Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Peter Kirby
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Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Post by Peter Kirby »

In the past I posted some tables:

http://peterkirby.com/a-table-of-christ ... itles.html
http://peterkirby.com/a-table-of-leadership-terms.html
http://peterkirby.com/self-identifications.html

Since then I've looked for ways of making these tables useful. Here's one possibility: based on a (somewhat arbitrary) selection of attributes, the table can be used to attempt to group the texts into subgroups that share interesting characteristics.

1. Omega Group

This group has nearly every influence, as well as rare references to "Gnostics" and "Catholics." Chronologically, they are considered to be the latest.

Clement of Alexandria
Irenaeus of Lyons
Hippolytus of Rome
Origen
Tertullian

2. Alpha Group

This group will refer to "apostles" but neither as part of a narrative nor as consigned to the past. If it refers to a gospel, it does not mean a book. You could call it the apostolic epistolary literature.

Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
1 Thessalonians
Philippians
Ephesians
Colossians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
1 Peter
2 Peter
Jude
Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
Letter of Peter to Philip
Hebrews (apostle - of Jesus)
Revelation (apostles - in heaven)

3. Beta Group

This group refers to "Nazarenes," refers to Jesus as "Teacher," and does not yet regard a "Gospel" as a particular kind of book.

Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Matthew
Gospel of Luke
Acts of the Apostles
Gospel of John
Gospel of Philip
Acts of Peter
Apocryphon of John

4. Gamma Group

This group refers to a gospel as a book or refers to the apostles as in the past.

Ignatius of Antioch
Justin Martyr
Melito of Sardis
Acts of Peter
Martyrdom of Polycarp
2 Clement
Didache
Acts of Paul
Acts of Andrew
Diognetus
Polycarp
Treatise on the Resurrection
Aristides
Shepherd of Hermas
1 Clement
Epistle of Barnabas
Athenagoras of Athens
Melito of Sardis
Sophia of Jesus Christ

5. Delta Group

This group includes all that don't fit into the above groups.

2 Thessalonians
James
Philemon
1 John
2 John
3 John
Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Mary
Gospel of Peter
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of James
Dialogue of the Savior
Acts of Andrew
Book of Thomas the Contender
Apocryphon of James
Coptic Apocalypse of Peter
Ascension of Isaiah
Gospel of Truth
Odes of Solomon
Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs
Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
First Apocalypse of James
Melchizedek
Sibyllines
Authoritative Teaching
Second Apocalypse of James
Trimorphic Protennoia
Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
Theophilus of Antioch
Eugnostos the Blessed

Some further observations:

The "Omega group" is the most clearly defined of them all. They form an unmistakable block in all these tables. Older writings are characterized by their ignorance of certain strands of tradition, and, by the same token, these writings stand out for having broad familiarity with all preceding tradition.

The "Alpha group" seems to have at least a few texts that get membership by their fictive setting (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter). The interesting question is whether all the texts attributed to Paul, Peter, and Jude are like this or whether, instead, some come from an actual situation in which claims to being an apostle were current events. (The claim to being an apostle quickly recedes into a feature of the past in the early Christian writings.)

The "Beta group" has all the NT Gospels (and Acts) plus the Gospel of Philip, Acts of Peter, and Apocryphon of John. The most particular distinction of this group is that they refer to "Nazarenes," unlike other Gospels and Acts (and unlike all the letters and treatises before the "Omega group"). It is a most curious feature.

The "Gamma group" contains most of the "apostolic fathers" and cognate texts of the era. They show familiarity with the Gospels or at least with the age of the apostles, which is set in the past. They are thus influenced by the Alpha group or the Beta group (or both).

The "Delta group," a catch-all, requires further subdivision. It contains some NT epistles that might (or might not) otherwise be in the "Gamma group" or the "Alpha group" but did not have the formal characteristics of either. Likewise it contains Gospels and Acts (that would thus be similar to the "Beta group") that do not say anything about "Nazarenes." Lastly it contains a number of treatises and apocalypses that may have escaped the influence of the Alpha and Beta groups. One such example is Eugnostos the Blessed, which is actually an earlier version of the Sophia of Jesus Christ, which latter text has been edited under the influence of the Gospels and thus brought into the Gamma group.

Summary conclusion: The early Christian writings include Gospels (like those in the NT), letters (like those in the NT), and other texts. Some authors show themselves to be familiar with pretty much all preceding tradition (Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Clement, Origen). Some texts were influenced by the letters attributed to the apostles or by the well-known Gospels. And yet there are still texts that are unlike the NT letters and gospels and that do not (at least at first glance) appear to be influenced by them.
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown
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MrMacSon
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Re: Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Post by MrMacSon »

.
Is it worth splitting the Gamma & Delta groups into people and works?
Peter Kirby wrote: 4. Gamma Group

This group refers to a gospel as a book, or refers to the apostles as in the past.

People
  • Ignatius of Antioch --- Estimated Range of Dating: 105-115AD
    Polycarp [of Smyrna] ------ 69 – 155/160s AD/CE
    Justin Martyr --------- Estimated Range of Dating: 150-160 AD

    Melito of Sardis
    Diognetus
    Aristides
    Athenagoras of Athens
    Melito of Sardis
Works
  • Treatise on the Resurrection
    Aristides
    Shepherd of Hermas
    1 Clement
    Epistle of Barnabas
    Athenagoras of Athens
    Melito of Sardis
    Sophia of Jesus Christ
    Acts of Peter
    Martyrdom of Polycarp
    2 Clement
    [the] Didache
    Acts of Paul
    Acts of Andrew

5. Delta Group

This group includes all that don't fit into the above groups.

People Works
  • 2 Thessalonians
    James
    Philemon
    1 John
    2 John
    3 John
    Gospel of Thomas
    Gospel of Mary
    Gospel of Peter
    Infancy Gospel of Thomas
    Infancy Gospel of James
    Dialogue of the Savior
    Acts of Andrew
    Book of Thomas the Contender
    Apocryphon of James
    Coptic Apocalypse of Peter
    Ascension of Isaiah
    Gospel of Truth
    Odes of Solomon
    Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs
    Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
    First Apocalypse of James
    Melchizedek
    Sibyllines
    Authoritative Teaching
    Second Apocalypse of James
    Trimorphic Protennoia
    Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
Last edited by MrMacSon on Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:46 pm, edited 8 times in total.
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Re: Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Post by MrMacSon »

Is it also worth also adding, & thus detailing, chronology/dates?

Some posts by Stephan Huller in the last couple of months have detailed changes in texts from one "Father" to another; and I have been intrigued by the Origen-Pamphilus-Eusebius library inheritance outlined by Richard Carrier in the 2nd-last paragraph here in a discussion of Eusebius (or Pamphilus) authorship of the Testimonium Flavianum (ie. Antiquites of the Jews 18.3.3)
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Peter Kirby
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Re: Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Post by Peter Kirby »

Definitely. I dashed this off this morning. I think the "gamma" and "delta" group especially needs to be sorted out more.
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown
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MrMacSon
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Re: Rightly Dividing the Early Writings

Post by MrMacSon »

Peter Kirby wrote:.
1. Omega Group

This group has nearly every influence, as well as rare references to "Gnostics" and "Catholics." Chronologically, they are considered to be the latest.
  • Irenaeus of Lyons ......... early 2nd C – c202 ------- Against Heresies 175-85
    Clement of Alexandria ..... c150 – c215 ------------- Estimated Range of Dating: 182-202
    Hippolytus of Rome ......... 170–235 ----------------- Estimated Range of Dating: 188(?)-230
    Tertullian .................... c160 – c225 ------------- Estimated Range of Dating: 197-220
    Origen ......................... 184/185 – 253/254 ---- Estimated Range of Dating: 203-250
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