1. The Development of the New Testament Canon
Robert C Walton, Chronological and Background Charts of Church History (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), point 7.
PERIOD APPROXIMATE CHARACTERISTIC SIGNIFICANT BOOK BOOK
DATES SOURCES RECEIVED QUSTIONED
Apostolic 100 - 140 No serious debate, no Quotations in Four Gospel None
Fathers official pronouncements Apostoloc Fathers Pauline Epistle
(unspecified
corpus)
Gnostic 140 - 220 Reaction against Gnostic Quotations in Four Gospels Hebrews
Opposition truncation of canon (esp. Church Fathers Acts James
writings of Marcion) Muratorian Canon 13 Pauline Epistle 2 Peter
(c. 180) 1 Peter 2-3 John
Gospel of Truth 1 John Sheperd of Hermas
(Gnostic) Jude Didache
Revelation Revelation of Peter

2. Final 220 - 400 General agreement by Origen Four Gospel Hebrews
Solidification end of fourth century Acts James
13 Pauline Epistle 2 Peter
1 Peter 2-3 John
1 John Jude
Revelation Sheperd of Hermas
Didache
Eusibius Four Gospels James
Acts 2 Peter
14 Pauline Epistle 2-3 John
1 Peter Jude
1 John Revelation
Sheperd of Hermas
Didache
Athanasius (Paschal Present Canon
Letter of 367 – final
acceptance in East)
Synod of Rome Present Canon
(382 – final
acceptance in West)
Synod of Chartage Present Canon
(397 – acceptance
by entire church)
Books Debated for Inclusion in The New Testament Canon
Robert C Walton, Chronological and Background Charts of Church History (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), point 8.
QUESTIONED BOOK REASON GIVEN REASON GIVEN RESULT
FOR ACCEPTANCE FOR EXCLUSION
Hebrews Thought Pauline in East Thought non-Pauline forgery in West Accepted

3. James Thought genuine in East Authorship questioned in West Accepted
2 Peter Petrine authorship Authorship questioned Accepted
Similiarity of chapter 2 to Jude
2-3 John Johannine authorship Lack of citations in early writings Accepted
Jude Early citations Apostolic authorship Authorship questioned Accepted
Revelation Widely recognized as Johannine Questioned by Eusebius largely because Accepted
of his opposition to chiliasm
The Sheperd of Hermas Edifying contents Vision from God Nonapostolic origin Excluded
Late date
Didache Record of genuine apostolic traditions Uncertain origin Excluded
Late date
Revelation of Peter Suspected Petrine authorship Authenticity doubted Excluded
Similiarity to Johannine Apocalypse