=19. Its Origin and Authenticity.=--Since the latter part of the
fourth century of our present era, there has arisen scarcely a single
question of importance regarding the authenticity of the books of the
New Testament as at present constituted. From that time until the
present, the New Testament has been accepted as an unquestioned canon
of scriptures by all professed Christians.[753] In the fourth century,
there were generally current several lists of the books of the New
Testament as we now have them; of these may be mentioned the
catalogues of Athanasius, Epiphanius, Jerome, Rufinus, and Augustine
of Hippo, and the list announced by the third Council of Carthage. To
these may be added four others, which differ from the foregoing in
omitting the Revelation of John in three cases, and the same with the
Epistle to the Hebrews in one.
[753] See Notes 5 and 6.
=20.= This superabundance of evidence relating to the constitution of
the New Testament canon in the fourth century is a result of the
anti-Christian persecution of that period. At the beginning of the
century in question, the oppressive measures of Diocletian, emperor of
Rome, were directed not alone against the Christians as individuals
and as a sect, but against their sacred writings, which the fanatical
and cruel monarch sought to destroy. Some degree of leniency was
extended to those persons who yielded up the holy books that had been
committed to their care; and not a few embraced this opportunity of
saving their lives. When the rigors of persecution were lessened, the
churches sought to judge their members who had weakened in their
allegiance to the faith, as shown by their surrender of the
scriptures, and all such were anathematized as traitors. Inasmuch as
many books that had been thus given up under the pressure of
threatening death were not at that time generally accepted as holy, it
became a question of first importance to decide just which books were
of such admitted sanctity that their betrayal would make a man a
traitor.[754] Hence we find Eusebius designating the books of the
Messianic and apostolic days as of two classes:--(1) Those of
acknowledged canonicity, viz:--the gospels, the epistles of Paul,
Acts, I John, I Peter, and probably the Apocalypse. (2) Those of
disputed authenticity, viz:--the epistles of James, II Peter, II and
III John, and Jude. To these classes he added a third class, including
books that were admittedly spurious.[755]
[754] See Tregelles' "Historic Evidence of the Origin ... of the
Books of the New Testament," p. 12--.
[755] See Eusebius, "Ecclesiastical History," iii, 25.
=21.= As stated, the list published by Athanasius, which dates from
near the middle of the fourth century, gives the constitution of the
New Testament as we now have it; and at that time all doubts as to the
correctness of the enumeration seem to have been put to rest; and we
find the Testament of common acceptance by professing Christians in
Rome, Egypt, Africa, Syria, Asia Minor, and Gaul. The testimony of
Origen, who flourished in the third century, and that of Tertullian,
who lived during the second, were tested and pronounced conclusive by
the later writers in favor of the canonicity of the gospels and the
apostolic writings. Each book was tested on its own merits, and all
were declared by common consent to be authoritative and binding on the
churches.
=22.= If there be need to go farther back, we may note the testimony
of Irenæus, distinguished in ecclesiastical history as Bishop of
Lyons; he lived in the latter half of the second century, and is known
as a disciple of Polycarp, who was personally associated with the
Revelator, John. His voluminous writings affirm the authenticity of
most of the books of the New Testament, and define their authorship as
at present admitted. To these testimonies may be added those of the
Saints in Gaul, who wrote to their fellow-sufferers in Asia, quoting
freely from gospels, epistles, and the Apocalypse;[756] the
declarations of Melito, Bishop of Sardis, who journeyed to the East to
determine which were the canonical books, particularly of the Old
Testament;[757] and the solemn attest of Justin Martyr, who embraced
Christianity as a result of his earnest and learned investigations,
and who suffered death for his convictions. In addition to individual
testimony, we have that of ecclesiastical councils and official
bodies, by whom the question of authenticity was tried and decided. In
this connection may be mentioned the Council of Nice, 325 A. D.; the
Council of Laodicea, 363 A. D.; the Council of Hippo, 393 A. D.; the
third and the sixth Councils of Carthage, 397 and 419 A. D.
[756] See Eusebius, book iv.
[757] Eusebius iv, 26.
=23.= Since the date last named, no dispute as to the authenticity of
the New Testament has claimed much attention; surely the present is
too late a time, and the separating distance today is too vast, to
warrant the reopening of the question. The New Testament must be
accepted for what it claims to be; and though, perhaps, many precious
parts have been suppressed or lost, while some corruptions of the
sacred texts may have crept in, and errors have been inadvertently
introduced through the incapacity of translators, the volume as a
whole must be admitted as authentic and credible, and as an essential
part of the holy scriptures.[758]
[758] Compare John v, 39.
=24. Classification of the New Testament.=--The New Testament
comprises twenty-seven books, conveniently classified as:--
(1.) Historical 5
(2.) Didactic 21
(3.) Prophetic 1
=25.= (1.) =The Historical Books= include the four Gospels and the
Acts of the Apostles. The authors of these works are spoken of as the
evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; to Luke is ascribed the
authorship of the Acts.
=26.= (2.) =The Didactic Books= comprise the epistles; and these we
may arrange thus: (_1._) _The Epistles of Paul_, comprising (_a_) his
doctrinal letters addressed to Romans, Corinthians, Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Hebrews; (_b_) his
pastoral communications to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (_2._) _The
General Epistles_ of James, Peter, John, and Jude.
=27.= (3.) =The Prophetic Works=, consisting of the Revelation of
John, commonly known as the Apocalypse.