Canon of the Bible

Canon of the Bible

The expression "Bible canon" over tme came to denote the collection, or list, of books accepted as genuine inspired Scripture. The term "canon" is derived from the Hebrew word qa·nehʹ (reed). Reeds were used as a ruler, measuring-rod or measuring device like a balance.

At least forty years separates the death of Jesus from the writing of the first gospel. Paul's Epistles predates the Gospels.

The first 5 books of the Torah were all believed to have written by Moses around about 1,300 B.C.

Many other books were in the Old Testament but we're not accepted into the modern text.

But it would appear that the first attempt to create a canon of the New Testament was Marcion of Sinope. He was the first known professing Christian leader in recorded history to propose and delineate a uniquely uniform Christian canon (c. AD 140).

This included 10 epistles from St. Paul, as well as a version of the Gospel of Luke, which today is known as the Gospel of Marcion.

Was this idea of a list meant to exclude the myriad of other written works circulating among the christian community?

the idea that anyone had the right to exercise authority over the people saying only certain writings were to be accepted is clearly from the spirit of censorship.

Marcion was eventually labeled a heretic by some of the new Christians.

The Muratorian Canon, which is believed to date to 200 A.D., is the earliest compilation of canonical texts resembling the New Testament. It was not until the 5th century that all the different Christian churches came to a basic agreement on Biblical canon.

First Council of Nicaea in 325 is reported to be the first ecumenical council of the church ordered by the emperor Constantine I, who was an unbaptized catechumen. He presided over the opening session upon a golden throne calling himself the Bishop of Bishops.

The council did not really establish the canon of the Bible but neither did they remind each member they were not to exercise authority over the [[conscience][ of other.

The meeting was focused on the resolution of the Arian Controversy over the status of Jesus as “God the Son” in relation to “God the Father” in the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus never detailed a trinity as an essential Doctrine like he did with His statement concerning not to exercise authority one over the [[conscience][ of an other.

If Jesus wanted us to adopt the Nicene Creed He would have spoken more about it's elements. Any official creed of the the Holy Church established by Jesus the Christ should consist only of the words of Christ and the Doctrines of Jesus since the Church was "founded and established by Jesus Christ, to receive, preserve, and propagate his doctrines and ordinances" and He granted no authority to exercise control over the faith of the people. The Holy Spirit is to be our guide and comforter.

The Nicene Creed of 325 became confirmed as the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381. But by that time who were the men attending these councils of men?

Constantine did not only reject the doctrines of Jesus he actively worked against them by immoral funding a religious institution with the spoils of war spotted by his world that flaunted a callus disregard for the Doctrines of Jesus concerning rulers who exercise authority one over the other, covetous practices, [[swear]ing oaths, to say nothing of the appetite for the dainties of rulers and the tables which are a snare.

In a letter of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, c. 367, he offered a list of exactly the same books that would formally become the New Testament canon, coin the word “canonized” (κανονιζομενα).

But his list was merely his opinion and not a command. He appears to be a defender of Trinitarianism in opposition to some of the opinions of Arianism and some of the Coptic Christian and Egyptian leaders of that century.

He had been an assistant to a Bishop at the original Council of Nicaea in 325. Conflict with Arius and Arianism as well as successive Roman emperors shaped Athanasius' career and opinions as well as five exiles "when he was replaced on the order of four different Roman emperors."

What Church did he represent if he could be replaced by Emperors of Rome as the "Bishops of bishops"?

Athanasius was a what we call now "a Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Coptic Christian (Egyptian) leader of the fourth century." But was he elected in the tradition of Ambrose?