Paul's Writings in the Early Church?

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I actually have seen excellent evidence to suggest that St. Paul’s letters were treated as scripture by the Early Church. Unfortunately, however, I have lost that source and cannot find it. Do any of you know of good sources that show this (or the opposite) to be true?
 
Just the two verses in the New Testament from 2 Peter 3:15-16:

'And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.'
 
CalCatholic said:
Just the two verses in the New Testament from 2 Peter 3:15-16:

‘And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.’
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By this passage we know that Paul’s letters were used as scripture as mentioned in 2Peter…most likely the last book of the NT written around 135 CE.
 
Thanks for that source but I was under the impression there was more than just that one reference. Non-Biblical references work as well. I could have sworn there was a tract on Catholic Answers or in the Catholic Encyclopedia online that detailed Paul’s writings in the Early Church but I haven’t been able to find them again.
 
Ruthie_again said:
A lot of CA’s tracts haven’t been uploaded to the new server yet. They can be found at . Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the information but this was within 3 months or so. They were on the new servers at that point I thought?
 
Since ‘scripture’ means ‘writings’ (ie things produced by scribes) then anyone’s ‘writings’ are scripture.

As to the question of inspiration. Not even the old testament was an agreed upon list of books. Different communities included different books (Saducees, Pharisees, Essenes). In fact, there is still no agreement among Jewish communities.
 
Evan said:
Since ‘scripture’ means ‘writings’ (ie things produced by scribes) then anyone’s ‘writings’ are scripture.

As to the question of inspiration. Not even the old testament was an agreed upon list of books. Different communities included different books (Saducees, Pharisees, Essenes). In fact, there is still no agreement among Jewish communities.
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Very true. I certainly won’t argue with that. My question isn’t about showing that all of the books of the Bible are the “right” books, only that the letters Paul wrote were accepted or not accepted by the Early Church.
 
jinc1019 said:
Very true. I certainly won’t argue with that. My question isn’t about showing that all of the books of the Bible are the “right” books, only that the letters Paul wrote were accepted or not accepted by the Early Church.
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I know there were various communities that accepted different books at different times. This is why the question “What are the inspired scriptures” was still being asked in the 3rd Century. Some accepted only 1 Gospel, some rejected Revelation, some accepted The Pastor, I don’t think you can find ONE answer. But you may find a growing concensus over time until a definitive list was promulgated.
 
Evan said:
I know there were various communities that accepted different books at different times. This is why the question “What are the inspired scriptures” was still being asked in the 3rd Century. Some accepted only 1 Gospel, some rejected Revelation, some accepted The Pastor, I don’t think you can find ONE answer. But you may find a growing concensus over time until a definitive list was promulgated.
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I agree with your comments here. However, at this point, I am just trying to get evidence that St. Paul’s writings were being used very early on.
 
jinc1019 said:
I agree with your comments here. However, at this point, I am just trying to get evidence that St. Paul’s writings were being used very early on.
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I Believe if you look at some of the writings of the early fathers, you will find an abundance of references to Paul and his writings. Origen and Irenaeus come to mind. “The faith of our fathers” by William Jurgens is a wonderful resource.
 
Justin the Martyr
On Christian Worship (100AD)

Weekly worship of the Christians

And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and **the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets **are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.

Peace
 
hazcompat said:
Justin the Martyr
On Christian Worship (100AD)

Weekly worship of the Christians

**the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets **are read,
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I always figured the memoirs were the Gospels. Don’t remember why, but I think either Justine or some other author lists the memoirs as Matt Mark Luke and John.
 
The First epistle of Clement to the Corinthians was read throughout the Alexandrian church[the Alexandrian manuscript. This MS. of the Sacred Scriptures (known and generally referred to as Codex A) was presented in 1628 by Cyril,Patriarch of Constantinople, to Charles I., and is now preserved in the British Museum.]

This Epistle was held in very great esteem by the early Church. The account given of it by
Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., iii. 16) is as follows: “There is one acknowledged Epistle of this Clement (whom he has just identified with the friend of St. Paul), great and admirable, which he wrote in the name of the Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth, sedition having then arisen in the latter Church. We are aware that this Epistle has been publicly read in very many churches both in old times, and also in our own day.”

This sharing of epistles is an ancient practice of the church. I have no evidence that St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was shared in any other church, but I believe sharing and requesting epistles was common practice in the early church. I’ll do more research.

Peace
 
Evan said:
I always figured the memoirs were the Gospels. Don’t remember why, but I think either Justine or some other author lists the memoirs as Matt Mark Luke and John.
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I thought so as well…but I am not sure and am by no means an expert on this issue.
 
hazcompat said:
The First epistle of Clement to the Corinthians was read throughout the Alexandrian church[the Alexandrian manuscript. This MS. of the Sacred Scriptures (known and generally referred to as Codex A) was presented in 1628 by Cyril,Patriarch of Constantinople, to Charles I., and is now preserved in the British Museum.]

This Epistle was held in very great esteem by the early Church. The account given of it by
Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., iii. 16) is as follows: “There is one acknowledged Epistle of this Clement (whom he has just identified with the friend of St. Paul), great and admirable, which he wrote in the name of the Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth, sedition having then arisen in the latter Church. We are aware that this Epistle has been publicly read in very many churches both in old times, and also in our own day.”

This sharing of epistles is an ancient practice of the church. I have no evidence that St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was shared in any other church, but I believe sharing and requesting epistles was common practice in the early church. I’ll do more research.

Peace
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Really interesting stuff. Thank you very much for sharing this information. I am a bit confused though…The quote you cite seems to be discussing a letter written by Clement, not Paul. Is that correct? Are you just using this as an example of how epistles were used often in the early church on Sundays or are you directly referencing St. Paul’s writings? I am a bit confused because the earlier post you made seemed to suggest St. Paul’s writings were used in early masses. At any rate, thank you for the effort!
 
What I am suggesting is the fact that the epistle of Clement was shared (provable), is evidence of an earlier custom. I remember Ignatius promising an epistle in a manner suggesting it would have a liturgical application. The general epistles (Peter, John, Jude) apply broadly to the church. Justin tells us that very early in the liturgy these memoirs are read as time permits.

The good news would be in scrolls, like the scroll Jesus reads from in Luke 4:21. Jesus is a Jewish Priest. He would have shared the structure of the liturgy with His apostles. We have a verifiable history of the liturgy from the 4th century onward. Its structure did not zap into existence in 381 AD. It is a divine liturgy because it is instituted by our Divine Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed.

Peace
 
Polycarp was very clear about the importance of Paul’s writings in his letter to the Philippians (ca. 135):

For neither can I nor anyone like me match the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul. When he was among you, face to face with the men of that time, he expounded the word of truth accurately and authoritatively; and when he was absent he wrote letters to you, the study of which will enable you to build yourselves up in the faith which was given you.
 
hazcompat said:
What I am suggesting is the fact that the epistle of Clement was shared (provable), is evidence of an earlier custom. I remember Ignatius promising an epistle in a manner suggesting it would have a liturgical application. The general epistles (Peter, John, Jude) apply broadly to the church. Justin tells us that very early in the liturgy these memoirs are read as time permits.

The good news would be in scrolls, like the scroll Jesus reads from in Luke 4:21. Jesus is a Jewish Priest. He would have shared the structure of the liturgy with His apostles. We have a verifiable history of the liturgy from the 4th century onward. Its structure did not zap into existence in 381 AD. It is a divine liturgy because it is instituted by our Divine Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed.

Peace
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Ok that clarifies things a lot. However, that doesn’t indicate in any way that the epistles being shared meant they were considered Divinely inspired.
 
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