Thank you for the question on the canonicity of the Gospels, “Why are the four gospels in the New Testament not considered pseudepigraphal even though they weren’t actually written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?”
The term, pseudepigraphal, refers to false or fake writings. The question assumes that the writer and or its context are false. I disagree with that assessment of the Gospels.
For one’s consideration, here are the reasons that the Gospels are genuine:
- The early Jewish Christians believed and held that one is not to bear false witness. One may unintentionally have a poor recollection of the events of the life of Jesus, but one can’t fabricate a fictional account of life of Jesus and present that as being true. For Christians, that would be unethical.
- The writer of the Gospel of John states that the purpose of this book is that those who read may believe and have eternal life. John 20 says this, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (NIV). Would a Christian falsify a history to deceive the readers of eternal life?
- The writer of the Gospel of John states that he is a witness of the events that he has written. John 21 says this, “24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true” (NIV). The author identifies himself as the disciple who testifies and wrote them down.
- The writer of the Gospel of Luke states that others have written down the events that has happened among them, but his purpose is to give an orderly account of the events of Jesus to a Roman official. Luke 1 says this, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (NIV). The writer of this Gospel states that he made a careful investigation of everything from the beginning. This would imply that he was able to speak to witnesses of the life of Jesus.
- The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians that there were still alive who witnessed the life and resurrection of Jesus. I Corinthians 15 says this, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born” (NIV). If the Gospels are fables during Paul’s life time, he would be a fool to invite the Corinthians to go and hear their testimonies. If the Gospels were written hundreds of years later, no reader would accept the statement that any of those witnesses are still alive. It would be preposterous to assert they are still alive after hundreds of years.
It is generally accept the Apostle Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew, that Mark is the likely writer under the dictation of the Apostle Peter, that the physician Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts for his research on the life of Jesus and intimate knowledge of Paul’s ministry, and that the Apostle John, known as the Beloved Disciple wrote the Gospel of John.
The Apostle John writes this in I John 5 these words, “9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (NIV).
Can it be that discrediting the Bible or the Gospels seeks to reject the existence of God? For if God doesn’t exist, then there is no absolute morality, no final accountability for one’s action, and fear of judgment by God. Certainly one can choose to live that manner, but the Scriptures declares that there is a God and there is salvation being offer to mankind. One has to decide whether God or the Apostles and their associates would lie on such an important matter of one’s eternal life.
SUMMARY: To assign the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to the Pseudepigrapha is to question even reject the words and works of Jesus Christ. Is it an attempt to discredit the historicity of Jesus and his claim of offering eternal life to those who would believe in him?
For further insight and discussion: