Canonicity of NT

Canonicity of NT 

Why were the 4 gospels accepted?

1.  Apostolicity: The basic matters of faith on which they seem to speak with unanimity about Jesus Christ and the quality or essence of being apostolic, notably of preserving authenticity who holds unique position in the first century.

2.   Eye-witness: Written based on their eye witness account

Criteria for canon.

The word canon literally means “rule” or “standard,” but it is used by religious groups to refer to a list of books that are officially accepted as scripture. In the early years, Christians simply gathered together writings that they found to be helpful and shared them with each other. Paul encouraged the churches to which he wrote letters to exchange those letters with each other, so that they could read what he had written to other congregations as well as to their own community (see Col. 4:16). There was no need for an official agreement as to which books were to be read; for the most part, the works that circulated were the writings produced by people who had founded or led the earliest churches, people such as Paul and the original disciples of Jesus, or at least people who had known Paul or those original disciples. This chain of connection to Jesus and Paul would come to be known as the “apostolic tradition,” and as long as churches were copying and sharing writings that stood within this tradition, there was little need to decide which of those writings was worthy of being labeled “scripture.” The canonocity of the Scripture is based on the following-

1.                        Inspired

2.                        Apostle

3.                        Catholic

4.                        Orthodoxy

Why the Gospel have to be written (reason)

1.      The delay of the Parousia.

2.      To Preservation. To preserve the tradition of Jesus:

The early church would not live on its memory alone, as long as the believers could appeal to the eye-witness or apostles when there were important questions to be answer but the death of the apostles or ey witness warranted to fixed written document.

3.      Lithurgical: The very form of Christian worship encourage the production of Christian literature. The necessity of written gospel or the Christian worship was derived from the Synagogue worship practices, they were liturgical and were intended for corporate worship.

4.      Missional or Mission of the Church:

The mission of the church necessitate the production of the gospels and other NT groups.

5.      Instructional:

It was for catechism or instruction. There was necessitate for collection of teaching of Jesus for Catechical purposes as new members were added to the church.

6.      Apologetic and Polemics purposes:

As the church grew there was also the need for an official gospel a practical necessity as numbers of heresies appeared. It was a defense against the forces within and outside the church.

7.      Persecution:

They have to be written in the context of persecution within and outside (Judaism and Roman Empire). To prove the innocence of Christianity and as a source of encouragement.

TEXT/SOURCE: There is no original copy of any of the writers that comprises the NT. Although, there exist more than 5800 Greek mss, 8000 Latin mss and 1000 other versions into which the original books were translated. [Textual criticism is very important to make a concrete conclusion from all these manuscript and version is all about]

The earliest mss we have today is called p 52, it is a small paper fragment-papyrus of Apostle of John which was discovered about 50 years ago which contains Jn. 18:31-33 (front) and John 18:37-38 (back side).

[Read MANUSCRIPTS AND THE RECEIVED TEXT, TRANSLATIONS AND VERSIONS also]