The Short Answer
Scripture does not give a publication date for Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. So the question, “Which Gospel was written first?” cannot be answered from a verse that says, “This one came first.”
The clearest early Christian answer preserved here is: Matthew was understood to have been written first. Origen says in his Commentary on Matthew, “Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew… was written first.” Irenaeus also says in Against Heresies, Book III that Matthew issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews, and Tertullian calls Matthew “first of all” among the Gospel chroniclers in On the Flesh of Christ.
That does not mean Scripture itself settles the chronology. It means the strongest Ante-Nicene witness available here points to Matthew as the first written Gospel.
Why This Question Matters
This question matters because Christians do not want to build their understanding of Jesus on guesswork. If Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the written testimony through which the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Christ have come down to us, then it is natural to ask how these books were received by the earliest Christians.
But there is an important distinction: the gospel was preached before the Gospels were written. Jesus Himself spoke of the gospel as a message to be proclaimed. In Mark 13:10, He says, “And the gospel must first be published among all nations.” That statement is about the good news going out, not about the order in which the four written accounts would later be composed.
Clement of Rome, writing very early, also refers to “the time when the Gospel first began to be preached” in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. That wording helps keep the issue clear: first came the apostolic proclamation of Christ; later that same gospel was handed down in written form.
What Scripture Says
The New Testament does not identify which of the four written Gospels was composed first. It gives us the gospel as the message of Christ and His kingdom, but it does not provide a publishing timeline for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
This silence matters. Christians should not pretend Scripture answers a historical question more specifically than it does. Jesus’ command in Mark 13:10 establishes the priority of proclamation: the gospel must be preached among all nations. It does not say, “Mark was written first,” or “Matthew was written first.”
Origen later addressed a related issue when discussing Paul’s phrase in Romans 2:16, “according to my Gospel in Christ Jesus.” Some misused Paul’s singular “Gospel” to argue for only one written Gospel. Origen answered that the Gospel is one because Christ is one, even though it was written “by several hands.” In his Commentary on John, he says, “though written by four, the Gospel is one.”
That is the best biblical framing for the question. The faith does not rest on which book was written first. It rests on the one Christ whom all four evangelists proclaim.
How the Earliest Christians Understood This
The earliest explicit chronological statement here comes from Origen. In his Commentary on Matthew, he writes: “Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew… was written first.”
That is a direct answer. Origen does not present it as a verse of Scripture, but as tradition received concerning the four uncontroverted Gospels. His testimony shows that, by the third century, a known Christian tradition placed Matthew first.
Irenaeus, writing in the second century, also gives important testimony. In Against Heresies, Book III, he says, “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church.” This does not, by itself, state the full order of all four Gospels in the excerpt above, but it does strongly connect Matthew’s written Gospel with the apostolic age.
Tertullian’s witness points in the same direction, though it should be read carefully. In On the Flesh of Christ, he says, “There is, first of all, Matthew, that most faithful chronicler of the Gospel, because the companion of the Lord.” “First of all” may refer to order in his argument or list, but it agrees with the broader early pattern that gives Matthew a leading place.
Papias is also important, though the fragment here does not answer the chronology question by itself. The Fragments of Papias preserve “a tradition regarding Mark who wrote the Gospel.” That shows early interest in Mark’s origin, but the excerpt available here does not say Mark was first.
Irenaeus also defends the fourfold Gospel. In Against Heresies, Book III, he describes the Gospel as fourfold yet united around Christ. He strongly rejects attempts to multiply or reduce the received Gospels in the following discussion of those who “distort the shape of the Gospel” in Against Heresies, Book III. His concern was not satisfying curiosity about literary sequence, but guarding the apostolic witness to Jesus.
Common Misunderstandings
One misunderstanding is to assume that “gospel” always means one of the four written books. In Scripture, “gospel” often means the good news preached about Christ. That is why Jesus can speak of the gospel being proclaimed to all nations in Mark 13:10 before the later Christian discussion of written Gospel order.
Another misunderstanding is to treat early Christian testimony as if it were equal to Scripture. It is not. Origen, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Papias are valuable witnesses to how early Christians received and discussed the apostolic writings, but their statements must not be placed on the same level as the words of Christ and the apostolic Scriptures.
A third misunderstanding is to think the authority of the Gospels depends on knowing which one came first. The early Christian concern was deeper: these writings preserve the apostolic proclamation of the one Lord Jesus Christ. Origen’s point in his Commentary on John is especially helpful: the Gospel is one, though written by four.
What This Means for Christians Today
Two things are true at the same time.
First, the Bible does not tell us which written Gospel came first. That keeps us honest.
Second, the early Christian witness available here points most clearly to Matthew. Origen explicitly says Matthew was written first. Irenaeus places Matthew’s written Gospel in the apostolic setting. Tertullian gives Matthew first place as a faithful chronicler and companion of the Lord.
So if someone asks, “Which Gospel was written first?” the best concise answer is: Scripture does not specify, but the earliest explicit Christian tradition represented here says Matthew.
That answer should not distract from the greater truth. The four Gospels do not compete with one another. They bear united witness to Jesus Christ. The question of order is historically interesting; the call of the Gospel is personal and urgent: hear Christ, obey Him, and proclaim His good news.
Keep Studying
For the biblical foundation, begin with Jesus’ words in Mark 13:10 and Paul’s phrase in Romans 2:16.
For early Christian testimony, compare Origen’s statement that Matthew was written first, Irenaeus on Matthew issuing a written Gospel, and Papias on the tradition regarding Mark.
For a fuller study of Matthew through early Christian eyes, see Matthew: The Chief Gospel. For the broader proclamation of Christ from Scripture, see Prove It: Old Testament Proofs That Jesus is the Messiah.
