How was the Bible put together?

What Is the Canon?

The word "canon" comes from the Greek word for "measuring rod" or "rule." The biblical canon is the collection of books recognized as authoritative Scripture. The Old Testament canon was largely settled among Jewish communities well before the time of Christ. The New Testament canon took longer — the process unfolded over the first few centuries of the church.

How Were Books Recognized?

Church councils didn't invent the canon — they recognized what the church had already received. Key criteria for New Testament books included:

• Apostolicity — written by an apostle or someone closely associated with one
• Orthodoxy — consistent with the teaching of Jesus and the apostles
• Catholicity — widely used and accepted across the church, not just one region
• Inspiration — a recognized quality of spiritual authority and divine authorship

Key Moments in the Process

By the early 2nd century, Paul's letters were already circulating as a collection. The four Gospels were widely recognized by the mid-2nd century. The Muratorian Fragment (c. 170 AD) lists most of the New Testament books we have today. The Council of Carthage (397 AD) formally affirmed the 27-book New Testament canon.

What About the "Lost Gospels"?

Books like the Gospel of Thomas or Gospel of Judas were not suppressed — they were evaluated and rejected because they failed the above criteria. Most were written much later than the canonical Gospels, reflected Gnostic theology rather than apostolic teaching, and were never widely received by the church.

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." — Matthew 24:35