The Interpretive Contexts II:
Conflicts and Canons

I. Christian Diversity: The Crucible of the Canon

A. 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

B.

 

II. Development of the NT Canon

A. The Period of Crises and Collecting (I-II C.E.)

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

B.

1. 1 Clement (ca. 100 C.E.)

a. Quotes and echoes Romans, 1 Corinthians and Hebrews

b. Quotes and echoes sayings of Jesus occasionally, but does not quote from a gospel

c. Mainly quotes and echoes the Septuagint (LXX)

 

2.  Letters of Ignatius (ca. 110 C.E.)

a. Quotes and echoes Romans, 1 Corinthians, and maybe Ephesians

b. Quotes and echoes sayings of Jesus occasionally, but does not quote from a gospel

 

3. Papias (ca. 130 C.E.)

a. Quotes a tradition about Mark's writing activities

b. Quotes a tradition about Matthew's writing activities

c. Preferred living voice of oral tradition to written texts

 

4. Marcion's Canon (ca. 140 C.E.)

a. Included ten—edited—letters of Paul

b. Included a gospel similar to our Luke but without chaps. 1-2 (the birth stories)

 

5. Justin (ca. 150 C.E.)

a. No trace of Paul

b. Quotes from "the memoirs . . . drawn up by [Jesus'] apostles and those who followed them"

c. Quotations sound like Matthew, Mark, and Luke though he doesn't identify them as such

 

6. Irenaeus (ca. 180 C.E.)

a. Quotes all thirteen letters of Paul

b. First writer to quote from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John by name

 

C. The Period of Debates and Definitions (III-IV C.E.)

1. The Constant Books

a.

 

b.

 

c.

 

 

2. The Contested Books among the proto-orthodox

a. A Canonical List ca. 200 C.E. (?):

 

b. A Canonical List ca. 310 C.E. in

 

 

3. The Late Fourth Century:

 

D. Criteria for NT Canonicity

1.

 

2.

 

3.