The Two Witnesses

There are two accounts of the circumstances surrounding the nativity of Jesus, one in the Gospel of Matthew and one in that of Luke. Matthew was one of Jesus’ disciples and wrote his Gospel in or about the year 50 (A.D.), some sixteen years after the Crucifixion. Luke, a companion of Paul, wrote his record less than ten years later. He spent some time in Judea with Paul and must have been acquainted with Mary. It is noticeable that Luke’s account of the circumstances is written with Mary at the centre, whilst that of Matthew is from the standpoint of Joseph. Matthew may have known Joseph and could have had the story from him. At any rate both accounts were written by men who had been in contact with the people most concerned, and the facts they recorded were matters of personal knowledge and not hearsay. We can rest assured that the details related in these two Gospels came directly from Joseph and Mary themselves, and their trustworthiness is assured by the integrity of these two.

Extract—The Virgin Birth of Christ
AOH