Who Chose the Gospels?

Description

How did the Church get Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John instead of Thomas, Mary, Peter, and Judas? C. E. Hill presents evidence for how and why, despite the numerous Gospels that appeared in the earliest Christian centuries, four (and only four) Gospels came to be embraced by the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches alike.

• A lively explanation of how and when only four gospels came to be part of the biblical canon
• Critically examines some of the foundational scholarship used to support and promote the impression that many popular gospels were forceably excluded from the canon
• Gives pointers to the context in which the early copies of the gospels survived, drawing on archaeological evidence and current understandings of manuscript traditions
• Uses many extracts from the writings of the Early Christian Fathers to question how the early church viewed the gospel texts

About the Author(s)

C. E. Hill, Professor of New Testament Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FL

Table of Contents

Introduction: Drowning in a Sea of Gospels
1:The Proof is in the Papyri: Gospel Bestsellers from Egyptian Garbage Dumps
2:Silencing the Bishop, Part I: The Lonely Irenaeus
3:Silencing the Bishop, Part II: The Ugly Irenaeus
4:Irenaeus' 'Co-conspirators': Clement, Serapion, and a Canon-list-maker
5:'Packaging' the Gospels: of Harmonies, Synopses, and Codices
6:Preaching and Teaching the Gospels: Justin Martyr and the Apostles' Memoirs
7:Justin's 'Co-conspirators': The Gospels as Public Documents
8:Some 'Proto-conspirators': Two Forgers and an Apologist
9:Some 'Co-proto-conspirators': The Apostolic Fathers
10:The Search for an 'Arch-conspirator': A Bishop, an Elder, and an Elderly Apostle
11:Who Chose the Gospels?
Appendix: Dates of the earliest manuscripts of the canonical Gospels
Glossary
Index

Reviews

"A short review cannot do justice to the depth and quality of this work. For anyone who has to deal with the issue of why we have the four canonical Gospels in some detail, this is essential material. ... This book is very good value for a hardback and is therefore to be highly recommended." - Mark Burkill, Churchman