How did we get our bible that we have today? This article briefly explains what went into determining which letters (books) were inspired by the Holy Spirit, what criteria were used to determine their inclusion, and the process the church went through to give us what we have as our present day New Testament.
Contrary to some spurious beliefs, Constantine did not hold the Nicene council in 325 AD to determine the which books were to be included in the canon; nor were the apocryphal books ever considered for canonization.
I might also add that when I began an extensive study of church history; I set out to find the Evangelical Church in the early centuries. Much to my surprise I found the Catholic/Orthodox Church. Many Protestants might be surprised that the Catholic Church is responsible for the canon of scripture today! The early Church Fathers (many of whom were disciples of the Apostles) believed in a real presence of the Eucharist (though without the precision of the later Church), baptismal regeneration, and the believer's ability to fall from grace or forfeit their salvation. They taught that the Eucharist was "food for immortality, and the baptismal waters conferred the New Birth. We cannot distance ourselves too far from the Catholic Church or else our justification for our present day bible crumbles.
During the first 100 years A.D. Theology was passed on through the oral teachings and traditions of the church leaders. Obtaining any parchment was difficult during these days, so the church relied on oral teachings/traditions and the few creeds which were formed. These creeds (rules of faith) were further refined as erroneous teachings arose. Still though it is said that one could rewrite the New Testament just from the quotes of the early Church Fathers.
The criteria the early church followed for canonization were: a. Were the books or letters written by the apostles or someone known by them or someone of openly good repute. b. Were the letters read in most of the churches. c. Were the letters in agreement with the teachings of the day; such as the early creeds or "rules of faith". d. Were the letters universally recognized with clear and visible acceptance.
These criteria served the purpose of guarding against any spurious writings gaining access into the canon and guarded against the primary heresy of the day viz. Gnosticism. The Gnostic's taught that the teachings of God were esoteric in nature and only the enlightened could understand them - these few enlightened were the only ones that had access to the writings as well. So the criterion of the letters or books being openly taught and accepted was the bulwark against any spurious writings of the Gnostics becoming part of the canon. The heretics of the early centuries had compiled their own canons, but most of these sects didn't survive the test of time due to the patently false teachings and erroneous canons.
The manuscript evidence is stronger than any books in antiquity and shows a 99.5% accuracy and coherence with the bibles of today. This along with the thousands of prophecies that have been fulfilled, the five hundred eye witness accounts to the resurrected Christ; there is no lack of empirical evidence nor epistemic justification for orthodox Christianity and the received canon of scripture.
As we will see below, there were certain books that were included in some of the early canons but excluded in the later and final canon. Some of these letters were written by the Church Fathers such as Clement; none the less were not considered to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and included in the canon according to God's will.
Could there have been letters that were intended to be in the canon but were overlooked, not known to man, or disregarded due to the carnality of man? Yes. There may well have been a third Corinthians or a Second Romans - rest assured though, what we have today is sufficient for salvation and instructing sinners in righteousness. The present canon of scripture is also supported by over 24,000 manuscripts dating back to the second century and nearly every sentence of every book has been referenced in the writings of the early Church Fathers. Many of these Church Fathers were disciples of the apostles and well acquainted with the teachings of Christ. Following are four different lists of books that were found in the Catacombs (Muratorian canon) 200 AD, the writings of the Church Fathers 250 AD, Eusebius the Church historian 300 AD, and the final list agreed to at the council of Carthage in 400 AD.
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