Church History 3

Church History
“The Canon & The Creeds”

Why was a canon necessary?
1. Marcion theological bias prompted correction
2. Montanists Additions prompted completion
3. Forgeries prompted clarity
4. Persecution prompted certainty

What tests were used?
1. Is the book inspired?
2. Was the book authored by an Apostle?
3. Moral Standards in the text?
4. Quoted by early church fathers (we have the whole NT quoted)

Four orthodox canons of Scripture
*4 Gospels were recognized very early on (mid 100’s)
*A collection of Paul’s letters were circulated as authoritative (late 100’s)

1. Muratorian Canon (200AD)
Accepted: 4 Gospels, Acts, 13 Letters of Paul, John's Writings, James & Jude
Excluded: Peter's writings, Hebrews
Extras: Wisdom of Solomon, Apocalypse of Peter, Shepherd of Hermas

2. Origen, head of Alexandrian School (250AD)
Accepted: 4 Gospels, Acts , 13 Letters of Paul, Revelation, 1 John, 1 Peter
Excluded: James & Jude, Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John
Extras: Barnabas, Didache, Shepherd of Hermas

3. Eusebius, father of church history (300AD)
Accepted: 4 Gospels, Acts , 13 Letters of Paul, Revelation, 1 John
Excluded: James & Jude, Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John
Extras: None

3rd Council of Carthage (397AD)
Accepted: All 27
Excluded: None
Extras: None

Why was their disagreement?
1. Hebrews- The Eastern Church thought it Pauline, but the Western Church had doubts about this. Luke/Acts/Hebrews are each written in a very refined form of Greek. The writer travelled with. Origen said ‘God only knows’ who wrote Hebrews.

2. James & Jude- They weren’t accepted right away b/c they never called themselves Apostles. Very early tradition assigned them to the Lord’s brothers. James is referred to as an Apostle by Paul. Luther didn’t like James calling it the ‘Epistle of Straw’ and putting it last in his translation b/c it didn’t totally fit with his theology. Jude made the cut even though we have no record of him being called an Apostle. Jude quotes non-biblical texts (Enoch, Assumption of Moses) and teaches 2 Peter 2 almost point by point.

3. 2 Peter- The greek style was very different from 1 Peter. 1 Peter was almost never disputed, but 2 Peter was so different it was disputed for a long time.

4. 2 & 3 John- Author doesn’t identify himself except as an ‘elder’, which was not a word we’d expect an Apostle to be described with, but few dispute that they were written by the same man as 1st John b/c they are so repetitive.

5. Revelation- Some portions of the church didn’t accept it b/c of disputed authorship. This was still a strong dispute in the 3rd century. Some early church leaders were afraid it would confuse gentile Christians. Eusebius considered millennialism a heresy and was afraid would interpret it too literally. It was the last NT book to receive full support even though it was the only one to really claim inspiration.

It’s Roman Catholic Doctrine to claim the Council of Carthage was infallible, but most protestants believe God worked to allow the true books to be discovered and the men of that council were much better equipped to discover these things. The disputed books were not disputed b/c they were disagreed with, but were included late b/c the church was being careful. They were finally included b/c they overcame all objections.

Biblical Essentials
That God Exists (Hebrews 11:6)
That God rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
That Jesus has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2)
That Jesus is who He claimed to be (John 8:24)
The Messiah (1 John 5:1)
The Son of God (John 20:31)
The Lord (Romans 10:9)
That God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9)

The Early Christian Creeds
1. The "Rule of Faith" as recorded by Irenaeus:
This faith: in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth and the seas and all the things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who made known through the prophets the plan of salvation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and his future appearing from heaven in the glory of the Father to sum up all things and to raise anew all flesh of the whole human race . . .

2. The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.