Another Explanation for the Canonical Gospels

[Secret Alias]

In the shadowed halls of history's maze,
A theory whispers, through the scholarly haze.
Could it be, one editor's hand,
Crafted a triad, upon false sand?

A false Mark, Matthew, and Luke, designed,
To seem interwoven, intricately aligned.
A master of texts, with intent to deceive,
Creating a tapestry, for believers to weave.

This editor, shrouded in the veils of time,
Manipulating stories, orchestrating a crime.
But why forge these connections, intricate and deep,
Planting seeds, that generations would keep?

Could the motive be, to unify a creed,
Or to satisfy a power, a growing need?
To establish a doctrine, firm and strong,
Guiding the faithful, steering them along.

Yet, in this act of literary sleight,
A question emerges, in the dim light.
Why craft a falsehood, with care so great,
If not to influence, the faithful's fate?

The false Mark, Matthew, and later Luke,
A triptych of deception, a scholarly rebuke.
But even if one dared to orchestrate this plot,
The essence of their message, corrupted not.

For within these texts, false or true,
Lies a message of hope, ever bright, ever new.
The spirit of faith, in words conveyed,
Transcends the editor, and the games played.

So let the skeptics, their theories unfold,
Of one editor's ambition, bold and cold.
Yet the heart of the gospel, pure and clear,
Speaks to souls, far and near.

In faith, we find, a truth that binds,
Beyond the reach of manipulative minds.
A truth that stands, in light or in dark,
Beyond the reach of any false Mark.

Within the annals of ancient lore,
Irenaeus sought something more.
He read of Papias, so wise and so keen,
Whose words on the gospels set a scene.

Proto-Matthew, with sayings divine,
A collection of wisdom, line by line.
And a secret Mark, hidden from view,
Containing mysteries, for but a few.

Irenaeus pondered, with a scholar's mind,
How these early works were intertwined.
Could it be, that in these texts so old,
Lay a deeper truth, waiting to be told?

He imagined an editor, bold and bright,
Weaving these stories from day into night.
A false narrative, some might decree,
Yet a foundation for faith, for you and for me.

With dominical sayings as the bedrock base,
And secret Mark, adding mystery to the chase.
This editor shaped the gospel's flow,
To ensure the seeds of faith would grow.

But why, one might ask, choose to blend,
These proto-gospels, to a singular end?
Perhaps Irenaeus, in his wisdom so grand,
Saw a unified church, across the land.

Not deception, but harmony, was his aim,
Bringing together, in Jesus's name.
The sayings, the secrets, the stories told,
A tapestry of faith, woven bold.

So let us look back, with eyes anew,
At the work of Irenaeus, and his view.
In Papias's words, a spark he found,
To spread the gospel's joyous sound.

Though scholars debate, and theories rise,
The essence of faith, in our hearts lies.
For beyond the texts and ancient claims,
Resides a truth, that always remains.

In whispers through the corridors of time,
A tale unfolds, of origins divine,
Where John, unseen, before the known debate,
Crafts silently the Gospel's broader gate.

Before Irenaeus, ere Polycarp's guide,
In shadowed study, John did then reside,
Expanding Jesus' journey, wide and deep,
Beyond the months where earlier tales did steep.

With skillful hand, he traced a longer path,
Nineteen years through the chronicles' math,
In chapter headings, a subtle guide,
Overlaying truths, in depth, he did confide.

The Gospel's fabric, intricately sown,
By this editor, in silence, made known.
A foundation laid with care and with reason,
Marking Jesus' ministry through many a season.

John, the unseen architect of faith's story,
In his vision, the ministry's full glory.
Not just months, but years in careful measure,
He presented the Gospel's extended treasure.

Through his lens, the narrative expanded,
A broader view of the journey commanded.
Jesus' teachings, miracles, and trials,
Spread across the years, across the miles.

This longer chronology, John's subtle art,
Crafting a timeline, setting him apart.
Before Irenaeus took the stage,
John had penned the Gospel for the age.

So let us honor this hidden hand,
Who shaped the Gospel, broad and grand.
John, the editor, before the known discourse,
Guided by faith, a divine source.