ow We Got the
ible
A Time Line of Key Events in the
History of the Bible
The New Testament Canon
• Two questions in particular may be raised
concerning the canon of the New
Testament:
• 1. Historically, how early can we trace the
origin of the canon?
• 2. Theologically, what does the collection
and recognition of the authoritative
character of the several books mean?
Oral & Written Tradition
• From the beginning it was expected that
certain of these documents would be read in
the public gatherings of the church. The
final instruction in Paul's earliest epistle is a
solemn admonition to see that "this letter be
read to all the brethren"
ow We Got the
ible
The witness of the New Testament to itself:
The first collections
• 1 Thess. 5:27
1Ti 5;18
• Col. 4:16
Lk 10: 7
• Rev. 1:3
• II Peter,3, 15-16
• Jude 17
Stages of NT Formation and
Transmission
• The Historical Jesus - words are spoken and
deeds are performed by Jesus himself during
his lifetime on earth.
• Oral Tradition - traditions and beliefs about
Jesus are developed and passed on by early
Christian communities.
• Written Sources - some of the miracles and/or
sayings of Jesus are compiled and recorded in
early written documents.
Stages of NT Formation and
Transmission
• Written Texts - individual letters, full
Gospels, etc., are written with particular
messages for particular situations.
• Canonization - four Gospels, several
collections of letters, and a few other texts
are accepted as authoritative scriptures.
Four Criteria for Canonicity
• Apostolic Origin - attributed to and/or based on the
preaching/teaching of the first-generation apostles (or
their closest companions).
• Universal Acceptance - acknowledged by all major
Christian communities in the Mediterranean world (by
the end of the fourth century).
• Liturgical Use - read publicly along with the OT when
early Christians gathered for the Lord's Supper (their
weekly worship services).
• Consistent Message - containing theological ideas
compatible with other accepted Christian writings (incl.
the divinity and humanity Jesus).
Witness – Marcion
Mar-shee-uhn
• The first person to attempt to define the
canon precisely was the heretic Marcion
• a.d. c100–c160, Christian Gnostic.
• Marcion was not satisfied with accepting
the eleven books of his canon in the
form he received them - He set out to
reconstruct the original, uncorrupted
text, free from all distortions
Witness – Marcion
Mar-shee-uhn
• In responce to Marcion's canon, the
expansion phase of the New Testament
canon began. The books in his canon in
unmutilated form were at the core of both
the final canon and most approximations
of it on the path to the final canon.
• Muratorian fragment is a copy of perhaps
the oldest known list of the books of the
New Testament
Muratorian Fragment
• The Muratorian fragment is a copy of
perhaps the oldest known list of the
books of the New Testament
• The text of the list itself is traditionally
dated to about 170 because its author
refers to Pius I, bishop of Rome (142 157), as recent.
Muratorian Fragment
• Accepts four Gospels
• Acts of all Apostles and 13 of the
Pauline Epistles
• Not the Epistle to the Hebrews, 1 and 2
Peter, or James
• Epistle of Jude
• Book of Wisdom
Witness - Ignatius
• Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria~110 CE in Rome
• Ignatius does not refer to older Christian writings by
name, but his letters have quotations (of approval)
from these writings:
– Gospel according to Matthew
– Gospel according to Luke
– Acts
– Romans
– I Corinthians
– Ephesians
– Colossians
– I Thessalonians
Witness - Polycarp
• Polycarp, Greek bishop of Smyrna (modern
Izmir, Turkey) was the leading 2nd-century figure
in Roman Asia.
• Born ~70 -- died (martyred) ~155 in Rome
• Polycarp has two or three times more
quotations and reminiscences from the
New Testament that does Ignatius. Of 112
Biblical reminiscences, about 100 are from
the New Testament
Witness - Polycarp
• Polycarp does not refer to
older Christian writings by
name, but The Letter to the
Philippians has quotations (of
approval) from these writings:
• Gospel according to Matthew
• Gospel according to Mark
• Gospel according to Luke
• Acts
• I Corinthians
• II Corinthians
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Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
I Thessalonians
II Thessalonians
I Timothy
II Timothy
Hebrews
I Peter
I John
III John
Witness - Justin Martyr
(~100 Shechem, Samaria - ~165 CE, Rome)
• Just Martyr does not
quote by name from any
New Testament writings.
He does use the formulae
of quotation 'it is
recorded' and 'it is
written', when quoting
from the 'Memoirs of the
apostles' or simply the
'Memoirs'. These
'Memoirs', Justin tells his
non-Christian readers,
were called the 'Gospels'.
• Justin Martyr considered
these books of spiritual
value:
• Gospel according to
Matthew
• Gospel according to Mark
• Gospel according to Luke
• Gospel according to John
• Revelation of John
Witness - Clement of Alexandria
(born ~150 probably in Athens -- wrote 180-200 in Alexandria -- died
between 211 and 215 in Jerusalem)
• Clement cites some 359
classical and other nonChristian writers, 70
Biblical writings (including
Old Testament
apocrypha), and 36
patristic and New
Testament apocryphal
writings, including those
of heretics.
• He quotes from New
Testament writings
almost twice as often as
from the Old Testament.
• Clement's work have
citations from all the
books of the New
Testament with the
exception of: Philemon,
James, II Peter, II John,
and III John
Witness - Didymus the Blind
• Didymus the blind was a celebrated
head of the catechetical school at
Alexandria.
• Blind at the age of 4, he memorized
great sections of the scriptures and, by
means of secretaries, dictated
numerous exegetical works.
• Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, made
him head of the Alexandrian school
Witness - Didymus the Blind
• The discovery in 1941 at Toura, south of Cairo,
of a group of papyrus codices, dating from the
6th or 7th centuries and comprising nearly 2000
pages, has brought to light the text of half a
dozen additional commentaries.
• Although these commentaries are on Old
Testament books, Didymus includes in his
exposition hundreds of citations from the New
Testament. These come from all the books of
the New Testament with the exception of:
• Philemon, II John, and III John
Witness - Tertullian of Carthage
(Born 155/160 Carthage - Died 220? CE)
• Tertullian, an early Christian author and
polemicist, helped to establish Latin -rather than Greek
• The life of Tertullian is based almost wholly
on information written by men living over a
century after him and from obscure
references in his own works.
Witness - Tertullian of Carthage
• Tertullian's New Testament was not
perceptively different from that of the
preceding period. He cites all the books of
the New Testament with the exception of: II
Peter, James, II John, and III John
• He considered heretical: Acts of Paul
Witness - Eusebius of Caesarea
(Born. ~260
CE probably in Caesarea, Died. ~340 CE)
• The 'Father of Church History‘
• Regarding Eusebius and the New Testament
canon, we will use a well-known passage in
his Ecclesiastical History
Witness - Eusebius of Caesarea
• Homologoumena (recognized) ... the holy
quaternion of the Gospels, which are
followed by the book of the Acts of the
Apostles. After this must be reckoned the
Epistles of Paul; next in order the extant
former Epistle of John, and likewise the
Epistle of Peter must be recognized. After
these must be put, if it really seems right,
the Apocalypse of John, .....
Council of Laodicea
363-364 CE
• The 59th canon restricted the readings in
church to only the canonical books of the
Old and New Testaments.
• The 60th canon listed these books, with
the New Testament containing 26 books,
omitting the Book of Revelation, and the
Old Testament including the 22 books of
the Hebrew Bible plus the Book of Baruch
and the Epistle of Jeremy.
Council of Rome
382 CE
• Local church council under the authority
of Pope Damasus, (366-384) gave a
complete list of canonical books of the
OT and NT which is identical with the
list later approved by the Council of
Trent.
Council of Hippo
393 CE
• Local North African Church council in
union with and under the authority of the
Bishop of Rome approved a list of OT and
NT canon (same as later approved by the
Council of Trent)
Council of Carthage
397 CE
• Local North African Church council in
union with and under the authority of the
Bishop of Rome approved a list of OT and
NT canon (same as later approved by the
Council of Trent)
Council of Carthage
419 CE
• Local North African Church council in
union with and under the authority of the
Bishop of Rome approved a list of OT and
NT canon (same as later approved by the
Council of Trent)
Council of Trent
1534 to 1549 CE
• The canon of OT and NT received final
definitions: 46 books in the OT; 27 in the
NT; "Henceforth the books of the OT and
the NT, protocanonical and
deuterocanonical alike, in their entirety and
with all their parts, comprise the canon and
are held to be of equal authority." The
ancient Vulgate edition of the Bible was
called the authoritative edition of the Bible.
De Canonicis Scripturis
• A decree (De Canonicis Scripturis) was
issued in which, for the first time in the
history of the Church, the question of the
contents of the Bible was made an absolute
article of faith and confirmed by anathema.