The Making of the New TestamentBacon, Benjamin Wisner
Religion
The Making of the New Testament
Bacon, Benjamin Wisner
Bible. New Testament -- Introductions
Except for the appearance of the Gospel of Mark at Rome (_c._ 75) there
remains nothing to break the silence and darkness of twenty years after
the deaths of James and Peter and Paul. The writings which finally did
appear were almost inevitably anonymous or pseudepigraphic, because
apostolic authority stood so high that no other could secure
circulation. Hebrews (_c._ 85) has an epistolary attachment at the close
of its "exhortation," but either never had an address or superscription,
or else has been deprived of it. All the Synoptic writings are
anonymous, though Luke-Acts (_c._ 100) is dedicated to a literary
patron. Revelation (_c._ 95) is boldly asserted to be the work of the
Apostle John in the prefatory chapters and the epilogue (i. 2, 4, 9;
xxii. 8). But the body of the work, though of Palestinian origin, has a
totally different standpoint, and claims the authority of a prophet, not
that of an apostle. Similarly the Fourth gospel when finally published
received an appendix (ch. xxi.) which cautiously suggests the Apostle
John as its author; but the three Epistles by the same writer are
anonymous. The homily called James (90-100) has a superscription which
superficially connects it with the chief authority in Jerusalem, and the
Epistle of Jude prefixes to itself the name which stood next in the same
class. But even in antiquity they had a precarious standing, and
neither is a real letter. Finally there are the Epistles to Timothy and
Titus, purporting to be written by Paul, and a whole series of every
kind, epistles, gospel, acts, and apocalypse, written in the name of
Peter, of which only two secured final adoption into the canon. Of all
these only 1st Peter and the so-called Pastoral Epistles (1st and 2nd
Timothy and Titus) have some claim to be considered genuine; for 1st
Peter is certainly of early origin (_c._ 85), and was undisputed in
antiquity; while the Pastorals, though rejected by Marcion, and as a
whole of late date (90-110), are made up on the basis of some authentic
Pauline material.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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