Canon and the Ancient Christian Bible — Canon Development

Marcion's Restricted Collection

c. AD 140

Marcion rejected the Old Testament and used an edited Gospel of Luke with ten Pauline letters, provoking a strong Christian response.

Full Account

Marcion separated the God of the Old Testament from the Father proclaimed by Jesus. He accepted a shortened form of Luke and a collection of Paul's letters altered to fit his theology.

His collection did not cause the church to invent the New Testament. Rather, it presupposed already circulating authoritative books and forced Christians to state more clearly why Marcion's rejection and editing of Scripture were unacceptable.

Historical Significance

The controversy sharpened defense of the unity of the Testaments and the inherited apostolic writings.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: Marcion; church leaders at Rome; Justin Martyr; Tertullian
Key places: Pontus; Rome
Languages: Greek, Latin
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-18
Romans 3:21
2 Timothy 3:14-17