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Journal ArticleDOI

The Fourfold Gospel

Graham Stanton
- 01 Jul 1997 - 
- Vol. 43, Iss: 03, pp 317-346
TLDR
The origins and the theological significance of the fourfold Gospel raise a set of teasing questions as discussed by the authors, including: Why did the early Church eventually accept four partly parallel foundation documents? There is no precedent for this either in the OT Scriptures or elsewhere in earliest Christianity.
Abstract
The origins and the theological significance of the fourfold Gospel raise a set of teasing questions. Why did the early Church eventually accept four partly parallel foundation documents? There is no precedent for this either in the OT Scriptures or elsewhere in earliest Christianity. Did retention of four gospels assist or hinder the early Church in the presentation of its claims concerning Jesus? No doubt to some, insistence that there were four gospels implied that there were basic flaws in the single gospels. Was the second century church's decision to bring together four separate gospels wise? What were, and what are, the theological implications of the fourfold Gospel? A critical theology cannot avoid asking these questions.

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Book ChapterDOI

The first Council of Nicaea

Mark Edwards
TL;DR: The first Council of Nicaea was summoned in 325 CE by Constantine, within seven months of the victory that installed him as sole ruler of the empire as discussed by the authors, and the earliest text of it is quoted in the letter of Eusebius, which is appended to the treatise of his opponent Athanasius, De decretis Nicaenae synodi.
Book ChapterDOI

Self-definition vis-à-vis the Graeco-Roman world

A. J. Droge
TL;DR: A crucial moment in the second century of the formation of a 'Christian' discourse and, indeed, of the construction of 'Christianity' itself is discussed in this article, where Celsus and Justin's notion of an ancient Mosaic philosophy on which the Greek philosophers depended betrays the influence of contemporary ideas about the history of philosophy.
Book

Irenaeus of Lyons

TL;DR: In this paper, Irenaeus discusses the glory of God and man in art, science, economy, art, logic and the rule of truth, and goodness and truth.
Book ChapterDOI

Marcion and the ‘canon’

Harry Gamble
TL;DR: Marcion is an intriguing figure in early Christian history. He has commanded attention on two topics: the church's appropriation of the scriptures of Judaism, and the emergence of a canon of specifically Christian scriptures.
References
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Book

Ancient Christian Gospels: Their History and Development

TL;DR: Koester as discussed by the authors studied the early Christian Gospels from the first two centuries, including the Apocryphon of James, Epistula Apostolorum, and the Gospel of John.
Journal ArticleDOI

The Birth of the Codex

TL;DR: The authors examines the process by which the Codex, the traditional form of the western book, replaced the scroll as the primary vehicle for literature, and gives fresh insight into the remarkable role the early Christian church played in the transformation of the printed word.
Book

The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance

TL;DR: Metzger as mentioned in this paper discusses the external pressures that led to the fixing of the limits of the canon as well as Patristic evidence that bears on the development of the Canonization, not only in the West, but also among the Eastern churches.
Book

The Muratorian Fragment and the Development of the Canon

TL;DR: The second century date of the Muratorian Fragment is ultimately dependent upon the simple Latin phrase, nuperrime temporibus nostris, within a series of references to The Shepherd of Hermas.