Three scientists—Papaia, Banani, Ravioli—and their assistant Igor, who were supposed to attend the famous dark matter conference, miss their flight and end up on the other side of the world. Arriving at the wrong airport, they book a hotel for the night, but it’s not exactly what they expected… meaning, it’s awful. Banani, while trying to collect rainwater, gets his arm trapped in the narrow window. Papaia slams his head against the door of Banani’s room while trying to break it down. Eventually, Ravioli discovers that all the locks are the same, opens Banani’s door with his key, and manages to free Banani.
We are in Banani’s room.
Papaia is recovering from a hard headbutt against the door. Banani and Ravioli continue their discussion.
Banani: Another method for dating the Gospels is through the analysis of texts starting from the Acts of Luke.
Ravioli: And how do they do that?
Banani: The early church underwent persecutions, initially from the Jewish leaders, and then from the Roman Empire. We know these started in 64, when Nero blamed the Christians for setting Rome on fire. In that same year, Nero arrested Paul and Peter, who were the leaders of the Roman church, and had them killed.
Ravioli: Ok, but what’s your point?
Banani: In Acts, we can read about the persecutions by the Jews, but there’s no mention of those by the Roman Empire.
Ravioli: So they hadn’t started yet?
Banani: It seems not. In fact, on the contrary, we learn that there were good relations between Christians and Romans.
Ravioli: So Luke wrote Acts before 64!
Banani: Exactly. But there’s more. At the beginning of this book, we read: “In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after He had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.”
Ravioli: So Luke wrote his Gospel first, and then Acts. But who was this Theophilus?
Banani: We don’t know for sure, but it suggests that he was an important person who was well acquainted with Luke.
Ravioli: So we can date the Gospel of Luke as well? Yes, but before that, I’d like to point out a couple more clues about the dating of Acts.
Banani: Ok, what are they?
Ravioli: In Acts, important moments like the death of Stephen and James, the brother of John, are mentioned.
Banani: That seems obvious.
Ravioli: But the deaths of Peter, Paul, and James, the brother of Jesus, are not.
Banani: You said that Peter and Paul were killed in 64, so when Luke wrote, they were still alive. And what about James?
Ravioli: The Church Fathers documented the deaths of Peter and Paul, and they also documented the death of James, the brother of Jesus, and leader of the Jerusalem church. This is also confirmed by Josephus Flavius. But Luke doesn’t mention it. His death is dated to 62, two to four years before the deaths of Paul and Peter.
Banani: So Acts must have been completed before 62.
Igor: “Of course! After nearly losing an arm and giving Papaia a concussion, the most obvious thing for Banani and Ravioli to do is discuss the dating of the Gospels.
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… I mean, that’s what anyone would naturally think about in a moment like this!”
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