The formation of the biblical canon 1.From scroll to codex. 2.Septuagint. 3.NT canon: stages of development 4.NT canon: criteria of selection. 5.Marcion’s.

The formation of the biblical canon

1. From scroll to codex.2. Septuagint.3. NT canon: stages of

development 4. NT canon: criteria of selection.5. Marcion’s contribution.6. Irenaeus’s contribution.7. Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of

Thomas. The oldest known ms. of

Gospel of John 125 AD

Scroll

Codex

Codex Sinaiticus

Underlying text: the earliest extant 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

INTHEBEGINNINGWASTHEWORDANDTHEWORDWASWITHGDANDTHEWORDWASGD

Abbreviations of sacred names

Ambiguities of punctuation

• AWOMANWITHOUTHERMANISNOTHING

• A WOMAN, WITHOUT HER MAN, IS NOTHING

• A WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS NOTHING

Septuagint

Greek translation of the OTStarted in Alexandria under Ptolemy Philadelphus in the third c. BC. the legendSignificance: became the OT scripture of the Church

Greek translation of Leviticus. Egypt, 2nd c. CE. The oldest MS of LXX.

Latin Translation of Ezekiel (North Italy, 5th C. AD). T

Oral traditions behind the gospels

Collected, memorized and (perhaps) recorded:

– Sayings of Jesus– Miracle stories– Passion narrative

Four Source Hypothesis

Gospel of Thomas

Beginning Ending with title

Proliferation of Apocrypha • 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

NT canon: stages of development

• Witnessing Jesus’ ministry

• Preaching and teaching about Jesus

• Composition of the written materials

• Proliferation of writings

• Informal selection of writings

Timeline• 3rd c. B.C.E. Septuagint. Started 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 produced his own canon. • 170ies Tatian published his Diatessaron.

• 180ies Irenaeus endorsed 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 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

• Four gospels, no less and no more

• Four beasts of Ezekiel symbolizing the four evangelists

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’.

Seminar Q’s: Infancy Gospel of Thomas

1. What portrait of a young Jesus emerges out of this narrative? How is this portrait different from the picture of Jesus in the canonical gospels?

2. What theological issues does the author of this gospel grapple with in his presentation of Jesus?

3. In your judgment, why did the Church decide not to include this gospel into its canon? Give reasons