New Testament Canon

Criteria for Canonicity

  1. Apostles
    • Had to be written by an Apostle
    • Written by someone whom an Apostle could verify , guide, and be their source
  1. Written in the First Century
    • Refer back to Apostolic verification (#1)
    • Other eye witness verification and guide
  1. Immediate and Universal Acceptance (Homologoume)
  2. Must Claim Authority
  3. Quoted by Early Church Fathers
  4. Cohesiveness and Non-Contradictory

New Testament Rejected Books

  • Dead Sea Scrolls
    • Community Rule
    • The 'Zadokite' Document
  • Narrative of Joseph of Arimathaea
  • Epistle of the Apostles
  • Report of Pilate the Procurator
  • History of Joseph the Carpenter
  • Apocryphon of James (Another version)
  • The Letter of Peter to Philip
  • Book of John the Evangelist
  • Ptolemy's Commentary on the Gospel of John Prologue
  • Avenging of the Savior
  • The Apocryphon of John (Long Version)
  • The Sentances of Sextus
  • Book of Thomas the Contender
  • Lost Books of the Bible
    • The GOSPEL of the BIRTH OF MARY
    • The PROTEVANGELION (Another version)
    • The first Gospel of the INFANCY of JESUS CHRIST
    • The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Composit
      • Greek (A)
      • Greek (B)
      • Latin
    • Infancy Compilation (all)
    • The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
    • THE EPISTLES of JESUS CHRIST and ABGARUS KING of EDESSA (Another version)
    • The GOSPEL of NICODEMUS (or ACTS of PONTIUS PILATE) (Another Version)
    • Letters of HEROD and PILATE
    • The APOSTLES' CREED
    • THE EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE to the LAODICEANS
    • The EPISTLES of PAUL the APOSTLE to SENECA (w/SENECA's to PAUL)
    • The ACTS of PAUL and THECLA
    • The FIRST EPISTLE of CLEMENT to the CORINTHIANS
    • The SECOND EPISTLE of CLEMENT to the CORINTHIANS
    • The GENERAL EPISTLE OF BARNABAS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the EPHESIANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the MAGNESIANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the TRALLIANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the ROMANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the PHILADELPHIANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the SMYRNAEANS
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to POLYCARP
    • The EPISTLE of POLYCARP to the PHILIPPIANS
    • HERMAS
    • The First Book of HERMAS (or VISIONS)
    • The Second Book of HERMAS (or COMMANDS)
    • LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE
    • THE LOST GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PETER
    • THE GOSPEL of PETER - LAST
    • The EPISTLE of IGNATIUS to the PHILIPPIANS
    • The MARTYRDOM of IGNATIUS
    • The MARTYRDOM of POLYCARP
    • TERTULLIAN on SPECTICALS
    • TERTULLIAN on PRAYER
    • TERTULLIAN on PATIENCE
    • TERTULLIAN on MARTYRS
    • The Report of Pilate to Caesar
    • Gospel of Bartholomew
    • Gospel of Thomas
    • Gospel of Phillip
    • Secret Gospel of Mark
    • Book of Marcion
    • Excerpts from the Gospel of Mary
    • The Letter of Aristeas
    • The Didache