Speaker: Rev. Dr. Kit Schooley, GPPC Parish Associate
The journey of how the Bible came to be—specifically how we arrived at the 66 books that make up our modern Bible—is a fascinating tale of history, politics, and faith that many Christians rarely explore in depth. The process was anything but orderly or divinely orchestrated in the way many might assume. As one Methodist preacher aptly put it, "You can get an A in Bible, but you can still flunk Christianity," highlighting the crucial distinction between understanding scripture academically and living out the faith it describes.
The formation of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, happened through what can only be described as a "wild and woolly" process that followed no clear pattern. None of the books in the New Testament, except possibly Revelation, were written with the intention of becoming scripture. In fact, not a single book was written within a generation of Jesus' lifetime. Jesus died around the year 30 CE, but the first gospel (Mark) wasn't discovered or used until around 70 CE—a full 40 years later. And even then, it wasn't considered "Bible" but rather a document written to comfort and guide a local congregation, likely in Rome, who had never known Jesus personally.
The timeline of early Christianity reveals how the disciples struggled to make sense of Jesus' death and the delay of his expected return. Around 35 CE, Stephen was stoned while Saul (later Paul) watched, holding the coats of those doing the stoning. By year 40, the disciples began evangelizing, with Philip choosing Samaria as his mission field. The church in Jerusalem selected James (Jesus's brother) and Peter as leaders, though Peter would soon leave to reach non-Jewish communities. Meanwhile, Paul, after his conversion, chose to focus on Greek-speaking communities far from Jerusalem.
A pivotal moment came in 70 CE when Romans sacked Jerusalem, destroying the temple and effectively eliminating the original church headquarters. This catastrophic event pushed Christianity further into the wider Hellenistic world, accelerating its transformation from a Jewish sect into something new. By this point, local congregations operated largely independently, with little unified leadership or doctrinal consistency. Each community functioned primarily on friendship and personal connections rather than formal structure.
The four gospels emerged gradually in response to these changing conditions. Mark came first around 70 CE, offering a straightforward account that began abruptly with Jesus' ministry and ended equally abruptly with his resurrection. Matthew followed around 90 CE, adding a birth narrative and more Jewish context. Luke emerged shortly after, emphasizing the Hellenistic world and Christianity's expansion beyond Jewish communities. Finally, John appeared around 95-100 CE, presenting a radically different portrait of Jesus as the divine Logos who descended from heaven.
Besides these canonical gospels, perhaps 50 or more other gospels circulated among early Christian communities. The Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Judas, and many others were cherished by local congregations. Scholars believe Matthew and Luke drew from Mark and another lost source called "Q" (from the German "Quelle" meaning "source"), which contained sayings and stories about Jesus.
As Christianity expanded, organizational challenges emerged. How could you unify congregations stretching from North Africa to France in an era without rapid communication? Various writings appeared to address practical matters of church governance—the Didache being one example—establishing roles like deacons, elders, and priests. Heresies also developed, particularly around questions of Jesus' nature (human or divine) and the problem of reconciling his divinity with his humanity.
Perhaps the most persistent challenge came from Gnosticism, which proposed that salvation came through secret knowledge available only to initiates. Gnostics believed in two worlds—heaven (perfect and spiritual) and earth (fallen and material)—and struggled to explain how a divine Jesus could have inhabited a physical body. Their solution was to suggest that humans contained a divine "spark" that Jesus came to awaken.
This complex, messy process of canon formation continued for centuries, driven by politics, personalities, and practical concerns as much as by theological reflection. Understanding this history doesn't diminish the Bible's significance, but it does invite us to approach it with greater humility and awareness of its human elements alongside its divine inspiration.
The journey of how the Bible came to be—specifically how we arrived at the 66 books that make up our modern Bible—is a fascinating tale of history, politics, and faith that many Christians rarely explore in depth. The process was anything but orderly or divinely orchestrated in the way many might assume. As one Methodist preacher aptly put it, "You can get an A in Bible, but you can still flunk Christianity," highlighting the crucial distinction between understanding scripture academically and living out the faith it describes.
The formation of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, happened through what can only be described as a "wild and woolly" process that followed no clear pattern. None of the books in the New Testament, except possibly Revelation, were written with the intention of becoming scripture. In fact, not a single book was written within a generation of Jesus' lifetime. Jesus died around the year 30 CE, but the first gospel (Mark) wasn't discovered or used until around 70 CE—a full 40 years later. And even then, it wasn't considered "Bible" but rather a document written to comfort and guide a local congregation, likely in Rome, who had never known Jesus personally.
The timeline of early Christianity reveals how the disciples struggled to make sense of Jesus' death and the delay of his expected return. Around 35 CE, Stephen was stoned while Saul (later Paul) watched, holding the coats of those doing the stoning. By year 40, the disciples began evangelizing, with Philip choosing Samaria as his mission field. The church in Jerusalem selected James (Jesus's brother) and Peter as leaders, though Peter would soon leave to reach non-Jewish communities. Meanwhile, Paul, after his conversion, chose to focus on Greek-speaking communities far from Jerusalem.
A pivotal moment came in 70 CE when Romans sacked Jerusalem, destroying the temple and effectively eliminating the original church headquarters. This catastrophic event pushed Christianity further into the wider Hellenistic world, accelerating its transformation from a Jewish sect into something new. By this point, local congregations operated largely independently, with little unified leadership or doctrinal consistency. Each community functioned primarily on friendship and personal connections rather than formal structure.
The four gospels emerged gradually in response to these changing conditions. Mark came first around 70 CE, offering a straightforward account that began abruptly with Jesus' ministry and ended equally abruptly with his resurrection. Matthew followed around 90 CE, adding a birth narrative and more Jewish context. Luke emerged shortly after, emphasizing the Hellenistic world and Christianity's expansion beyond Jewish communities. Finally, John appeared around 95-100 CE, presenting a radically different portrait of Jesus as the divine Logos who descended from heaven.
Besides these canonical gospels, perhaps 50 or more other gospels circulated among early Christian communities. The Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Judas, and many others were cherished by local congregations. Scholars believe Matthew and Luke drew from Mark and another lost source called "Q" (from the German "Quelle" meaning "source"), which contained sayings and stories about Jesus.
As Christianity expanded, organizational challenges emerged. How could you unify congregations stretching from North Africa to France in an era without rapid communication? Various writings appeared to address practical matters of church governance—the Didache being one example—establishing roles like deacons, elders, and priests. Heresies also developed, particularly around questions of Jesus' nature (human or divine) and the problem of reconciling his divinity with his humanity.
Perhaps the most persistent challenge came from Gnosticism, which proposed that salvation came through secret knowledge available only to initiates. Gnostics believed in two worlds—heaven (perfect and spiritual) and earth (fallen and material)—and struggled to explain how a divine Jesus could have inhabited a physical body. Their solution was to suggest that humans contained a divine "spark" that Jesus came to awaken.
This complex, messy process of canon formation continued for centuries, driven by politics, personalities, and practical concerns as much as by theological reflection. Understanding this history doesn't diminish the Bible's significance, but it does invite us to approach it with greater humility and awareness of its human elements alongside its divine inspiration.
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