How did the Church decide which books belonged in the New Testament? Were any other writings like the Gospel of Thomas ever seriously considered for the New Testament canon? What role did the church councils play in the canonization process? Upon completion of this session the student should have a better understanding of the complexities of the canonization process with regards to the New Testament. Regarding this, the student will come to understand that the canonization process of the New Testament began with the apostles’ immediate recognition of each others writings, then moved to the early churches’ acceptance of the majority of the New Testament books, and finally ended when some local church councils made “official” declarations of what books were already generally recognized as the authoritative word of God. Finally, there will be brief discussion concerning translation theories. The student should leave with a basic understanding of why various Bible translations differ, and better equipped to answer the commonly asked question, Which version of the Bible is the best?
