Early Church Fathers 2-tier view of Canon

Links: 6. History, Doctrine of Scripture
Created: 2025-02-26 21:20

Many church fathers had a two-tier view of the canon, where the second-tier books could be cited as Scripture while still being excluded from first-tier canon. This two-tier system is reflected in various different ways among many early Christians:

• "The Church also reads the books of Judith, Tobias, and the Maccabees, but does not receive them among the canonical Scriptures" (Jerome, Prologue to the Books of Solomon)
• "There are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us" (Athanasius, Letter 39)
• "That there are other books which are called not ‘canonical’ but ‘ecclesiastical’ by the ancients" (Rufinus, Exposition of the Creed 38)
• “We are not acting irregularly, if from the books, though not canonical, yet brought out for the edification of the Church, we bring forth testimony" (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 19.34

References

1. Gavin Ortlund: https://youtu.be/rpHUeTZjeuQ?si=_OBv9JMgRZWTK4m7