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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:18:00 -0400
From:         Lora Harris <LHARRIS@UPEI.CA>
Subject:      Re: Evolution of the scriptures...

I would like to know just how much of scripture we know is original,
and what is the historical evolution of what we now call the bible.
Any answers, either via this group, or email, is greatly appreciated.
Any documentation would also be helpful.

Your friend in Christ,
Jeff


Here are some more evidences your friend might consider.

The previous Eusebius quotes from Papais, whose writings were still available at
that time ( no longer outside Eusebius, but no one came to say he was wrong!)
Papais wrote c. 130AD.

There is a test known as the Muratorian canon, dated near 200AD, which refers
to Luke and John.  "The third book of the Gospel is that according to Luke.
Luke, the physician, when, after the Ascention of Christ, Paul had taken to
himself as one studious of right wrote in his own name what he had been told,
although he had not himself seen the Lord in the flesh.  He set down the events
as far as he could ascertain them, and began his story with the birth of John.
        The fourth gospel is that of John, one of the disciples. . . . When his
fellow-disciples and bishops exhorted him he said, 'Fast with me for three days
from to-day, and then let us relate to each other whatever may be revealed to
each of us.'  On the same night it was revealed to Andrew, one of the Apostles,
that John should narrate all things in his own name as they remembered them.
        Moreover the ACts of the Apostles are included in one book.  Luke
addressed them to the most excellent Theophilus, because several events took
place when he was presetn; and he makes this plain by the ommission of the
passion of Peter and of the journey of St. Paul when he left Rome for Spain.
        For the Epistles of Paul  . . . he wrote to not more than seven
churches in this order, the first to the Corinthians, the second to the
Ephesians, the third to the Phillipians, the fourth to the Colossians, the
fifth to the Galations, the sixth to the Thessalonians, the seventh to the
Romans . . . He wrote beside these one to Philemon, one to Titus, and two to
Timothy"
        "The Epistle of Jude indeed, and two bearing the name of John, are
accepted by the Catholic Church; also Wisdom, written by the friends of Solomon
in his honour.  We receive alsso the Apocalypse of John and that of Peter"
        "But the Shepherd [ie of Hermas] was written very recently in our time
by Hermas, in the city of Rome, when his brother, Bishop Pius, was sitting in
the Chair of the Church of Rome.  Therefore it ought also to be read, but it
cannot be read publicly in the Church to the people, either among the Prophets,
since their number is complete, or among the Apostles, to the end of time..."

So here by 200 AD we have a good idea what is in the Bible, and what books are
and aren't valid.  Now, even earlier -

Clement of Rome - bishop, sent a letter c. 96
A scrap of the gospel of John which has been dated at around 90 AD
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, died 115, sent 7 letters.
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna,died 155 AD an old man.   One of his letters ie
extant.  He was a disciple of John, and taught Irenaeus.


Clement's letter shows a sound familiarity with the NT and the truth of the
gospel.

The existance of a recognizable fragment of John speaks for itself (remeber
this is only 60 years after the cruxifiction!)

Ignatius tells us "there is one Pysician, of flesh and of Spirit, originate and
unoriginate, God in man, true Life in death, son of Mary nad Son of God, first
passable then impassable, Jesus Christ our Lord"  "Be deaf therefore, when any
one speaks unto you apart from Jesus Christ, who was of the race of David, the
child of Mary, who was truly born, and ate and drank, was truly persecuted
under Pontius Pilate, as truly cruxified and died, before the eyes of those in
heaven and those under the earth; who also was truly raised from the dead,
since His Father raised Him up, who in like manner will also raise up us who
believe on Him-even His Father will raise us in Christ Jesus, apart from whom
we have not true life."

Polycarp's letter I do not have on hand.

Here is Irenaeus' argument on the matter of the handing down of the truth:
( He lived 130-200, was taught by Polycarp, was Bishop of Lyons from c. 178)

"The tradition of the Apostles, therefore, manifested in the entire world it is
possible for all, who wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly in every
church; and we are in a position to enumerate those who were by the apostles
instituted bishops in the churches, and the succession of these men to our own
times; those who never knew nor taught anything like the ravings of the
heretics.  And in fact if the apostles had known hidden mysteries, which they
were in the habit of imparting to "the perfect" apart and privily from the
rest, they would have delivered them especiallly to those to whom they were
also committing the churches themselves.  For they were desirous that these men
should be very perfect and blameless in all things, whom also they were leaving
behind as their successors, delivering up their own place of government to
these men, who if they discharged their functions honestly, whould be a great
boon t the church, but if they should fall away, the greatest calamity.

        Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to
reckon up the succession of all the churches, we do put to confusion all those
who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by
blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings, by
indicating the tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very
ancient, and universally known church founded and organized at Rome by the two
most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; and also by pointing out the faith
preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of
the bishops. ...

        The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the church,
committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.  Of this Linus,
Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy.  To him succeeded Anacletus; and
after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was alloted the
bishopric, who had seen the blessed apostles, and had associated with them, and
had the preaching of the apostles still echoing in his ears, and their
tradition before his eyes.  Nor was he alone in this, for there were still many
remaining who had received instruction from the apostles.  In the time of
Clement, no small dissension having occured among the brethren at Corinth, the
church in Rome dispatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting
them to peace, renewing their faith, and declaring the tradition which it had
lately received from the apostles ... From this document itself, whosoever
chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was
preached by the churches, and may understand the apostolic tradition of the
church, since this epistle is of older date than these men who are now
propagating falsehood, and who fake up another god beyond the Creator and Maker
of all existing things.  To this Clement there succeeded Evarestus.  Alexander
followed Evarestus; then sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after
him Telesphorus, who was gloriously martyred; then Hyginus; after him, Pius;
then after his Anicetus.  Soter having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherus now, in
the twelfth place from the apostles, holds the inheritance of the episcopate.
In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiatical tradition from the
apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us.  And this is
most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has
been preserved in the church from the apostles until now, and handed down in
truth.

        But Polycarp also was not only instructed by the apostles, and
conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia,
appointed Bishop of Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried
on earth a long tim, and , when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly
suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which
he had learned from the apostles, and which the church hands down, which also
alone are true."

(As an interesting aside - there is some proof that Irenaeus' language was
Celtic!  He goes on to speak of churches in far places which do not possess the
scripture in their language, and yet are in full agreement with the churches
having scriptures due to how well they were taught.)



Lora Harris.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU