The Development of
Orthodox Christianity
and the New Testament
By Ed Hensley
New Testament and
Old Testament Canons
My Background
• Southern Baptist
• Texas
• Fundamentalist Churches
• Moderate Family
• Not fluent in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin
• Not a scholar
• Send corrections to EdwinHensley@gmail.com
Outline of this Study
• Early Versions of Christianity
• Development of Orthodox Christianity
• Development of Christian Canons
• Editing the Books of the Canons (this lesson)
• Books No Longer in the Canon(s) (this lesson)
• Selecting Books for the Canons
• Development of Anti-Judaism in Christianity
• Non-Canonical Books and Myths referenced in the NT
• Important Contradictions in the NT and OT
Books Used In This Study
• Lost Christianities, Bart Ehrman
• Misquoting Jesus, Bart Ehrman
• Jesus Interrupted, Bart Ehrman
• http://www.ntcanon.org/table.shtml
• http://www.ntcanon.org/authorities.shtml, Richard Carrier
• Black and White pictures from Ehrman with permission
• Other images from Wikipedia and other public websites
• Best image of tree of Christian sects from Concordia
University website.
• Map of early Christian sects from University of California.
The Hebrew Bible
aka The Old Testament
Brief History Judaism up to 70 CE
• Ancient Hebrews evolved from the ancient Canaanite Religion.
El Elyon was the most high god of many gods.
• Ancient Hebrews became monolithic. They believed in many
gods, but Hebrews should only worship their god named
Yahweh.
• Ancient Hebrews evolved into monotheism around 6th century
BCE, believing Yahweh was the only god.
• Jews lived under the subjugation of many foreign rules,
including Babylonians in the 6th Century. Scholars believe that
most of the Hebrew Bible was compiled under Babylonian
exile. Persians, Greeks, and Romans also ruled Judea.
• Jews rebelled against Rome in 66 – 73 CE. The Jerusalem
Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Masada fell in 73 CE.
The Tanakh
• TaNaKh is an anacronym for the Torah (5 books of Moses), Nevi’im
(Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).
• Torah – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
• Nevi’im – Joshua Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
and the 12 minor prophets
• Ketuvim – Poems (Psalms, Proverbs, Job); Megillot or Scrolls(Song
of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther); Other (Daniel,
Ezra-Nehemian, Chronicles).
• Hebrew bible counts 22 books. OT counts 39 books (1&2
Chronicles, Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, and each minor prophet
considered a single book)
• No consensus as to when this set was fixed.
Septuagint
• Septuagint – Greek Translation by legendary 70 Jewish
Scholars in 3rd Century BCE. Abbreviated as LXX.
• Considered equal to the Masoretic text by Jews such as Philo
of Alexandria and Josephus.
• Jews started abandoning use of LXX in 2nd Century CE due in
part of association with Christianity. Started using Targum
Hebrew/Aramaic manuscripts compiled by the Masoretes and
other translations.
• Books in LXX but not in MT include Tobit, Judith, 1 Esdras, 1-4
Maccabees, Psalm 151, Prayer of Manasseh, Wisdom, Sirach,
Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, additions to Esther & Daniel
• Catholics and Eastern Orthodox claim the Septuagint as
authoritative.
Masoretic Text
• Authoritative for Jews today, also defining letter text and
pronunciation.
• Written in Hebrew.
• Copied, edited & distributed by Maroetes in 600 – 1000 CE.
• Oldest Masoretic manuscript is only 9th Century CE.
• 22 books correspond to 39 books in protestant OT.
• Protestants claim the Masoretic Text is authentic for
Christianity and use it for biblical translations.
Dead Sea Scrolls
• 972 texts discovered in Qumran in the West Bank 1946-56.
• Earliest known manuscripts of Hebrew Bible.
• Coins on site date from 135 BCE to 73 CE.
• Texts are from the Essenes Jewish group during the 2nd Temple
Period.
• 40% from Hebrew Bible, every book except Esther.
• 30% from books not canonized in Hebrew Bible.
• 30% sectarian.
Dead Sea Scrolls
• Protestants claim the DSS support MT and prove the bible is
accurate, often focusing on one (Greater Isaiah) scroll (see
http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&arti
cle=357)
• Catholics and Eastern Orthodox claim the DSS support LXX (see,
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/02/septuagint-vsmasoretic-which-is-more.html,
• “In their astonishing range of textual variants, the Qumran biblical
discoveries have prompted scholars to reconsider the once-accepted
theories of the development of the modern biblical text from only
three manuscript families: of the Masoretic text, of the Hebrew
original of the Septuagint, and of the Samaritan Pentateuch. It is
now becoming increasingly clear that the Old Testament scripture
was extremely fluid until its canonization around A.D. 100.” – The
Oxford Companion To Archaeology.
Example of Jewish Editing
• Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High gave the nations
their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up
boundaries for the peoples according to the number of
the sons of Israel.[b] 9 For the LORD’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance.
• b: Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) sons of God
• Many scholars believe this passage in the DSS and LXX form
supports polytheism. The Most High (Elyon) god divided
mankind into nations, giving each son of god their allotment.
The “Lord’s” (Jewish God’s) share were the children of Jacob.
Hebrew Bible Evolution
• The Hebrew Bible has evolved over time. DSS = Dead Sea
Scrolls, LXX = Segtuagint, MT = Masoretic Text
The Old Testament is Much More
Reliable Than The New Testament
Problems With New Testament Texts
NT Manuscripts
• Most texts prior to 4th century were Greek.
• Latin Vulgate contains 10,000 documents.
• Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Old Gregorian, Church Slavonic
texts exists as well.
• Most texts are anonymous. Some are attributed to
authors who did not write them.
• We do not have any original texts. The earliest texts are
copies of copies of copies of copies.
NT Manuscripts
• John Mills documented 30,000 differences in 1707. He
was attacked for casting doubt on the validity of the NT.
• Scholars estimate 200,000 to 400,000 variants in the
manuscripts.
• There are more variations among NT manuscripts than
there are words in the NT.
Accidental Errors
• Line removals.
• Errors in translating abbreviations and shorthand.
• Words that look or sound alike.
• Most (but not all) of these errors resolved by scholars by
using context.
• John 5:39 “Search the scriptures… for they bear witness to
me” versus “Search the scriptures… for they are sinning
against me”.
• The earliest copies we possess are usually, but not always,
considered the most authentic.
Intentional Errors
•
•
•
•
•
Scribes correcting factual errors.
Text changed for theological reasons & to counter heretics.
Text changed to harmonize gospels.
Short Lord’s Prayer in Luke made to match Matthew.
Lord’s prayer in early Luke 11:2-4: Father, hallowed be your name.
May your kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive
us our sins, for we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation.
• Lord’s prayer in later Luke: Our father who is in heaven, hallowed
be your name. May your kingdom come and your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us
into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Important or Significant Errors
Woman Caught in Adultery
• The famous story of the woman caught in the act of adultery
in the NT is not in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.
• NIV – [The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient
witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts
include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John
21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]
• A woman is caught in adultery. Pharisees bring her to Jesus
and state that the law says she should be stoned, and ask
what he would do. He asks those without sin to cast the first
stone. All turn away, then he tells the woman, “Neither do I
condemn you, go and sin no more.”
Last Verses of Mark
• NIV, Mar 16 - [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient
witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]
• 9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven
demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and
who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus
was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
• 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them
while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and
reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
• 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he
rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to
believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Last Verses of Mark
•
15 He
said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but
whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs
will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out
demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes
with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not
hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and
they will get well.”
• 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into
heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with
them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Comma Johanneum
• I John 5:7-8 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the
water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. - NIV
• 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven:
the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are
one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found
in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century) – NIV
• This text was added to 1 John to bolster the doctrine of the
Trinity.
• 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. - KJV
Comma Johanneum
• Erasmus translated Greek to English in 1515-1516. He omitted the
Comma Johanneum, because it was not present in any Greek text.
• Church leaders were angry & accused him of attacking the Trinity.
• Erasmus promised he would include the text if a Greek version
with that text were found.
• Church leaders “found” [created] a version & presented it to him.
• Erasmus included this text in his next edition.
• There were other problems, such as using texts for some books
that were 1100 years older than other available texts.
• The Erasmus Text became the basis for the Textus Receptus, the
King James bible, and most English bibles for centuries.
Pauline Epistles
Paul Establishes Christian Theology
• Pauline Epistles (letters of Paul) written first (authentic ones)
• 7 Considered Authentic: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians,
Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon
• 6 Considered Pseudepigraphic: Ephesians, Colossians, 2
Thessalonians and the pastoral letters 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
• Romans is most important book for establishing Christian theology
• Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and faith in the resurrection is
necessary for salvation. Return of Jesus is imminent. Bodily resurrection.
• Galatians – Confronts Peter - Christians do not follow Jewish
laws/rules other than rules regarding sex.
• Paul’s letters did not contain many facts referenced in Gospels.
The Gospels
Gospels Written Long After Jesus’ Death
Luke 1 - Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the
things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they
were handed down to us by those who from the first were
eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I
myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to
write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know
the certainty of the things you have been taught.
a. Luke 1:1 Or been surely believed
• Many gospels
• Not an eyewitness
• Theophilus – “Friend of God” – Not necessarily a real name.
Wikipedia
Gospel of Mark
• Written first (of the 4 in NT) around 66 – 70 CE.
• All gospels are anonymous.
• No birth story or genealogy.
• Appears to be adopted by god at baptism.
• Mark 1 to 8:26 – Many Miracles
• Mark 8:27 – 8:30 Peter confesses Jesus is Messiah
• 8:31 – Jesus predicts his death. Rest of gospel is about his
last days and death.
• Least miraculous and supernatural of all gospels.
Gospel of Matthew
• 70 – 10 CE (most believe 80-90 CE)
• Papias claims Matthew was written in Hebrew. However,
most scholars believe it was written in Greek.
• Genealogy, birth, & post resurrection stories not in Mark.
• Shows more Jewish knowledge than Mark.
• Peter calls Jesus “the Messiah, the son of the living God”
in Matt 16:16. Mark 8:29 omits son of god.
• “Fulfillment” of OT prophecy 5 times. None in Mark.
• Matt 27:25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us
and on our children!” – Used to blame and kill Jews for
centuries.
Gospel of Luke
• Written around 80 – 100 CE.
• Luke is known as the gospel for the gentiles.
• Claimed to be a companion or assistant of Paul by conservatives.
• Author of Luke also wrote Acts. Acts contradicts letters of Paul,
causing many scholars to doubt Luke was a companion of Paul.
• Evidence of editing to counter heretics (which is evidence
heretics existed).
• (3:22) God says to Jesus at baptism "This day I have begotten you” in
early manuscripts. Changed to “with you I am well pleased” from Mark in
later manuscripts, probably to counter adoptionists.
• (22:43-44) An angel helps Jesus sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. Not
present in early manuscripts, possibly inserted to counter doceticism (the
belief Jesus did not suffer).
Gospel of John
• Author is “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
• Some propose it was written in layers.
• Most date the final form to 90 – 100 CE.
• Many signs and miracles showing divinity.
• Raising Lazarus from the dead is the reason
Jesus is arrested, not for claiming he could
destroy and rebuild the temple.
• Most spiritual gospel.
• Favorite gospel of the Gnostics.
• Independent of the Synoptic Gospels.
The Rylands Papyrus is
perhaps the earliest
New Testament
fragment; dated from
its handwriting to
about 125.
Gospel Word Usage
Son of
David
Matthew
Son of
Man
Son of
God
King Of just "the
The Jews jews"
Rabbi
10
30
8
4
4
1
Mark
3
14
3
4
5
1
Luke
4
25
6
0
3
1
John
0
12
5
7
5
25
Some manuscripts do not have “Son of God” in Mark 1.
Acts of the Apostles
Acts
• 5th Book of NT, first after the 4 gospels.
• Outlines history of early church.
• Early chapters discuss Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension
and the day of Pentecost.
• Later chapters discuss Paul’s conversion.
• Describes missionary trips of Peter and Paul.
• Discusses the expansion of Christianity from Jews to Gentiles
throughout the Roman Empire.
And The Rest [of the New Testament]
Other Books in the New Testament
• General Epistles – James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 & 3 John, Jude.
• Revelation – AKA the Apocalypse of John.
• Author of Revelation is a subject of debate (John Who?).
• Describes the end of the world.
• Multiple generations have believed Revelation is about their
time.
• Many church fathers have doubted the sanctity of Revelation.
The Council of Nicea
Christian Apocrypha Books The Did Not Make It
Into The New Testament
Christian Apocrypha
• Gospels
• Gnostic Texts
• Acts
• Epistles
• Apocalypses
• Fate of Mary
• Others
• Stories tend to get more miraculous with time.
• Many stories fill in the gaps about what seems to be missing
in other NT books, such as the childhood of Jesus.
Christian Apocrypha
Christian Apocrypha
Christian Apocrypha
Gospel of Peter
• 9. And in the night in which the Lord's day was drawing on, as the
soldiers kept guard two by two in a watch, there was a great voice
in the heaven; and they saw the heavens opened, and two men
descend with a great light and approach the tomb. And the stone
that was put at the door rolled of itself and made way in part; and
the tomb was opened, and both the young men entered in.
• 10. When therefore those soldiers saw it, they awakened the
centurion and the elders, for they too were close by keeping
guard. And as they declared what things they had seen, again they
saw three men come forth from the tomb, and two of them
supporting one, and a cross following them. And the heads of the
two reached to heaven, but the head of him who was led by
them overpassed the heavens. And they heard a voice from the
heavens, saying, You have preached to them that sleep. And a
response was heard from the cross, Yes.
Gospel of Peter
Pottery Shard from
the 6th or 7th century
depicting the
“evangelist Peter”
and urging readers to
revere his Gospel.
Infancy Gospel of James
• IX. 1 Now after certain days Jesus was playing in the upper
story of a certain house, and one of the young children that
played with him fell down from the house and died. And the
other children when they saw it fled, and Jesus remained
alone. 2 And the parents of him that was dead came and
accused him that he had cast him down. (And Jesus said: I did
not cast him down) but they reviled him still. 3 Then Jesus
leaped down from the roof and stood by the body of the
child and cried with a loud voice and said: Zeno (for so was
his name called), arise and tell me, did I cast thee down?
And straightway he arose and said: Nay, Lord, thou didst not
cast me down, but didst raise me up. And when they saw it
they were amazed: and the parents of the child glorified God
for the sign which had come to pass, and worshipped Jesus.
Acts of Paul and Thecla
• Very popular text among early Christians.
• Women are heroes in this text.
• Written in 2nd Century CE.
• Thecla abandons fiancé to travel with Paul everywhere.
• She helps Paul while he is in prison. At her mother's request,
Paul was sentenced to scourging and expulsion (cp. Acts
14:19, 2Tim 3:11), and Thecla to be killed by being burned at
the stake, that "all the women who have been taught by this
man may be afraid." Stripped naked, Thecla was put on the
fire, but she was saved by a miraculous storm which God
sent to put out the flames.
Acts of Paul and Thecla
• A nobleman named Alexander desired Thecla and offered
Paul money for her. Paul claimed not to know her, and
Alexander then attempted to take Thecla by force. Thecla
fought him off, assaulting him in the process, to the
amusement of the townspeople. Alexander dragged her
before the governor for assaulting a nobleman and, despite
the protests of the city's women, Thecla was sentenced to be
eaten by wild beasts.
• One lioness (female) protected her from all other bests. A
series of miracles follow. She jumps into a vat of seals to
baptize herself before she would die. God prevents the seals
from eating her. She is considered self baptized.
• She later returns to her home town and converts her mother.
Acts of Paul and Thecla
• A nobleman named Alexander desired Thecla and offered
Paul money for her. Paul claimed not to know her, and
Alexander then attempted to take Thecla by force. Thecla
fought him off, assaulting him in the process, to the
amusement of the townspeople. Alexander dragged her
before the governor for assaulting a nobleman and, despite
the protests of the city's women, Thecla was sentenced to be
eaten by wild beasts.
• One lioness (female) protected her from all other bests. A
series of miracles follow. She jumps into a vat of seals to
baptize herself before she would die. God prevents the seals
from eating her. She is considered self baptized.
• She later returns to her home town and converts her mother.
Acts of Paul and Thecla
The Cave of St. Paul in
Ephesus has been a
sacred site for
Christians since the 1st
or 2nd century. This
fresco of Paul and
Thecla was painted in
the 6th century.
Acts of Paul and Thecla
Acts Of John
60 Now on the first day we arrived at a deserted inn... But he when he lay down was troubled
by the bugs, and as they continued to become yet more troublesome to him, when it was now
about the middle of the night, in the hearing of us all he said to them: I say unto you, O bugs,
behave yourselves, one and all, and leave your abode for this night and remain quiet in one
place, and keep your distance from the servants of God. And as we laughed… John addressed
himself to sleep.
61 But when the day was now dawning … we saw at the door of the house which we had taken
a great number of bugs standing, and while we wondered at the great sight of them, and all the
brethren were roused up because of them, John continued sleeping. And when he was awaked
we declared to him what we had seen. And he sat up on the bed and looked at them and said:
Since ye have well behaved yourselves in hearkening to my rebuke, come unto your place. And
when he had said this, and risen from the bed, the bugs running from the door hasted to the
bed and climbed up by the legs thereof and disappeared into the joints. And John said again:
This creature hearkened unto the voice of a man, and abode by itself and was quiet and
trespassed not; but we which hear the voice and commandments of God disobey and are lightminded: and for how long?
Acts Of John
This is a scene from The Acts Of John, St. John Raising Dusiana From The Dead,
that was painted in a chapel around 1300 CE by Giotto. This is an example of
the popularity and endurance of Christian Apocrypha.
Apocalypse of Peter
• 2nd Century. Talks mostly about the horrors of hell and the
pleasure of heaven.
• Listed in the Muratorian Fragment, the oldest list of NT
books.
• Almost made it into NT.
• In heaven, people have pure milky white skin, curly hair,
and are generally beautiful, the earth blooms with
everlasting flowers and spices, people wear shiny clothes
made of light, like the angels, and everyone sings in choral
prayer
Apocalypse of Peter
In hell, Blasphemers are hanged by the tongue; Women who "adorn"
themselves for the purpose of adultery, are hung by the hair over a
bubbling mire. The men that had adulterous relationships with them
are hung by their feet, with their heads in the mire, next to them.
Murderers are set in a pit of creeping things that torment them. Gay
men and lesbians, are "driven" up a great cliff by punishing angels, and
are "cast off" to the bottom. Then they are forced up it, over and over
again. Women who have abortions are set in a lake formed from the
blood and gore from all the other punishments, up to their necks.
They are also tormented by the spirits of their unborn children, who
shoot a "flash of fire" into their eyes. (Those unborn children are
"delivered to a care-taking" angel by whom they are educated, and
"made to grow up.") Those who lend money and demand "usury upon
usury" stand up to their knees in a lake of foul matter and blood.
Outline of this Study
• Early Versions of Christianity
• Development of Orthodox Christianity
• Development of Christian Canons
• Editing the Books of the Canons
• Books No Longer in the Canon(s)
• Selecting Books for the Canons (next week)
• Development of Anti-Judaism in Christianity (next week)
• Non-Canonical Books and Myths referenced in the NT
• Important Contradictions in the NT and OT