CHAPTER13WHICHBOOKSMADEITINTOTHENEWTESTAMENTAND

WHY?

Whyarethereonly27booksandhowweretheyselected?

WeretheytheonlybookswriHen?

WeneedtounderstandthecontextinwhichtheNTwaswri3en.

TheseChris6ansdidnotseeJesusasafounderofanewreligion,butthefulfillmentoftheold.Soearlyon,Chris6anitywasconsiderednothingmorethananotherJewishsect.AsasidenotebothChris6anityandRabbinicalJudaismsprangfromtheOTJudaism.NeitherrequiredsacrificesaFerthetemplewasdestroyedin70AD.

Why do think ChrisIanity was l ikeimmed i a t e l y f o l l ow i n g t h e dea th ,resurrecIon,andascensionofJesus?

Chris6answeremostlyinJerusalemandmostconvertswereJewishSomecamefromoutsideJerusalemandstayedthereorwentbackhometoGalileeandspreadChris6anityThe11discipleswereTHEauthorityonJesusandtoldmanystoriestothepeople.

Discipleswouldgofromvillagetovillage.Askedtotellstoriesabouttheir6meswithJesusandwhatJesussaid.AsChris6anitybegantospread,thedisciplescouldnotbeeverywheresoapostolicwri6ngstooktheplaceofapostolicpresenceandthewri3enwordbecameama3erofgreatimportance.Thesewerewri3eninGreekbecausethatwastheuniversallanguageofthe6me

Eachvillagehadtheirownsetofstoriestoreadwhilethediscipleswereaway.Somewherealongtheline,someonedecidedtocreateacollec6onofthesestoriessotherewouldbeauniformsource.

MostJewsrejectedJesusasthefulfillmentofOTprophecyconcerningtheMessiahandtheyrejectedtheChris6anmessagesotheChris6anshadtocomeupwiththeironauthorita6vewri6ngstoseparatethemselvesfromtheJews.

Whowrotethe4Gospels?

Mathew,Mark,LukeandJohnwereprobablyallcompiledbyanonymouswelleducated,GreekspeakingChris6ansduringthesecondhalfofthefirstcentury.Theygottheirnamesbecausesome6meinthesecondcentury,theproto-orthodoxygrouprecognizedtheneedforauthorita6venamessotheya3ributedthemtoMa3hewandJohn(twoapostles),Mark(thesecretaryforPeter),andLuke(thetravelingcompanionofPaul)

Somebookswerehomonymouslywri3enwhichmeansthattheywerewri3enbyapersonthathadthesamenameasapersonwellknowninChris6ancircles.ThebookofJamesgivesnoindica6onthatheisJamesthebrotherofJesusoroneofthedisciples.

Somebookswerepseudononymous,aforgerywri3enbysomeoneclaimingtobesomeoneelse.Theydidthisinordertogetahearingoftheirviews.2Peterisanexample.Althoughthesebooksmaynothaveactuallybeenwri3enbyanapostletheyweredeemedOKbecausetheycontainedapostolicteachings.

Chris6ansatthat6mesawnoneedforafixednumberofbooksandaclosedcanon(agroupofliteraryworksthataregenerallyacceptedasrepresen6ngafield)soyouseenobooksin90AD

Whatdoescanonmean?

InclassicalGreektheworld"canon"signifiesproperly,"astraightrod,"or"acarpenter'srule."IntheearlyagesoftheChris6anreligionitgenerallydenotedastandardofopinionandprac6ce.

Eventsofthe2ndhalfofthe2ndcenturycreatedademandforaproto-othodoxycanonDifferentgroupsbegantoclaimdifferentauthori6esforthetextstheyused.TherewerefourmaingroupsthatsprangupwithdifferingviewsofJesusandhisteachings.•  Ebionites•  Marcionites(Doce6cs)•  Gnos6cs•  Proto-orthodoxy

TheEbionitesregardedJesusofNazarethastheMessiahwhilerejec6nghisdivinityandinsistedonthenecessityoffollowingJewishlawandrites.TheysaidonehadtoconverttoJudaismbeforebecomingaChris6an.

ThemajorityofChurchFathersagreethattheEbionitesrejectedmanyofthepreceptscentraltoNiceneorthodoxy,suchashispre-existence,divinity(onlyhuman),virginbirth,atoningdeath,andphysicalresurrec6on.TheEbioniteswereJewsandclaimedtheOTandMa3hewbutrejectedallofPaul’steachings.Theyomi3edthefirsttwochapters(birthnarra6ve),andstartedwiththebap6smofJesusbyJohn.

WhatisyouropinionoftheEbionites?

Around139CEMarcionarrivedinRome.Hegainedadmissiontothechurchanddonatedasubstan6alsumaround200,000sesterceswhereonesester6usisworthabout$3.Thenamesester6usmeans"twoandonehalf",referringtoitsnominalvalueoftwoandahalfdonkeys,avaluethatwasusefulforcommercebecauseitwasonequarterofadenarius,acoinworthtendonkeys.Marcionstruggledwiththeques6onashowtoreconcileYahweh,theGodoftheOTwhocreatedallthingsandat6messeemstobeharsh,angry,andjealouswiththeGodandFatherofJesuswhoisloving,compassionate,andkind.

Howdoyouhandlethis?

Marcionalsostruggledtryingtomakesenseoftheproblemofsufferingandevilandwhybadthingshappentogoodpeople.

Howdoyouhandlethis?

MarcionresolvedthetwoissuesbyusingandemergingphilosophyfromGnos6cism.MarcionsaidthatYahweh,theGodoftheOTwasNOTtheGodandFatherofJesus,inotherwordthereweretwoGods.

HowdoyoulikeMarcion’ssoluIon?

IftherewerenottwoGods,thendidGodchangebetweentheOldandNewtestament?

MarcionwantedtodetachChris6anityfromJudaism.MarcionwasthefirstpersontoassembleabookofdocumentsresemblingtheNewTestament.TheMarcionrejectedtheOTaltogetherbecausetheywerethescripturesofYahwehandonlytook10ofPaul’swri6ngsandLuke’s,butremovedthebirthnarra6vefromLukeandallOTreferencesfromPaul’sle3ers

WhatdoyouthinkofMarcion’saHemptataNT?

TheMarcionites(Doce6cs)believedbroadlyitisthatJesusonlyseemedtobehuman(onlydivine),andthathishumanformwasanillusion.Around144CE,MarcionchosetomakehistheologicalsystempublicpossiblywiththeviewofswayingthechurchatlargeandcalledforacouncilofRomanpresbyters,thefirstcouncilonrecord.

Whatdoyouthinkhappened?

TheRomanpresbytersrejectedhisviews,returnedis200,000sestercesandexcommunicatedhimfromthechurch.Doce6smwasunequivocallyrejectedattheFirstCouncilofNicaeain325andisregardedashere6calbytheCatholicChurch,OrthodoxChurch.

OneoftheimportantoutcomesofMarcion’shere6cala3emptwasthatthechurchchurchbegantotakeseriouslytheimportanceofwhichbookswouldbeconsideredandreadandstudiedinworship.

WhatisyouropinionoftheMarcionites?

Non-canonicalDoceIctexts

•  GospelofPhillip•  SecondTrea6seoftheGreatSeth•  Gnos6cApocalypseofPeter•  GospelofJudas•  GospelofPeter•  ActsofJohn•  GospelofBasilides

TheGnos6cs(havingknowledge)dependedonthesecretsthatweretoldonlytospecialpeople.Gnos6cismisamodernnameforavarietyofancientreligiousideasandsystems,origina6nginJewishmilieusinthefirstandsecondcenturyAD.BasedontheirreadingsoftheTorahandotherBiblicalwri6ngs,thesesystemsinducedthatthematerialworldiscreatedbyanignorantemana6onofthehighestGod.

OneofthemajorproblemswithGnos6cismwasthattheywouldimbedthemselvesintradi6onalchurchesandrecitetheircreeds,buthadtheirownsecretmee6ngs.SomeofthewordingintheGospelsistocombatGnos6cism.

TheChris6anheresiologists,mostnotablyIrenaeus,regardedGnos6cismasaChris6anheresy.ModernscholarshipnotesthatearlyChris6anitywasverydiverse,andChris6anorthodoxyonlyse3ledinthe4thcentury,whentheRomanEmpiredeclinedandGnos6cismlostitsinfluence

Paul’sle3ersformtheearliestproto-NewTestament.Theygaveinstruc6ons,answeredques6ons,gaveguidanceandencouragement.TheearlychurchstruggledtounderstandPaul’sle3ers.

Read2Peter3:15-16

WhattroublesdoyouhavewithPaul’sleHers?

TheauthorsaysthatPaul’steachingwasbeingdistortedbysomeignorantandunstablepeopleandthathisle3erswerepronetomisinterpreta6on.

HowdoyouseePaul’sleHersbeingmisinterpretedanddistortedtoday?

TertulliancallsPaul"theapostleofthehere6cs”,becausePaul'swri6ngswerea3rac6vetognos6cs,andinterpretedinagnos6cway,whileJewishChris6ansfoundhimtostrayfromtheJewishrootsofChris6anity

Whatdoyouthinkofthisstatement?

Ma3hewdrawssomeofhisworkcalledtheDidache.Didache."Teaching”alsoknownasTheTeachingoftheTwelveApostles,isabriefanonymousearlyChris6antrea6se,datedbymostmodernscholarstothefirstcentury.Thefirstlineofthistrea6seis"TheteachingoftheLordtotheGen6les(orNa6ons)bythetwelveapostles”Lostforcenturies,aGreekmanuscriptoftheDidachewasrediscoveredin1873.ALa6nversionofthefirstfivechapterswasdiscoveredin1900.

Thecontentsmaybedividedintofourparts,whichmostscholarsagreewerecombinedfromseparatesourcesbyalaterredactor:•  thefirstistheTwoWays,theWayofLifeand

theWayofDeath(chapters1–6);•  thesecondpartisaritualdealingwithbap6sm,

fas6ng,andCommunion(chapters7–10);•  thethirdspeaksoftheministryandhowto

treatapostles,prophets,bishops,anddeacons(chapters11–15);

•  andthefinalsec6on(chapter16)isaprophecyoftheAn6christandtheSecondComing.

Bytheendofthefirstcentury,therewasnotyetaNewTestament.Par6culardocumentswerebeingquotedbyleadersandreadinchurches.FourGospelscirculatedindependentofoneanother.

Whatareyourthoughtsaboutwhatexistedintermsofscriptureattheendofthefirstcentury,about70yearsa\erthedeathofJesus?

In1945,thirteenleather-boundpapyruscodicesburiedinasealedjarwerefoundinNagHammadiEgyptbyalocalfarmernamedMuhammedal-Samman.Thewri6ngsinthesecodicescomprised52mostlyGnos6ctrea6ses.PriortothediscoveryofNagHammaditextsin1945,theGnos6cmovementswerelargelyperceivedthroughthelensoftheearlychurchheresiologists.

Whatdoesthismean?

Proto-orthodoxytookwri6ngsbyalltheapostles.

Whyisthisimportant?

TheMuratoriancanonistheearliestknowcanonandwascreatedaroundtheendofthesecondcentury.Ithad22outofthe27bookswenowhave.

Whatkindofcriteriawereusedtodecidewhichbookswouldbeaddedandwhichbookswouldbele\out?

HerearethecriteriathatwereusedtodetermineifabookwasacceptableornotAncient–hadtohavebeenwri3ennearthe6meofJesusApostolic–hadtobewri3enbyanapostleoracompanionofanapostleCatholic–hadtobeuniversallyreadamongestablishedchurchesOrthodox–hadtobetheologicallyorthodox,theotherthreeweresecondarytothisone.

Hamilton’scriteriaforselecIonUsefulness–weretheyhelpfultothechurcheswhoreadthemConsistency–wasitconsistentwiththefaithasitwaspreachedinthechurchesandasitwasthoughttohavebeenestablishedbytheapostlesAssociaIon–wasitassociatedwiththefirstgenera6onofChris6anleadersAcceptance–wasitwidelyaccepted

Soalotofthewri6ngsintheNTbooksweretocombatheresiesofthe6me.AheresyissomethingthatisnotorthodoxandthewinnersgettoclaimwhatisorthodoxandwhatisnotAfewoftheshorterbookshadtroublegennginbecausetheywerenotuniversallyreadSomeoftheproblemswerebecausetheRomanEmpirehadbeendividedintoanEast(GreeceandTurkey)andWest(Rome).

Eusibiusputtogetheralistintheearly4thcenturythatincludedthefourgroups,acceptedbooksincludingthe4gospels,Acts,14Paulineepistles(includingHebrews,1Peter,and1John,andifitreallyseemsright,Revela6on.Disputedbooksinclude,James,Jude,2Peterand2and3John.Therewere6forgedorspuriousbooks(ex.ActsofPaul),andfivehere6calbooks(ex.GospelofPeter)

C.AD51-125:TheNewTestamentbooksarewri3en,butduringthissameperiodotherearlyChris6anwri6ngsareproduced.Forexample,theDidache(c.AD70),1Clement(c.96),theEpistleofBarnabas(c.100),andthe7le3ersofIgna6usofAn6och(c.110).

C.AD200:Buttheperipheryofthecanonisnotyetdetermined.Accordingtoonelist,compiledatRomec.AD200(theMuratorianCanon),theNTconsistsofthe4gospels;Acts;13le3ersofPaul(Hebrewsisnotincluded);3ofthe7GeneralEpistles(1-2JohnandJude);andalsotheApocalypseofPeter.

AD367:TheearliestextantlistofthebooksoftheNT,inexactlythenumberandorderinwhichwepresentlyhavethem,iswri3enbyAthanasius,BishopofAlexandria,inhisEasterle3erof367.

Books 90AD 160AD 250AD 325AD 367AD Matthew NO YES YES YES YES

Mark NO YES YES YES YES Luke NO YES YES YES YES John NO YES YES YES YES Acts NO NO YES YES YES

Romans NO YES YES YES YES 1 Corinthians NO YES YES YES YES 2 Corinthians NO YES YES YES YES

Galatians NO YES YES YES YES Ephesians NO YES YES YES YES Philippians NO YES YES YES YES Colossians NO YES YES YES YES

1 Thessalonians NO YES YES YES YES 2 Thessalonians NO YES YES YES YES

1 Timothy NO YES YES YES YES 2 Timothy NO YES YES YES YES

Titus NO YES YES YES YES Philemon NO YES YES YES YES Hebrews NO NO NO YES YES

James NO NO NO NO YES 1 Peter NO NO YES YES YES 2 Peter NO NO NO NO YES 1 John NO NO NO YES YES 2 John NO NO NO NO YES 3 John NO NO NO NO YES Jude NO NO NO NO YES

Revelation NO NO YES YES YES

NON-CANONICALGOSPELSTheGospeloftheNazareansTheGospelAccordingtotheEbionitesTheGospelAccordingtotheHebrewsTheGospelAccordingtotheEgyp6ansTheCop6cGospelofThomasPapyrusEgerton2:TheUnknownGospelTheGospelofPeterTheGospelofMaryTheGospelofPhilipTheGospelofTruthTheGospeloftheSaviorTheInfancyGospelofThomasTheProto-GospelofJamesTheEpistleoftheApostlesTheCop6cApocalypseofPeterTheSecondTrea6seofGreatSethTheSecretGospelofMark

NON-CANONICALACTSOFTHEAPOSTLESTheActsofJohnTheActsofPaulTheActsofTheclaTheActsofThomasTheActsofPeter

BOOKSTHATDIDNOTMAKETHECUT

NON-CANONICALAPOCALYPSESANDREVELATORYTREATISESTheShepherdofHermanTheApocalypseofPeterTheApocalypseofPaulTheSecretBookofJohnOntheOriginoftheWorldTheFirstThoughtinThreeFormsTheHymnofthePearlCANONICALLISTSTheMuratorianCanonTheCanonofOrigenofAlexandriaTheCanonofEusebiusTheCanonofAthansiusofAlexandriaTheCanonattheThirdSynodofCarthage

NON-CANONICALEPISTLESANDRELATEDWRITINGSTheThirdLe3ertotheCorinthiansCorrespondenceofPaulandSenecaPaul'sLe3ertotheLaodiceansTheLe3erof1ClementTheLe3erof2ClementThe"Le3erofPetertoJames"andits"Recep6on"TheHomiliesofClementPtolemy'sLe3ertoFloraTheTrea6seoftheResurrec6onTheDidache:TheTeachingoftheTwelveApostlesTheLe3erofBarnabasThePreachingsofPeterPseudo-Titus

MOREBOOKSTHATDIDNOTMAKETHECUT

Thereweres6llsomedebatesaFerthis.Contrarytopopularmisconcep6on,theNewTestamentcanonwasnotsummarilydecidedinlarge,bureaucra6cChurchcouncilmee6ngs,butratherdevelopedveryslowlyovermanycenturies.Thisisnottosaythatformalcouncilsanddeclara6onswerenotinvolved,however.

AD904:PopeDamasus,inale3ertoaFrenchbishop,liststheNewTestamentbooksintheirpresentnumberandorder.AD1442:AttheCouncilofFlorence,theen6reChurchrecognizesthe27books,thoughdoesnotdeclarethemunalterable.

AD1536:Inhistransla6onoftheBiblefromGreekintoGerman,Lutherremoves4NTbooks(Hebrews,James,Jude,andRevela6on)fromtheirnormalorderandplacesthemattheend,sta6ngthattheyarelessthancanonical.

AttheCouncilofTrentin1546,theCatholicChurchreaffirmsonceandforallthefulllistof27books(byvote:24yea,15nay,16abstain).

Whatdoyouthinkaboutthe27booksbeingvotedinbysuchasmallamountofpeopleandnotevenamajorityvoIngyea?

Whathasbeendecidedtobeorthodox(rightthinking)bysimilarnon-unanimousvotes.

Howdoyoudecidewhatpartsofwhatisconsideredorthodoxytoacceptorreject?

TheThirty-NineAr6clesof1563fortheChurchofEngland.TheWestminsterConfessionofFaithof1647forCalvinism.TheSynodofJerusalemof1672forGreekOrthodoxy.