The term New Testament

[MercyMia]

I read something in passing yesterday about St. Iranaeus ( a bishop) coining the term “New Testament.” Hmm.
Anyway, it made me laugh because some of my family members belong to the “church of Christ” which claims to follow New Testament Christianity and was established 33AD at Pentecost. The phrase “New Testament Christianity” is one of their slogans. How can that be if the name didn’t even exist in 33AD (and was coined many years later by a Catholic of all people)?
I guess that begs the question to any denomination that uses the word “New Testament” - where they got the authority to call it that?

 

[bpbasilphx]

Actually, St. Irenaeus flourised in the second century. He died in 202.

 

[MercyMia]

You are totally right, I was typing to fast and not thinking. Fixed. Thanks!

 

[Eucharisted]

New Testament = New Covenant.

And now you know.

 

[Darian]

I read something in passing yesterday about St. Iranaeus ( a bishop) coining the term “New Testament.” Hmm.
Anyway, it made me laugh because some of my family members belong to the “church of Christ” which claims to follow New Testament Christianity and was established 33AD at Pentecost. The phrase “New Testament Christianity” is one of their slogans. How can that be if the name didn’t even exist in 33AD (and was coined many years later by a Catholic of all people)?
I guess that begs the question to any denomination that uses the word “New Testament” - where they got the authority to call it that?

Actually “new testament” appears in 8 verses in the Douay Rhiems sp? version. Iranaeus did not coin the term.

 

[Crumpy]

In the category of “antics with semantics”, here we go.

As a coined term, “New Testament” might have an origin in the early centuries, but as a concept, recall that the Old Testament had used the term and concept of a new covenant earlier than 500 BC.

for example, in Jeremiah 31:31 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (NAB)

and, in the gospels, Jesus says in Luke
22:20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

 

[MercyMia]

They use the term “New Testament Christianity” to mean a church that follows the words of the New Testament above all (in book form). My reference to this being odd is that while the new covenant was surely in place, the collection of books that make up the New Testament did not have that title assigned to them yet. I meant it in the way of assigning the phrase New Testament to a book.

 

[imjustme]

They use the term “New Testament Christianity” to mean a church that follows the words of the New Testament above all (in book form). My reference to this being odd is that while the new covenant was surely in place, the collection of books that make up the New Testament did not have that title assigned to them yet. I meant it in the way of assigning the phrase New Testament to a book.

Although the individual books were not collected into a physical grouping, the individual books of what Protestants now call the “New Testament” were recognized as Holy Scripture and were being read, referred to, and used to teach.

Early Christian Writers (for example Polycarp and Ignatius) quoted from the Gospels and Paul’s letters, as well as from other Christian writing and oral sources.