That gives us a range of possible dates between AD 60 and AD 160. They were writing around AD 160, so that the latest possible date is around AD 160. 3.13.3 3.15.1) contains some indisputable citations, as does Justin Martyr in Dial. The latest date Acts could have been written would have been immediately prior to the first references to the book from other literature.The earliest date Acts could have been written would be within a few years of the last recorded event in Acts, which takes place probably in AD 62.We can find these early and late dates using evidence from Luke and Acts, as well as looking at remarks from the church fathers.
We can also give some fairly firm early and late dates-in other words, dates that are so early and so late that Acts that it wouldn’t have been possible for Acts to have been written. Who Wrote the Gospels, and How Do We Know for Sure? Earliest and latest possible dates for Acts The question, then, becomes how long after Mark Luke would have been written.
So if we know roughly when Mark was written, and we know Luke was written after Mark. Such a date fits the time of the persecution by Nero. Here’s why: Mark assumes the church is suffering persecution or anticipates that possibility, making a date in the 60s plausible. To determine when Luke was written, the first thing we need to do is evaluate when the other Synoptic Gospels-Matthew and Mark-were written.īecause the most common view is that Luke used material from Mark, and we’re fairly certain that Mark was written sometime from the mid-50s to around AD 70. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at Why we need to start with Lukeīecause Acts and Luke go together, we need to look at when Luke was written. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. For Students Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more.īy submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates.For Instructors and School Administrators Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust.