Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
1This is probably not the Letter to the Laodiceans that survives. See p. 165. 2On the views of Marcion, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
103–109.
Translation by Bruce M. Metzger,
The
Canon
of
the
New
Testament:
Its
Origin,
Development,
and
Significance
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987) 305–7; used with permission.
331
332
CANONICAL LISTS
. . . at which nevertheless he was present,
deeds of the Lord, in their order.
and so he placed [them in his narrative].
34
Moreover, the acts of all the apostles
2
The third book of the Gospel is that
35
were written in one book. For “most
according to Luke.
3
Luke, the well-
excellent Theophilus”4 Luke compiled
known physician, after the ascension of
36
the individual events that took place
Christ,
4–5
when Paul had taken him
in his presence—
37
as he plainly shows
with him as one zealous for the law,
by omitting the martyrdom of Peter
38
as
6
composed it in his own name, accordwell as the departure of Paul from the ing to [the general] belief. Yet he himself
city [of Rome]
39
when he journeyed to
had not
7
seen the Lord in the flesh; and
Spain. As for the Epistles of
40–1
Paul,
therefore, as he was able to ascertain
they themselves make clear to those deevents,
8
so indeed he begins to tell the siring to understand, which ones [they
story from the birth of John.
9
The fourth
are], from what place, or for what reason
of the Gospels is that of John, [one] of
they were sent.
42
First of all, to the
the disciples.
10
To his fellow disciples
Corinthians, prohibiting their heretical
and bishops, who had been urging him
schisms;
43
next,5 to the Galatians,
[to write],
11
he said, “Fast with me from
against circumcision;
44–6
then to the
today for three days, and what
12
will be
Romans he wrote at length, explaining
revealed to each one
13
let us tell it to
the order (or, plan) of the Scriptures, and
one another.” In the same night it was
also that Christ is their principle (or, main
revealed
14
to Andrew, [one] of the apostheme). It is necessary
47
for us to distles,
15–16
that John should write down cuss these one by one, since the blessed
all things in his own name while all of
48
apostle Paul himself, following the exthem should review it. And so, though ample of his predecessor
49–50
John,
various
17
elements may be taught in the
writes by name to only seven churches
individual books of the Gospels,
18
nevin the following sequence: to the Corinertheless this makes no difference to the thians
51
first, to the Ephesians second,
faith of believers, since by the one sovto the Philippians third,
52
to the Colosereign Spirit all things
20
have been desians fourth, to the Galatians fifth,
53
to clared in all [the Gospels]: concerning
the Thessalonians sixth, to the Romans
the
21
nativity, concerning the passion,
54–5
seventh. It is true that he writes once
concerning the resurrection,
22
concernmore to the Corinthians and to the Thesing life with his disciples,
23
and consalonians for the sake of admonition, cerning his twofold coming;
24
the first
56–7,
yet it is clearly recognizable that
in lowliness when he was despised,
there is one Church spread throughout
which has taken place,
25
the second glothe whole extent of the earth. For John rious in royal power,
26
which is still in
also in the
58
Apocalypse, though he
the future. What
27
marvel is it, then, if
writes to seven churches,
59–60
never
John so consistently
28
mentions these
theless speaks to all. [Paul also wrote]
particular points also in his Epistles,
out of affection and love one to Phile
29
saying about himself: “What we have
mon, one to Titus, and two to Timothy;
seen with our eyes
30
and heard with our
and these are held sacred
62–3
in the
ears and our hands
31
have handled,
these things we have written to you.?”3
32
For in this way he professes [himself]
3
to be not only an eye-witness and hearer,
1 John 1: 1–3. 4Luke 1: 3. 5The letter “b” in the
Latin text before “Galatians” may belong to “Corinthi
33
but also a writer of all the marvelous
ans” (pro¡ ß Korinui¬oyß bÓ).
THE MURATORIAN CANON
333
esteem of the Church catholic for the
of Rome,
75
while bishop Pius, his
regulation of ecclesiastical discipline.
brother, was occupying the [episcopal]
There is current also [an epistle] to
64
the
chair
76
of the church of the city of
Laodiceans, [and] another to the Alex
Rome.
77
And therefore it ought indeed
andrians, [both] forged in Paul’s
65
name
to be read; but
78
it cannot be read pubto [further] the heresy of Marcion, and licly to the people in church either among
several others
66
which cannot be re
79
the prophets, whose number is com-
ceived into the catholic church
67
—for
plete,7 or among
80
the apostles, for it is
it is not fitting that gall be mixed with
after [their] time.
81
But we accept nothhoney.
68
Moreover, the Epistle of Jude ing whatever of Arsinous or Valentinus
and two of the above-mentioned (or,
or Miltiades,
82
who also composed
83
a
bearing the name of) John are counted
new book of psalms for Marcion,
84–
(or, used) in the catholic [Church],6 and
5
together with Basilides, the Asian
[the book of] Wisdom,
70
written by the
founder of the Cataphrygians. . . .
friends of Solomon in his honor.
71
We
receive only the apocalypses of John and
Peter,
72
though some of us are not willing that the latter be read in church.
6It may be, as Zahn (
Geschichte,
ii, 66) and others
73
But Hermas wrote the
Shepherd
have supposed, that a negative has fallen out of the
text here. 7Perhaps the Fragmentist means that there
74
very recently, in our times, in the city
are three major Prophets and twelve minor Prophets.
The Canon of Origen
of Alexandria
Origen was the most brilliant, prolific, and influential author of the first three centuries of Christianity. Born in 185 ce, he was raised by Christian parents in Alexandria, Egypt. Already as a child, Origen was recognized as a prodigy. While still a teenager, according to the church historian Eusebius, he was appointed to be head of the famous Catechetical School in Alexandria, a kind of institution of Christian higher learning. Origen soon became the leading proto-orthodox spokesperson of his day, with extensive writings that included detailed expositions of Scripture, sermons, theological treatises, defenses of the faith against its cultured despisers, and refutations of heretics. His inventive theological explorations were seen as acceptable by the proto-orthodox of his day; but he was later condemned as a heretic, largely because of the ways his views were developed by his successors.
As a result of this condemnation, many of his writings were destroyed. But a good many also survive, revealing the true brilliance of Origen’s mind.
None of these surviving writings provides a full listing of the books that Origen considered to belong to the New Testament canon. He does make scattered references to the canon, however, and these can help show how the canon was taking shape in the early third century in proto-orthodox circles of Alexandria. The following partial lists are drawn from Origen’s Commentaries on Matthew and John and his Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews, as these are quoted in the writings of Eusebius (see below).
As can be seen, Origen accepted the four Gospels that were eventually agreed upon: the Pauline epistles (which he does not enumerate in this fragment), one letter of Peter, allowing for the possibility of a second, one letter of John and possibly two more, and the Apocalypse of John. In the final fragment given here, he addresses the problem posed by the book of Hebrews, accepting it as canonical, but expressing his opinion that Paul was not its actual author.
Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, based on the Greek text in Gustave Bardy,
Eusèbe
de
Ceśaree´,
Histoire
Eccleśiastique
(SC, 41; Paris: Cerf, 1951).
334
THE CANON OF ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA
335
Now in the first volume of his
Commen-
why do we need to speak of the one
tary
on
the
Gospel
of
Matthew,
[Origen]
who reclined on Jesus’ breast, John,
defends the canon of the church, testifywho left behind one Gospel, while ing that he recognizes only four Gospels.
admitting that he could produce so
This is what he says:
many that the world would not be
Among the four Gospels—the
able to contain them [John 21:25]?
only ones not disputed by the church
He also wrote the Apocalypse, after
of God under heaven—I have
being ordered to be silent and not to
learned from the tradition that the
write what was spoken by the voices
first written was that according to
of the seven thunders [Rev. 10:3–4].
Matthew, the former tax collector
He also left behind an epistle of a
and then apostle of Jesus Christ, who
very few lines, and possibly a secdelivered it to believers coming out ond and third. For not everyone
of Judaism, drawing it up in Hebrew
agrees that these are genuine. But
letters. Second was that according to
taken together, both do not contain
Mark, who recorded it as he was
a hundred lines.
instructed by Peter, who acknowl
In addition to these, he says the following
edges him as his son in the Catholic
about the letter to the Hebrews in his
epistle he wrote, where he says,
Homilies
on it:
“The church in Babylon, chosen
The writing style of the epistle
with you, sends you greetings, as
entitled “To the Hebrews” does not
does my son Mark,” [1 Pet. 5:13].
have the unskilled character of the
The third was that according to
apostle, who admitted that he was
Luke, the Gospel praised by Paul
an unskilled writer [2 Cor. 11:6], at
and made for those among the Genleast with regard to style. The epistle tile Christians. And after all these
is better Greek in its composition, as
was that according to John.
everyone able to evaluate differ
And in the fifth volume of his
Expositions
ences in style will admit. At the
on
the
Gospel
of
John,
the same author same time, everyone who attends
[Origen] said these things concerning the
closely to the reading of the aposapostolic epistles:
tolic text will agree that the thoughts
Paul was made worthy to be a
of the epistle are marvelous and in
minister of the new covenant, a covno way inferior to the acknowledged enant based not on the letter but the
writings of the apostle.
Spirit [2 Cor. 3:6]; and he spread the
After a few other matters he adds the
gospel from Jerusalem and its vicinfollowing:
ity, as far as Illyricum [Rom 15:19].
But I would say that the thoughts
He did not write to all the churches
of the epistle appear to be those of
he had taught; but to those he did
the apostle, whereas the style and
write, he sent letters of just a few
composition of the letter are those
lines. But Peter, on whom the church
of someone who had his writings in
of Christ was built and against
mind, and wrote down the words of