Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 227.  Sun  1-12-92 21:05  (NO KILL)  (MAILED)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Jim Cox
 Subject: Scripture

+-
| Dear Fr.
| Would you please explain "until" footnote, Mt. 1:25, New American
| Bible, Catholic Study Bible edition, copyright 1990, Oxford
| University Press, Inc.?  Also how do we know the date of  the
| composition of scripture texts?
| Jim Cox
+-[JC=>FM]
 
Dear Jim,
 
To "answer" your second question first: how do we know the date(s) of
the composition of scripture texts?  I have consulted the New Jerome
Biblical Commentary and the Collegeville Bible Commentary, neither of
which I trust very much.  But let me give you some quotations from the
NJBC:
 
"Second Peter is notoriously hard to date" (66:58).
 
"Mark most likely was the earliest (gospel), having been written
 between 65 and 75" (66:61).
 
"In the period 75-90, an unknown Christian wrote ... the Gospel
 according to Matthew" (66:61)
 
"In the period 80-95, another writer ... produced not only a Gospel
 ... but also a history ... (Acts)" (66:61).
 
"... the Gospel according to John was written in a substantial form ca.
 90 (A final redaction of John may have taken place some 10 or 15 years
 later ...") (66:61).
 
"The traditional view was that Luke ... composed Luke and Acts at the
 same time, ca. 63 ... but Luke-Acts is now more usually dated to the
 80's or latter" (66:66).
 
"Although a respectable number of scholars date (Hebrews) in the late
 60's, the majority opt for the 70's - 80's (66:69).
 
Already it must be clear that there is no certainty about these dates.
And I ask, does it matter?  The Imitation of Christ says: "I would
rather feel compunction for my sins than know how to define it."  So I
would rather read and meditate a book of the Bible than know the date
it was written.  After all, the book is THERE.  It is a given.  The
Church, which antedates all the books of the New Testament, produced
and has authenticated them as the inspired Word of God.
 
You obviously have an interest in this question, so I'll give you a
reference to a book you might be curious to buy:
Hans - Herbert Stoldt. History and Criticism of the Marcan Hypothesis.
Paperback. $8.95 + $2.00 postage (+ $.75 tax if you live in California.)
Stoldt attacks the "in" doctrine that Mark was written before Matthew.
You may order the book from Catholic Answers, P.O. Box 17181, San Diego,
CA 92177.
 
If you want me to comment on the "until" footnote, please include that
footnote in your next message.  I have another publisher's version of
the NAB, not the Oxford text you are using.
 
                                Sincerely in Christ,
 
                                Father Mateo