How Did They Do That?

[Randy_Carson]

Since the first book of the New Testament was not written until approximately 10 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Since the last book of the New Testament was not written until approximately 60 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Since there were many books that claimed inspiration and Apostolic Authorship circulating in the first few centuries after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Since the canon of the New Testament was not established formally by the Catholic Church until approximately 350 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Since the printing press was not invented until approximately 1400 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the Church know the gospel with certainty?

 

[Liberian]

Randy,

From the top …

Since the first book of the New Testament was not written until approximately 10 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

By word of mouth.

Since the last book of the New Testament was not written until approximately 60 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

People have long memories, particularly if you have been telling the story more-or-less continuously.

Since there were many books that claimed inspiration and Apostolic Authorship circulating in the first few centuries after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Since the canon of the New Testament was not established formally by the Catholic Church until approximately 350 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?
Just because the canon was not formally established does not mean that the books had not been written. The books of the New Testament were well known by the time the Church got around to establishing what was and what was not Scripture.

Since the printing press was not invented until approximately 1400 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the Church know the gospel with certainty?

Our earliest extant copy of the New Testament dates, I believe, from the middle of the second century.

• Liberian

 

[Contarini]

Since the first book of the New Testament was not written until approximately 10 years after the ascension of Jesus, how did the early Church know the gospel with certainty?

Through oral proclamation, of course. If you seriously think this is a problem for Protestantism, you don’t have a clue what historic Protestantism is all about.

The claim is not that revelation can’t be handed down orally, but that all apostolic revelation *was *eventually committed to writing, and that only in that form do we have it *now. *

Edwin

 

[jemfinch]

The claim is not that revelation can’t be handed down orally, but that all apostolic revelation *was *eventually committed to writing, and that only in that form do we have it *now. *

A claim which is supported neither by Scripture nor by history nor by common sense.

Jeremy