Just a short history
tidbit on how we got our Bibles. It had taken nearly 4 centuries
before our modern-day Bible were accepted by
Christians.
Btw I am Christian :) Just sharing more about Christian
history.
New Testament Period (c.35-90)
In this period there is little formal sense of a Canon of
Scripture
Apostolic Fathers (90-160)
Heretic Macion from Rome introduces a NT Canon to back up his
Gnostic beliefs - 2/3 of Luke and all of the Pauline Epistles
except for Hebrews.
Polycarp first uses all four Gospels now in Scripture. Acts
scarcely known or quoted. Pauline Corpus generally accepted by
130AD, yet quotations are rarely introduced as scriptural.
Books not considered canonical: Philippians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy,
Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, Clement of Rome, James, Peter, Jude,
Revelations
Irenaeus to Origen (160-250)
Canon: 4 Gospels, Acts, Certain Pauline Epistles, Jude
Books not considered canonical: 2 Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews,
Revelations
Muratorian Canon 190AD
Excludes Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter
Includes The Apocalypse of Peter, Wisdom of Solomon
Origen to Nicaea (250-325)
Gospels, Acts, Pauline Corpus Accepted
Hebrews accepted in the East
Disputed: Revelations, 2 & 3 John, Jude, 2 Peter, James
The rest were widely accepted though lack comfirmation.
Council of Nicaea (325)
Questions canonicity of James, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, and
Jude
From 325 to the Council of Carthage (397)
Athanasius first lists
our present 27 New Testament books as such in 367. Disputes
still persist concerning several books, almost right up until 397,
when the Canon is authoritatively closed by the Catholic
Church.
It was also determined that besides the Canonical Scriptures
nothing be read in the Church under the title of divine Scriptures.
The Canonical Scriptures are these: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, four
books of Kings, 3 two books of Paraleipomena, 4 Job, the Psalter,
five books of Solomon, 5 the books of the twelve prophets, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezechiel, Daniel, Tobit, Judith, Esther, two books of
Esdras, 6 two books of the Maccabees. Of the New Testament: four
books of the Gospels, one book of the Acts of the Apostles,
thirteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul, one epistle of the same
[writer] to the Hebrews, two Epistles of the Apostle Peter, three
of John, one of James, one of Jude, one book of the Apocalypse of
John. Let this be made known also to our brother and fellow-priest
Boniface, or to other bishops of those parts, for the purpose of
confirming that Canon. because we have received from our fathers
that those books must be read in the Church. Let it also be allowed
that the Passions of Martyrs be read when their festivals are
kept.