Looking for More Than Blog Posts? Here are Some Recent Academic Articles on the Origins of the NT Canon
For those reading this blog, I trust you’ve benefited from the variety of posts that deal with issues related to the origins of the NT canon. I have written those posts with a wide audience in mind, hoping they are helpful for just about anybody who wants to learn more.
At the same time, I know some of you may be interested to know of some more academic articles I have written over the last few years that deal with the NT canon, or NT manuscripts, on a more technical level. Those kinds of articles, because they are not “blog” articles, tend to get lost in the shuffle. And even … Continue reading...
Five “Fake News” Stories That People Believe about Early Christianity
There’s been a lot of chatter about “fake news” in recent months. Some stories, even though they have no basis in fact, are told so often, and with such conviction, that large numbers of people end up believing them anyway.
And some of these fake news stories even dupe legitimate political figures who repeat the story without realizing it is false. And, of course, once a mainstream political figure repeats a story then it becomes even more entrenched in the national psyche.
While some of these fake news stories are rather harmless, others have become quite dangerous. Most famous perhaps is the “Pizza Gate” incident in 2016 where … Continue reading...
What Is So Important about the Second Century? A Preview of My New Book
Due out this Summer (hopefully by July) is my latest book: Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (London: SPCK/IVP Academic, 2017).
For some, the rationale for a book on the second century is quite obvious. But others may wonder, “What is so important about the second century anyway?”
So, just a few quick thoughts on why I wrote this book:… Continue reading...
My New Testament Canon Interview with @BillMounce Is Now Available
Back in March of this year, I sat down with Bill Mounce for about three hours to discuss the origins and authority of the New Testament canon.
Of course, Bill is the author of numerous books, but is known most for his excellent Greek grammar, Basics of Biblical Greek, which we use here at RTS Charlotte.
We covered all sorts of topics like the definition of canon, canonical models, the self-authenticating nature of canon, and the development of the canon in early Christianity.
These interviews are now available on the Bill’s Biblical Training website here (or click picture below).
As a side note, Bill has gathered a tremendous … Continue reading...
A Curious Clue About the Origins of the New Testament Canon
Although most discussions about the development of the canon focus on the patristic period (second century and later), there is much canonical gold yet to mine from the pages of the New Testament itself. Unfortunately, this step is often skipped.
There are a number of possible reasons for why it is skipped. But perhaps most people just assume that the whole idea of a “canon” is a late development anyway, and thus we wouldn’t expect to find anything about it in the New Testament books themselves.
Aside from the fact that such a position already presupposes an entire canonical “worldview” known as the extrinsic model (for my critique of this … Continue reading...