A canon is a general law or criterion by which something is judged. It’s also a list of sacred books accepted as genuine. The canon of the New Testament is the set of 27 books Christians regard as divinely inspired. These books were written mostly in the first century and finished by the year 150.
Roman Emperor Constantine ruled from 306 to 337. He believed a new religion was in order for Rome and chose Christianity as the fit. The empire proclaimed the toleration of Christianity in 313 and Constantine himself converted. He then convened over the First Council of Nicaea in 325. This was the first effort to attain consensus through an assembly representing all of Christendom.
The Bible was finally settled upon at the Council of Carthage in 397, under the authority of Saint Augustine (Mr. Augustine at the time). It was confirmed by Pope Innocent I, in 405, when he sent a letter instructing all bishops to use the new canon. The Old Testament is based on the Hebrew Bible. The New Testament, written in Greek, discusses the teachings of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity.
Early influences
Many theologians had their hand in the creation of this document. And though all opinions were not incorporated, multiple views were certainly heard. Here are three examples: Hermas, Irenaeus of Lyons, and Marcion of Sinope.
Hermas (c. 85) taught that Jesus himself was not divine but a virtuous man who was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit. Hermas was one of two competing doctrines about Jesus’ true nature, the other saying he pre-existed as a divine spirit (Logos). Christ’s identity with the Logos was affirmed in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea.
Irenaeus of Lyons (c 180) instituted the four-gospel canon. In this central work, he denounced various early Christian groups that used only one gospel as well as groups that used more than four.
Marcion of Sinope (85-160) rejected the spiritual teachings of the Old Testament and regarded the God depicted there as an inferior Being. He claimed the “theology of the Old” was incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. Marcion believed Jesus had come to liberate mankind from the authority of the old God and to reveal the superior God of goodness and mercy, whom he called the Father.
Gospels
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are commonly referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. They include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar wording. The Gospel of John is structured differently and includes several miracles of Jesus and sayings not found in the other three.
Christian theologians often consider John to be a central text in their belief that Jesus is God—in connection with the idea that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equals. There were also some who rejected this gospel because it wasn’t compatible with the other three. These heretics were called Alogi.
Interpretations and translations
Protestant denominations, including Evangelicals, have made alterations to establish their own versions of the Bible. They’ve removed or substituted the odd book, and added a verse or two, but in general the Bible has stayed pretty much the same since the late 4th century. What’s made significant impact are all the translations.
The first was to get it into Latin. This was done by Saint Jerome around the year 400. His version (the Vulgate) eventually became the official Roman script. The Bible was then translated into Old English during the 10-11th centuries, Middle English in the 14th, and Modern English in the 16th century. In total, there are over 100 translations just for English, of which many are still available. Individual translations vary with verses being added or subtracted, and different wording being used.
Ecumenical councils
An ecumenical council is a conference of church dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of doctrine. The first ecumenical council was the First Council of Nicaea (325). These councils have continued right up to Vatican II, held between 1962 and 1965.
Conundrum
The Bible contains many controversial clauses making belief in a good and loving God, along with a Bible that is divine, often difficult to reconcile. For example, Timothy 2:12 (King James Version) says: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” This verse is widely used to oppose women from being trained and ordained as clergy, and from holding certain positions inside the Church.
Another passage commonly used to oppose homosexuality is Leviticus 18:22. The English Standard Version says: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
If you divide the Bible into four sections: Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, stories about Jesus (e.g., the birth story), and the rest of the New Testament, you’ll find significant differences based on the type of believer.
- Fundamentalists consider all equally divine
- Lights accept only the teachings of Jesus as being divine
- Progressives are caught in the conundrum.
Fundamentalists have no problem with Old Testament discipline. Lights assign the non-Jesus parts to a completely separate category (especially the Old Testament). And progressives are stuck trying to reconcile an often-suspect Bible with a good and loving God.
Closing
The progressive path forward is always through interpretation. Previously when detractors said, “Why doesn’t God love all people and accept everyone into heaven?” religious folk would reply, “Because the Bible was written thousands of years ago and that’s the way it was.” Sometimes people bought it, sometimes they didn’t. Many left the church.
Today’s progressives have better answers. Their replies include “The Bible itself isn’t divine, it’s about divinity,” or “Constantine was part of the Roman Empire where they used biblical law in addition to civil law to administer people.” Push them further and you might get “If it’s not in accordance with a good and loving God, then the Bible is wrong.”
Maybe we need another ecumenical council to satisfy those who wish to be guided by the good parts of the Bible, without accepting the kooky. This way, fundamentalists would have something clean to believe in, progressives could stay in the church, and lights would attend more often. That or we start a new religion.