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The canon of the New Testament is the set of books many modern Christians regard as divinely inspired and constituting the New Testament of the Christian Bible.For most churches, the canon is an agreed-upon list of 27 books [1] that includes the canonical Gospels, Acts, letters attributed to various apostles, and Revelation.
During the time period of early Christianity, there was no accepted "New Testament", merely books considered of greater or lesser value. While likely not intended strictly as a canon list, the fragment is evidence of the first attempts to systemize such a group of approved writings, at least if it indeed dates to the 2nd century.
The Council of Jamnia (presumably Yavneh in the Holy Land) was a council that some claim was held late in the 1st century AD to finalize the development of the canon of the Hebrew Bible in response to Christianity; however, the canon was set at an earlier date.
Athanasius' 39th Festal Letter, written in 367, is widely regarded as a milestone in the evolution of the canon of New Testament books. [49] Some claim that Athanasius is the first person to identify the same 27 books of the New Testament that are in use today. Up until then, various similar lists of works to be read in churches were in use.
Jerome mentioned the synod twice, but only in passing. [3]The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church states: [1]. A council probably held at Rome in 382 under St. Damasus gave a complete list of the canonical books of both the Old Testament and the New Testament (also known as the 'Gelasian Decree' because it was reproduced by Gelasius in 495), which is identical with the list given at Trent.
The Old and New Testament canons did not develop independently of each other and most primary sources for the canon specify both Old and New Testament books. [citation needed] For the biblical scripture for both Testaments, canonically accepted in major traditions of Christendom, see § Canons of various traditions.
Although the order in which Athanasius places the books is different from what is now usual, his list is the earliest reference to the present canon of the New Testament. [5] Athanasius reckons the Book of Wisdom, Sirach, the Book of Esther, Judith, the Book of Tobit, the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd of Hermas not as part of the ...
The oldest list of books for the New Testament canon is the Muratorian fragment dating to c. 170. It shows that by 200 there existed a set of Christian writings somewhat similar [ vague ] to what is now the 27-book New Testament, which included the four gospels.