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Which books are scripture

Doctrine · On scripture · from 393

The canonical scriptures are the books the council enumerates, and nothing else is to be read in church under the name of divine scripture.

Hippo in 393 and Carthage in 397 fixed the African list, and Trullo set its seal on the African code in 692 — which is how a provincial enumeration came to carry weight in the East.

Held it

  • 393 — The canon of Hippo (Formulates). The list the African code carries forward. The Seven Ecumenical Councils (NPNF series 2 vol. 14) · the African Code, canon 24 (Greek 27)
  • 397 — The Council of Carthage (397) (Defines). Enumerates the canonical scriptures and forbids anything else to be read in church under that name. The Seven Ecumenical Councils (NPNF series 2 vol. 14) · the African Code, canon 24 (Greek 27)
  • 692 — The Council in Trullo (Defines). Sets its seal on the canons of Carthage, giving the African enumeration standing in the East. The Seven Ecumenical Councils (NPNF series 2 vol. 14) · Trullo (692), canon 2

In the disputes

  • The Marcionite division Marcion held that the God of the Hebrew scriptures is not the Father of Jesus Christ, and published a canon to match.

First stated in this form after The Seven Ecumenical Councils (NPNF series 2 vol. 14) · the African Code, canon 24 (Greek 27), on the canonical scriptures.