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Exploring what is known from the Bible:
1.
The Gospel by Luke was not the first written account of the ministry of the Lord Jesus because in Luke 1:1 it reads:
many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us.
It might be that among these early texts were the Gospels by Matthew and Mark.
There may have been several accounts compiled by the apostles or eyewitnesses since Luke 1:2 reads:
just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Furthermore, Luke 1:2 provides that these texts were delivered (or handed) to us (Luke and others of the Church).
2.
Luke recorded the Book of Acts after he had finished the Gospel by Luke because the Gospel by Luke was written to Theophilus was the first account and the Book of Acts followed the Gospel by Luke as stated in Acts 1:1 it reads:
The first account I composed, Theophilus
The first account is detailed as the ministry of the Lord Jesus
in the remainder of Acts 1:1-2:
about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
3.
During the reign of Emperor Nero (A.D. 54-68) the Apostle Paul came to Rome as a prisoner in about A.D. 60. The Apostle Paul was waiting for at least two years for his trial. The Book of Acts must have come to its end about A.D. 62 because it records this two year period of waiting for trial but does not record the start or outcome of the trial. Luke could not have recorded the two year wait if the Book of Acts had been written earlier and if it had been written after the two year wait it would have recorded a period longer than two years or the outcome of the trial. This provides that the last of the Book of Acts was recorded around A.D. 62 and the Gospel by Luke was recorded before that date.
Acts 28
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
4.
Luke joined the Apostle Paul in the missionary journeys about A.D. 50. This may be ascertained from Acts 16:10 when Luke first starts recording using the first person pronouns, thereby including himself, rather than using third person pronouns. There is no way of determining if Luke had already recorded the Gospel by A.D. 50.
However, because it seems reasonable that he had used those earlier Gospel accounts that had been handed to “us” (Luke 1:2) in his research for his Gospel account, he would have needed to remain with a congregation which had these texts in their possession. The congregation in Troas (Luke 16:8) is where Luke joined the Apostle Paul about A. D. 50 and ought to be considered as a possible commencement date for starting to record the Gospel by Luke if not the date of completion.
Acts 16:10
10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Summary:
From the internal evidence the Gospel by Luke can not reasonably be dated after A.D. 62 and can reasonably be as early as A.D. 50. Because the Gospel by Luke is not the first recorded narrative of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, it is possible that both Matthew and Mark already had been recorded and copied for use by various congregations by the A.D. 50 date. Considering the common passages between these synoptic Gospels their sources must have been the same if not each other.
This is presented to demonstrate how wrong biblical scholars might be about dating the texts of the New Testament when basing dates on external factors rather than the internal evidence which is inspired.
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References:
Luke 1 NASB
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Acts 1 NASB
The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
Acts 16:10 NASB
10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 28 NASB
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
1.
The Gospel by Luke was not the first written account of the ministry of the Lord Jesus because in Luke 1:1 it reads:
many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us.
It might be that among these early texts were the Gospels by Matthew and Mark.
There may have been several accounts compiled by the apostles or eyewitnesses since Luke 1:2 reads:
just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Furthermore, Luke 1:2 provides that these texts were delivered (or handed) to us (Luke and others of the Church).
2.
Luke recorded the Book of Acts after he had finished the Gospel by Luke because the Gospel by Luke was written to Theophilus was the first account and the Book of Acts followed the Gospel by Luke as stated in Acts 1:1 it reads:
The first account I composed, Theophilus
The first account is detailed as the ministry of the Lord Jesus
in the remainder of Acts 1:1-2:
about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
3.
During the reign of Emperor Nero (A.D. 54-68) the Apostle Paul came to Rome as a prisoner in about A.D. 60. The Apostle Paul was waiting for at least two years for his trial. The Book of Acts must have come to its end about A.D. 62 because it records this two year period of waiting for trial but does not record the start or outcome of the trial. Luke could not have recorded the two year wait if the Book of Acts had been written earlier and if it had been written after the two year wait it would have recorded a period longer than two years or the outcome of the trial. This provides that the last of the Book of Acts was recorded around A.D. 62 and the Gospel by Luke was recorded before that date.
Acts 28
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
4.
Luke joined the Apostle Paul in the missionary journeys about A.D. 50. This may be ascertained from Acts 16:10 when Luke first starts recording using the first person pronouns, thereby including himself, rather than using third person pronouns. There is no way of determining if Luke had already recorded the Gospel by A.D. 50.
However, because it seems reasonable that he had used those earlier Gospel accounts that had been handed to “us” (Luke 1:2) in his research for his Gospel account, he would have needed to remain with a congregation which had these texts in their possession. The congregation in Troas (Luke 16:8) is where Luke joined the Apostle Paul about A. D. 50 and ought to be considered as a possible commencement date for starting to record the Gospel by Luke if not the date of completion.
Acts 16:10
10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Summary:
From the internal evidence the Gospel by Luke can not reasonably be dated after A.D. 62 and can reasonably be as early as A.D. 50. Because the Gospel by Luke is not the first recorded narrative of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, it is possible that both Matthew and Mark already had been recorded and copied for use by various congregations by the A.D. 50 date. Considering the common passages between these synoptic Gospels their sources must have been the same if not each other.
This is presented to demonstrate how wrong biblical scholars might be about dating the texts of the New Testament when basing dates on external factors rather than the internal evidence which is inspired.
---------------------------------------------
References:
Luke 1 NASB
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Acts 1 NASB
The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
Acts 16:10 NASB
10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 28 NASB
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
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