90 Shepherd of Hermas (earliest non-Scripture Christian literature)
96 Didache (earliest extant Church catechism)
96 Letter from Clement, Bishop of Rome, to the Corinthians
99 All New Testament writings finished (but no canon)
108 Seven letters of Bishop Ignatius of Antioch
110 Letter of Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna, to the Philippians
150 Writings of Justin Martyr
155 "Martyrdom of Polycarp" written
176 Athenagoras writes "Embassy for the Christians"
177 St. Irenaeus of Lyons, "Against All Heresies": lists the succession of Popes beginning with Peter.
180 Apostle's Creed written by the Christians in Rome.
208 Tertullian writes in "On Monogamy", that a good widow prays for her dead husband's soul
220 Pope St. Callistus I excommunicates Sabellius, who taught that the Son of God did not exist before the Incarnation
251 First Council of Carthage under St. Cyprian, whose famous treatise, On the Unity of the Church, argues that the Church was founded on Peter, and that the local bishop was the head of the local Church.
208 St. Stephen I is elected Pope: he invoked Matt. 16:18 as evidence for the authority of the Chair of Peter.
265 Three councils held at this time in Antioch condemn the heretical teaching that Jesus became the Son of God through adoption because of his merits, and that God is only One Person.
300 Armenia becomes first officially Christian nation.
305 The Council of Elvira (Spain)
313 Lateran church tribunal, presided over by Pope
320 St. Pachomius founds the first two monasteries-- one for men, one for women
325 The Council of Nicaea defines Trinitarian belief in God. The Father and God the Son are declared equally God against the teachings of Arius. This council produced the Nicene Creed.
330 Building of first St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
350 St. Ephraem, musician and theologian, known as the Harp of the Holy Spirit. Author of the Nisibene Hymns, some of which are Marian.
381 Pope Damasus I approved the canons of the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, which affirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit. This Council produced the Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed, which almost all branches of Christendom accept to this day.
383 Pope St. Damasus I commissions St. Jerome's translation of the Greek texts into Latin for the first authoritative translation of the Bible into a vernacular language. (Latin was still vernacular at that time). Several books were disputed --- even by Jerome --- but he finally decided the best course was simply to agree with the already-established practice of what had long been approved to be read in the Churches. i.e. to affirm the books already used in the Liturgy.
405 St. Jerome completes his translation of the Old Testament from the Hebrew.
419Synod of Carthage affirms the canon of Hippo, with the words, "Let this be sent to our brother and fellow-bishop, Boniface [of Rome], and to the other bishops of those parts, that they may confirm this canon, for these are the things that we have received from our fathers to be read in church."
Paul's letters were already considered Scripture by this time.
The OT was already established.
The Councils didn't pick and choose the books of the NT. They recognized what the Church was using.
383 Pope St. Damasus I commissions St. Jerome's translation of the Greek texts into Latin for the first authoritative translation of the Bible into a vernacular language. (Latin was still vernacular at that time). Several books were disputed --- even by Jerome --- but he finally decided the best course was simply to agree with the already-established practice of what had long been approved to be read in the Churches. i.e. to affirm the books already used in the Liturgy.
The books in question of the OT were not those you claim to have been long approved. They did not include the apocrypha.
393 Council of Hippo Regius, the first council that accepted the present New Testament canon.
Emphasis on accepted...not picked. They recognized what the Church was already using.
You've let out a lot of detail on how the NT canon came into being.
I still find it interesting that at Trent, when the Roman Catholic Church finally officially approved its canon, that it didn't include ANY of the other writings Roman Catholics hold so dear.
Sorry, but you are recycling that which isn’t evidence, as I demonstrated the last time you made this claim.
You have not proven:
1. That there is any list of traditions beyond Paul’s teachings in God’s inspired Word.
2. That any Apostle ever taught the things Rome incorporated from paganism.
“predated the fixing of the Biblical canon by 200 - 300 years”
Another red herring argument that should be noted.
• 2/3 of the canon of a Scripture was set before the birth of Christ.
• the Epistles from the Apostles were circulated among NT Assemblies while the Apostles were alive.
• Peter identified Paul’s writings as Scripture.
• the Roman canon was re-examined on several occasions and errors corrected.
• And most importantly, the same Holy Spirit that inspired Scripture, preserved Scripture. He is still alive and faithful today.