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The formation of the biblical canon

The formation of the biblical canon. From scroll to codex. Septuagint. NT canon: stages of development NT canon: criteria of selection. Marcion’s contribution. Irenaeus’s contribution. Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The oldest known ms. of Gospel of John 125 AD. Scroll. Codex.

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The formation of the biblical canon

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  1. The formation of the biblical canon From scroll to codex. Septuagint. NT canon: stages of development NT canon: criteria of selection. Marcion’s contribution. Irenaeus’s contribution. Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The oldest known ms. of Gospel of John 125 AD

  2. Scroll

  3. Codex

  4. Codex Sinaiticus Underlying text: the earliest extant Christian Palestinian Aramaic, 6th c. AD. Overlying text: Georgian, dated 979. Mt. Sinai, Egypt.

  5. Scriptio continua. Prologue to the Gospel of John ca. 200. P66 INTHEBEGINNINGWAS THEWORDANDTHE WORDWASWITHGDAND THEWORDWASGD

  6. Abbreviations of sacred names

  7. Ambiguities of punctuation • AWOMANWITHOUTHERMANISNOTHING • A WOMAN, WITHOUT HER MAN, IS NOTHING • A WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS NOTHING

  8. Septuagint Greek translation of the OT Started in Alexandria under Ptolemy Philadelphus in the third c. BC. the legend Significance: became the OT scripture of the Church Greek translation of Leviticus. Egypt, 2nd c. CE. The oldest MS of LXX.

  9. Latin Translation of Ezekiel (North Italy, 5th C. AD). T

  10. Oral traditions behind the gospels Collected, memorized and (perhaps) recorded: • Sayings of Jesus • Miracle stories • Passion narrative

  11. Four Source Hypothesis

  12. Gospel of Thomas Beginning Ending with title

  13. Proliferation of Apocrypha • Gospels attributed to individual apostles or groups: • Peter, James, Philip, Thomas,Judas, Mary, pseudo-Matthew, Matthias, Bartholomew, the Twelve Apostles, Ebionites, Hebrews, Nazaraeans, Egyptians, • Gospels under general titles: • Perfection, Truth, the Four Heavenly Regions • Gospels attributed to heretics: • Cerinthus, Basilides, Marcion, Apelles, Bardesanes, Mani • Other apocryphal literature: • Apocryphon of: John, James; Apocalypse of John, Peter; Correspondence between Paul and Seneca; Shepherd of Hermas Non-canonical gospel fragment

  14. NT canon: stages of development • Witnessing Jesus’ ministry • Preaching and teaching about Jesus • Composition of the written materials • Proliferation of writings • Informal selection of writings

  15. Timeline • 3rd c. B.C.E. Septuagint. Started under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BCE) in Alexandria. • end of 1st c. C.E. Council of Javneh: Jewish canon closed with 39 books. • NT canon: • 50ies: Pauline Epistles. Paul died ca. 60. • 60ies-early 70ies: Gospel of Mark. • 80ies: Gospels of Matthew and Luke. • 90ies: Gospel of John and the rest of the canon. • 140ies Marcion produced his own canon.   • 170ies Tatian published his Diatessaron. • 180ies Irenaeus endorsed the four gospels. • 200 ( or 4th c?): Muratorian canon. Some Gnostic Gospels and apocrypha rejected. • 367: The first full list of the 27 NT writings mentioned in letter of Athanasius of Alexandria

  16. Marcion’s version of Christianity • Antinomianism: sharp contrast between the Law and the Gospel • Docetism • Marcion’s biblical canon • Church’s response to Marcion

  17. Irenaeus' contribution • Four gospels, no less and no more • Four beasts of Ezekiel symbolizing the four evangelists

  18. Irenaeus on the use of the four gospels Irenaeus, Haer. 3.11.7: ‘So firm is the ground upon which these Gospels rest that the very heretics themselves bear witness to them, and starting from them, each endeavors to establish his own peculiar doctrine. For the Ebionites… use Matthew’s Gospel…; Marcion mutilates that accordning to Luke….; those who separate Jesus from Christ [Docetists]… prefer the Gospel of Mark…; those who follow Valentinus make copious use of that according to John…”

  19. NT canon: informal selection criteria • Use in public worship & teaching. • Orthodoxy = agreement with the apostolic tradition and rule of faith). • Apostolicity = attributed to apostles or ‘apostolic men’. • Antiquity =belong to the ‘apostolic age’.

  20. Seminar Q’s: Infancy Gospel of Thomas • What portrait of a young Jesus emerges out of this narrative? How is this portrait different from the picture of Jesus in the canonical gospels? • What theological issues does the author of this gospel grapple with in his presentation of Jesus? • In your judgment, why did the Church decide not to include this gospel into its canon? Give reasons

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