--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Gospels were written in such temporal…" description: "\"The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg" --- # The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical… ![“The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate events. Anyone who cared to could have checked out the accuracy of what they reported. The fact that the disciples were able to proclaim the…” quote by William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg) > “The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate events. Anyone who cared to could have checked out the accuracy of what they reported. The fact that the disciples were able to proclaim the resurrection in Jerusalem in the face of their enemies a few weeks after the crucifixion shows that what they proclaimed was true, for they could never have proclaimed the resurrection under such circumstances had it not occurred.” [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Proximity of Gospel writing to events makes fabrication highly unlikely. **In simple terms:** Close timing makes falsification difficult. Key Takeaway Value historical context for credibility. Themes history credibility faith evidence Mood critical inquisitive Type theological historical When to use this quote - theology - academic research - personal belief - education Key Concepts biblical studies historical methodology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports Gospel reliability? - How do we assess ancient sources? A Different Perspective Historical bias can affect interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Accuracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Crucifixion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucifixion/) [Disciple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciple/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Fabricate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabricate/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Gospels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospels/) [Gospels Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospels-written-1294873/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerusalem/) [Proclaimed Resurrection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proclaimed-resurrection-2496735/) [Proximity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proximity/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Resurrection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resurrection/) [Resurrection Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resurrection-circumstances-3809334/) [Resurrection Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resurrection-jerusalem-3809335/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [The Gospels were written to present the life and teachings of Jesus in ways that would be appropriate to different readerships, and for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drane/the-gospels-were-written-to-present-the-life-and-teachings-of-jesus/) [John Drane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-drane/) > [As soon as the Gospels were written, speech without experience began to dabble with the new facts proposed by the existence of the Church.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-rosenstock-huessy/as-soon-as-the-gospels-were-written-speech-without-experience-began/) [Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-rosenstock-huessy/) > [One of my great experiences in life was to be interviewed on a late-night talk show by a guy named Tom Snyder. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/one-of-my-great-experiences-in-life-was-to-be-interviewed-on-a-late/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-gospels-were-written-in-such-temporal-and-geographical-proximity/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [Here's the simplest answer: Within weeks, the disciples proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He had been bodily raised from the dead and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/here-s-the-simplest-answer-within-weeks-the-disciples-proclaimed-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [“At the time that the early Gospels were written, the Pharisees and the early Christians were competing for the hearts and minds of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/at-the-time-that-the-early-gospels-were-written-the-pharisees-and-the/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [What we do in dreams we also do when we are awake: we invent and fabricate the person with whom we associate-and immediately forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-we-do-in-dreams-we-also-do-when-we-are-awake-we-invent-and/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Fiction stymies me with its possibility. I can't see the bottom and I freeze, cling to the side, or just choke. In nonfiction, particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/fiction-stymies-me-with-its-possibility-i-can-t-see-the-bottom-and-i/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“You do not need to fabricate at all. Once you utterly let be, involvement in thoughts of past, present and future subside. By letting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulku-urgyen/you-do-not-need-to-fabricate-at-all-once-you-utterly-let-be/) [Tulku Urgyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulku-urgyen/) > [It is of man's essence to create materially and morally, to fabricate things and to fabricate himself. Homo faber is the definition I propose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/it-is-of-man-s-essence-to-create-materially-and-morally-to-fabricate/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [I am a photographer who likes to make images, but I also want to get a sense and understanding of images that have already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-am-a-photographer-who-likes-to-make-images-but-i-also-want-to-get-a/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [Smuggle out the truth, pass it through all the obstacles that its enemies fabricate; multiply, spread by all means possible her message so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximilien-robespierre/smuggle-out-the-truth-pass-it-through-all-the-obstacles-that-its/) [Maximilien Robespierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximilien-robespierre/) > [The brain is a robot-computer perfectly designed to fabricate any reality we program it to construct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/the-brain-is-a-robot-computer-perfectly-designed-to-fabricate-any/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [ “What \[my father\] didn’t say, but what was understood, was that he needed me to lie for him from then on, and lie like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-c-johnson/what-my-father-didn-t-say-but-what-was-understood-was-that-he-needed/) [Scott C. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-c-johnson/) > [It is my desire and intent to trust the multi-layered good purposes of God than in what humans fabricate out of their need and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/it-is-my-desire-and-intent-to-trust-the-multi-layered-good-purposes/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) ## More by William Lane Craig > [Part of the broader task of Christian scholarship is to help create and sustain a cultural milieu in which the gospel can be heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/part-of-the-broader-task-of-christian-scholarship-is-to-help-create/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [The point is this: If God does not exist, then life is objectively meaningless; but man cannot live consistently and happily knowing that life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-point-is-this-if-god-does-not-exist-then-life-is-objectively/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“By setting such strong, harsh dichotomies God taught Israel that any assimilation to pagan idolatry is intolerable. It was His way of preserving Israel’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/by-setting-such-strong-harsh-dichotomies-god-taught-israel-that-any/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [If you're sincerely seeking God, God will make His existence evident to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/if-you-re-sincerely-seeking-god-god-will-make-his-existence-evident/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [Scepticism, ironically, draws its life's blood from claims to have a good deal of knowledge. For example, your friends claim to know, 'Since every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/scepticism-ironically-draws-its-life-s-blood-from-claims-to-have-a/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“...if there's a supernatural agent that is working in the natural world, then the idealized conditions described by the law are no longer in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/if-there-s-a-supernatural-agent-that-is-working-in-the-natural-world/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [If true love came at a price, the price would be all worth while if i was spending it on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/if-true-love-came-at-a-price-the-price-would-be-all-worth-while-if-i/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“There are various virtues of what counts as a best explanation, and I imagine familiarity is one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/there-are-various-virtues-of-what-counts-as-a-best-explanation-and-i/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [People think of time as a continuum composed of points which is stretched out at a line, and even if you add a direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/people-think-of-time-as-a-continuum-composed-of-points-which-is/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“...if God does not exist and there is no immortality, then all the evil acts of men go unpunished and all the sacrifices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/if-god-does-not-exist-and-there-is-no-immortality-then-all-the-evil/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“So how do you find out what God thinks? The Christian says, you look in the Bible. And the Bible tells us that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/so-how-do-you-find-out-what-god-thinks-the-christian-says-you-look-in/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [So whom does God wrong in commanding the destruction of the Canaanites? Not the Canaanite adults, for they were corrupt and deserving of judgment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/so-whom-does-god-wrong-in-commanding-the-destruction-of-the/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [ Richard \[Carrier\] takes the extremist position that Jesus of Nazareth never even existed, that there was no such person in history. This is a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/richard-carrier-takes-the-extremist-position-that-jesus-of-nazareth/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [ I am an Orangeman first and a politician and member of this parliament \[Stormont\] afterwards. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/i-am-an-orangeman-first-and-a-politician-and-member-of-this/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“In addition to these physical problems, sexually transmitted diseases are rampant among the homosexual population. 75% of homosexual men carry one or more sexually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/in-addition-to-these-physical-problems-sexually-transmitted-diseases/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) [Explore all 78 William Lane Craig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate events. Anyone who cared to could have checked out the accuracy of what they reported. The fact that the disciples were able to proclaim the resurrection in Jerusalem in the face of their enemies a few weeks after the crucifixion shows that what they proclaimed was true, for they could never have proclaimed the resurrection under such circumstances had it not occurred.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Lane Craig" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-gospels-were-written-in-such-temporal-and-geographical-proximity-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-gospels-were-written-in-such-temporal-and-geographical-proximity-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/william-lane-craig-8716_able_the-gospels-were-written-in-such-tempora_2853377.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Gospels were written in such temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would…” — William Lane Craig", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Lane Craig", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Gospels were written in such...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-gospels-were-written-in-such-temporal-and-geographical-proximity-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-gospels-were-written-in-such-temporal-and-geographical-proximity-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```