The Muratorian Canon

The Muratorian Fragment is the oldest surviving New Testament canon list—that is a list of books believed to comprise the canonical New Testament—known to exist. The document is named after L. A. Muratori, the Italian scholar who discovered it in a library in Milan in the early eighteenth century. Written in ungrammatical Latin, the fragmentary text begins in mid-sentence by describing the production of an unnamed Gospel; since it continues by explicitly calling Luke the “third book of the Gospel” and John, then, the “fourth,” the list evidently began with Matthew and Mark. Twenty-two of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament canon are included here—all except Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John. But the author also accepts as canonical the Wisdom of Solomon and the Apocalypse of Peter (see p. 280). The Shepherd of Hermas is accepted for reading but not as part of sacred Scripture for the church. The author explicitly rejects the Pauline Letters to Laodicea1 and to Alexandria as forgeries made by the followers of Marcion, indicating that they are not to be accepted by the church, since “it is not ﬁtting that gall be mixed with honey.”2 His list concludes by condemning forgeries made by various heretics, such as Valentinus, Basilides, Marcion, and the Montanists. The time and place of composition of the Muratorian Canon are in great dispute. But since the author shows a particular concern with the false teachings of heretical teachers who lived in the middle of the second century, and knows something of the family of bishop Pius of Rome (d. 154), many scholars think he was living in the latter half of the second century, possibly in Rome. If so, then this list shows that at that time, some proto-orthodox Christians were already accepting the core of what were later to be almost universally regarded as the books of the New Testament.

This is probably not the Letter to the Laodiceans that survives. See p. 165. Marcion, see Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 103–109.

On the views of

Translation by Bruce M. Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Signiﬁcance (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987) 305–7; used with permission.

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. . . at which nevertheless he was present, and so he placed [them in his narrative]. 2 The third book of the Gospel is that according to Luke. 3 Luke, the wellknown physician, after the ascension of Christ, 4–5 when Paul had taken him with him as one zealous for the law, 6 composed it in his own name, according to [the general] belief. Yet he himself had not 7 seen the Lord in the ﬂesh; and therefore, as he was able to ascertain events, 8 so indeed he begins to tell the story from the birth of John. 9 The fourth of the Gospels is that of John, [one] of the disciples. 10 To his fellow disciples and bishops, who had been urging him [to write], 11 he said, “Fast with me from today for three days, and what 12 will be revealed to each one 13 let us tell it to one another.” In the same night it was revealed 14 to Andrew, [one] of the apostles, 15–16 that John should write down all things in his own name while all of them should review it. And so, though various 17 elements may be taught in the individual books of the Gospels, 18 nevertheless this makes no difference to the faith of believers, since by the one sovereign Spirit all things 20 have been declared in all [the Gospels]: concerning the 21 nativity, concerning the passion, concerning the resurrection, 22 concerning life with his disciples, 23 and concerning his twofold coming; 24 the ﬁrst in lowliness when he was despised, which has taken place, 25 the second glorious in royal power, 26 which is still in the future. What 27 marvel is it, then, if John so consistently 28 mentions these particular points also in his Epistles, 29 saying about himself: “What we have seen with our eyes 30 and heard with our ears and our hands 31 have handled, these things we have written to you.?”3 32 For in this way he professes [himself] to be not only an eye-witness and hearer, 33 but also a writer of all the marvelous

deeds of the Lord, in their order. 34 Moreover, the acts of all the apostles 35 were written in one book. For “most excellent Theophilus”4 Luke compiled 36 the individual events that took place in his presence— 37 as he plainly shows by omitting the martyrdom of Peter 38 as well as the departure of Paul from the city [of Rome] 39 when he journeyed to Spain. As for the Epistles of 40–1 Paul, they themselves make clear to those desiring to understand, which ones [they are], from what place, or for what reason they were sent. 42 First of all, to the Corinthians, prohibiting their heretical schisms; 43 next,5 to the Galatians, against circumcision; 44–6 then to the Romans he wrote at length, explaining the order (or, plan) of the Scriptures, and also that Christ is their principle (or, main theme). It is necessary 47 for us to discuss these one by one, since the blessed 48 apostle Paul himself, following the example of his predecessor 49–50 John, writes by name to only seven churches in the following sequence: to the Corinthians 51 ﬁrst, to the Ephesians second, to the Philippians third, 52 to the Colossians fourth, to the Galatians ﬁfth, 53 to the Thessalonians sixth, to the Romans 54–5 seventh. It is true that he writes once more to the Corinthians and to the Thessalonians for the sake of admonition, 56–7, yet it is clearly recognizable that there is one Church spread throughout the whole extent of the earth. For John also in the 58 Apocalypse, though he writes to seven churches, 59–60 nevertheless speaks to all. [Paul also wrote] out of affection and love one to Philemon, one to Titus, and two to Timothy; and these are held sacred 62–3 in the

1 John 1: 1–3. 4Luke 1: 3. 5The letter “b” in the Latin text before “Galatians” may belong to “Corinthians” (pro¡ß Korinui¬oyß bÓ).

THE MURATORIAN CANON

esteem of the Church catholic for the regulation of ecclesiastical discipline. There is current also [an epistle] to 64 the Laodiceans, [and] another to the Alexandrians, [both] forged in Paul’s 65 name to [further] the heresy of Marcion, and several others 66 which cannot be received into the catholic church 67 —for it is not ﬁtting that gall be mixed with honey. 68 Moreover, the Epistle of Jude and two of the above-mentioned (or, bearing the name of) John are counted (or, used) in the catholic [Church],6 and [the book of] Wisdom, 70 written by the friends of Solomon in his honor. 71 We receive only the apocalypses of John and Peter, 72 though some of us are not willing that the latter be read in church. 73 But Hermas wrote the Shepherd 74 very recently, in our times, in the city

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of Rome, 75 while bishop Pius, his brother, was occupying the [episcopal] chair 76 of the church of the city of Rome. 77 And therefore it ought indeed to be read; but 78 it cannot be read publicly to the people in church either among 79 the prophets, whose number is complete,7 or among 80 the apostles, for it is after [their] time. 81 But we accept nothing whatever of Arsinous or Valentinus or Miltiades, 82 who also composed 83 a new book of psalms for Marcion, 84– 5 together with Basilides, the Asian founder of the Cataphrygians. . . .

6 It may be, as Zahn (Geschichte, ii, 66) and others have supposed, that a negative has fallen out of the text here. 7Perhaps the Fragmentist means that there are three major Prophets and twelve minor Prophets.