Canon of the New Testament
Christ's Mass
- The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe, in 1131. In Dutch it is Kerstmis, in Latin Dies Natalis, whence comes the French Noël, and Italian Il natale; in German Weihnachtsfest, from the preceeding sacred vigil. The term Yule is of disputed origin. It is unconnected with any word meaning "wheel". The name in Anglo-Saxon was geol, feast: geola, the name of a month (cf. Icelandic iol a feast in December).
- Other English words formed the same way:
date | name | feast |
---|---|---|
2 Feb | Candlemas | Presentation (40 days after Christmas) |
29 Sep | Michelmas: | Michael the Archangel |
28 Dec | Childermas | Holy Innocents |
1 Aug | Lammas | Loaf-Mass Day--festival of the wheat harvest. |
11 Nov | Martinmas |
Martin of Tours; end of autumn wheat seeding. |
15 Aug | Marymas | Assumption |
3 May | Roodmas |
Cross Mass |
Brendanmas | A local celebration in the Buffalo, NY, area. Not yet known to the larger Church. |
"Christmas" is a uniquely English word for the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord. Other languages refer to the feast differently:
"How to Say 'Happy Christmas' in Twenty Languages
French Noël Spanish Navidad German Weihnachten Italian Natale Greek Christougena Czech Vánoce Polish Narodzenia Swedish Jul
Development of the Canon of the New Testament
Early controversies
- imitations
- counterfeits
- later writings
Sequence of decrees
In 382 AD, Pope Damasus and the Council of Rome (a local, not worldwide or ecumenical council) listed the books of the Old and New Testament exactly as they appear in today's Catholic bibles. This decision was reaffirmed four times over the next forty years and again in two ecumenical councils of the Church.
date | authority |
---|---|
382 | Council of Rome under Pope Damasus |
393 | Council of Hippo |
397 | Council of Carthage |
405 | Pope Clement I |
419 | Carthage |
1442 | Ecumenical Council of Florence |
1546 | Ecumenical Council of Trent |
Luther's Attempt to Discard New Testament books
Luther treated four books of the New Testament as apocryphal (not inspired by God):
- Hebrews
- James
- Jude
- Revelation
These books were placed at the end of the New Testament, lacked page numbers, and did not appear in the index. This is exactly how Luther denigrated the seven extra books of the Septuagint. Luther's rejection of the Septuagint material caught on with most Protestants; his rejection of the four New Testament books did not.