Who Really Chose the Books of the New Testament?

Links Mentioned in this Episode: https://www.bartehrman.com/whatthehell - On July 18, Bart is teaching a free live course about Hell called What the Hell? Jesus' Teachings of the Afterlife where you'll learn where the doctrine of hell actually came from, what Jesus really taught about the afterlife, and how a doctrine that scares so many people made its way into Christianity in the first place. Sign up for free via this link. Episode Description Many people hold a simplified view of the Bible's formation—that it either fell from the sky, fully formed, or was decisively voted on by a grand council of church fathers. The historical reality, as Dr. Bart Ehrman explains in this episode, is far more complicated and arguably more interesting. This discussion dismantles common myths and explores the centuries-long process of debate, disagreement, and eventual consensus that shaped the 27 books we now call the New Testament. The conversation begins by addressing the impact of a pivotal event in Jewish and Christian history: the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. While some scholars argue this catastrophe dramatically reshaped early Christianity and motivated the writing of the Gospels as a way to explain God's plan, Bart offers a more nuanced view. He suggests that while the event certainly influenced the writers, it may not have been the single most important factor in the development of Christian thought or the selection of canonical books. The discussion then moves to another critical juncture: the gradual separation of Christianity from its Jewish roots. As the church became predominantly Gentile, why did it retain the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament)? This question leads to one of the most significant figures in the history of the canon: Marcion. In the mid-second century, Marcion of Sinope argued that the wrathful, creator God of the Old Testament was a different and inferior deity to the loving, merciful Father of Jesus. Consequently, he proposed a radical new scripture, completely excising the Hebrew Bible and creating the first known "canon" of Christian texts: a heavily edited version of the Gospel of Luke and ten of the Apostle Paul's letters. Marcion's controversial move inadvertently lit a fire under the proto-orthodox Christian leaders. His actions forced them to begin formally articulating which books they considered authoritative and why. Bart explains that Marcion's canon notably excluded the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). Was this because Marcion, like a "2nd-century Bart Ehrman," identified them as forgeries? Or was it simply because he had never heard of them, or because they didn't align with his theology? The answer remains a subject of scholarly debate. One of the most persistent modern myths about the canon is that it was decided at the famous Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, an idea popularized by works like The Da Vinci Code. Bart emphatically debunks this claim, stating that the council did not discuss, debate, or vote on the canon at all. So, when and how was it decided? The surprising answer is that there was never a single, universal council that made a final, binding decision for all of Christendom. Finally, the episode concludes with the "Misquoting Bart" segment, where Bart responds to a clip from apologist James White. White suggests that Bart no longer works in textual criticism and that his popular books are simply an "apologetic for his apostasy." Bart clarifies that while his research focus has shifted (a common practice for scholars), he remains deeply engaged with the field. He also preempts a common criticism: the false claim that his popular and scholarly works contradict each other regarding the significance of textual variants. He explains that he has always maintained—in all his books—that while there are more differences among our manuscripts than words in the New Testament, the vast majority of these differences are insignificant scribal errors that do not affect major doctrines. Three Key Takeaways: 1. The Canon Was a Process, Not an Event: The New Testament was not decided in a single meeting or by a single vote. It was the product of a messy, centuries-long process of usage, debate, and gradual consensus among disparate Christian communities, largely motivated by the need to respond to competing theological movements. 2. Apostolicity Was the Main Criterion: The primary factor for a book's inclusion was its perceived connection to Jesus's original apostles. This drove debates about authorship and led to traditions that linked the canonical texts directly to the first generation of Christian leaders. 3. The Council of Nicaea Did Not Decide the Canon: Contrary to popular belief, the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) did not address the issue of which books belonged in the Bible. The first list matching our current 27-book New Testament appeared in 367 CE, and even that did not end the debates.