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The Formation of the Biblical Canon

The Formation of the Biblical Canon. Scrolls & codices. The Septuagint. The NT canon: stages of development 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.

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The Formation of the Biblical Canon

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  1. The Formation of the Biblical Canon Scrolls & codices. The Septuagint. The NT canon: stages of development The NT canon: selection criteria. P52. The earliest known fr. of the NT. John 18: 31-33 (recto of a codex page). Date: 120 (?).

  2. Scroll

  3. Codex Sinaiticus

  4. Codex Sinaiticus Underlying text: the earliest known Christian Palestinian Aramaic, 6th c. AD. Overlying text: Georgian, dated 979. Mt. Sinai, Egypt.

  5. Scriptio continua. Prologue to the Gospel of John ca. 200. P66 INTHEBEGINNINGWAS THEWORDANDTHE WORDWASWITHGDAND THEWORDWASGD

  6. Ambiguities of punctuation • AWOMANWITHOUTHERMANISNOTHING • A WOMAN, WITHOUT HER MAN, IS NOTHING • A WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS NOTHING

  7. Abbreviations of sacred names

  8. 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.

  9. Old Latin Translation of the OT. This translation predates the Vulgate. Shown: Ezek. 20. North Italy, 5th c. AD. T

  10. The Vulgate Codex Amianitus. Northumbria, 8th c.

  11. NT canon: stages of development • Witnessing Jesus’ ministry • Preaching and teaching about Jesus • Composition of the written materials • Proliferation of pseudepigrapha • Selection of writings

  12. Gospel traditions Collected, memorized and (perhaps) recorded: • Sayings of Jesus • Miracle stories • Passion narrative

  13. Four Source Hypothesis

  14. Gospel of Thomas Beginning Ending with title

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. Marcion’s version of Christianity • Antinomianism: sharp contrast between the Law and the Gospel • Docetism • Marcion’s biblical canon • Church’s response to Marcion

  18. Irenaeus' contribution

  19. 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…”

  20. NT canon: informal selection criteria • Use in public worship & teaching. • Orthodoxy = agreement with the apostolic tradition and rule of faith. • Apostolicity = attributed to apostles or ‘apostolic men’. • Antiquity =belong to the ‘apostolic age’.

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