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

• 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 • Gospels attributed to individual

apostles or groups:

– Peter, James, Philip, Thomas,Judas, Mary, pseudo-Matthew, 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 • 3rd c. B.C.E. Septuagint. Translation work begun under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-

246 BCE) in Alexandria.

• end of 1st c. C.E. (?) Council of Javneh: Jewish canon closed with 39 books.

• 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.

• 140ies Marcion produces his own canon.

• 170ies Tatian publishes Diatessaron.

• 180ies Irenaeus attests the use of the four gospels.

• 200 ( or 4th c?): Muratorian canon. Some Gnostic Gospels and apocrypha rejected.

• 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. Use in public worship & teaching.

2. Orthodoxy = agreement with the apostolic tradition and rule of faith.

3. Apostolicity = attributed to apostles or ‘apostolic men’.

4. Antiquity =belong to the ‘apostolic age’.