Victor R. Claveau, MJ
The first known list of the sacred books emanated from Rome in the middle of the second century (c. AD 142- 155), in the text of the Muratorian Fragment . This document, which is fragmentary, was discovered by the Italian historian L.A. Muratori in the Ambrosian library in Milan, Italy. It was first published by him in 1740. Written near the end of the second century, it is the oldest Church document concerning the New Testament.
The Muratorian Fragment contained all the New Testament books, except the Letter of James, the Letter to the Hebrews and 2 Peter. (Hebrews was not included in the canon of the Western Church until c. AD 370-380, although it was known and utilized.)
In addition, the fragment gave particulars about the works such as author, destination, occasion and purpose of the writing. It could be classified as the first introduction to the New Testament.
The time, place of composition and authorship of this document are still under discussion. Many scholars attribute the work to St. Hippolytus, the most important writer of the Church, who lived around the turn of the second century.
St. Hippolytus (AD 170?-236?)
Hippolytus was a student of Bishop Irenæus of Lyons. He was elected as an anti-pope against Callistus in AD 217 and in that capacity opened a schism and set up a rival church, of which he became bishop. This situation lasted for 18 years, until — under Maximinus — he and the pope were deported to the island of Sardinia, where both soon died.
Before his departure, Hippolytus confessed his fault, re-entered the true fold and recommended his followers seek reconciliation.
Judging from the number and variety of his works, St. Hippolytus was a brilliant individual. His New Testament listed 21 writings — the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, 12 Pauline epistles, three Catholic epistles: 1 Peter, 1 John and the Book of Revelation.[1] He used Hebrews without specifically mentioning it by name, did not regard it as Pauline and therefore did not place it in the canon.
Tertullian (AD 160-220?)
Tertullian was a writer of the first order. He was born of pagan parents but converted to Christianity c. AD 193-195. Toward the year 200, although married, he may have been ordained to the priesthood. He spent the next 13 years waging war against heresy.
In 213 AD, he broke away from the Church. The cause of this rupture was the Holy See’s condemnation of Montanism and the papal authorization to contract a second marriage after the death of a spouse, a practiced denounced by the Montanists. In addition, he accused a Roman pontiff, probably St. Calixtus (217-222), of presumption in absolving from serious sexual sins and claimed the Church did not have the power to forgive the sins of adultery, idolatry and murder.
The New Testament of Tertullian contained 22 writings. They are the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, 13 Pauline epistles and the Catholic epistles 1 Peter, 1 John, Jude and the Book of Revelation. He regarded Hebrews as an epistle of Barnabas and therefore did not include it in the canon.
By the year AD 200, the Western Church possessed a collection of sacred writings from the apostolic period, which were not only used during divine liturgy but were recognized as authoritative and equal in stature to the writings of the Old Testament.
Although the New Testament at the time was not a closed canon, it is generally admitted that from the beginning of the third century the New Testament comprised the same books as our present canon. Yet during that time there was still controversy as to some of the writings.
In AD 367, Athanasius (c. 296-373), an influential opponent of Arianism,[2] wrote a festal letter that listed for the first time the 27 books of the New Testament — and in the order known today.[3]
At the end of the fourth century, the previously cited African Councils of Hippo and Carthage finally settled difficulties. Since that time there has been no serious attempt to challenge the New Testament canon of the Catholic Church. The canon approved at that time is the same as the one formally defined at the Council of Trent. From the time of the establishment of the African Canon in the early fourth century until the time of the Protestant Reformation in the beginning of the 16th century, there was essentially no dispute as to the canon.
It is not well known that, like the Old Testament, the New Testament contains a number of deuterocanonical books. They are The Letter to the Hebrews, The Letter of James, The Letter of Jude, The Second Letter of Peter, The Second and Third Letters of John and the Book of Revelation. This fact has received little attention in modern times because Protestants, while rejecting the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament, inconsistently accept those of the New.
[1] The name “Catholic” was given by Origen to 1 Peter, 1 John, and Jude. It would seem that they were described in this way because they were letters addressed to the whole Church and not just to specific churches or individuals, as in the case of St. Paul’s letters.
[2] Arianism taught that the Son of God is not of one nature or substance with God the Father, nor equal to Him in dignity and not co-eternal.
[3] Shanks, Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism: A Parallel History of Their Origins and Early Development, 321.