# Early Church Councils



## caddy (Aug 21, 2007)

What is a good link -- and or books -- that speak to the importance of the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon?


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## ZackF (Aug 28, 2007)

caddy said:


> What is a good link -- and or books -- that speak to the importance of the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon?



Please clarify. The "Canon" of what?


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## caddy (Aug 29, 2007)

...of scripture




KS_Presby said:


> caddy said:
> 
> 
> > What is a good link -- and or books -- that speak to the importance of the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon?
> ...


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## DTK (Aug 29, 2007)

caddy said:


> What is a good link -- and or books -- that speak to the importance of the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon?


You are, of course, requesting a source for a very specialized study. I don't know of any works which deal only with "the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon." But you may find the articles on William Webster's site helpful.
http://www.christiantruth.com/articles.html

Then you may want to look at Archibald Alexander's book on the canon. Google books has it online... http://books.google.com/books?id=Li8o3g6djtcC&pg=PA5&dq=The+Canon+Alexander#PPA1,M1

Other books that helpful (please pardon me if this is redundant for you) are the following...

Bruce M. Metzger, _The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development and Significance_ (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), who, among other things, argues against the thought that the canon of the NT was ever settled by conciliar authority.

F. F. Bruce, _The Canon of Scripture_ (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1988).

John Cosin, _A Scholastical History of the Canon of the Holy Scripture or The Certain and indubitate Bokes thereof as they are Received in the Church of England_ is a very old work, but probably the most extensive work of this nature, and is excellent. I believe it was first published in 1672. It is rare and expensive when found. Google does have it online, and it can be downloaded for free... http://books.google.com/books?id=K3I2AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=Cosin+canon

Roger Beckwith, _The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church_ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) is the most extensive modern day treatment of this issue. It can be tedious at times to read, but this is due to the fact that Beckwith is so thorough in his treatment historically.

DTK


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## caddy (Aug 29, 2007)

Thank you David for that information!


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## Dieter Schneider (Aug 29, 2007)

caddy said:


> What is a good link -- and or books -- that speak to the importance of the Early Church Councils as they relate to the Canon?


Click here (you may check the journals) and scroll down to 'Scripture'. Don't forget to consult Calvin.


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## ZackF (Aug 29, 2007)

caddy said:


> ...of scripture
> 
> 
> 
> ...



As far as early Ecumenical Councils on the Canon per se, there isn't much.

ZF


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## DTK (Aug 29, 2007)

Just another note of interest. Other folks, from time to time, have underscored the following point about the Council of Trullo. But the following Greek Orthodox writer candidly states that the Council of Trullo in 692 adopted four different canonical lists of Scripture. They can't all differ and all be right. So much for the certainty that many non-Protestants claim regarding the canonicity of Holy Scripture being based on conciliar authority.

*Demetrios J. Constantelos:* The early church as a whole did not take a definite position for or against the Deuterocanonicals. Church leaders and ecclesiastical writers of both the Greek east and Latin west were not in full agreement. Some preferred the Hebrew canon, while others accepted the longer canon that included the Deuterocanonicals. The ambivalence of ecumenical and local synods (Nicea, 325 CE; Rome, 382; Laodicea, 365; Hippo, 393) was resolved by the Trullan Synod (692). *It adopted deliberations of councils that had favored the shorter list, and decisions of other synods that had advocated the longer list.* See his article “Eastern Orthodoxy and the Bible” in Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan, eds., _The Oxford Companion to the Bible_ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 174.

DTK


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