 | The protestant canon includes 66 books; the Catholic canon also includes the Apocryphal books. One of the first to establish a canon was Marcion. He rejected the Old Testament because he could not reconcile a hateful God of the old with the loving Father with the new. Marcion also rejected the gospels, accepting a few of the Pauline epistles. The Muratorion canon is missing Hebrews, I & II Peter, James, III John; while including the Wisdom Of Solomon, and disputing the Revelation Of Peter and the Shepherd of Hermas. The Clermont list is missing Philippians, I & II Thessalonians and Hebrews. The Sinaitic manuscript includes the 27 books plus the Shepherd Of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas. The list of Eusebius disputes James, Jude, II Peter and II & III John; rejecting the Acts Of Paul, the Shepherd Of Hermas, the Revelation Of Peter, the Letter of Barnabas, the Teaching Of The Apostles [Didache], the Revelation (to John), and the book of Hebrews. Eusebius was wishy-washy about the Revelation (to John) At first, he petitioned that it was rejected... then later, said that it was to be accepted, if it seem proper. The list of Augustine & Athanasius [367 AD] contain the 27 books of the Bible as it is popularly known today. Martin Luther called the book of James an epistle of straw. (Something about faith & works?) Luther also called the Revelation (to John) a dumb prophecy. Ironically, he did included both books, James & Revelation, within his German bible. |