First New Testament Canonical Text ???

Numerous authors have written numerous texts dealing with the development of the New Testament Canon. This post is not one of them.

Numerous authors have been searching for the so-called "Q" Quelle of the synoptic Gospels. Their efforts and writings continue to be quite extensive and tedious. By the way, the Quelle means 'source' in German. Then there are the number of authors debating the name of this author or that author, or this addition or that addition, or this date or that date.

Be that as it may, I am proposing that the first official, ecclesial, human and divinely inspired, and universal New Testament text was the Letter published by the Council of Jerusalem.

While the discussion was more than likely conducted in Aramaic (or Hebrew), the Letter would have been translated into Greek; since the immediate recipients were Greek speaking Gentiles in Antioch, Syria. If the author of the Letter of James is the same James acting as Episcopal head of the Church in Jerusalem, then he (James) perhaps even composed it into Greek showing the same skill as found in his universal James Letter (cf. James 1-5).

It should be noted that when the apostles, prophets, presbyters, and members of the circumcision party, all gathered in a conciliar manner in Jerusalem, there did not exist a Canonical New Testament. The conciliar discussions and judgements were based upon personal experiences shared by Peter, Paul, and Barnabas (and their companions), side by side with the "sayings of Jesus," the prophets from the Old Testament, and decisively the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us (cf. Acts 15:28; 10, 11; Luke 24:44-48; Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Amos 9:11–15).

The circumcision party would have argued from Genesis chapter 17, Exodus 4:24-26; Joseph 5:2, I Maccabees 1: 60, 61, and II Maccabees chapters 6, 7.

The Acts of the Apostles, which captures the proceedings in Greek, was written years after the fact around perhaps 63 AD.

Note: Since the Acts of the Apostles does not include information on Peter and Paul's death in Rome; it is reasonable to assume it as written before their death.

If not mistaken I & II Thessalonians are dated around 51-52 AD. If not mistaken, the (Aramaic or Hebrew) Matthew is dated between 50-55 AD. It is this original version which (so it seems) captures "the sayings of Jesus" in his native language. How extensive and how complete is not known. Yet, the Matthew original is more reasonably the "Q" source everyone was searching for. It certainly is not the Gospel of Thomas.

Be that as it may, an official letter is published by the Council of Jerusalem. It is again, literally an official ecclesial universal text published in 50 AD (cf. Acts 15:5-35). It was promulgated in both written and oral form to Christians in Antioch and other locations.

Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing (cf. Acts 15:27).

It was officially carried by Paul and Silas to other locations as well.

As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers (cf. Acts 16: 4, 5).

The apostles and the presbyters, and brothers all together send the following Good News to the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings! It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."

Just a thought.