Catholic Answers Live #12629 Were the Gospels Written Earlier? Eucharist and the Bible - Jimmy Akin
Mar 13, 2026
Jimmy Akin, veteran Catholic apologist and author, explains why many scholars favor earlier dates for the Gospels. He discusses pregnant women receiving Communion and how the Real Presence works. He traces the origins of low, high and solemn Mass terms and talks about when Bible stories should be read literally. He also covers what “descended into the dead” means and why 1 Enoch is not in the Catholic canon.
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Argument For Earlier Gospel Dates
- Jimmy Akin argues the Gospels were written earlier than the standard AD70–90 range, with Luke around AD59 and Acts AD60 based on Luke stopping after Paul's two-year house arrest.
- He ties Mark to Peter's preaching (Mark before Luke), estimates Matthew ~AD63 and John ~AD65 based on internal references to the temple and Peter's future death.
Olivet Discourse Suggests Pre 70 Composition
- Akin points to the Olivet Discourse in the synoptics as evidence they predate AD70 because the evangelists never add a line like "and he was right" after the temple's destruction.
- He sees the prophecy presented as still future, suggesting those Gospels were written before the temple fell in AD70.
Allow Pregnant Women To Receive Communion
- Pregnant women may receive Communion; the mother receives the Eucharist, not the unborn child, and history never barred pregnant communicants.
- Akin explains the Real Presence ends quickly as the appearances of bread/wine cease during digestion, so nothing with the Real Presence reaches the fetus.
