Which New Testament books were canonical

How the early Church decided which books belong in the New Testament, and why the canon eventually settled at 27 books?

1. The Starting Point — No "Bible" Yet

In the 1st century, Christians had:

• The Hebrew Scriptures (their “Old Testament,” usually in Greek form — the Septuagint).

• The teachings of Jesus and the letters of apostles circulating among churches.

But there was no single New Testament collection yet. Each community might have:

• A Gospel or two (e.g., Matthew, Luke).

• Some of Paul’s letters.

• Maybe Revelation or another apostolic text.

In short: The early Church had Scripture, but not a finished New Testament.

2. The Criteria for a Book to Be "Scripture"

As the writings circulated, the Church began distinguishing which were truly inspired and apostolic.
By the 2nd century, church leaders (like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen) were using three main criteria:

Criterion	Meaning	Example
Apostolic origin	Written by an apostle or their close companion	e.g., Mark (Peter’s companion), Luke (Paul’s companion)
Orthodox teaching	Consistent with the “rule of faith” — the core apostolic teaching about Jesus	Gnostic gospels were rejected for this reason
Widespread usage	Read and accepted in churches across the Christian world (not just one region)	e.g., Paul’s letters used everywhere

If a writing met these, it was regarded as Scripture.

3. 1st–2nd Century: The Core Forms

• Paul’s letters were the earliest and most widely circulated (by ~60–70 CE).

  • By ~100 CE, collections of Paul’s letters were already being copied and read in churches.

• The four Gospels quickly became the standard accounts of Jesus.

  • Irenaeus (c. 180 CE) famously said there are “four and only four Gospels,” like the four winds.

• Other early Christian writings (like the Shepherd of Hermas, Didache, 1 Clement) were read in some churches but not considered on the same level.

By the end of the 2nd century:
The core canon was emerging — Four Gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline letters, 1 Peter, 1 John, Revelation (though Revelation was debated).

4. 3rd–4th Century: Sorting & Confirming

Some books were disputed or regional:

Generally Accepted Early	Debated or Local	Rejected
Four Gospels, Acts, 13 Paul letters, 1 Peter, 1 John, Revelation	Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2–3 John, Jude	Gnostic gospels, Shepherd of Hermas, Gospel of Peter, Acts of Paul

Church fathers like Origen (early 200s) and Eusebius (early 300s) made lists distinguishing “recognized” vs. “disputed” books.

5. 4th Century: Official Recognition

After Christianity was legalized (313 CE), bishops wanted a clear, authoritative list of Scriptures for teaching and worship.

Key Moments:

• Eusebius (c. 325 CE) — Lists 22 “acknowledged” books and several “disputed but known.”

• Athanasius’ Easter Letter (367 CE) — The first known list with exactly the 27 books of today’s New Testament.

• Councils of Hippo (393 CE) and Carthage (397 & 419 CE) — Western Church formally confirmed the 27-book canon.

• This same list was later reaffirmed by the Catholic Church (Council of Trent, 1546) and used by Protestant Reformers as well.

By the late 4th century → the New Testament canon was effectively settled.

6. Did They Claim a “Perfect” Bible?

• Early Christians believed the Scriptures were divinely inspired, but they did not claim a perfect manuscript (many copies existed, with small variations).

• The Church’s focus was on which writings were inspired, not on creating a “perfect text.”

• The idea of an inerrant or flawless manuscript came much later — medieval and modern concepts.

Summary: Formation of the New Testament Canon

Stage	Time Period	Key Developments
1st century	Apostolic writings produced	Gospels, letters, Revelation written
2nd century	Writings circulated	Four Gospels, Paul’s letters recognized
3rd century	Lists and debates	Some books disputed (Hebrews, Revelation, etc.)
4th century	Canon finalized	27 books recognized (Athanasius, Carthage)
5th century onward	Universal acceptance	Same NT used across Christendom

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Key Idea:

The early Church didn’t start with a Bible; it grew around living apostolic teaching.
Over time, it recognized which writings truly expressed that apostolic faith — and that process produced the New Testament.