The biblical canon : its origin, transmission, and authority / Lee Martin McDonald. [print]

Revised edition of: Formation of the Christian biblical canon. c1988.

Part 1. Scripture and canon

1. Introduction I. Some tough questions about the Bible II. An adaptable Bible III> Emergence of the Old Testament and New Testament IV. Process(es) of canonization

2. The notion and use of scripture I Scribes and scriptures in the ancient world II. The scriptures of ancient Israel

3. The notion and use of canon I. Canons in the ancient world II. Biblical and faith canons III. Canon 1 and Canon 2 IV. Defiling the hands: A Jewish notion of Canon V. Canon characteristics: Adaptability and life Virgin Islands Summary

Part 2. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament canon.

4. Origins of the Hebrew Bible I.The Law as Sacred Scripture ; II.Recognition of the Prophets as Scripture ; III.The Writings and a Three-Part Canon ; A.Sirach 49:8-10-- B.Prologue to Sirach ; C.2 Maccabees 2:13-15 ; D.Philo, On the Contemplative Life 25-29-- E.4QMMT-- F.Luke 24:44-- G.Luke 11:48-51 and Matthew 23:34-35 ; IV.The Myth of an Alexandrian Canon ; V.The Biblical Canon in the First Century C.E .-- A.The Emerging Scriptural Canon ; B.1 Enoch: A Troubling Exception ; C.Song of Songs: Hermeneutics and Canon

5. Early Jewish scriptures I.Greek Bible ; A.Greek Language and Culture among Jews ; B.Origin and Use of the Greek Scriptures ; II.Essenes and Their Sacred Scriptures ; A.Background of the Essene Community ; B.Scriptures at Qumran ; 1.Old Testament Texts ; 2.Sectarian Literature ; 3.Biblical Commentaries ; 4.Late Jewish Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Works ; III.Samaritan Bible ; IV.Scriptures of the Sadducees ; A.Background ; B.Scriptures of the Sadducees ; V.Jewish Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings: Literature That Did Not Make the Cut ; Virgin IslandsDecanonization: Subtracting Sacred Books

6. Stabilization of the Hebrew Bible I.The Twenty-two Book Canon ; A.Josephus ; B.Jubilees 2.23-24 ; II.The Twenty-four Book Canon ; A.4 Ezra 14:22-48 ; B.Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra 14b-15a ; III.The Twenty-three Book Canon: D. N. Freedman ; IV.Summary

7. Rabbinic tradition (90-550 C.E.) ; I.Cessation of Prophecy ; II.Myth of the Council at Jamnia ; III.The Bible in the Rabbinic Tradition ; A.Torah ; B.Noncanonical Books ; C.Sirach ; D.The Mishnah's Use of Scripture ; E.Outside Books ; F.Cairo Genizah ; IV.Writings of Rabbinic Judaism ; A.Mishnah and Related Writings ; B.Targums ; V.Conclusion

8. The scriptures of Jesus and early Christianity I.The Biblical Canon of Jesus ; II.The New Testament's Use of Scripture ; III.The Inviolability of Scripture ; IV.The Church Fathers and the Old Testament Canon ; A.Eastern Church Fathers ; 1.Melito ; 2.Origen ; 3.Athanasius ; 4.Synopsis scripturae sacrae ; 5.Cyril of Jerusalem ; 6.Gregory of Nazianzus ; 7.Bryennios Canon ; 8.Epiphanius ; B.Western Church Fathers ; 1.Hilary of Poitiers ; 2.Jerome ; 3.Augustine ; 4.Rufinus ; C.Summary ; V.Authority of the Old Testament in Early Christianity ; Virgin IslandsChurch Council Decisions ; Virgin IslandsI.The Codices and the Biblical Canon ; Virgin IslandsII.Unsettled Questions ; A.Concern for an Old Testament Canon ; B.Concern about an Ambiguous Biblical Canon ; C.Concern about Criteria for Establishing a Canon ; IX.Summary and Conclusion ; Excursus: The Use of the Septuagint in the New Testament by R. Timothy McLay

Part 3. New Testament canon.

9. From story to scripture: emergence of the New Testament writings as scripture I.From Oral Tradition to Written Documents ; II.Gospels ; A.Authority of the Gospels in the Early Church ; B.Citations of the Gospel Tradition in the Early Church ; C.Emergence of Authorship: Oral Tradition to Memoirs ; D.Authorship and Authority: Memoirs to Gospels ; III.Paul's Writings ; IV.From Authoritative Documents to Scripture ; A.New Testament Writings Functioning as Scripture ; B.Scripture-like References to New Testament Writings ; 1.2 Clement ; 2.Epistle of Barnabas ; 3.Ignatius ; 4.Polycarp ; 5.2 Peter ; 6.Ptolemy ; 7.Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne ; 8.Tatian ; 9.Athenagoras 10.Theophilus of Antioch ; 11.Summary ; V.Conclusion

10. From Scripture to Canon: Tracing the Origins of the New Testament Canon I.Justin and the Roots of Christian Scripture ; II.Irenaeus and the Principle of Scripture ; A.The Principle of Scripture ; B.Irenaeus and the Notion of Canon ; C.Irenaeus's Influence ; D.Irenaeus's List of Scriptures ; III.Clement of Alexandria and a Broad Scripture Collection ; IV.Tertullian and Levels of Scriptural Authority ; V.Origen and the Use of Written Traditions ; Virgin IslandsEusebius and the Emergence of a Fixed Biblical Canon ; Virgin IslandsI.Burning Sacred Books ; Virgin IslandsII.Constantine and the Call to Uniformity ; IX.Production of Fifty Sacred Books ; X.Summary

11. Influence of Heretics I.Marcion and Marcionites ; II.Gnostics and Gnosticism ; III.Montanists ; IV.Conclusion ; V.Excursus: New Testament Apocrypha

12. Books, Texts, and Translations I.Books and the Biblical Canon ; A.The Art of Writing ; B.The Codex and the Biblical Canon ; II.Text Criticism ; III.Translations ; A.Early Translations ; B.Modern Translations ; IV.Conclusion

13. Collections and Citations of Christian Scriptures I.Ancient Lists of Scriptures ; A.Introduction ; B.Marcion ; C.Valentinus ; D.Muratorian Fragment ; E.Athanasius of Alexandria ; F.Cyril of Jerusalem ; G.Other Lists ; H.Summary ; II.Early Citations, Parallels, and Allusions to New Testament Writings ; A.Gospels ; 1.Matthew ; 2.Mark ; 3.Luke ; 4.John ; B.Acts ; C.Paul's Writings ; 1.Romans ; 2.1 Corinthians ; 3.2 Corinthians ; 4.Galatians ; 5.Ephesians ; 6.Philippians ; 7.Colossians ; 8.1-2 Thessalonians ; 9.Pastoral Epistles ; a.1 Timothy ; born2 Timothy ; c.Titus ; 10.Philemon ; D.Hebrews ; E.General Epistles ; 1.James ; 2.1 Peter ; 3.2 Peter ; 4.1 John ; 5.2-3 John ; 6.Jude ; F.Revelation ; III.Summary

14. The Criteria Question I.Identifying Christian Scriptures ; II.What Criteria Did the Churches Employ? ; A.Apostolicity ; B.Orthodoxy ; C.Antiquity ; D.Use ; E.Adaptability ; F.Inspiration ; III.Summary

Final Reflections

Appendix A. An Outline of Canon Research: Primary Sources and Questions

I.The Old Testament Canon ; A.Primary Sources for the Study of the Old Testament Canon Formation ; B.Questions for the Study of the Formation of the Old Testament Canon ; II.The New Testament Canon A. Primary Sources for the Study of the Formation of the New Testament Canon ; B. Questions for the Study of the Formation of the New Testament Canon ; III.Conclusions

Appendix B. Lists and Catalogues of Old Testament Collections

Table B-1: Old Testament Lists from the Eastern Churches ; Table B-2: Old Testament Lists from the Western Churches ; Table B-3: Old Testament Lists from Important Uncial Manuscripts ; Table B-4: Current Canons of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Appendix C. Lists and Catalogues of New Testament Collections

Table C-1: Three Early New Testament Lists Based on Eusebius ; Table C-2: New Testament Lists from the Fourth Century ; Table C-3: New Testament Lists from the Fifth and Sixth Centuries ; Table C-4: New Testament Lists from Biblical Manuscripts of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries

Other Appendices

Appendix D. New Testament Citations of and Allusions to Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings ; Appendix E. Brevard Childs's Canonical Approach ; Select Bibliography ; Index of Modern Authors ; Index of Subjects ; Index of Ancient Sources

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