Josephus and other contemporaries on Jesus

[Jehanne]

Scholars and the Gospels

So what are you saying I’m being inconsistent on?

Read the article; it is very balanced, which is why I chose it.  In particular,

The writers of the Gospels differed in literary styles, motifs for writing and theological perspectives, depending on their individual roots and life experiences. Here are some details about each Gospel that should be helpful for the laypersons reading the Gospels for spiritual assistance in living their daily lives.

That is the scholarly consensus, among believers as well as non-believers, namely:

1)  Mark’s Gospel dates from around AD 65. The authors of the other three Gospels used Mark as one of their primary sources, but embellished the details, thereby making their Gospels lengthier than Mark’s. Also, the other authors, writing later than Mark, had access to additional material.

2)  This being said, one should not under estimate John’s scholarly abilities. He had the unique ability to blend historical fact with theological purpose in dramatic narrative. He takes the historical facts of the other three Gospels and blends them with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, making this Gospel the unique blending of the practical and the mystical. Although written from a Jewish perspective, he uses the vocabulary of the contemporary Hellenistic mind.

As you can see, the author himself is a believer, but even as such, he still rejects the fundamentalist, literalist mentality that you have.