THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON TAKES SHAPE
Marcion, a businessman in Rome - 140 A.D.
Teaches that there were two Gods:
Yahweh, the cruel God of the Old Testament
Abba, the kind father of the New Testament
So Marcion eliminates the Old Testament as scripture and, since he is anti-Semitic, includes in the New Testament only 10 letters of Paul and 2/3 of Luke's gospel (he deletes references to Jesus' Jewishness).
Marcion’s Canon:
Gospel according to Luke
Romans
1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
(Laodiceans)
Colossians
Thessalonians 1
Thessalonians 2
Philemon
Marcion's "New Testament"—the first to be compiled—forces other Christian leaders, like Irenaeus, to decide on a core canon: the four gospels, letters of Paul, other letters, but not Philemon, Hebrews, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John or Jude; it also includes the Shepherd of Hermes.
Yahweh, the cruel God of the Old Testament
Abba, the kind father of the New Testament
So Marcion eliminates the Old Testament as scripture and, since he is anti-Semitic, includes in the New Testament only 10 letters of Paul and 2/3 of Luke's gospel (he deletes references to Jesus' Jewishness).
Marcion’s Canon:
Gospel according to Luke
Romans
1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
(Laodiceans)
Colossians
Thessalonians 1
Thessalonians 2
Philemon
Marcion's "New Testament"—the first to be compiled—forces other Christian leaders, like Irenaeus, to decide on a core canon: the four gospels, letters of Paul, other letters, but not Philemon, Hebrews, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John or Jude; it also includes the Shepherd of Hermes.
Irenaeus’ Canon 180 A.D.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians
Thessalonians 1, Thessalonians 2, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, James (?), 1st Peter, 1st John, Revelation of John, and Shepherd of Hermes
Thessalonians 1, Thessalonians 2, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, James (?), 1st Peter, 1st John, Revelation of John, and Shepherd of Hermes
Clement of Alexandria
Secret Mark
A letter by Clement references 3 versions of the Gospel of Mark
A short one written in Rome based on Peter’s teachings
A longer “more spiritual” (possibly more Johannine) gospel written in Alexandria after Peter’s death
A “secret” version
Secret writings are easily modified, lost or hidden
How many 1st Century writings exist that are modified, lost or hidden to preserve doctrine?
A letter by Clement references 3 versions of the Gospel of Mark
A short one written in Rome based on Peter’s teachings
A longer “more spiritual” (possibly more Johannine) gospel written in Alexandria after Peter’s death
A “secret” version
Secret writings are easily modified, lost or hidden
How many 1st Century writings exist that are modified, lost or hidden to preserve doctrine?
Clement of Alexandria (190 A.D.)
First serious scholar among Christian church fathers
Citing other written sources around 8000 times, over 2500 of them outside the Christian and Jewish traditions.
Agreed with Tatian’s gospel choices but also added the Gospel of the Egyptians (generally considered Gnostic), Gospel of the Hebrews, Traditions of Matthias, Shepherd of Hermes, Epistle of Barnabas, Apocalypse of Peter, and the Didache
Included oral traditions as well
Citing other written sources around 8000 times, over 2500 of them outside the Christian and Jewish traditions.
Agreed with Tatian’s gospel choices but also added the Gospel of the Egyptians (generally considered Gnostic), Gospel of the Hebrews, Traditions of Matthias, Shepherd of Hermes, Epistle of Barnabas, Apocalypse of Peter, and the Didache
Included oral traditions as well
Origen (203 A.D.)
Became the head of the Christian Seminary in Alexandria at the age of 18
Origenes Adamantius
First seriously scholarly investigation of Christianity
Fled Alexandria in 231 after a dispute with Demetrius (Bishop of Alexandria)
Founded a new school in Caesarea which eventually outshone Alexandria
Converts Ambrose from Gnostic to Orthodoxy.
Ambrose becomes his financier
Self-castration (a capital crime in Rome)
Agreed with Diatessaron
Claiming it’s the only inspired, trustworthy gospel because it’s the only one that no one disputes...including Gospel of Peter, Shepherd of Hermes, Didache and Epistle of Barnabas as scripture
Doubts 2nd and 3rd John, 2nd Peter and Hebrews
Origenes Adamantius
First seriously scholarly investigation of Christianity
Fled Alexandria in 231 after a dispute with Demetrius (Bishop of Alexandria)
Founded a new school in Caesarea which eventually outshone Alexandria
Converts Ambrose from Gnostic to Orthodoxy.
Ambrose becomes his financier
Self-castration (a capital crime in Rome)
Agreed with Diatessaron
Claiming it’s the only inspired, trustworthy gospel because it’s the only one that no one disputes...including Gospel of Peter, Shepherd of Hermes, Didache and Epistle of Barnabas as scripture
Doubts 2nd and 3rd John, 2nd Peter and Hebrews
Tertullian (195 A.D.)
Highly educated lawyer
Converts in 195 A.D.
Accepts the traditional, unofficial Canon including Shepherd of Hermes until….‘distressed by the envy and laxity of the clergy in Rome’ he converts to Montanism
Converts in 195 A.D.
Accepts the traditional, unofficial Canon including Shepherd of Hermes until….‘distressed by the envy and laxity of the clergy in Rome’ he converts to Montanism
Muratorian Fragment
Late 2nd to 4th Century
Fragment of a Latin list of writings with comments
Includes Hermes as ‘highly regarded’ but not scripture
Excludes Hebrews, James, 1st & 2nd Peter, and 3rd John
Includes current Revelation as well as the Apocalypse of Peter and the Book of Wisdom
List attacks Marcionism, Montanism, Valentianism (basically all Gnostics)
Establishes claims of an implied canon as early as the 2nd Century, but not consistent with the current canon
Fragment of a Latin list of writings with comments
Includes Hermes as ‘highly regarded’ but not scripture
Excludes Hebrews, James, 1st & 2nd Peter, and 3rd John
Includes current Revelation as well as the Apocalypse of Peter and the Book of Wisdom
List attacks Marcionism, Montanism, Valentianism (basically all Gnostics)
Establishes claims of an implied canon as early as the 2nd Century, but not consistent with the current canon
Eusebius (275 A.D.)
Follows Origen’s beliefs (as a product of his school)
Endorses a trinity concept, but with Jesus as subordinate to God (never refers to him as theos)
Anything else was polytheism.
Advocated the use of fictions as“medicine”
Essentially, it’s ok to promote forgeries and lies if it furthers the cause of fighting heresy. Most of what we know of early Church history comes from his work on the History of the Church. For many things, he is the only source.
In the early 300’s, Eusebius of Caesarea classified books of the New Testament into “recognized,” “disputed,” “spurious” and “heretical” categories.
Endorses a trinity concept, but with Jesus as subordinate to God (never refers to him as theos)
Anything else was polytheism.
Advocated the use of fictions as“medicine”
Essentially, it’s ok to promote forgeries and lies if it furthers the cause of fighting heresy. Most of what we know of early Church history comes from his work on the History of the Church. For many things, he is the only source.
In the early 300’s, Eusebius of Caesarea classified books of the New Testament into “recognized,” “disputed,” “spurious” and “heretical” categories.
Cyril (350 A.D.)
Announced his list as part of a series of lectures along the lines of an “introduction to Christianity”
First official pronouncement from a high-ranking church official regarding a canon.
This one man pronounced that his list of books were the only books which could be read – even privately.
Identical to today’s Canon, with the exception of Revelation.
First official pronouncement from a high-ranking church official regarding a canon.
This one man pronounced that his list of books were the only books which could be read – even privately.
Identical to today’s Canon, with the exception of Revelation.
Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria)–367 A.D.
Declared, in his Festal Epistle, that the canon now contains Revelation and adds: “Let no one add to these, let nothing be taken away from them.”
This unofficially closes the canon, as it stands now
Western Catholic Canon
Another edict by one man
The earliest extant list of the books of New Testament, in exactly the number and order in which we presently have them, is written by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in his Easter letter.
This unofficially closes the canon, as it stands now
Western Catholic Canon
Another edict by one man
The earliest extant list of the books of New Testament, in exactly the number and order in which we presently have them, is written by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in his Easter letter.