'' A number of people have made outrageous claims, making lots of money, selling books claiming early Christianity believed in a different Bible from today. Many assume no one really knows what early Christians believed. But we do know, and quite well, by observing what scriptural books they referred to when they wrote their religious letters, commentaries, and treatises. This actually undercounts, because they might consider some books scripture that they never happened to mention. (For example, in your writing, how often do you mention the book of Philemon?) Nevertheless, this shows at a minimum some of what they accepted as scripture. Of course, writings with few pages usually refer to only a few New Testament books, as one would expect. Early Christians referred to every book of the New Testament. There were many other books out there, of Greek philosophy, paganism, and Gnostic works, but these were called "poisons", and "foreign food" to avoid.

'Legend of the row colors

red = persecution of Christians

pink = strange teacher

green '= heresy

orange= schism

Blue = Bible manuscript

Christian writer, heretic, or Bible manuscript

< pages

Date A.D.

NT

Gos pels

Mt

Mk

Lk

Jn

Ac

Rm

1Cor

2Cor

Gal

Eph

Php

Col

1 Th

2 Th

1Tm

2Tm

Tt

Pm

Heb

Jms

1 Pt

2 Pt

1 Jn

2 Jn

3 Jn

Jude

Rev

Reference to other

books as authoritative

Juvencus (Gospel commentary)

329

-

-

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Eusebius of Caesarea

c.404

318-340

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

'

W

W

X

W

'

'

'

X

Vaticanus manuscript (B)

325-350

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Sinaiticus manuscript (Aleph)

340-350

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Aphrahat the Syrian

67 '

337-345

-

-

J

J

J

J

A

S

W

S

S

S

A

A

S

-

-

S

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hilary of Poitiers

230

-367

-

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

W

S

S

W

S

S

-

S

W

W

'

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

W

Athanasius of Alexandria

455 '

325-373

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Synopsis Scripturae Sacrae

350-370

Cheltenham Canon

360-370

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

?

W

?

?

-

W

Ephraim/Ephrem the Syrian

162

350-378

I

W

W

W

W

W

Q

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

A

Basil of Cappadocia

326

357-379

W

W

J

J

J

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Q

-

Q

-

W

-

-

-

-

Cyril of Jerusalem

154

c.349-386

W

W

W

I

I

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

I

W

I

W

W

W

W

I

W

W

W

I

W

I

I

I

X

Synod of Laodicea (in Phrygia)

4 '

343-381, 363

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

First Council of Constantinople

3 '

381-382

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Damasus I of Rome

2

386-389

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Arian Eunomius of Cyzicus

c.8

360-394

-

-

-

A

-

W

Q

S

W

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Ambrose of Milan

446 '

370-390

W

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Q

-

W

-

W

A

W

-

-

-

W

Gregory of Nazianzen

275

330-391

W

W

S

'

A

'

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

A

Q

-

'

W

'

-

Q

A

'

-

W

-

-

-

W

Pacian of Barcelona

c.23

342-379/392

W

W

W

-

-

J

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

-

-

W

W

W

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

-

-

-

Council of Constantinople, under Nectarius

1

394

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Gregory of Nyssa (Origenist)

495

c.356-397

-

W

W

J

J

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

S

W

S

W

-

W

-

'

-

W

I

I

-

A

Didymus the Blind (Origenist)

398

W

-

W

-

-

S

A

W

W

'

W

Q

S

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

Syriac Book of Steps (Liber Graduum)

c.189

350-400

W

W

Syrian Catalogue of St. Catherine's

ca.400

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Old Syriac

c.400

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

Epiphanius of Salamis (wrote on 80 heresies)

360-403

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

I

W

W

I

I

I

I

W

W

I

I

I

W

W

I

I

I

I

W

W

Pope Innocent I of Rome

ca.405

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

?

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Rufinus, translator in trouble

469

374-406

-

W

W

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

S

S

W

A

-

-

W

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

A

Rufinus' Commentary on the Apostles Creed

21

374-406

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

John Chrysostom (partial)

~3000

-407

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Q

-

Q

-

-

-

A

Jerome (partial)

~500

373-420

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Q

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Sozomen's Ecclesiastical History

89

370/380-425

-

W

S

-

S

S

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

Freer Gospels (Washingtonensis) (W)

300-450

-

-

W

W

W

W

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Sulpicius/Sulpitius Severus (pupil of Martin)

116 '

363-420

-

W

Q

-

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Council of Carthage (218 bishops)

39

393-419

W

4G

I

I

I

I

W

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Niceta of Remesianus

c.63

366-c.415

J

Q

J

W

W

S

S

-

S

S

Orosius/Hosius of Braga (against Priscillian)

c.20

414-418

-

W

Q

J

Q

Q

-

W

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

W

Pelagius (Pelagian heresy man born neutral)

?

c.390

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

'

U

Theodore of Mopsuestia (Pelagian heretic)

c.94

392-423/429

W

W

J

J

J

J

W

W

W

W

A

-

-

-

-

-

Q

-

-

W

W

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-

Augustine of Hippo (pupil of Ambrose)

~4500

388-8/28/430

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

John Cassian (Semi-Pelagian)

422 '

419-430

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

S

S

W

A

W

-

-

S

W

Council of Ephesus vs. Nestorians (200 bish.)

20

Jun-Sep 431

-

-

J

-

-

W

Q

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

Q

-

A

-

-

-

-

-

-

Vincent of Lerins

26

c.434

W

W

J

-

-

A

W

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

Socrates' Ecclesiastical History

178

c.400-439

W

W

W

-

-

W

W

W

W

A

W

S

-

W

S

-

W

Q

S

-

W

S

S

-

A

W

-

-

-

Ephraemi Rescriptus [C] manuscript

375 or400-450

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

W

Nestorius' Bazaar of Heracleides

c.128

451/452

-

'

'

-

-

Q

W

-

Q

-

Q

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

S

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Euthalius of Sulca -put most of NT in sections

?

ca.450

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

Eucharius, Instructiones

ca.424-455

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

-

W

W

-

W

W

-

-

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

Theodoret of Cyrus (bishop and historian)

320

423-458

W

-

W

J

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

-

W

-

W

-

-

-

W

Waldenses, Scholastics, Mystics, Wycliffe, Medieval Catholic and Orthodox churches

-

c.1000-1526

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Waldenses, Scholastics, etc.

Ulrich Zwingli, Swiss Reformer

-

1454-1531

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

X

Ulrich Zwingli, Swiss Reformer

Martin Luther, or conservative Lutherans

-

1483-1546

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

*

W

W

W

W

W

W

Martin Luther,' conser-vative Lutherans

Mormonism (Latter Day Saints) Salt Lake

-

1830-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Mormonism (Latter Day Saints) Salt Lake

Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower)

-

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower)

Liberal Protestant, Episcopalian

19th century -

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

Liberal Protestant, Episcopalian

Rev. Moon's Divine Principle (Unification Church)

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Rev. Moon's Divine Principle

Hussites, Conservative Protestant, Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Coptic churches

-

c.1000-now

W

4G

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Hussites, Conservative Protestant, Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Coptic churches

Liberal Protestants

W

W

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

PX

-

Christian writer, heretic, or Bible manuscript

Pages

Date A.D.

NT

Gospels

Mt

Mk

Lk

Jn

Ac

Rm

1C

2C

Ga

Ep

Pp

Cl

1T

2T

1T

2T

Tt

P

He

Jm

1P

2P

1J

2J

3J

Jd

Re

Reference to other books as authoritative