The Formation of the Biblical Canon
1. Scrolls & codices.
2. The Septuagint.
3. The NT canon: stages of
development
4. The NT canon: selection
criteria.
P52. The earliest known fr. of the NT.
John 18: 31-33 (recto of a codex
page). Date: 120 (?).
Scroll
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus
Underlying text: the earliest known Christian Palestinian Aramaic, 6th c. AD.
Overlying text: Georgian, dated 979. Mt. Sinai, Egypt.
Scriptio continua. Prologue to the Gospel of John
ca. 200. P66
INTHEBEGINNINGWAS
THEWORDANDTHE
WORDWASWITHGDAND
THEWORDWASGD
Ambiguities of punctuation
• AWOMANWITHOUTHERMANISNOTHING
• A WOMAN, WITHOUT HER MAN, IS NOTHING
• A WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS NOTHING
Abbreviations of sacred names
Septuagint
 Greek translation of the OT
Begun in Alexandria under
Ptolemy Philadelphus in the
third c. BC.
 the legend
Significance: adopted as the
OT scripture of the Church
Greek translation of Leviticus. Egypt, 2nd c.
CE. The oldest MS of LXX.
Old Latin Translation of the OT. This translation predates
the Vulgate. Shown: Ezek. 20. North Italy, 5th c. AD. T
The Vulgate
Codex Amianitus. Northumbria, 8th c.
NT canon: stages of development
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Witnessing Jesus’ ministry
Preaching and teaching about Jesus
Composition of the written materials
Proliferation of pseudepigrapha
Selection of writings
Gospel traditions
Collected, memorized and
(perhaps) recorded:
–
–
–
Sayings of Jesus
Miracle stories
Passion narrative
Four Source Hypothesis
Gospel of Thomas
Beginning
Ending with title
Production of Pseudoepigrapha
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Gospels attributed to individual
apostles or groups:
– Peter, James, Philip,
Thomas,Judas, Mary, pseudoMatthew, Matthias, Bartholomew,
the Twelve Apostles, Ebionites,
Hebrews, Nazaraeans, Egyptians,
Gospels under general titles:
– Perfection, Truth, the Four
Heavenly Regions
Gospels attributed to heretics:
– Cerinthus, Basilides, Marcion,
Apelles, Bardesanes, Mani
Other apocryphal literature:
– Apocryphon of: John, James;
Apocalypse of John, Peter;
Correspondence between Paul
and Seneca; Shepherd of Hermas
Non-canonical gospel fragment
Timeline
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3rd c. B.C.E. Septuagint. Translation work begun under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285246 BCE) in Alexandria.
end of 1st c. C.E. (?) Council of Javneh: Jewish canon closed with 39 books.
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NT canon:
50ies: Pauline Epistles. Paul died ca. 60.
60ies-early 70ies: Gospel of Mark.
80ies: Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
90ies: Gospel of John and the rest of the canon.
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140ies Marcion produces his own canon.
170ies Tatian publishes Diatessaron.
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180ies Irenaeus attests the use of the four gospels.
•
200 ( or 4th c?): Muratorian canon. Some Gnostic Gospels and apocrypha rejected.
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367: The first full list of the 27 NT writings mentioned in the letter of Athanasius of Alexandria
Marcion’s version of Christianity
• Antinomianism: sharp contrast between the Law
and the Gospel
• Docetism
• Marcion’s biblical canon
• Church’s response to Marcion
Irenaeus' contribution
Irenaeus on the use
of the four gospels
Irenaeus, Haer. 3.11.7: ‘So firm is the ground
upon which these Gospels rest that the very
heretics themselves bear witness to them, and
starting from them, each endeavors to establish
his own peculiar doctrine. For the Ebionites…
use Matthew’s Gospel…; Marcion mutilates that
accordning to Luke….; those who separate Jesus
from Christ [Docetists]… prefer the Gospel of
Mark…; those who follow Valentinus make
copious use of that according to John…”
NT canon: informal selection criteria
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use in public worship &
teaching.
Orthodoxy = agreement
with the apostolic
tradition and rule of faith.
Apostolicity = attributed
to apostles or ‘apostolic
men’.
Antiquity =belong to the
‘apostolic age’.