1. The New Testament Canon
Hill Roberts
website: lordibelieve.org
November 1997
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2. Early NT Literature, 100-150 AD
Accepted
Matt, Mark, John
Acts-Luke
13 Pauline Epistles
R,1/2C,G,E,P,C,
1/2Th,1/2T,Tit,Ph
1 Peter
1 John
1 Tim 5:18, 2 Pet 3:15, Lk 1:2
20 of 27
(Phil. by assoc.)
most by 110 AD !!!
Questioned
Hebrews
James
2 Peter
2/3 John
Jude
Revelation
broad acceptance
~200AD
NT “Apocrypha”
Barnabas
1/2 Clement*
Shepherd of Hermas*
Didache*
Apocalypse of Peter
Acts of Paul
Laodicean Letter
Gospel to the Hebrews
Polycarp’s Phillipians*
Ignatius’seven letters*
* were genuine
NT Pseudopigrapha
~280 books now known

3. Major Lines of Evidence to NT Canon
Authorship
Matthew, John, 13 Pauline epistles, 1/2 Peter, 1-3 John, Revelation
Authority by association
Luke-Acts, Mark, James, Jude
Intrinsic content
Hebrews
Transformational effect: “inspiring”
all (Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, Jude were short personal notes)
plus some others (Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Shepherd, Didache)
effect is not a uniform testimony, should never be primary basis
Testimony of early Christians is our link to the evidence
connected directly with Apostles: esp. Paul, Peter & John
the gift of “discernment” given to early church, 1 Cor 12:10
Christians are “the church”, carrier of apostolic tradition, 1 Cor 11:2
Christians are to “try the spirits”: still our responsibility to the future

4. Earliest Testimony Clement of Rome Quotes Alludes to Ignatius Quotes
95 AD to Corinth
Quotes
Mt, Mk, Lk, Rom, 1Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Heb
Alludes to
John, Acts, James, 1 Peter
Ignatius
110 AD
enroute to Rome as prisoner, 7 letters
Quotes
Mt, Jn, Rom, 1Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, 1Thes
Alludes to
Lk, Heb, 1 Peter
Polycarp
disciple of John
bishop at Smyrna
letter to Phillippi, 110
Quotes
Mt, Lk, Rom, 1Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, 2Thes, 1/2 Tim, Heb, 1Jn, 1Pet
Alludes to
Jn, Acts, 2Cor, Col, 2Jn
ref: M. Pickup, Canonicity of the Bible, Florida College Annual Lectures, 1990
Combined Testimony of these Three: 20 of 27
Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn, Acts, Rom, 1/2Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, 1/2Thes, 1/2 Tim, ___, ___, Heb, ___, 1 Peter, ____, 1Jn, 2Jn, ___, ___, ___
Regions Represented: Rome, Greece, Macedonia, Asia, Syria

5. Timeline for Recognition of NT Canon
References
see Timeline Chart by Roberts, included
supplemental handout by Geisler/Nix, Bible Introduction, pg
Most of NT widely recognized as inspired by 150 AD
Entire NT of today recognized as scripture by 200 AD
Stable from then to today, in spite of sporadic challenges
“Officially” codified in 397 AD, Council of Carthage
Rapidity of “canonization” : ~10 years for 2/3 of whole
Precludes the “oral tradition” modernist view of legendary christianity
Instills high confidence in a NT directly connected to Christ’s authority
Seminary Exam: “Discuss the history of the second century in relation to the development of the New Testament canon.”

6. Timeline of NT Canon

7. Some Second Century Heroes
100 AD
Justin Martyr
150 AD
200 AD
Polycarp
Origen

8. Origen “Homilies on Joshua”
So too our Lord Jesus Christ…sent his apostles as priests carrying well-wrought trumpets. First Matthew sounded the priestly trumpet of his Gospel. Mark also, and Luke, and John, each gave fourth a strain on their priestly trumpets. Peter moreover sounds with the two trumpets of his Epistles; James also and Jude. Still the number is incomplete, and John gives forth the trumpet sound through his Epistles and Apocalypse; and Luke, while describing the deeds of the apostles. Latest of all, moreover, that one comes who said, “I think that God has set us forth as the apostles last of all”, and thundering on the fourteen trumpets of his Epistles he threw down, even to their very foundations, the walls of Jericho, that is to say, all the instruments of idolatry and the dogmas of the philosophers (Hom. In Jos. Vii, I) Circa AD 240 (near end of Origen’s life)

9. Jerome’s Vulgate Latin Bible
405 AD
OT translated from Origen’s Hexapla (Gk)

10. The Questioned Books 2 & 3 John, Jude, (Philemon) 2 Peter James
short, personal notes not widely circulated
Jude mostly drawn from 2 Peter
Their survival testifies to value placed on all apostolic writings
2 Peter
most widely questioned of all NT books
style difference between 1 and 2 Peter challenged Petrine authorship
difference presumed to be result of amanuensis, not forgery
illustrates how faithful early Christians were to 2 Thess 2:2
James
a Jew writing to Jews about Jewish perversions of the gospel of grace
not widely circulated outside earliest, eastern Jewish Christianity
not much appreciated by Gentiles in the West (understandable)
Lord’s brother, elder at Jerusalem, high authority, Act 15, 1 Cor 15:7
shows binding respect for Apostolic authority, in spite of unpopular doctrines: a lesson much needed yet today

11. The Questioned Books (cont.)
Hebrews
anonymous, generally ascribed to Paul by early eastern church
presents Jesus as the pinnacle of Hebrew life
widely accepted in east (the Jewish region)
viewed skeptically in west, where Paul was known for his anti-Hebrew letters (e.g., Galatians and Romans)
skepticism exacerbated by heresy of Marcion who rejected all things Jewish, including OT, Matthew, Mark and especially Hebrews
in the end, Marcion focused attention on Hebrews so that in defeating his western heresy, the western church accepted Hebrews based on testimony of the eastern Christians who vouched for its genuineness
its elegant content testifying of the high-priesthood of Jesus Christ is its own best witness
Hebrews (and James) illustrate the value of testimony of early local church in the canon process even then (Clement,Polycarp, Ignatius)

12. The Questioned Books (cont.)
Revelation of John
last book written
isolation
cryptic message
apocalyptic style of book general basis of hesitancy
other books in mid-second century surfacing from the Gnostic heresy: most were very similar in style to Revelation
Authorship of John eventually establishes as canonical
Summary:
personal notes had limited circulation early-on
regionalism (“not invented here” -- the Corinthian problem)
uncertain authorship or authority in secondary region of circulation
concerns over doctrinal issues (Hebrews, James, Revelation)

13. What about any “Lost Books”?
Is the canon still “open” or is it now “closed” ?
How likely is it for God to inspire material meant for use by church worldwide, then leave it lost for years?
without so much as even a mention by the early church !!!
But what about the other letters of Paul?
1 Cor 5:9, 2 Cor 2:2, Col 4:16
(Some contend these are not other letters but internal references to the same letters we have. I disagree. HR)
Many inspired words are lost -- (ALL the oral words are lost)
God seems not overly concerned with 100% preservation of all His words
But lost without consequence
the truth of those words is contained in the preserved books: in the whole
“guide into all truth...word endures forever...thoroughly furnished...once for all”
Truths in Paul’s first letter to C. on immorality contained in 1 Cor
Truths in Paul’s third letter to C. on his authority and their failings are probably contained in 2 Cor
Easy to understand why neither of these books survived: circular filed
Truths of Laodicean letter probably contained in Ephesians and Colossians

14. Probability of “New” finds?
Probability of finding new biblical manuscripts? HIGH
will be more of the same (NT mss and other pseudopigrapha texts)
will add to existing monumental witness of thousands of NT manuscripts
will possibly clarify or correct mis-translations, insertions or deletions
probably of no impact doctrinally
Probability of finding unknown canonical NT books? NIL
less likely than the unification of Christendom under Bill Clinton
what book could surface now and meet the tests of canonicity?
proven apostolic authorship or inspired authority
historical testimony of the early church to its existence and genuineness
broad acceptance across the spectrum of christianity, such as exist for NT

15. Value of NT Apocrypha
Provides earliest documentation of majority of the canonical books of the NT (Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius)
Reveals thinking among post-apostolic Christians: both sound and unsound thinking
Forms a bridge to understand Christian literature of later 3rd and 4th centuries
Contains much information about practices and policies of the early church as it implemented the apostolic traditions
None of these books ever enjoyed more than a limited, usually localized popularity of any canonical status. The “process” weeded them out. Some explicitly rejected their own canonical status.

16. Value of the Pseudopigrapha
some insight into traditions of the time
reflect many of the ascetic, doecetic & Gnostic heresies
show similar desires as we to know more about things unrevealed (early life of Christ, lives of all the apostles)
manifest universal tendency of man to attempt to glorify God and Christianity by means of pious frauds
illustrate tendency to “shore up” perceived weaknesses in the canonical texts with human invention
show the desire for apostolic authority for doctrinal inventions (authority of humanism not then pervasive)
illustrates how far Christians can go to embellish simplicity of gospel of Christ: e.g., Mary worship

17. Status of NT Apocrypha & Pseudopigrapha
17 NT apocrypha books, ~280 pseudopigrapha
Edwin Yamauchi
“ (they) ... are all patently secondary and legendary or obviously slanted The extra-canonical literature, taken as a whole, manifests a surprising poverty. The bulk of it is legendary, and bears the clear mark of forgery. Only here and there, amid a mass of worthless rubbish, do we come across a priceless jewel.”
Morton Enslin
“Their total effect is to send us back to the canonical gospels with fresh approval of their chaste restraint in failing to fill in the intriguing hidden years.”
Never accepted by any council among early churches
No similarity to the overwhelming early acceptance for the 27 NT books across entire spectrum of Christianity

18. “the Word of God made more sure”
Summary
Two Options:
1) Receive the canon “as is” based on informed faith in God’s providence working through the church (i.e., through Christians)
God’s Word is its own best testimony: what does it say to you?
The story of the Bible itself is a monumental testimony to the power of God’s word
Acknowledges our debt to those who have gone before
2) Study it all out for yourself
can be done, will loan you the books to get started
in the end you will discover that you are still reliant on the testimony of those early Christians
many of whom died to preserve God’s word for us to study, proving their integrity and genuine love for the same Lord we name
We truly have
“the Word of God made more sure”