How Much Did Early Christians Refer to the New Testament? - Summary Grid – Feb. 2011 version

   A number of people have made outrageous claims, making lots of money, selling books claiming early Christianity believed in a different Bible from today. Many assume no one really knows what early Christians believed. But we do know, and quite well, by observing what scriptural books they referred to when they wrote their religious letters, commentaries, and treatises. This actually undercounts, because they might consider some books scripture that they never happened to mention. (For example, in your writing, how often do you mention the book of Philemon?) Nevertheless, this shows at a minimum some of what they accepted as scripture. Of course, writings with few pages usually refer to only a few New Testament books, as one would expect. Early Christians referred to every book of the New Testament. They did not refer to other books as possibly being in the New Testament canon, with only a few exceptions, such as Tatian’s Diatessaron, a harmony of the four gospels together in Syriac used until the 5th century. There were many other books out there, of Greek philosophy, paganism, and Gnostic works, but these were called “poisons”, and “foreign food” to avoid.

 Legend of the row colors

red = persecution of Christians

pink = strange teacher

green  = heresy

 

orange= schism

Blue = Bible manuscript

W = Books and quotes mentioned by name or by writer       4G = Mention of 4 gospels            I = Implied. ex: “14 letters of Paul”        J = Quoted as words of God/Jesus/Savior/Lord    m = debated  X = rejected

S = Referred to as scripture, gospel, or by apostle(s)           E =not scripture but good to read   Q = Quote of 1 or more verses               ½  = quote of ½ verse                                           A = Allusion   - = no reference

Christian writer, heretic, or Bible manuscript

pages

Date A.D.

NT

Gos pels

Mt

Mk

Lk

Jn

Acts

Rm

1Cor

2Cor

Gal

Eph

Php

Col

1 Th

2 Th

1Tm

2Tm

Tt

Pm

Heb

Jms

1 Pt

2 Pt

1 Jn

2 Jn

3 Jn

Jude

Rev

pos. reference to other

books as authoritative

Nero and Domitian persecute Christians

 

50 & 95/96

Est 500K Christians. Christians were labeled atheists and killed for refusing to worship the emperor and pagan idols.

 

Clement of Rome (wrote 1 Clement)

16 ¼

96-98

-

-

J

J

½

-

¼

Q

W

-

-

-

-

A

A

-

A

-

½

-

Q

Q

Q

A

-

-

-

-

Q

-

Ignatius disciple of John (shortest version)

13

c.100-117

-

-

Q

-

-

A

-

-

¼

A

-

W

-

-

Q

-

¼

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

Trajan persecutes Christians

 

107

Answered Pliny the Younger’s letter. Christians are not to be sought after, but only killed if found.

 

Didache (=Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)

4 ¾

before 125

-

-

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Letter to Diognetus (=Mathetes to Diognetus)

5 ¼

130-150

-

W

A

-

-

A

-

-

-

¾

A

-

A

-

-

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hadrian persecutes Christians

 

118 & 134

Hadrian loved Greek culture. He persecuted both Jews & Christians. Jewish Bar Cochba revolt happened under him.

 

p52 (=John Rylands) John 18:31-33; 18:37-38

117-138

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Letter of Barnabas

12 ½

100-150

-

-

Q

½

Q

A

A

-

-

A

-

-

-

A

-

-

A

-

-

-

Q

A

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

p46 (=Chester Beatty II) 1,680 verses 70% Paul+Heb

100-150

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2 Clement (anonymous writer)

5 ¾

c.150

-

-

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

-

-

Q

-

-

-

-

A

Q

A

-

-

-

-

-

Gos. of Egyptians quote

Polycarp to the Philippians

3 ½

100-155

-

-

Q

½

Q

-

½

Q

Q

A

¼

Q

W

-

Q

½

Q

Q

-

-

-

-

Q

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

Papias, disciple of John + “Presbyters”

2+½ 

130-150

-

-

W

W

-

½

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

A

-

A

-

-

-

?

-

Bar Cochba persecutes Christians

 

135

Christians persecuted in Israel because Christians would not join Bar Cochba’s revolt.

 

Total Apostolic Fathers – until 150 A.D.

62

-150

0

1

8

4

5

4

3

2

5

4

3

2

2

2

3

1

6

1

2

0

2

3

6

3

3

0

0

0

1

1

Justin Martyr, philosopher and apologist

137

c.138-165

W

W

J

J

J

J

A

-

-

-

-

Q

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

Shepherd of Hermas

46 ½

c.160

-

-

¼

-

Q

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

½

Q

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hegesippus (chronicler)Hegesippus

2½

170

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Gnostic heresies become widespread

 

c.170-

Gnostics all believed the Creator was evil/foolish. Rejecting the O.T., they mixed Greek paganism & parts of N.T..

more than 33

Tatian + The Diatessaron, Encratite later

18+86

died 172

-

-

W

W

W

W

-

A

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

¼ 

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p66(=Bodmer II) p14/15 92% of John 808½ verses

125-175

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p4+p64+p67 Lk 1:58-59,etc. Mt 26:7-8,etc. 95 verses

c.150-175

-

-

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Melito/Meleto of Sardis (Quartodecimian)

11

170-177/180

I

-

A

S

S

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

¼

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Persecution of Marcus Aurelius

 

162/166-80

Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher. Persecution, mainly in Gaul, ended with his death.

 

Christians of Vienna and Lugdunum (Lyons)

6 ½

177

-

-

-

-

Q

J

¼

¾

-

A

-

-

Q

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Q

-

Athenagoras (apologist)

33 ½

177

-

-

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Q

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Claudius Apollinaris of Hierapolis (Quartod.)

½

177,160-180

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Theophilus of Antioch (to Autolycus)

32

168-181/188

-

W

Q

-

Q

W

Q

Q

Q

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

-

Q

-

-

-

Q

-

-

-

Q

-

-

-

-

Shepherd of Hermas

Ebionites & Clementina (Law, Father, Son)

265½+

- 181 -

-

-

Q

Q

Q

J

-

-

A

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Protoevangelium of James, Recognit’ns of Clement, etc.

Irenaeus of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp

262

182-188

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

Q

W

½ 

I

W

-

A

W

Hermas, X Gospel of Truth

X others

Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs

¾

180-202

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

P

a

u

l

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Caius and the Muratorian Canon

3

190-217

I

4G

I

I

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

W

Some accept Apoc. of Peter

Sabellian heresy (Praxeas, Noetus,Callistus)

 

200-257-

Sabellians believed the Father, Son, & Spirit were one person. Also called Patripassians for “passion of the Father”.

 

Persecution of Septimus Severus

 

202

Est. 2M Christians. Although a Christian helped him through an illness, he didn’t repeal existing laws against them.

 

Serapion of Antioch (against Marcion)

1/3

200-210

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

X Gospel of Peter

Apollonius of Ephesus (against Montanists)

1

c.210

-

-

J

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Clement of Alexandria

424

193-217/20

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

S

W

W

W

S

W

W

W

-

W

Q

W

¼  

W

W

-

W

W

Preaching of Peter, Shepherd of Hermas, Gospel of the Egyptians, Gospel of the Hebrews, Tradition of Matthias, Greek philosophers

p75 Lk 3:18-22; etc. Jn 1:1-11:45,etc. 1,166 verses

175-225

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p45 (=Chester Beatty I) Gospels + Acts 833 verses

200-225

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p30 1Th 4:12-13,16-17 etc. 2Th 1:1-2 etc. 25 verses

ca.225

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Tertullian (joined Montanist church)

741

198-220

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

I

Q

Q

W

Q

W

A

-

W

W

combined Gal 3:15 & 4:3

Asterius Urbanus (against Montanists)

2 ¾

c.232

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hippolytus, pupil of Irenaeus (undisputed)

218

222-235/6

W

W

J

W

J

W

Q

W

S

W

W

S

W

W

W

W

W

Q

½

-

A

-

Q

W

W

-

-

W

W

X Gospel of the Egyptians,

X others, X Gos. of Thomas

Maximin Thrax persecutes Christians

 

235-238

First empire-wide persecution, but only of clergy. Persecution stopped when his soldiers assassinated him.

 

Instructions of Commodianus & Julius Africanus

25

232-245,240

-

-

W

A

W

-

-

P

a

u

l

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

A

-

Origen (heterodox teacher)

622

225-254

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Q

W

X

W

m

m

W

W

Hermas (disputed), Acts of Paul inferior to John’s gospel

Severe persecution by Decius and Gallus

 

250-251-3

1st Christian schism. Were Christians who sacrificed but repented eventually restored, or doomed forever (Novatian)?

 

Novatian (his schism lasted over 200 years)

38 ½

250/254-7

W

W

J

-

W

W

¾

W

W

W

W

W

S

S

-

-

W

-

Q

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

Anonymous Treatise Against Novatian

6 ½

254-256

-

-

J

-

J

W

-

Q

Q

-

-

S

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

S

½

-

-

Q

-

-

Q

W

-

Anonymous Treatise on Rebaptism

11

c.250-258

W

-

Q

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

X book Preaching of Paul

Cyprian of Carthage (against Novatian)

250¾ 

c.246-258

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

A

-

W

W

W

W

-

-

W

-

Roman church leaders (letter 2,29,30)

1 + 4¾

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

J

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Moyses, et al. to Cyprian (letter 25)

2 ½

250

-

-

J

-

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

½

-

Cornelius to Cyprian (letters 45,47)

1 ¼

c.246-256

-

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Firmilian of Caesarea to Cyprian (74)

7 ¼

254-257

-

-

J

½

J

J

-

Q

S

S

W

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

Seventh Council of Carthage (85 bishops)

7 ¼

258

-

-

Q

-

-

J 

-

S

-

-

½

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-