Q.
Who got to decide which books would be included?
114
hoping to harmonize the scriptures may have argued against its inclusion in
the canon.
Yet the differences in style and substance of John’s gospel actually
enhance my appreciation of all four gospels. It offers a different take on Jesus’
place in the cosmos and in history. It adds many singular stories and quota-
tions to the life of Christ. It fi lls in several blanks found in the gospels of Mat-
thew, Mark, and Luke.Marcia Ford
Who is...
?
Marcia Ford
I don’t like to be licked by anything I wouldn’t lick in return.A.
The gospel of John was universally accepted as the inspired word
of God, but there was less agreement over whether 2 John and 3
John should be included in the canon—not because of their content
but because the content was somewhat private and, some thought, of limited
usefulness. The book of Revelation was another matter. The Western leaders
(from Rome and beyond) immediately embraced it, but the Eastern church
(the eastern Mediterranean area) dismissed it.
Contrary to popular thinking today, church authorities did not “decide”
on the canon and then impose it on local churches. The process was actually
more like a grassroots effort. Individual churches used certain books that
they considered to be authentic, and by the end of the second century, most
churches were using the books that now compose the New Testament. By the
end of the fourth century, those books became “canonized” or accepted as the
“rule of faith” for Christians.
With regard to the New Testament, it’s important to understand that the
early church leaders considered their task to be one of discernment; God knew
which writings were authentic, and it was their responsibility to follow God’s
leading. They did not use “rules” as such, but they did apply certain princi-
ples, namely, that the book’s author was an apostle or in some way connected
to an apostle and that the book refl ected a view consistent with accepted doc-
trine and moral values. Also, the book had to be highly regarded and accepted
by the larger Christian community.