How Do Different Early Christian Groups’ “Canons” Affect Biblical Theology?
The canon of Scripture is foundational to biblical theology because it determines the boundaries of the texts from which theology is drawn. In the earliest centuries of the church, however, not all Christian communities agreed on which writings were authoritative. Different groups—whether orthodox, heterodox, or heretical—held to different “canons,” shaping the way they understood and proclaimed the Gospel.
Exploring how these variations affected early Christian theology helps us understand the importance of a unified canon for preserving the bigger Gospel—the one story of God’s redeeming work from creation to new creation, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
1. Definition of Canon in Early Christianity
In the early church, the term “canon” came to mean the official list of books recognized as inspired Scripture. A canon served several functions:
Authoritative Boundary – Determining which writings could be read in worship and used for doctrine.
Doctrinal Safeguard – Protecting the church’s teaching from distortion.
Unifying Framework – Ensuring a shared foundation for faith and practice across diverse communities.
When different groups recognized different canons, their theological interpretations diverged accordingly.
2. Diversity of Early Christian Canons
Several variations in early Christian canons affected the theological landscape:
Mainstream Catholic (Orthodox) Canon – Emerging consensus on the Old Testament (often in the Septuagint form) and the apostolic writings of the New Testament.
Marcionite Canon – Excluded the Old Testament entirely and used only an edited Gospel of Luke and ten Pauline letters.
Gnostic Collections – Included alternative “gospels” and secret teachings, often detached from historical apostolic witness.
Regional Variations – Certain churches accepted or questioned books like Hebrews, Revelation, or 2 Peter well into the fourth century.
These differences were not just academic—they shaped how communities understood God, salvation, and the mission of the church.
3. Theological Impact of Canon Differences
Different canons produced different theologies in at least three ways:
Scope of Revelation – Omitting the Old Testament, as Marcion did, erased the covenantal and prophetic background to Jesus’ mission.
Christological Emphasis – Gnostic texts often redefined Christ’s identity apart from His incarnation and atoning work.
Ethical Teaching – Canons without certain apostolic letters lacked instructions essential for Christian living and church order.
Without the shared framework of the full canon, the unity of the faith was weakened, and the richness of the bigger Gospel was diminished.
4. The Role of Apostolic Authority in Settling Canon Disputes
The early church’s response to competing canons centered on apostolic authority:
Books were recognized if they were written by apostles or their close companions.
Writings had to be consistent with the teaching handed down in the churches.
Accepted books were already widely read in worship across diverse regions.
By affirming these criteria, the church preserved a canon that testified to the historical and theological reality of Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promises.
5. Canon Unity as a Safeguard for Biblical Theology
A unified canon safeguards biblical theology by:
Providing a complete narrative of God’s redemptive work.
Preventing selective or distorted readings that arise from truncated canons.
Allowing the church to read diverse biblical voices in light of each other.
For example, the prophetic promises in Isaiah cannot be separated from their fulfillment in the Gospels, and Paul’s teaching cannot be detached from the story of Israel’s covenant relationship with God.
6. Implications for the Bigger Gospel
The bigger Gospel depends on the unity of both Testaments. Without the Old Testament, the mission of Jesus loses its covenantal foundation. Without the apostolic writings, the church loses its authoritative interpretation of Christ’s work and the Spirit’s mission.
A fractured canon leads to a fractured Gospel. By preserving the whole of God’s inspired Word, the church ensures that the proclamation of the kingdom remains faithful, comprehensive, and compelling.
Conclusion
Different early Christian groups’ canons significantly influenced their theology, sometimes leading to distortions of the Gospel. The early church’s commitment to a unified, apostolic canon was essential for safeguarding the truth and ensuring that the bigger Gospel—the one story of God’s kingdom—was proclaimed in its fullness.
Biblical theology can only flourish when it draws from the complete and unified canon, reading all of Scripture in light of Christ and the redemptive mission of God.
