| Show WHEN WAS THE BIBLE COMPLETED scholars differ in opinion as to toe the date at which the books now found in the new testament were completed but it is probable that this wax was accomplished accod not later than isaki many centuries had passed in the formation of ct the old testament but the new was all written within a single hundred years the decision as to which books should be received into the new canon was not so quickly reached tor for the earliest fathers of the church frequently quote from froin ether gospels such as one according to the egyptians or according to the hebrews and the syrian church accepted some books not re by that of north afrika africa or the western church and vice versa there is a legend that at the first ecumenical council of nicea 92 copies of all the christian literature t then en current were laid beneath the edear and the genuine books leaped out of the mass and ranged themselves on the altar it probably contains a germ of the truth that it at this convocation it was decided that the books row now received were apostolic apostol tc or written under apostolic erection and the others were spurious be this as it baythe judgment of several generations of christians certainly decided upon the value of these books as distinguished from many others written at about that time or later and the council of carthage Is in said to have fixed the canon the word woid canon was first used by in the fourth century in the he sense of accepted or authorized authorise ed 11 and jerome and augustine Augu atine held the present new testament as aa canonical ical prom from how the bible came cam eown down to Us by clifton harby levy in Anie american rican monthly deview of reviews review for december |
