Back to Course

History of the Bible

  1. Lesson One
    Revelation and Canon
    17 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  2. Lesson Two
    Transmission and Translation
    19 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    Reformation and Publication
    16 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    Modern Bible Translation
    15 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    The Bible Movement Today
    14 Activities
    |
    3 Assessments
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Wrap-Up
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

We can sometimes think of the New Testament as being something an early group of Christians voted into existence, by arbitrarily choosing some books over others. The reference in 1 Peter to Paul’s writing as “Scripture” reminds us that the books that became accepted in the New Testament were included precisely because they were already bound up in the life of the Early Church. No New Testament book became read and honored in the Church as authoritative because a council said it should be. Rather, councils accepted the authority of certain books because they were already read and accepted throughout the Christian world. 

Christians knew of apostolic letters in circulation and wanted access to testimonies and explanations other churches had received. Letters were shared, along with Gospel accounts, and the New Testament biblical tradition developed in an organic way. Along with the standard of catholicity, which required that a book had to already be widely used and accepted as authoritative throughout the Christian Church, there were two other main tests or standards of canonicity.