Final answer:
The Gospel of Mark is considered the first written of the New Testament gospels, dated around 70 CE, with the aim of documenting and interpreting the life and teachings of Jesus.
Step-by-step explanation:
Scholarly consensus places the Gospel of Mark as the earliest among the canonical gospels, generally dated around 70 CE. The gospel accounts were transcribed several decades after the events they narrate, relying on an oral tradition that preceded their written form.
The motivations behind crafting these gospels were multifaceted, encompassing a desire to document the life and teachings of Jesus, provide interpretations of his messages, and persuade others within the emerging context of early Christianity. The diverse purposes behind the gospel writings highlight the intricate and evolving landscape within which the Christian New Testament texts originated. As products of their time, these writings not only aimed to preserve the memory of Jesus but also to shape and convey the theological perspectives and convictions of their respective authors and communities.