we can have complete confidence that Matthew and Luke wrote the Christmas story that so inspires each year at this time.