Eusebius


Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea

(A.D. 270-340)

The great church historian.

He estimated the canon in the early part of the 4th century in his Church History (3, ch. iii-xxv). Universally agreed upon as canonical were the four Gospels, Acts, the letters of Pauls (including Hebrews with question about his authorship), 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation, but Eusebius also accepted 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. The Acts of Paul, the Didache, and Shepherd of Hermas were classified as "spurious," and other writings were listed as "heretical and absurd."

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Canon of the New Testament by Milton C. Fisher, Pages 74.)

Emperor Constantine I assigned Eusebius to prepare 50 copies of the Divine Scriptures, effectively establishing a standard that legitimized all formerly disputed New Testament books.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Canon of the New Testament by Milton C. Fisher, Page 75.)

Authorship

  • Praeparatio Evangelica AKA The Preparation of the Gospel