The Shepherd of Hermas was written during the 2nd or 3rd century and contains teaching that is orthodox, not heretical. Some early church fathers—for example, Irenaeus—even considered the Shepherd of Hermas to be canonical. However, this book is not part of the biblical canon that we have today. Who Wrote the Shepherd of Hermas? We […]
There is much debate concerning the origin and development of the New Testament canon. Some argue that the New Testament canon was determined by Constantine and Nicaea. However, this is not true. The New Testament canon developed throughout the first 250-300 years of Church history. Marcion (c. 85–160) Article: Marcion and the New Testament Canon […]
The Muratorian canon (c. 170–200) is a manuscript fragment that contains the oldest known list of the books of the New Testament that is orthodox. The beginning and end of the manuscript is missing. It was discovered by historian Ludovico Antonio Muratori, a well-known historian, in an Italian library. List of New Testament Books The […]
The Gospel of Thomas is very popular among critics of Christianity. Many argue that there is no good reason why Thomas is not included in the list of canonical gospels. However, the reason is clear. The Gospel of Thomas is completely different in both style and content from the four canonical gospels, and it contains […]
Marcion was a heretic who believed in dualism. He taught that the God of the Old Testament was an inferior, weaker God who focused too much on the law and that the God taught by Jesus was a superior God who focused on the right things: love, compassion, and mercy. Marcion developed his own canon […]
Below is the Synodal Letter of Nicaea. Contrary to one popular belief, the Council of Nicaea and the Synodal Letter did not discuss the issue of the Canon of Scripture. The Synodal Letter of Nicaea To the Church of Alexandria, by the grace of God, holy and great; and to our well-beloved brethren, the orthodox […]
Below are the 20 Canons of Nicaea. These Canons discuss a variety of topics, but do not mention the biblical canon at all, contrary to one popular false belief about the Council of Nicaea. Canon 1 If any one in sickness has been subjected by physicians to a surgical operation, or if he has been […]
One popular belief today is that the New Testament canon was determined by Constantine and Nicaea. This belief was popularized by the fictional book, ”The Da Vinci Code”, written by Dan Brown. However, this belief is absolutely false. The Assertion that the Canon Was Determined by Constantine The Da Vinci Code “More than eighty gospels […]
