text:
Biblical canon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Part of a series on the
Bible
Canons and books
[hide]
Tanakh
Torah
Nevi'im
Ketuvim
Christian biblical canons
Hebrew Bible
Old Testament (OT)
New Testament (NT)
Deuterocanon
Antilegomena
Chapters and verses
Apocrypha
Jewish
OT
NT
Authorship and development
[show]
Authorship
Dating
Hebrew canon
Old Testament canon
New Testament canon
Documentary hypothesis
Mosaic authorship
Pauline epistles
Petrine epistles
Johannine works
Translations and manuscripts
[show]
Samaritan Torah
Dead Sea scrolls
Masoretic Text
Targumim
Peshitta
Septuagint
Vulgate
Gothic Bible
Vetus Latina
Luther Bible
English Bibles
Biblical studies[show]
Archeology
Artifacts
Dating

Historicity
Internal consistency

People
Places
Names
Novum Testamentum Graece
Documentary hypothesis
Synoptic problem
NT textual categories
Biblical criticism
Historical
Textual
Source
Form
Redaction
Canonical
Interpretation[show]
Hermeneutics
Pesher
Midrash
Pardes
Allegorical interpretation
Literalism
Prophecy
Inspiration
Humor
Violence
Alcohol
Ethics
Slavery
Women
Perspectives[show]
Gnostic
Islamic
Qur'anic
Muhammad
Inerrancy
Infallibility
Criticism of the Bible
Outline of Bible-related topics
Bible book Bible portal
v
t
e
A biblical canon or canon of scripture[1] is a set of texts (or "books") which a particular religious community regards as authoritative scripture. The English word "canon" comes from the Greek κανών, meaning "rule" or "measuring stick". Christians became the first to use the term in reference to scripture, but Eugene Ulrich regards the idea as Jewish.[2][3]
Most of the canons listed below are considered by adherents "closed" (i.e., books cannot be added or removed),[4] reflecting a belief that public revelation has ended and thus some person or persons can gather approved inspired texts into a complete and authoritative canon, which scholar Bruce Metzger defines as "an authoritative collection of books".[5] In contrast, an "open canon", which permits the addition of books through the process of continuous revelation, Metzger defines as "a collection of authoritative books".
These canons have developed through debate (canonology[6]) and agreement on the part of the religious authorities of their respective faiths and denominations. Believers consider canonical books as inspired by God or as expressive of the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people. Some books, such as the Jewish-Christian gospels, have been excluded[by whom?] from various canons altogether, but many disputed books—considered non-canonical or even apocryphal by some—are considered to be Biblical apocrypha or deuterocanonical or fully canonical by others. Differences exist between the Jewish Tanakh and Christian biblical canons, although the Jewish Tanakh did form the basis for the Christian Old Testament, and between the canons of different Christian denominations. The differing criteria and processes of canonization dictate what the various communities regard as inspired scripture.[citation needed] In some cases where varying strata of scriptural inspiration have accumulated, it becomes prudent to discuss texts that only have an elevated status within a particular tradition. This becomes even more complex when considering the open canons of the various Latter Day Saint sects—which are usually viewed as divergent from biblical Christianity (and moreover, Judaism)—and the scriptural revelations purportedly given to several leaders over the years within that movement.
Contents
[hide]
1 Jewish canons
1.1 Rabbinic Judaism
1.2 Beta Israel
1.3 Samaritan canon
2 Christian biblical canons
2.1 Early Church
2.1.1 Earliest Christian communities
2.1.2 Marcion's list
2.1.3 Apostolic Fathers
2.2 Eastern Church
2.2.1 Alexandrian Fathers
2.2.2 Eastern canons
2.3 Western Church
2.3.1 Latin Fathers
2.3.2 Luther's canon
2.4 Canons of various Christian traditions
2.4.1 Old Testament
2.4.1.1 Table
2.4.1.2 Table notes
2.4.2 New Testament
2.4.2.1 Table
2.4.2.2 Table notes
3 Latter Day Saint canons
3.1 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
3.2 Other Latter Day Saint sects
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
6.1 Citations
6.2 Bibliography
7 Further reading
8 External links
Jewish canons[edit]
Main article: Development of the Hebrew Bible canon
Rabbinic Judaism[edit]
Part of a series on
Judaism
Movements[show]
Orthodox
Haredi
Hasidic
Modern
Conservative
Reform
Karaite
Reconstructionist
Renewal
Humanistic
Haymanot
Philosophy[show]
Principles of faith
Kabbalah
Messiah
Ethics
Chosenness
Names of God
Musar movement
Texts[show]
Tanakh
Torah
Nevi'im
Ketuvim
Ḥumash
Siddur
Piyutim
Zohar
Rabbinic
Mishnah
Talmud
Midrash
Tosefta
Law[show]
Mishneh Torah
Tur
Shulchan Aruch
Mishnah Berurah
Aruch HaShulchan
Kashrut
Tzniut
Tzedakah
Niddah
Noahide laws
Holy cities / places[show]
Jerusalem
Safed
Hebron
Tiberias
Synagogue
Beth midrash
Mikveh
Sukkah
Chevra kadisha
Holy Temple
Tabernacle
Important figures[show]
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Moses
Aaron
David
Solomon
Sarah
Rebecca
Rachel
Leah
Rabbinic sages
Chazal
Tannaim
Amoraim
Savoraim
Geonim
Rishonim
Acharonim
Religious roles[show]
Rabbi
Rebbe
Posek
Hazzan
Dayan
Rosh yeshiva
Mohel
Kohen
Culture and education[show]
Brit
Pidyon haben
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Marriage
Bereavement
Yeshiva
Kolel
Cheder
Ritual objects[show]
Sefer Torah
Tallit
Tefillin
Tzitzit
Kippah
Mezuzah
Menorah
Shofar
Four species
Etrog
Lulav
Hadass
Arava
Kittel
Gartel
Prayers[show]
Shema (Sh'ma)
Amidah
Aleinu
Kaddish
Minyan
Birkat Hamazon
Shehecheyanu
Hallel
Havdalah
Tachanun
Kol Nidre
Selichot (S'lichot)
Major holidays[show]
Rosh Hashana
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Pesach
Shavuot
Other religions[show]
Judaism and Christianity
Hinduism
Islam
Abrahamic religions
Judeo-Christian
Pluralism
Related topics[show]
Jews
Zionism
Israel
Criticism
Antisemitism
Anti-Judaism
Holocaust theology
Music
Jesus
Muhammad
Judaism portal
v
t
e
Rabbinic Judaism (Hebrew: יהדות רבנית) recognizes the twenty-four books of the Masoretic Text, commonly called the Tanakh (Hebrew: תַּנַ"ךְ) or Hebrew Bible.[7] Evidence suggests that the process of canonization occurred between 200 BC and 200 AD, and a popular position is that the Torah was canonized c. 400 BC, the Prophets c. 200 BC, and the Writings c. 100 AD[8] perhaps at a hypothetical Council of Jamnia—however, this position is increasingly criticised by modern scholars.[9][10][11][12][13][14] According to Marc Zvi Brettler, the Jewish scriptures outside the Torah and the Prophets were fluid, different groups seeing authority in different books.[15]
A scroll of the Book of Esther; one of the five megillot of the Tanakh.
The book of Deuteronomy includes a prohibition against adding or subtracting (4:2, 12:32) which might apply to the book itself (i.e. a "closed book", a prohibition against future scribal editing) or to the instruction received by Moses on Mt. Sinai.[16] The book of 2 Maccabees, itself not a part of the Jewish canon, describes Nehemiah (c. 400 BC) as having "founded a library and collected books about the kings and prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings about votive offerings" (2:13–15).
The Book of Nehemiah suggests that the priest-scribe Ezra brought the Torah back from Babylon to Jerusalem and the Second Temple (8–9) around the same time period. Both I and II Maccabees suggest that Judas Maccabeus (c. 167 BC) likewise collected sacred books (3:42–50, 2:13–15, 15:6–9), indeed some scholars argue that the Jewish canon was fixed by the Hasmonean dynasty.[17] However, these primary sources do not suggest that the canon was at that time closed; moreover, it is not clear that these sacred books were identical to those that later became part of the canon.
The Great Assembly, also known as the Great Synagogue, was, according to Jewish tradition, an assembly of 120 scribes, sages, and prophets, in the period from the end of the Biblical prophets to the time of the development of Rabbinic Judaism, marking a transition from an era of prophets to an era of Rabbis. They lived in a period of about two centuries ending c. 70 AD. Among the developments in Judaism that are attributed to them are the fixing of the Jewish Biblical canon, including the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Esther, and the Twelve Minor Prophets; the introduction of the triple classification of the oral Torah, dividing its study into the three branches of midrash, halakot, and aggadot; the introduction of the Feast of Purim; and the institution of the prayer known as the Shemoneh 'Esreh as well as the synagogal prayers, rituals, and benedictions.[citation needed]
In addition to the Tanakh, mainstream Rabbinic Judaism considers the Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד ) to be another central, authoritative text. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs, and history. The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c. 200 AD), the first written compendium of Judaism's oral Law; and the Gemara (c. 500 AD), an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Tanakh. There are numerous citations of Sirach within the Talmud, even though the book was not ultimately accepted into the Hebrew canon.
The Talmud is the basis for all codes of rabbinic law and is often quoted in other rabbinic literature. Certain groups of Jews, such as the Karaites, do not accept the oral Law as it is codified in the Talmud and only consider the Tanakh to be authoritative.
Beta Israel[edit]
This article contains Ethiopic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Ethiopic characters.
Ethiopian Jews—also known as Beta Israel (Ge'ez: ቤተ እስራኤል—Bēta 'Isrā'ēl)—possess a canon of scripture that is distinct from Rabbinic Judaism. Mäṣḥafä Kedus (Holy Scriptures) is the name for the religious literature of these Jews, which is written primarily in Ge'ez. Their holiest book, the Orit, consists of the Pentateuch, as well as Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The rest of the Ethiopian Jewish canon is considered to be of secondary importance. It consists of the remainder of the Hebrew canon—with the possible exception of the Book of Lamentations—and various deuterocanonical books. These include Sirach, Judith, Tobit, 1 and 2 Esdras, 1 and 4 Baruch, the three books of Meqabyan, Jubilees, Enoch, the Testament of Abraham, the Testament of Isaac, and the Testament of Jacob. The latter three patriarchal testaments are distinct to this scriptural tradition.[note 1]
A third tier of religious writings that are important to Ethiopian Jews, but are not considered to be part of the canon, include the following: Nagara Muse (The Conversation of Moses), Mota Aaron (Death of Aaron), Mota Muse (Death of Moses), Te'ezaza Sanbat (Precepts of Sabbath), Arde'et (Students), the Apocalypse of Gorgorios, Mäṣḥafä Sa'atat (Book of Hours), Abba Elias (Father Elija), Mäṣḥafä Mäla'əkt (Book of Angels), Mäṣḥafä Kahan (Book of Priests), Dərsanä Abrəham Wäsara Bägabs (Homily on Abraham and Sarah in Egypt), Gadla Sosna (The Acts of Susanna), and Baqadāmi Gabra Egzi'abḥēr (In the Beginning God Created).
In addition to these, Zëna Ayhud (the Ethiopic version of Josippon) and the sayings of various fālasfā (philosophers) are sources that are not necessarily considered holy, but nonetheless have great influence.
Samaritan canon[edit]
Main article: Samaritan Torah
Another version of the Torah, in the Samaritan alphabet, also exists. This text is associated with the Samaritans (Hebrew: שומרונים; Arabic: السامريون), a people of whom the Jewish Encyclopedia states: "Their history as a distinct community begins with the taking of Samaria by the Assyrians in 722 BC."[18]
The Abisha Scroll, the oldest scroll among the Samaritans in Nablus.
The Samaritan Pentateuch's relationship to the Masoretic Text is still disputed. Some differences are minor, such as the ages of different people mentioned in genealogy, while others are major, such as a commandment to be monogamous, which only appears in the Samaritan version. More importantly, the Samaritan text also diverges from the Masoretic in stating that Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Gerizim—not Mount Sinai—and that it is upon this mountain (Gerizim) that sacrifices to God should be made—not in Jerusalem. Scholars nonetheless consult the Samaritan version when trying to determine the meaning of text of the original Pentateuch, as well as to trace the development of text-families. Some scrolls among the Dead Sea scrolls have been identified as proto-Samaritan Pentateuch text-type.[19] Comparisons have also been made between the Samaritan Torah and the Septuagint version.
Samaritans consider the Torah to be inspired scripture, but do not accept any other parts of the Bible—probably a position also held by the Sadducees.[20] They did not expand their canon by adding any Samaritan compositions. There is a Samaritan Book of Joshua; however, this is a popular chronicle written in Arabic and is not considered to be scripture. Other non-canonical Samaritan religious texts include the Memar Markah (Teaching of Markah) and the Defter (Prayerbook)—both from the 4th century or later.[21]
The people of the remnants of the Samaritans in modern-day Israel/Palestine retain their version of the Torah as fully and authoritatively canonical.[18] They regard themselves as the true "guardians of the Law." This assertion is only re-enforced by the claim of the Samaritan community in Nablus (an area traditionally associated with the ancient city of Shechem) to possess the oldest existing copy of the Torah—one that they believe to have been penned by Abisha, a grandson of Aaron.[22]
Christian biblical canons[edit]
Part of a series on
Christianity
Jesus
Christ
[show]
Jesus in Christianity
Son of God
Virgin birth
Ministry
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Bible
Foundations
[show]
Old Testament
New Testament
Gospel
Canon
Books
Church
Creed
New Covenant
Theology[show]
God
Trinity
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Apologetics
Baptism
Christology
History of theology
Mission
Patriology
Pneumatology
Salvation
History
Tradition
[show]
Mary
Apostles
Peter
Paul
Fathers
Early Christianity
Constantine
Councils
Augustine
East–West Schism
Crusades
Aquinas
Luther
Reformation
Radical Reformation
Related topics[show]
Art
Holidays (list)
Criticism
Culture
Ecumenism
Liturgy
Music
Other religions
Prayer
Sermon
Symbolism
Denominations
Groups
[show]
Western
Adventist
Anabaptist
Anglican
Baptist
Calvinist
Catholic
Charismatic
Evangelical
Lutheran
Methodist
Pentecostal
Protestant
Eastern
Eastern Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox
Assyrian
Nontrinitarian
Jehovah's Witness
Latter Day Saint
Oneness Pentecostal
Christianity portal
v
t
e
Main articles: Christian biblical canons, Development of the Christian biblical canon, and Canonical gospels
Early Church[edit]
Earliest Christian communities[edit]
The Early Church used the Old Testament, namely the Septuagint (LXX)[23] among Greek speakers, with a canon perhaps as found in the Bryennios List or Melito's canon. The Apostles did not otherwise leave a defined set of new scriptures; instead, the New Testament developed over time.
Writings attributed to the apostles circulated among the earliest Christian communities. The Pauline epistles were circulating in collected forms by the end of the 1st century AD. Justin Martyr, in the early 2nd century, mentions the "memoirs of the Apostles", which Christians (Greek: Χριστιανός) called "gospels", and which were considered to be authoritatively equal to the Old Testament.[24]
Marcion's list[edit]
Marcion of Sinope was the first Christian leader in recorded history (though later considered heretical) to propose and delineate a uniquely Christian canon[25] (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. By doing this, he established a particular way of looking at religious texts that persists in Christian thought today.[26]
After Marcion, Christians began to divide texts into those that aligned well with the "canon" (measuring stick) of accepted theological thought and those that promoted heresy. This played a major role in finalizing the structure of the collection of works called the Bible. It has been proposed that the initial impetus for the proto-orthodox Christian project of canonization flowed from opposition to the canonization of Marcion.[26]
Apostolic Fathers[edit]
A four-gospel canon (the Tetramorph) was asserted by Irenaeus in the following quote: "It is not possible that the gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. For, since there are four-quarters of the earth in which we live, and four universal winds, while the church is scattered throughout all the world, and the 'pillar and ground' of the church is the gospel and the spirit of life, it is fitting that she should have four pillars breathing out immortality on every side, and vivifying men afresh… Therefore the gospels are in accord with these things… For the living creatures are quadriform and the gospel is quadriform… These things being so, all who destroy the form of the gospel are vain, unlearned, and also audacious; those [I mean] who represent the aspects of the gospel as being either more in number than as aforesaid, or, on the other hand, fewer."[27]
A folio from P46; an early 3rd-century collection of Pauline epistles.
By the early 3rd century, Christian theologians like Origen of Alexandria may have been using—or at least were familiar with—the same 27 books found in modern New Testament editions, though there were still disputes over the canonicity of some of the writings (see also Antilegomena).[28] Likewise by 200, the Muratorian fragment shows that there existed a set of Christian writings somewhat similar to what is now the New Testament, which included four gospels and argued against objections to them.[29] Thus, while there was a good measure of debate in the Early Church over the New Testament canon, the major writings were accepted by almost all Christians by the middle of the 3rd century.[30]
Eastern Church[edit]
Alexandrian Fathers[edit]
Origen of Alexandria (184/85–253/54), an early scholar involved in the codification of the Biblical canon, had a thorough education both in Christian theology and in pagan philosophy, but was posthumously condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 since some of his teachings were considered to be heresy. Origen's canon included all of the books in the current New Testament canon except for four books: James, 2nd Peter, and the 2nd and 3rd epistles of John.[31]
He also included the Shepherd of Hermas which was later rejected. The religious scholar Bruce Metzger described Origen's efforts, saying "The process of canonization represented by Origen proceeded by way of selection, moving from many candidates for inclusion to fewer."[32] This was one of the first major attempts at the compilation of certain books and letters as authoritative and inspired teaching for the Early Church at the time, although it is unclear whether Origen intended for his list to be authoritative itself.
In his Easter letter of 367, Patriarch Athanasius of Alexandria gave a list of exactly the same books that would become the New Testament–27 book–proto-canon,[33] and used the phrase "being canonized" (kanonizomena) in regard to them.[34] Athanasius also included the Book of Baruch, as well as the Letter of Jeremiah, in his Old Testament canon. However, from this canon, he omitted the Book of Esther.
Eastern canons[edit]
The Eastern Churches had, in general, a weaker feeling than those in the West for the necessity of making sharp delineations with regard to the canon. They were more conscious of the gradation of spiritual quality among the books that they accepted (for example, the classification of Eusebius, see also Antilegomena) and were less often disposed to assert that the books which they rejected possessed no spiritual quality at all. For example, the Trullan Synod of 691–692, which Pope Sergius I (in office 687-701) rejected[35] (see also Pentarchy), endorsed the following lists of canonical writings: the Apostolic Canons (c. 385), the Synod of Laodicea (c. 363), the Third Synod of Carthage (c. 397), and the 39th Festal Letter of Athanasius (367).[36] And yet, these lists do not agree. Similarly, the New Testament canons of the Syriac, Armenian, Georgian, Egyptian Coptic and Ethiopian Churches all have minor differences, yet five of these Churches are part of the same communion and hold the same theological beliefs.[37] The Revelation of John is said to be one of the most uncertain books; it was not translated into Georgian until the 10th century, and it has never been included in the official lectionary of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whether in Byzantine or modern times.
Western Church[edit]
Main articles: Latin Church and Catholic Bible
Latin Fathers[edit]
The first council that accepted the present Catholic canon (the Canon of Trent) may have been the Synod of Hippo Regius in North Africa (393). A brief summary of the acts was read at and accepted by the Council of Carthage (397) and the Council of Carthage (419).[38] These councils were under the authority of St. Augustine, who regarded the canon as already closed.[39] Pope Damasus I's Council of Rome in 382, if the Decretum Gelasianum is correctly associated with it, issued a biblical canon identical to that mentioned above,[33] or if not, the list is at least a 6th-century compilation.[40] Likewise, Damasus' commissioning of the Latin Vulgate edition of the Bible, c. 383, was instrumental in the fixation of the canon in the West.[41]
In a letter (c. 405) to Exsuperius of Toulouse, a Gallic bishop, Pope Innocent I mentioned the sacred books that were already received in the canon.[42] When these bishops and councils spoke on the matter, however, they were not defining something new, but instead "were ratifying what had already become the mind of the Church."[43] Thus, from the 4th century, there existed unanimity in the West concerning the New Testament canon (as it is today),[44] and by the 5th century the East, with a few exceptions, had come to accept the Book of Revelation and thus had come into harmony on the matter of the New Testament canon.[45]
Luther's canon[edit]
Main article: Luther's canon
Martin Luther (1483–1546) moved seven Old-Testament books (Tobit, Judith, 1-2 Maccabees, Book of Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch) into a section he called the Apocrypha. To refer to these books without calling them "apocrypha," Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox later referred to them as the Deuterocanonicals—while still accepting their full canonicity.
Luther removed the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation from the canon (partially because they were perceived to go against certain Protestant doctrines such as sola scriptura and sola fide),[46] but this was not generally accepted among his followers. However, these books are ordered last in the German-language Luther Bible to this day.
Canons of various Christian traditions[edit]
Final dogmatic articulations of the canons were made at the Council of Trent of 1546 for Roman Catholicism,[47] the Thirty-Nine Articles of 1563 for the Church of England, the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647 for Calvinism, and the Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 for the Eastern Orthodox. Other traditions, while also having closed canons, may not be able to point to an exact year in which their canons were complete. The following tables reflect the current state of various Christian canons.
Old Testament[edit]
Main article: Development of the Old Testament canon
All of the major Christian traditions accept the books of the Hebrew protocanon in its entirety as divinely inspired and authoritative, in various ways and degrees. Furthermore, all of these traditions, with the exception of the Protestants, add to this number various deuterocanonical books. However, in some Protestant Bibles—especially the English King James Bible and the Lutheran Bible—many of these deuterocanonical books are retained as part of the tradition in a section called the "Apocrypha."
Some books listed here, like the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs for the Armenian Apostolic Church, may have once been a vital part of a Biblical tradition, may even still hold a place of honor, but are no longer considered to be part of the Bible. Other books, like the Prayer of Manasseh for the Roman Catholic Church, may have been included in manuscripts, but never really attained a high level of importance within that particular tradition. The levels of traditional prominence for others, like Psalms 152–155 and the Psalms of Solomon of the Syriac churches, remain unclear.
In so far as the Oriental Orthodox Tewahedo canon is concerned, some points of clarity should be made. First, the books of Lamentations, Jeremiah, and Baruch, as well as the Letter of Jeremiah and 4 Baruch, are all considered canonical by the Orthodox Tewahedo Churches. However, it is not always clear as to how these writings are arranged or divided. In some lists, they may simply fall under the title "Jeremiah", while in others, they are divided in various ways into separate books. Moreover, the book of Proverbs is divided into two books—Messale (Prov. 1–24) and Tägsas (Prov. 25–31).
Additionally, while the books of Jubilees and Enoch are fairly well-known among western scholars, 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan are not. The three books of Meqabyan are often called the "Ethiopian Maccabees", but are completely different in content from the books of Maccabees that are known or have been canonized in other traditions. Finally, the Book of Joseph ben Gurion, or Pseudo-Josephus, is a history of the Jewish people thought to be based upon the writings of Josephus.[note 2] The Ethiopic version (Zëna Ayhud) has eight parts and is included in the Orthodox Tewahedo broader canon.[note 3][48]
Table[edit]
Western tradition
Eastern Orthodox tradition
Oriental Orthodox tradition
Assyrian Eastern tradition
Books
Protestant
[O 1]
Lutheran
Anglican
Roman Catholic
Greek Orthodox
Slavonic Orthodox
Georgian Orthodox
Armenian Apostolic
[O 2]
Syriac Orthodox
Coptic Orthodox
Orthodox Tewahedo
[O 3]
Assyrian Church of the East
Pentateuch
Genesis No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Exodus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Leviticus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Numbers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Deuteronomy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
History
Joshua Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Judges Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ruth Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 and 2 Samuel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 and 2 Kings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 and 2 Chronicles Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Prayer of Manasseh No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha)
[O 4] No
(Apocrypha)
[O 4] No – inc. in some mss. Yes (?)
(part of Odes)
[O 5] Yes (?)
(part of Odes)
[O 5] Yes (?)
(part of Odes)
[O 5] Yes (?) Yes (?) Yes (?) Yes
(part of 2 Chronicles) Yes (?)
Ezra
(1 Ezra) Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Esdras Yes
Esdras B' Yes
1 Esdras Yes
1 Ezra Yes
1 Ezra Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nehemiah
(2 Ezra) Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 Esdras Yes
Esdras Γ' Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Esdras
(3 Ezra) No − inc. in some eds. No No
1 Esdras
(Apocrypha) No
3 Esdras
(inc. in some mss.) Yes
Esdras A' Yes
2 Esdras Yes
2 Ezra Yes
2 Ezra
[O 6] No (?) – inc. in some mss. No – inc. in some mss. Yes
Ezra Kali No (?) – inc. in some mss.
2 Esdras 3–14
(4 Ezra)
[O 7] No − inc. in some eds. No No
2 Esdras
(Apocrypha) No
4 Esdras
(inc. in some mss.) No
(Greek ms. lost)
[O 8] No
3 Esdras
(appendix) Yes (?)
3 Ezra Yes
3 Ezra
[O 6] No (?) – inc. in some mss. No – inc. in some mss. Yes
Ezra Sutu'el No (?) – inc. in some mss.
2 Esdras 1–2; 15–16
(5 and 6 Ezra)
[O 7] No − inc. in some eds. No No
(part of 2 Esdras apocryphon) No
(part of 4 Esdras) No
(Greek ms.)
[O 9] No No No No No No No
Esther[O 10] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additions to Esther No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tobit No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Judith No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Maccabees No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
2 Maccabees No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
3 Maccabees No − inc. in some eds. No No − inc. in some eds. No Yes Yes Yes yes
[O 6] Yes No – inc. in some mss. No Yes
4 Maccabees No No No No No
(appendix) No
(appendix) Template:Oui No
(early tradition) No (?) – inc. in some mss. No
(Coptic ms.) No No (?) – inc. in some mss.
Jubilees No No No No No No No No No No Yes No
Enoch No No No No No No No No No No Yes No
1 Meqabyan No No No No No No No No No No Yes No
2 and 3 Meqabyan[O 11] No No No No No No No No No No Yes No
Ethiopic Pseudo-Josephus(Zëna Ayhud) No No No No No No No No No No Yes(broader canon)[O 12] No
Josephus' Jewish War VI No No No No No No No No No – inc. in some mss.
[O 13] No No No – inc. in some mss.
[O 13]
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs No No No No No
(Greek ms.) No No No – inc. in some mss. No No No No
Joseph and Asenath No No No No No No No No – inc. in some mss. No No No
(early tradition?)
[O 14] No
Wisdom
Book of Job Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Psalms 1–150[O 15] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Psalm 151 No No No No – inc. in some mss. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Psalms 152–155 No No No No No No No No Yes (?) No No No (?) – inc. in some mss.
Psalms of Solomon[O 16] No No No No No – inc. in some mss. No No No No – inc. in some mss. No No No – inc. in some mss.
Proverbs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
(in 2 books) Yes
Ecclesiastes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Song of Songs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Book of Wisdom No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sirach (1–51)[O 17] No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes
[O 18] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Prayer of Solomon
(Sirach 52)
[O 19] No No No No (?) – inc. in some mss. No No No No No No No No
Major prophets
Isaiah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ascension of Isaiah No No No No No No No No –
liturgical (?)
[O 20] No No No –
Ethiopic mss.
(early tradition?)
[O 21] No
Jeremiah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lamentations (1–5) Yes Yes Yes Yes
[O 22] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
(part of Säqoqawä Eremyas)
[O 23] No
Ethiopic Lamentations (7:1–11,63) No No No No No No No No No No Yes
(part of Säqoqawä Eremyas)
[O 23] No
Baruch No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
[O 24][O 25] Yes
Letter of Jeremiah No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes
(chapter 6 of Baruch) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
(part of Säqoqawä Eremyas)
[O 26][O 23][O 25] Yes
Syriac Apocalypse
of Baruch
(2 Baruch 1–77)[O 27] No No No No No No No No Yes (?) No No No (?) – inc. in some mss.
Letter of Baruch
(2 Baruch 78–87)[O 27] No No No No No No No No Yes (?) No No Yes (?)
Greek Apocalypse
of Baruch
(3 Baruch)[O 28] No No No
(Greek ms.) No
(Slavonic ms.) No No No No No No No No
4 Baruch No No No No No No No No No No Yes
(part of Säqoqawä Eremyas) No
Ezekiel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Daniel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additions to Daniel[O 29] No − inc. in some eds. No
(Apocrypha) No
(Apocrypha) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Minor prophets
Hosea Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Joel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Amos Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Obadiah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Jonah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Micah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nahum Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Habakkuk Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Zephaniah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Haggai Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Zechariah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Malachi Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The term "Protestant" is not accepted by all Christian denominations who often fall under this title by default—especially those who view themselves as a direct extension of the New Testament church. However, the term is used loosely here to include most of the non-Roman Catholic Protestant, Charismatic/Pentecostal, Reformed, and Evangelical churches. Other western churches and movements that have a divergent history from Roman Catholicism, but are not necessarily considered to be historically Protestant, may also fall under this umbrella terminology.
Jump up ^ The growth and development of the Armenian Biblical canon is complex. Extra-canonical Old Testament books appear in historical canon lists and recensions that are either exclusive to this tradition, or where they do exist elsewhere, never achieved the same status. These include the Deaths of the Prophets, an ancient account of the lives of the Old Testament prophets, which is not listed in this table. (It is also known as the Lives of the Prophets.) Another writing not listed in this table entitled the Words of Sirach—which is distinct from Ecclesiasticus and its prologue—appears in the appendix of the 1805 Armenian Zohrab Bible alongside other, more commonly known works.
Jump up ^ Adding to the complexity of the Orthodox Tewahedo Biblical canon, the national epic Kebra Negast has an elevated status among many Ethiopian Christians to such an extent that some consider it to be inspired scripture.
^ Jump up to: a b The English Apocrypha includes the Prayer of Manasseh, 1 & 2 Esdras, the Additions to Esther, Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, the Book of Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, and the Additions to Daniel. The Lutheran Apocrypha omits from this list 1 & 2 Esdras. Some Protestant Bibles include 3 Maccabees as part of the Apocrypha. However, many churches within Protestantism—as it is presented here—reject the Apocrypha, do not consider it useful, and do not include it in their Bibles.
^ Jump up to: a b c The Prayer of Manasseh is included as part of the Book of Odes, which follows the Psalms in Eastern Orthodox Bibles. The rest of the Book of Odes consists of passages found elsewhere in the Bible.
^ Jump up to: a b c 2 Ezra, 3 Ezra, and 3 Maccabees are included in Bibles and have an elevated status within the Armenian scriptural tradition, but are considered "extra-canonical."
^ Jump up to: a b In many eastern Bibles, the Apocalypse of Ezra is not an exact match to the longer Latin Esdras–2 Esdras in KJV or 4 Esdras in the Vulgate—which includes a Latin prologue (5 Ezra) and epilogue (6 Ezra). However, a degree of uncertainty continues to exist here, and it is certainly possible that the full text—including the prologue and epilogue—appears in Bibles and Biblical manuscripts used by some of these eastern traditions. Also of note is the fact that many Latin versions are missing verses 7:36–7:106. (A more complete explanation of the various divisions of books associated with the scribe Ezra may be found in the Wikipedia article entitled "Esdras".)
Jump up ^ Evidence strongly suggests that a Greek manuscript of 4 Ezra once existed; this furthermore implies a Hebrew origin for the text.
Jump up ^ An early fragment of 6 Ezra is known to exist in the Greek language, implying a possible Hebrew origin for 2 Esdras 15–16.
Jump up ^ Esther's placement within the canon was questioned by Luther. Others, like Melito, omitted it from the canon altogether.
Jump up ^ 2 and 3 Meqabyan, though relatively unrelated in content, are often counted as a single book.
Jump up ^ Some sources place Zëna Ayhud within the "narrower canon."
^ Jump up to: a b A Syriac version of Josephus's Jewish War VI appears in some Peshitta manuscripts as the "Fifth Book of Maccabees," which is clearly a misnomer.
Jump up ^ Several varying historical canon lists exist for the Orthodox Tewahedo tradition. In one particular list found in a British Museum manuscript (Add. 16188), a book of Assenath is placed within the canon. This most likely refers to the book more commonly known as Joseph and Asenath. An unknown book of Uzziah is also listed there, which may be connected to the lost Acts of Uziah referenced in 2 Chronicles 26:22.
Jump up ^ Some traditions use an alternative set of liturgical or metrical Psalms.
Jump up ^ In many ancient manuscripts, a distinct collection known as the Odes of Solomon is found together with the similar Psalms of Solomon.
Jump up ^ The book of Sirach is usually preceded by a non-canonical prologue written by the author's grandson.
Jump up ^ In some Latin versions, chapter 51 of Ecclesiasticus appears separately as the "Prayer of Joshua, son of Sirach."
Jump up ^ A shorter variant of the prayer by King Solomon in 1 Kings 8:22–52 appeared in some medieval Latin manuscripts and is found in some Latin Bibles at the end of or immediately following Ecclesiasticus. The two versions of the prayer in Latin may be viewed online for comparison at the following website: BibleGateway.com: Sirach 52 / 1 Kings 8:22–52; Vulgate
Jump up ^ The "Martyrdom of Isaiah" is prescribed reading to honor the prophet Isaiah within the Armenian Apostolic liturgy (see this list). While this likely refers to the account of Isaiah's death within the Lives of the Prophets, it may be a reference to the account of his death found within the first five chapters of the Ascension of Isaiah, which is widely known by this name. The two narratives have similarities and may share a common source.
Jump up ^ The Ascension of Isaiah has long been known to be a part of the Orthodox Tewahedo scriptural tradition. Though it is not currently considered canonical, various sources attest to the early canonicity—or at least "semi-canonicity"—of this book.
Jump up ^ In some Latin versions, chapter 5 of Lamentations appears separately as the "Prayer of Jeremiah."
^ Jump up to: a b c Ethiopic Lamentations is not included in the current printed bibles.<http://crosswire.org/~dfh/Files/EthiopianCanonAndParatext.pdf>
Jump up ^ The canonical Ethiopic version of Baruch has five chapters, but is shorter than the LXX text.
^ Jump up to: a b Some Ethiopic translations of Baruch may include the traditional Letter of Jeremiah as the sixth chapter.
Jump up ^ The "Letter to the Captives" found within Säqoqawä Eremyas—and also known as the sixth chapter of Ethiopic Lamentations—may contain different content from the Letter of Jeremiah (to those same captives) found in other traditions.
^ Jump up to: a b The Letter of Baruch is found in chapters 78–87 of 2 Baruch—the final ten chapters of the book. The letter had a wider circulation and often appeared separately from the first 77 chapters of the book, which is an apocalypse.
Jump up ^ Included here for the purpose of disambiguation, 3 Baruch is widely rejected as a pseudepigraphon and is not part of any Biblical tradition. Two manuscripts exist—a longer Greek manuscript with Christian interpolations and a shorter Slavonic version. There is some uncertainty about which was written first.
Jump up ^ Bel and the Dragon, Susanna, & The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children.
New Testament[edit]
Main article: Development of the New Testament canon
Among the various Christian denominations, the New Testament canon is a generally agreed-upon list of 27 books. However, the way in which those books are arranged may vary from tradition to tradition. For instance, in the Lutheran, Slavonic, Orthodox Tewahedo, Syriac, and Armenian traditions, the New Testament is ordered differently from what is considered to be the standard arrangement. Protestant Bibles in Russia and Ethiopia usually follow the local Orthodox order for the New Testament. The Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East both adhere to the Peshitta liturgical tradition, which historically excludes five books of the New Testament Antilegomena: 2 John, 3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation. However, those books are included in certain Bibles of the modern Syriac traditions.
Other New Testament works that are generally considered apocryphal nonetheless appear in some Bibles and manuscripts. For instance, the Epistle to the Laodiceans[note 4] was included in numerous Latin Vulgate manuscripts, in the eighteen German Bibles prior to Luther's translation, and also a number of early English Bibles, such as Gundulf's Bible and John Wycliffe's English translation—even as recently as 1728, William Whiston considered this epistle to be genuinely Pauline. Likewise, the Third Epistle to the Corinthians[note 5] was once considered to be part of the Armenian Orthodox Bible,[49] but is no longer printed in modern editions. Within the Syriac Orthodox tradition, the Third Epistle to the Corinthians also has a history of significance. Both Aphrahat and Ephraem of Syria held it in high regard and treated it as if it were canonical.[50] However, it was left-out of the Peshitta and ultimately excluded from the canon altogether.
The Didache,[note 6] The Shepherd of Hermas,[note 7] and other writings attributed to the Apostolic Fathers, were once considered scriptural by various early Church fathers. They are still being honored in some traditions, though they are no longer considered to be canonical. However, certain canonical books within the Orthodox Tewahedo traditions find their origin in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers as well as the Ancient Church Orders. The Orthodox Tewahedo churches recognize these eight additional New Testament books in its broader canon. They are as follows: the four books of Sinodos, the two books of the Covenant, Ethiopic Clement, and the Ethiopic Didascalia.[51]
Table[edit]
Books
Protestant tradition
Roman Catholic tradition
Eastern Orthodox tradition
Armenian Apostolic tradition
[N 1]
Coptic Orthodox tradition
Orthodox Tewahedo traditions
Syriac Christian traditions
Canonical gospels[N 2]
Matthew Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 3]
Mark[N 4] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 3]
Luke Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 3]
John[N 4][N 5] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 3]
Apostolic history
Acts[N 4] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Acts of Paul and Thecla
[N 6][52][53] No No No No
(early tradition) No No No
(early tradition)
Pauline epistles
Romans Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Corinthians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 Corinthians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Corinthians to Paul and
3 Corinthians
[N 6][N 7] No No No No − inc. in some mss. No No No
(early tradition)
Galatians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ephesians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Philippians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colossians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Laodiceans No − inc. in some eds.
[N 8] No − inc. in some mss. No No No No No
1 Thessalonians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 Thessalonians Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Timothy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 Timothy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Titus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Philemon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
General epistles
Hebrews Yes[N 9] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
James Yes[N 9] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Peter Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 Peter Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 10]
1 John[N 4] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 John Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 10]
3 John Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 10]
Jude Yes[N 9] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 10]
Apocalypse[N 11]
Revelation Yes[N 9] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[N 10]
Apostolic Fathers[N 12] and Church Orders[N 13]
1 Clement[N 14] No
(Codices Alexandrinus and Hierosolymitanus)
2 Clement[N 14] No
(Codices Alexandrinus and Hierosolymitanus)
Shepherd of Hermas[N 14] No
(Codex Siniaticus)
Epistle of Barnabas[N 14] No
(Codices Hierosolymitanus and Siniaticus)
Didache[N 14] No
(Codex Hierosolymitanus)
Ser`atä Seyon
(Sinodos) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Te'ezaz
(Sinodos) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Gessew
(Sinodos) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Abtelis
(Sinodos) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Book of the
Covenant 1
(Mäshafä Kidan) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Book of the
Covenant 2
(Mäshafä Kidan) No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Ethiopic Clement
(Qälëmentos)[N 15] No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Ethiopic Didescalia
(Didesqelya)[N 15] No No No No No Yes
(broader canon) No
Table notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The growth and development of the Armenian Biblical canon is complex. Extra-canonical New Testament books appear in historical canon lists and recensions that are either distinct to this tradition, or where they do exist elsewhere, never achieved the same status. Some of the books are not listed in this table. These include the Prayer of Euthalius, the Repose of St. John the Evangelist, the Doctrine of Addai (some sources replace this with the Acts of Thaddeus), a reading from the Gospel of James (some sources replace this with the Apocryphon of James), the Second Apostolic Canons, the Words of Justus, Dionysius Aeropagite, the Acts of Peter (some sources replace this with the Preaching of Peter), and a Poem by Ghazar. (Various sources also mention undefined Armenian canonical additions to the Gospels of Mark and John, however, these may refer to the general additions—Mark 16:9–20 and John 7:53–8:11—discussed elsewhere in these notes.) A possible exception here to canonical exclusivity is the Second Apostolic Canons, which share a common source—the Apostolic Constitutions—with certain parts of the Orthodox Tewahedo New Testament broader canon. The correspondence between King Agbar and Jesus Christ, which is found in various forms—including within both the Doctrine of Addai and the Acts of Thaddeus—sometimes appears separately (see this list). It is noteworthy that the Prayer of Euthalius and the Repose of St. John the Evangelist appear in the appendix of the 1805 Armenian Zohrab Bible. However, some of the aforementioned books, though they are found within canon lists, have nonetheless never been discovered to be part of any Armenian Biblical manuscript.
Jump up ^ Though widely regarded as non-canonical, the Gospel of James obtained early liturgical acceptance among some Eastern churches and remains a major source for many of Christendom's traditions related to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
^ Jump up to: a b c d The Diatessaron, Tatian's gospel harmony, became a standard text in some Syriac-speaking churches down to the 5th century, when it gave-way to the four separate gospels found in the Peshitta.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Parts of these four books are not found in the most reliable ancient sources; in some cases, are thought to be later additions; and have therefore not historically existed in every Biblical tradition. They are as follows: Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11, the Comma Johanneum, and portions of the Western version of Acts. To varying degrees, arguments for the authenticity of these passages—especially for the one from the Gospel of John—have occasionally been made.
Jump up ^ Skeireins, a commentary on the Gospel of John in the Gothic language, was included in the Wulfila Bible. It exists today only in fragments.
^ Jump up to: a b The Acts of Paul and Thecla, the Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul, and the Third Epistle to the Corinthians are all portions of the greater Acts of Paul narrative, which is part of a stichometric catalogue of New Testament canon found in the Codex Claromontanus, but has survived only in fragments. Some of the content within these individual sections may have developed separately, however.
Jump up ^ The Third Epistle to the Corinthians often appears with and is framed as a response to the Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul.
Jump up ^ The Epistle to the Laodiceans is present in some western non-Roman Catholic translations and traditions. Especially of note is John Wycliffe's inclusion of the epistle in his English translation, and the Quakers' use of it to the point where they produced a translation and made pleas for its canonicity (Poole's Annotations, on Col. 4:16). The epistle is nonetheless widely rejected by the vast majority of Protestants.
^ Jump up to: a b c d These four works were questioned or "spoken against" by Martin Luther, and he changed the order of his New Testament to reflect this, but he did not leave them out, nor has any Lutheran body since. Traditional German Luther Bibles are still printed with the New Testament in this changed "Lutheran" order. The vast majority of Protestants embrace these four works as fully canonical.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e The Peshitta excludes 2 John, 3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation, but certain Bibles of the modern Syriac traditions include later translations of those books. Still today, the official lectionary followed by the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, present lessons from only the twenty-two books of Peshitta, the version to which appeal is made for the settlement of doctrinal questions.
Jump up ^ The Apocalypse of Peter, though not listed in this table, is mentioned in the Muratorian fragment and is part of a stichometric catalogue of New Testament canon found in the Codex Claromontanus. It was also held in high regard by Clement of Alexandria.
Jump up ^ Other known writings of the Apostolic Fathers not listed in this table are as follows: the seven Epistles of Ignatius, the Epistle of Polycarp, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Epistle to Diognetus, the fragment of Quadratus of Athens, the fragments of Papias of Hierapolis, the Reliques of the Elders Preserved in Irenaeus, and the Apostles' Creed.
Jump up ^ Though they are not listed in this table, the Apostolic Constitutions were considered canonical by some including Alexius Aristenus, John of Salisbury, and to a lesser extent, Grigor Tat`evatsi. They are even classified as part of the New Testament canon within the body of the Constitutions itself. Moreover, they are the source for a great deal of the content in the Orthodox Tewahedo broader canon.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e These five writings attributed to the Apostolic Fathers are not currently considered canonical in any Biblical tradition, though they are more highly regarded by some more than others. Nonetheless, their early authorship and inclusion in ancient Biblical codices, as well as their acceptance to varying degrees by various early authorities, requires them to be treated as foundational literature for Christianity as a whole.
^ Jump up to: a b Ethiopic Clement and the Ethiopic Didascalia are distinct from and should not be confused with other ecclesiastical documents known in the west by similar names.
Latter Day Saint canons[edit]
A 21st-century artistic representation of the Golden Plates with Urim and Thummim.
Main article: Revelation (Latter Day Saints)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[edit]
Main article: Standard works
The standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) consists of several books that constitute its open scriptural canon, and include the following:
The King James Version of the Bible[note 8] – without the Apocrypha
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Pearl of Great Price
The Pearl of Great Price contains five sections: "Selections from the Book of Moses", "The Book of Abraham", "Joseph Smith—Matthew", "Joseph Smith—History" and "The Articles of Faith". The Book of Moses and Joseph Smith—Matthew are portions of the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew (respectively) from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. (The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible is also known as the Inspired Version of the Bible.)
The manuscripts of the unfinished Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (JST) state that "the Song of Solomon is not inspired scripture."[54] However, it is still printed in every version of the King James Bible published by the church.
The Standard Works are printed and distributed by the LDS church in a single binding called a "Quadruple Combination" or a set of two books, with the Bible in one binding, and the other three books in a second binding called a "Triple Combination". Current editions of the Standard Works include a bible dictionary, photographs, maps and gazetteer, topical guide, index, footnotes, cross references, excerpts from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible and other study aids.
Other Latter Day Saint sects[edit]
Canons of various Latter Day Saint denominations diverge from the LDS Standard Works. Some accept only portions of the Standard Works. For instance, the Bickertonite sect does not consider the Pearl of Great Price or Doctrines and Covenants to be scriptural. Rather, they believe that the New Testament scriptures contain a true description of the church as established by Jesus Christ, and that both the King James Bible and Book of Mormon are the inspired word of God.[55] Some denominations accept earlier versions of the Standard Works or work to develop corrected translations. Others have purportedly received additional revelation.
The Community of Christ points to Jesus Christ as the living Word of God,[56] and it affirms the Bible, along with the Book of Mormon, as well as its own regularly appended version of Doctrines and Covenants as scripture for the church. While it publishes a version of the Joseph Smith Translation—which includes material from the Book of Moses—the Community of Christ also accepts the use of other translations of the Bible, such as the standard King James Version and the New Revised Standard Version.
Like the aforementioned Bickertonites, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) rejects the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, as well as the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, preferring to use only the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon as doctrinal standards. The Book of Commandments is accepted as being superior to the Doctrine and Covenants as a compendium of Joseph Smith's early revelations, but is not accorded the same status as the Bible or Book of Mormon.
The Word of the Lord and The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel are two related books considered to be scriptural by certain (Fettingite) factions that separated from the Temple Lot church. Both books contain revelations allegedly given to former Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Apostle Otto Fetting by an angelic being who claimed to be John the Baptist. The latter title (120 messages) contains the entirety of the former's material (30 msgs.) with additional revelations (90 msgs.) purportedly given to William A. Draves by this same being, after Fetting's death. Neither are accepted by the larger Temple Lot body of believers.[57]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) considers the Bible (when correctly translated), the Book of Mormon, and editions of the Doctrine and Covenants published prior to Joseph Smith's death (which contained the Lectures on Faith) to be inspired scripture. They also hold the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible to be inspired, but do not believe modern publications of the text are accurate. Other portions of The Pearl of Great Price, however, are not considered to be scriptural—though are not necessarily fully rejected either. The Book of Jasher was consistently used by both Joseph Smith and James Strang, but as with other Latter Day Saint denominations and sects, there is no official stance on its authenticity, and it is not considered canonical.[58]
An additional work called The Book of the Law of the Lord is also accepted as inspired scripture by the Strangites. They likewise hold as scriptural several prophecies, visions, revelations, and translations printed by James Strang, and published in the Revelations of James J. Strang. Among other things, this text contains his purported "Letter of Appointment" from Joseph Smith and his translation of the Voree plates.
The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) accepts the following as scripture: the Inspired Version of the Bible (including the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith–Matthew), the Book of Mormon, and the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants (including the Lectures on Faith). However, the revelation on tithing (section 107 in the 1844 edition; 119 in modern LDS editions) is emphatically rejected by members of this church, as it is not believed to be given by Joseph Smith. The Book of Abraham is rejected as scripture, as are the other portions of the Pearl of Great Price that do not appear in the Inspired Version of the Bible.
Many Latter Day Saint denominations have also either adopted the Articles of Faith or at least view them as a statement of basic theology. (They are considered scriptural by the larger LDS church and are included in The Pearl of Great Price.) At times, the Articles have been adapted to fit the respective belief systems of various faith communities.
See also[edit]
Book of Mormon portal
Judaism portal
Religion portal
Spirituality portal
Book: Abrahamic religions
Book: Christianity
Book: Judaism
Books of the Bible
Bible translations
Biblical criticism
Biblical manuscripts
Canon (fiction) – a concept inspired by Biblical canon
Canonical criticism
Jewish apocrypha
List of Old Testament pseudepigrapha
New Testament apocrypha
Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ Because of the lack of solid information on this subject, the exclusion of Lamentations from the Ethiopian Jewish canon is not a certainty. Furthermore, some uncertainty remains concerning the exclusion of various smaller deuterocanonical writings from this canon including the Prayer of Manasseh, the traditional additions to Esther, the traditional additions to Daniel, Psalm 151, and portions of Säqoqawä Eremyas.
Jump up ^ Josephus's The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews are highly regarded by Christians because they provide valuable insight into 1st century Judaism and early Christianity. Moreover, in Antiquities, Josephus made two extra-Biblical references to Jesus, which have played a crucial role in establishing him as a historical figure.
Jump up ^ The Orthodox Tewahedo broader canon in its fullest form—which includes the narrower canon in its entirety, as well as nine additional books—is not known to exist at this time as one published compilation. Some books, though considered canonical, are nonetheless difficult to locate and are not even widely available in Ethiopia. While the narrower canon has indeed been published as one compilation, there may be no real emic distinction between the broader canon and the narrower canon, especially in so far as divine inspiration and scriptural authority are concerned. The idea of two such classifications may be nothing more than etic taxonomic conjecture.
Jump up ^ A translation of the Epistle to the Laodiceans can be accessed online at the Internet Sacred Texts Archive.
Jump up ^ The Third Epistle to the Corinthians can be found as a section within the Acts of Paul, which has survived only in fragments. A translation of the entire remaining Acts of Paul can be accessed online at Early Christian Writings.
Jump up ^ Various translations of the Didache can be accessed online at Early Christian Writings.
Jump up ^ A translation of the Shepherd of Hermas can be accessed online at the Internet Sacred Texts Archive.
Jump up ^ The LDS Church uses the King James Version (KJV) in English-speaking countries; other versions are used in non-English speaking countries.
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
Jump up ^ Ulrich, Eugene (2002). "The Notion and Definition of Canon". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 29, 34. Ulrich's article defines "canon" as follows: "...the definitive list of inspired, authoritative books which constitute the recognized and accepted body of sacred scripture of a major religious group, that definitive list being the result of inclusive and exclusive decisions after a serious deliberation". It is further defined[by whom?] as follows: "...the definitive, closed list of the books that constitute the authentic contents of scripture."
Jump up ^ Ulrich (2002), p. 28. "The term is late and Christian ... though the idea is Jewish".
Jump up ^ McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. (2002). "Introduction". The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 13. "We should be clear, however, that the current use of the term "canon" to refer to a collection of scripture books was introduced by David Ruhnken in 1768 in his Historia critica oratorum graecorum for lists of sacred scriptures. While it is tempting to think that such usage has its origins in antiquity in reference to a closed collection of scriptures, such is not the case." The technical discussion includes Athanasius's use of "kanonizomenon=canonized" and Eusebius's use of kanon and "endiathekous biblous=encovenanted books" and the Mishnaic term Sefarim Hizonim (external books).
Jump up ^ Athanasius. Letter 39.6.3. "Let no man add to these, neither let him take ought from these."
Jump up ^ Ulrich (2002), pp. 30, 32–33. "But it is necessary to keep in mind Bruce Metzger's distinction between "a collection of authoritative books" and "an authoritative collection of books."
Jump up ^ Maloney, James (2013-07-16). Aletheia Eleutheroo: Truth Warriors of the Supernatural: Establishing the Glory of the Godhead. WestBowPress (published 2013). p. 22. ISBN 9781490800448. ... the science of determining which books of the Bible were truly inspired and which were not is called canonology.
Jump up ^ For the number of books of the Hebrew Bible see: Darshan, G. (2012). "The Twenty-Four Books of the Hebrew Bible and Alexandrian Scribal Methods". In Niehoff, M. R. Homer and the Bible in the Eyes of Ancient Interpreters: Between Literary and Religious Concerns. Leiden: Brill. pp. 221–44.
Jump up ^ McDonald & Sanders (2002), p. 4.
Jump up ^ W. M., Christie. "The Jamnia Period in Jewish History" (PDF). Journal of Theological Studies. os-XXVI (104): 347–64.
Jump up ^ Lewis, Jack P. (April 1964). "What Do We Mean by Jabneh?". Journal of Bible and Religion. Oxford University Press. 32 (2): 125–32. JSTOR 1460205.
Jump up ^ Freedman, David Noel, ed. (1992). Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. III. New York: Doubleday. pp. 634–37.
Jump up ^ Lewis, Jack P. (2002). "Jamnia Revisited". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers.
Jump up ^ McDonald & Sanders (2002), p. 5.
Jump up ^ Cited are Neusner's Judaism and Christianity in the Age of Constantine, pp. 128–45, and Midrash in Context: Exegesis in Formative Judaism, pp. 1–22.
Jump up ^ Brettler, Marc Zvi (2005). How To Read The Bible. Jewish Publication Society. pp. 274–75. ISBN 978-0-8276-1001-9.
Jump up ^ Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2002). "The Formation of the Hebrew Canon: Isaiah as a Test Case". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 60.
Jump up ^ Davies, Philip R. (2002). "The Jewish Scriptural Canon in Cultural Perspective". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 50. With many other scholars, I conclude that the fixing of a canonical list was almost certainly the achievement of the Hasmonean dynasty.
^ Jump up to: a b "Samaritans". Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com. 1906.
Jump up ^ VanderKam, James C. (2002). "Questions of Canon through the Dead Sea Scrolls". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 94. Citing private communication with Emanuel Tov on biblical manuscripts: Qumran scribe type c.25%, proto-Masoretic Text c. 40%, pre-Samaritan texts c. 5%, texts close to the Hebrew model for the Septuagint c. 5% and nonaligned c. 25%.
Jump up ^ "Sadducees". Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com. 1906. With the destruction of the Temple and the state the Sadducees as a party no longer had an object for which to live. They disappear from history, though their views are partly maintained and echoed by the Samaritans, with whom they are frequently identified (see Hippolytus, "Refutatio Hæresium", ix. 29; Epiphanius, l.c. xiv.; and other Church Fathers, who ascribe to the Sadducees the rejection of the Prophets and the Hagiographa; comp. also Sanh. 90b, where "Ẓadduḳim" stands for "Kutim" [Samaritans]; Sifre, Num. 112; Geiger, l.c. pp. 128–29), and by the Karaites (see Maimonides, commentary on Ab. i. 3; Geiger, "Gesammelte Schriften", iii. 283–321; also Anan ben David; Karaites).
Jump up ^ Bowman, John (trans.) (ed.) (1977). Samaritan Documents, Relating To Their History, Religion and Life. Pittsburgh Original Texts & Translations Series No. 2. CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
Jump up ^ Crown, Alan D. (October 1991). "The Abisha Scroll – 3,000 Years Old?". Bible Review.
Jump up ^ Sanders, J. A. (2002). "The Issue of Closure in the Canonical Process". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 259. ... the so-called Septuagint was not in itself formally closed. Attributed to Albert Sundberg's 1964 Harvard dissertation.
Jump up ^ Ferguson, Everett (2002). "Factors leading to the Selection and Closure of the New Testament Canon". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 302–03 ; cf. Justin Martyr. First Apology. 67.3.
Jump up ^ Metzger, Bruce (1997). The Canon of the New Testament. Oxford University Press. p. 98. The question whether the Church's canon preceded or followed Marcion's canon continues to be debated.
^ Jump up to: a b von Harnack, Adolf (1914). "Appendix VI". Origin of the New Testament.
Jump up ^ Ferguson (2002), p. 301; cf. Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses. 3.11.8.
Jump up ^ Both points taken from Noll, Mark A. (1997). Turning Points. Baker Academic. pp. 36–37.
Jump up ^ de Jonge, H. J. (2003). "The New Testament Canon". In de Jonge, H. J.; Auwers, J. M. The Biblical Canons. Leuven University Press. p. 315.
Jump up ^ Ackroyd, P. R.; Evans, C. F., eds. (1970). The Cambridge History of the Bible, Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 308.
Jump up ^ Prat, Ferdinand (1911). "Origen and Origenism". The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company. According to Eusebius' Church History 6.25: a 22 book OT [though Eusebius doesn't name Minor Prophets, presumably just an oversight?] + 1 DeuteroCanon ["And outside these are the Maccabees, which are entitled S<ph?>ar beth sabanai el."] + 4 Gospels but on the Apostle "Paul ... did not so much as write to all the churches that he taught; and even to those to which he wrote he sent but a few lines."
Jump up ^ Metzger (1997), p. 141.
^ Jump up to: a b Lindberg, Carter (2006). A Brief History of Christianity. Blackwell Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1-4051-1078-3.
Jump up ^ Brakke, David (1994). "Canon Formation and Social Conflict in Fourth Century Egypt: Athanasius of Alexandria's Thirty Ninth Festal Letter". Harvard Theological Review. 87 (4): 395–419. doi:10.1017/s0017816000030200.
Jump up ^ Ekonomou, Andrew J. (2007). Byzantine Rome and the Greek Popes. Lexington Books. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-73911977-8.
Jump up ^ Schaff, Philip; Wace, Henry (eds.). "Council in Trullo". Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 14.
Jump up ^ Metzger (1997)
Jump up ^ McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. (2002). "Appendix D-2". The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. Note 19. Revelation was added later in 419 at the subsequent synod of Carthage.
Jump up ^ Ferguson (2002), p. 320; Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Canon of Scripture. Intervarsity Press. p. 230. ; cf. Augustine. De Civitate Dei. 22.8.
Jump up ^ Bruce (1988), p. 234.
Jump up ^ Bruce (1988), p. 225.
Jump up ^ "Innocent I". Bible Research. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Jump up ^ Ferguson (2002), p. 320; Metzger (1997), pp. 237–38; Bruce (1988), p. 97.
Jump up ^ Bruce (1988), p. 215.
Jump up ^ Ackroyd & Evans (1970), p. 305; cf. Reid, George (1908). "Canon of the New Testament". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
Jump up ^ "German Bible Versions". Bible Research.
Jump up ^ Reid (1908).
Jump up ^ "The Bible". Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. 2003. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
Jump up ^ Saifullah, M. S. M. "Canons & Recensions of the Armenian Bible". Islamic Awareness. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
Jump up ^ Metzger (1997), pp. 219, 223; cf. 7, 176, 182. Cited in Epp, Eldon Jay (2002). "Issues in the Interrelation of New Testament Textual Criticism and Canon". In McDonald, L. M.; Sanders, J. A. The Canon Debate. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 492.
Jump up ^ Cowley, R. W. (1974). "The Biblical Canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Today". Ostkirchliche Studien. 23: 318–23.
Jump up ^ Burris, Catherine; van Rompay, Lucas (2002). "Thecla in Syriac Christianity: Preliminary Observations". Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies. 5 (2): 225–36.
Jump up ^ Carter, Nancy A. (2000), The Acts of Thecla: A Pauline Tradition Linked to Women, Conflict and Community in the Christian Church, archived from the original on 13 February 2012
Jump up ^ "Song of Solomon". Bible Dictionary. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. p. 776.
Jump up ^ Lovalvo, V. James (1986). Dissertation on the Faith and Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ. Bridgewater, Michigan: The Church of Jesus Christ. pp. 115–16.
Jump up ^ "Scripture in the Community of Christ". Community of Christ Theology Task Force. Saints Herald. August 2006. p. 15.
Jump up ^ Sheldon, William. "A Synopsis of the Church of Christ Beliefs and Practices as Compared to Other Latter Day Saint Churches". The Interactive Bible. Refers to the Bible and Book of Mormon as "the only safe standards".
Jump up ^ "Strangite Scriptures". Strangite.org. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
Bibliography[edit]
Ante-Nicene Fathers. Eerdmans Press.
Lightfoot, Joseph; Harmer, John; Holmes, Michael, eds. (1992). The Apostolic Fathers. Barker Book House. ISBN 978-0-8010-5676-5.
Encyclopedia of the Early Church. Oxford.
Beckwith, R. T. (1986). The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8028-3617-5.
Davis, L. D. (1983). The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology. Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0-8146-5616-7.
Ferguson, Everett. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.
Fox, Robin Lane (1992). The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible. Penguin Books.
Gamble, Harry Y. (2002). The New Testament Canon: Its Making and Meaning. Wipf & Stock Publishers. ISBN 1-57910-909-8.
Hennecke-Schneemelcher. NT Apocrypha
Nersessian, V. (2001). "The Armenian Canon of the New Testament". The Bible in the Armenian Tradition. Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 978-0-89236-640-8.
Jurgens, W. A. Faith of the Early Fathers.
Sundberg, Albert (1964). The Old Testament of the Early Church. Harvard Press.
Further reading[edit]
Barnstone, Willis (ed.) (1984). The Other Bible: Ancient Alternative Scriptures. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-7394-8434-0.
Childs, Brevard S.. (1984). The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction. SCM Press. ISBN 0-334-02212-6.
McDonald, Lee Martin (2009). Forgotten Scriptures. The Selection and Rejection of Early Religious Writings. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-23357-0.
McDonald, Lee Martin (1988). The Formation of the Christian Biblical Canon. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-13293-2.
McDonald, Lee Martin (2000). Early Christianity and Its Sacred Literature. Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 1-56563-266-4.
McDonald, Lee Martin (2007). 'The Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority. Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56563-925-6.
Souter, Alexander (1954). The Text and Canon of the New Testament. 2nd ed. Studies in Theology, No. 25. London: Duckworth.
Stonehouse, Ned Bernhard (1929). The Apocalypse in the Ancient Church: A Study in the History of the New Testament Canon. Oosterbaan & Le Cointre.
Taussig, Hal (2013). A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Wall, Robert W.; Lemcio, Eugene E. (1992). The New Testament as Canon: A Reader in Canonical Criticism. JSOT Press. ISBN 1-85075-374-1.
Westcott, Brooke Foss. (1875). A General Survey of the History of the Canon of the New Testament. 4th ed. London: Macmillan.
External links[edit]
The Canon of Scripture – contains multiple links and articles
The Canons of the Old Testament and New Testament Through the Ages
Cross Wire Bible Society
Old Testament Reading Room and New Testament Reading Room – Online resources referenced by Tyndale Seminary
The Development of the Canon of the New Testament – includes very detailed charts and direct links to ancient witnesses
Catholic Encyclopedia: Canon of the New Testament
Jewish Encyclopedia: Bible Canon
What's in Your Bible? – a chart comparing Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Protestant canons (Bible Study Magazine, November–December 2008.)
Online Latter Day Saint scripture:
The Standard Works (LDS Church)
Lectures on Faith (1844 edition of Doctrine and Covenants)
The Book of the Law of the Lord (Strangite)
The Revelations of James Strang (Strangite)
The Word of the Lord (Brought to Mankind by an Angel) (Fettingite/Elijah Message)
Biblical Canon of the Orthodox Christian Church
[hide]
v
t
e
Part of a series on the biblical canon
Background
Development of the Hebrew Bible canon
Samaritan Pentateuch
Council of Jamnia
Christian canons
Christian biblical canons
Development of the Christian biblical canon
Synod of Hippo
Decretum Gelasianum
Council of Trent
Thirty-nine Articles
Westminster Confession of Faith
Synod of Jerusalem
Christianity portal
[show]
v
t
e
Books of the Bible
Principal
divisions
Hebrew Bible/
Old Testament Protocanon
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1–2 Samuel
1–2 Kings
1–2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Deuterocanon
and Apocrypha
Catholic
Orthodox
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Wisdom
Sirach
Baruch / Letter of Jeremiah
Additions to Daniel
Susanna
Song of the Three Children
Bel and the Dragon
Orthodox only
1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Odes
Tewahedo Orthodox
Enoch
Jubilees
1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan
Paralipomena of Baruch
Broader canon
Syriac
Letter of Baruch
2 Baruch
Psalms 152–155
New Testament
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Subdivisions
Chapters and verses
Pentateuch
Wisdom
Major prophets / Minor prophets
Gospels
Synoptic
Epistles
Pauline
Johannine
Pastoral
Catholic
Apocalyptic literature
Development
Old Testament canon
New Testament canon
Antilegomena
Jewish canon
Christian canon
Manuscripts
Dead Sea Scrolls
Samaritan Pentateuch
Septuagint
Targum
Diatessaron
Muratorian fragment
Peshitta
Vetus Latina
Masoretic Text
New Testament manuscript categories
New Testament papyri
New Testament uncials
See also
Biblical canon
Luther's canon
Authorship
English Bible translations
Other books referenced in the Bible
Pseudepigrapha
list
New Testament apocrypha
Studies
Synod of Hippo
Textual criticism
Category
Portal
WikiProject
Book
[show]
v
t
e
Christianity
Jesus
Christ
Jesus in Christianity
Virgin birth
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Son of God
Foundations
Church
Creed
Gospel
New Covenant
Bible
Books
Canon
Old Testament
New Testament
Theology
God
Trinity
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Apologetics
Baptism
Christology
Ecclesiology
History of theology
Mission
Salvation
History and
tradition
Mary
Apostles
Peter
Paul
Fathers
Early
Constantine
Ecumenical councils
Augustine
East–West Schism
Crusades
Aquinas
Reformation
Luther
Denomi-
nations
and
traditions
(list)
Western
Adventist
Anabaptist
Anglican
Baptist
Calvinist
Catholic
Charismatic
Evangelical
Holiness
Lutheran
Methodist
Pentecostal
Protestant
Eastern
Eastern Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox (Miaphysite)
Assyrian Church of the East ("Nestorian")
Eastern Catholic Churches
Nontrinitarian
Jehovah's Witnesses
Latter Day Saint movement
Oneness Pentecostalism
Related topics
Art
Criticism
Culture
Ecumenism
Liturgy
Music
Other religions
Prayer
Sermon
Symbolism
Category
Christianity portal
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biblical_canon&oldid=832850405"
Categories:
Bible
Christian terminology
Hidden categories:
Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from August 2017
CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list
Use dmy dates from June 2013
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Afrikaans
Български
Català
Čeština
Dansk
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
Français
Furlan
Galego
한국어
Հայերեն
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
Kiswahili
Latina
Lietuvių
Magyar
Malagasy
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Plattdüütsch
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Simple English
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Tagalog
தமிழ்
Українська
اردو
粵語
中文
33 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 28 March 2018, at 10:00.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values:
/wiki/File:Bible.malmesbury.arp.jpg
image
The Malmesbury Bible

value: li

value: ul

attrs: class id href

values: NavToggle NavToggle1 #

values: Development of the Christian biblical canon

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

values: List of artifacts in biblical archaeology

values: List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none

values:
/wiki/Gnosticism_and_the_New_Testament
mw-redirect
Gnosticism and the New Testament

values:
/wiki/Measuring_stick
mw-redirect
Measuring stick

values:
/wiki/Inspiration_(disambiguation)
mw-redirect mw-disambig
Inspiration (disambiguation)

values:
/wiki/Bruce_Metzger
mw-redirect
Bruce Metzger

values:
/wiki/Religious_authority
mw-redirect
Religious authority

values:
/wiki/Jewish-Christian_gospels
mw-redirect
Jewish-Christian gospels

values: The material near this tag may use weasel words or too-vague attribution. (August 2017)

values: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (December 2015)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement

values:
/wiki/Latter-day_Saint_Movement
mw-redirect
Latter-day Saint Movement

values:
/wiki/File:Star_of_David.svg
image
Star of David

values:
/wiki/File:Lukhot_Habrit.svg
image
Ten Commandments

values:
/wiki/Rosh_Hashana
mw-redirect
Rosh Hashana

values: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;font-weight:bold;

values: Scroll with the text of the Book of Esther in Hebrew

values:
/wiki/Five_megillot
mw-redirect
Five megillot

values:
/wiki/Babylonian_exile
mw-redirect
Babylonian exile

values:
/wiki/Primary_sources
mw-redirect
Primary sources

values:
mbox-text plainlist
vertical-align:middle; font-size:95%;

values: background-color:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;color:#000;width: 22em;

values:
/wiki/Ge%27ez_language
mw-redirect
Ge'ez language

values: Dərsanä Abrəham Wäsara Bägabs (page does not exist)

values: Baqadāmi Gabra Egzi'abḥēr (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Samaritan_Torah
mw-redirect
Samaritan Torah

values:
/wiki/Dead_Sea_scrolls
mw-redirect
Dead Sea scrolls

values:
/wiki/File:Christian_cross.svg
image
Principal symbol of Christianity

values:
hlist
padding:0 0.1em 0.4em;padding-top:0;

values:
/wiki/File:P_christianity.svg
image
Christian cross

values:
/wiki/Canonical_gospels
mw-redirect
Canonical gospels

values: Edit section: Earliest Christian communities

values:
/wiki/Early_Church
mw-redirect
Early Church

values: Folio from Papyrus 46, containing 2 Corinthians 11:33–12:9 in Greek

values:
/wiki/Origen_of_Alexandria
mw-redirect
Origen of Alexandria

values:
/wiki/Shepherd_of_Hermas
mw-redirect
Shepherd of Hermas

values:
/wiki/Synod_of_Laodicea
mw-redirect
Synod of Laodicea

values:
/wiki/Council_of_Carthage_(397)
mw-redirect
Council of Carthage (397)

values:
/wiki/Revelation_of_John
mw-redirect
Revelation of John

values:
/wiki/Council_of_Carthage_(419)
mw-redirect
Council of Carthage (419)

values:
/wiki/Biblical_Apocrypha#Luther_Bible
mw-redirect
Biblical Apocrypha

values: Edit section: Canons of various Christian traditions

values:
/wiki/Thirty-Nine_Articles
mw-redirect
Thirty-Nine Articles

values:
/wiki/Synod_of_Jerusalem
mw-redirect
Synod of Jerusalem

values:
/wiki/Ethiopian_Biblical_canon
mw-redirect
Ethiopian Biblical canon

values:
/wiki/Books_of_Maccabees
mw-redirect
Books of Maccabees

values:
/wiki/Slavic_Orthodox
mw-redirect
Slavic Orthodox

values:
/wiki/The_Bible_and_history#Texts
mw-redirect
The Bible and history

values:
/wiki/Additions_to_Esther
mw-redirect
Additions to Esther

values:
/wiki/Joseph_and_Asenath
mw-redirect
Joseph and Asenath

values:
/wiki/Psalm_152-155
mw-redirect
Psalm 152-155

values:
/wiki/Song_of_Solomon
mw-redirect
Song of Solomon

values:
/wiki/Wisdom_of_Sirach
mw-redirect
Wisdom of Sirach

values:
/wiki/Major_prophets
mw-redirect
Major prophets

values:
/wiki/Paralipomena_of_Baruch
mw-redirect
Paralipomena of Baruch

values:
/wiki/Letter_of_Baruch
mw-redirect
Letter of Baruch

values:
/wiki/Minor_prophets
mw-redirect
Minor prophets

values:
/wiki/Kebra_Negast
mw-redirect
Kebra Negast

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.looys.net/BIBCANON.DOC

values:
/wiki/Christian_denominations
mw-redirect
Christian denominations

values:
/wiki/Ephraem_of_Syria
mw-redirect
Ephraem of Syria

values:
/wiki/Church_fathers
mw-redirect
Church fathers

values:
/wiki/General_epistles
mw-redirect
General epistles

values:
/wiki/Codex_Siniaticus
mw-redirect
Codex Siniaticus

values:
/wiki/Ethiopian_Biblical_canon#Sinodos
mw-redirect
Ethiopian Biblical canon

values:
/wiki/St._John_the_Evangelist
mw-redirect
St. John the Evangelist

values:
/wiki/Apostolic_Canons
mw-redirect
Apostolic Canons

values:
/wiki/Preaching_of_Peter
mw-redirect
Preaching of Peter

values:
/wiki/Mary,_the_mother_of_Jesus
mw-redirect
Mary, the mother of Jesus

values:
/wiki/Wulfila_Bible
mw-redirect
Wulfila Bible

values:
/wiki/Epistles_of_Ignatius
mw-redirect
Epistles of Ignatius

values:
/wiki/Epistle_of_Polycarp
mw-redirect
Epistle of Polycarp

values:
/wiki/Alexius_Aristenus
mw-redirect
Alexius Aristenus

values:
/wiki/Grigor_Tatevatsi
mw-redirect
Grigor Tatevatsi

values: A 21st century artistic representation of the Golden Plates, Breastplate, and Urim and Thummim

values:
/wiki/Golden_Plates
mw-redirect
Golden Plates

values: Edit section: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

values: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

values:
/wiki/Sacred_text
mw-redirect
Sacred text

values:
/wiki/King_James_Version_of_the_Bible
mw-redirect
King James Version of the Bible

values:
/wiki/Joseph_Smith%E2%80%94Matthew
mw-redirect
Joseph Smith—Matthew

values:
/wiki/Joseph_Smith%E2%80%94History
mw-redirect
Joseph Smith—History

values: Edit section: Other Latter Day Saint sects

values: The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel

values: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)

values:
/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Law_of_the_Lord
mw-redirect
The Book of the Law of the Lord

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values:
/wiki/Biblical_manuscripts
mw-redirect
Biblical manuscripts

values: Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.jstor.org/stable/1460205

values:
/wiki/Anchor_Bible_Dictionary
mw-redirect
Anchor Bible Dictionary

values: Category:CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list

values:
/wiki/First_Apology
mw-redirect
First Apology

values: On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.strangite.org/Scriptures.htm

values:
nofollow
http://www.ntcanon.org/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.lds.org/scriptures/?lang=eng

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.strangite.org/Law.htm

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.strangite.org/Reveal.htm

values:
navbox-image
2
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: nowraplinks collapsible uncollapsed navbox-inner

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values:
navbox-image
7
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: navigation navbox Christianity padding:3px

values: Category:Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from August 2017

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Biblical_canon
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-af
display: none;

values: Библейски канон – Bulgarian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-bg
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ca
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-cs
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-da
display: none;

values: Βιβλικός κανόνας – Greek

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-el
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eo
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eu
display: none;

values:
https://fur.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canul
Canul – Friulian
fur
fur
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fur
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-gl
display: none;

values: 성경의 경전 – Korean

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ko
display: none;

values: Կանոնական գրքեր – Armenian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hy
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-it
display: none;

values: קאנוניזציה של כתבים – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sw
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-la
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-lt
display: none;

values:
https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanona
Kanona – Malagasy
mg
mg
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-mg
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-no
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nds
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ro
display: none;

values: Библейский канон – Russian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-simple
display: none;

values: Канон Светог писма – Serbian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sh
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sv
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-tl
display: none;

values: விவிலியத் திருமுறை நூல்கள் – Tamil

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ta
display: none;

values: Біблійний канон – Ukrainian

values: بائبلی فہرست مسلمہ – Urdu

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue
display: none;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Biblical_canon rootpage-Biblical_canon skin-vector action-view