The Canon

The Biblical Canon:
 On this page, we will be going over: about the book, who wrote it, and why it is in the Biblical canon. 

The Table of Contents(Click or Scroll to Read):

Genesis:

About The Book:

Genesis is the first book of the Torah. Starting with the creation account, the fall of mankind, the great flood, and then ending with information on Abraham and his descendants. 

Who Wrote it:

One early church father believes it was Moses: "Moses, then, they declare, by his mode of beginning the account of the creation, has at the commencement pointed out the mother of all things when he says, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;" (Against Heresies, Book 1, Chapter 18, §1). Here, Irenaeus says he is quoting Moses, then goes on to read Genesis 1:1.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Matthew:

About The Book:

There are four Gospels in the New Testament, including the Gospel of Matthew. It was written by one of Jesus' disciples, Matthew, also known as Levi. To Matthew, demonstrating to a Jewish audience that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah and that he fulfilled Old Testament prophecies were fundamental. There is the reason he continually references Old Testament scriptures.

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy of Jesus, tracing his ancestry back to Abraham(Matthew 1:1), the father of the Jewish people. It then tells the story of Jesus' birth, including the visit of the wise men and the flight to Egypt to escape the slaughter of the innocent children ordered by King Herod(Matthew 2:19-20). 

Aside from the narrative of Jesus' birth, the gospel also focuses on the ministry of Jesus. It describes his teachings(Matthew 5:44), miracles, and encounters with various people, including the Pharisees, who were a group of Jewish religious leaders(Matthew 4:23).

The Gospel of Matthew also includes accounts of Jesus' miracles, such as healing the sick(Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 9:1-8, Matthew 9:27-31, & Matthew 20:29-34) calming the storm, and casting out demons(Matthew 15:21-28). These miracles serve to demonstrate Jesus' power and authority, and they often lead to the conversion of those who witness them. 

As Jesus' ministry continues, he faces opposition from the religious leaders, who view him as a threat to their power and authority. In spite of this opposition, Jesus remains committed to his mission of spreading the message of God's kingdom, ultimately offering himself as a sacrifice for mankind's sins. The Gospel of Matthew ends with the resurrection of Jesus, which serves as the cornerstone of Christian belief. "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:50-51 KJV).

After Jesus' resurrection, he appears to his disciples and gives them the Great Commission, instructing them to go out into the world and spread the message of the gospel to all nations. "Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them" (Matthew 28:16 KJV). 

Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is presented as the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of humanity. Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament through his teachings, miracles, and ultimate sacrifice, bringing salvation and God's love to the world.

Who Wrote It:

Early church fathers were very confident that the apostle Matthew wrote a Gospel to the Jews. In 160–225AD, Tertullian of Carthage writes, “I lay it down to begin with that the documents of the gospel have the apostles for their authors, and that this task of promulgating the gospel was imposed upon them by the Lord himself...In short, from among the apostles, John and Matthew implant in us the faith, while from among the apostolic men Luke and Mark reaffirm it.” (Against Marcion 4.2.1–2).

In 130-180, Irenaeus of Lyons wrote: “So Matthew brought out a written gospel among the Jews in their own style, when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome and founding the church. But after their demise Mark himself, the disciple and recorder of Peter, has also handed on to us in writing what had been proclaimed by Peter and Luke, the follower of Paul, set forth in a book the gospel that was proclaimed by him. Later John, the disciple of the Lord and the one who leaned against his chest, also put out a Gospel while residing in Ephesus of Asia.” (Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter 1:1).

He then writes later on: "Matthew, again, relates His generation as a man, saying, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham; and also, The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise," (Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter 11:8). This is a direct quote from Matthew 1:1 and Matthew 1:18, and Irenaeus is claiming Matthew said this.

Athanasius, a theologian who lived in the 4th century, wrote: "Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books] of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John," (Athanasius, Letter 39).

More evidence that Matthew wrote this Gospel was the repeated references to money. As we are aware, Matthew was a tax collector(Matthew 9:9) so if Matthew had written a document, it would make sense he spoke on things that he was familiar with. Now this is not to say that the other disciples never mentioned money; however, Matthew does it far more and includes parables that pertain to money which do not exist in the other Gospels. For example, Matthew is the only one to mention the parable of the hidden treasure, the pearl of the great price(Matthew 13), the parable of the workers in the Vineyard(Matthew 20), the parable of the talents(Matthew 25), and the Servant with the great debt(Matthew 18). It is intriguing at the very least that Matthew would select these parables specifically while the other disciples did not.

Why Is It Apart of The Canon?

Debunking Arguments Against Its Reliability:

Matthew is Written in The Third Person:

Many skeptics such as Bart Erhman, claim the Gospel of Matthew could not have been written by Matthew for it was written in the third person. Now instead of debunking this myself, as I am rather lazy all of sudden, I will allow a man born thousands of years ago refute his claims. "Faustus thinks himself wonderfully clever in proving that Matthew was not the writer of this Gospel, because, when speaking of his own election, he says not, He saw me, and said to me, Follow me; but, He saw him, and said to him, Follow me. This must have been said either in ignorance or from a design to mislead. Faustus can hardly be so ignorant as not to have read or heard that narrators, when speaking of themselves, often use a construction as if speaking of another. It is more probable that Faustus wished to bewilder those more ignorant than himself, in the hope of getting hold on not a few unacquainted with these things. It is needless to resort to other writings to quote examples of this construction from profane authors for the information of our friends, and for the refutation of Faustus. We find examples in passages quoted above from Moses by Faustus himself, without any denial, or rather with the assertion, that they were written by Moses, only not written of Christ. When Moses, then, writes of himself, does he say, I said this, or I did that, and not rather, Moses said, and Moses did? Or does he say, The Lord called me, The Lord said to me, and not rather, The Lord called Moses, The Lord said to Moses, and so on?" (Hipponensis Contra Faustum, Book XVII).

The point Saint Augustus is getting at is that speaking of oneself in the third person is actually something some authors do and is absurd to claim that this is a problem for biblical authorship. He even provides examples such as Moses who wrote the Torah(the first five books of the Old Testament) and did the same thing. To expand upon this, the ancient historian Josephus actually did the same thing in his book "The Jewish War." As he writes, "He who had the first lot laid his neck bare to him that had the next, as supposing that the general would die among them immediately; for they thought death, if Josephus might but die with them, was sweeter than life; yet was he with another left to the last, whether we must say it happened so by chance, or whether by the providence of God. And as he was very desirous neither to be condemned by the lot, nor, if he had been left to the last, to imbrue his right hand in the blood of his countrymen, he persuaded him to trust his fidelity to him, and to live as well as himself," (Josephus The Jewish War, Book 3, Chapter 8, Part 7 Trans. William Whiston).

The historian Xenophon does the same thing as Moses and Josephus in his book "Anabasis" where he writes, "There was a man in the army named Xenophon, an Athenian, who was neither general nor captain nor private, but had accompanied the expedition because Proxenus, an old friend of his, had sent him at his home an invitation to go with him; Proxenus had also promised him that, if he would go, he would make him a friend of Cyrus, whom he himself regarded, so he said, as worth more to him than was his native state," (Xenophon Anabasis Book 3, Chapter 1, Section 4).

Mark:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote it:

This is going to sound crazy, but it was John Mark, "Wherefore also Mark, the interpreter and follower of Peter, does thus commence his Gospel narrative: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, which shall prepare Your way. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths straight before our God," (Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 10:5). Here, Irenaeus quotes from the Gospel of Mark (1:1-3) and attributes it to Mark.

He continues stating, "Mark says: So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God," (Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 10:5). Here, he notes Mark had said it and quotes Mark 16:19.

Clement of Alexandria also says: "Now, in the Gospel according to Mark, the Lord being interrogated by the chief of the priests if He was the Christ, the Son of the blessed God, answering, said, I am; and you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power," (Comments on the Epistle of Jude). Here, Clement quotes Mark 14:62 and notes it was from the Gospel of Mark.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Luke:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!
Who Wrote It:

"Luke also, the follower and disciple of the apostles, referring to Zacharias and Elisabeth, from whom, according to promise, John was born, says: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless," (Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 10:1) Here, Irenaeus quotes Luke 1:4 and notes Luke had wrote it.

"And again, speaking of Zacharias: And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense; and he came to sacrifice, entering into the temple of the Lord," (Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 10:1). Here, Irenaeus is quoting Luke 1:8-9 and noting from earlier, he claims Luke wrote it. 

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

John:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

According to Irenaeus, "For this is the knowledge of salvation which was wanting to them, that of the Son of God, which John made known, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me comes a man who was made before me; because He was prior to me: and of His fullness have all we received," (Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 10:2). In this quote, Irenaeus is quoting John 1:29 & John 1:15-16 and notes that it was from John, that he had made this known.

In 160–225AD, “I lay it down to begin with that the documents of the gospel have the apostles for their authors, and that this task of promulgating the gospel was imposed upon them by the Lord himself...In short, from among the apostles, John and Matthew implant in us the faith, while from among the apostolic men Luke and Mark reaffirm it.” (Tertullian of Carthage).

In 100-165AD, "For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them" (Justin Martyr).

In 130-180, “So Matthew brought out a written gospel among the Jews in their own style, when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome and founding the church. But after their demise Mark himself, the disciple and recorder of Peter, has also handed on to us in writing what had been proclaimed by Peter and Luke, the follower of Paul, set forth in a book the gospel that was proclaimed by him. Later John, the disciple of the Lord and the one who leaned against his chest, also put out a Gospel while residing in Ephesus of Asia.” (Irenaeus of Lyons Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 1).

"Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books] of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John," (Athanasius, Letter 39).

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Romans:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!
Who Wrote It:

Paul made it very obvious he inspired this letter because he tells us once again. "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1). However, it seems likely Tertius was the man who actually wrote it. "I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord" (Romans 16:22). It seems there are two possibilities, either Paul and Tertius wrote it together, or Tertius wrote while Paul spoke what should be written. Either way, Paul must have had authority over the book to some capacity.

A quote by Ireanus makes it known that Paul was known to have been preaching in Rome. “So Matthew brought out a written gospel among the Jews in their own style, when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome and founding the church. But after their demise Mark himself, the disciple and recorder of Peter, has also handed on to us in writing what had been proclaimed by Peter and Luke, the follower of Paul, set forth in a book the gospel that was proclaimed by him. Later John, the disciple of the Lord and the one who leaned against his chest, also put out a Gospel while residing in Ephesus of Asia.” (Irenaeus of Lyons). With this knowledge, it increases the percentage of Pauline authorship.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

1 Corinthians:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

We know Paul wrote 1 Corinthians because, well, he tells us so. "Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours," (1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NASB1995).

We also get verification from Polycarp that Paul wrote this letter for as he writes: "But who of us are ignorant of the judgment of the Lord? Do we not know that the saints shall judge the world? (1 Corinthians 6:2) as Paul teaches," (Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, Chapter 11: Expression of grief on account of Valens). Polycarp, in his letter, quotes 1 Corinthians as notes it was a teaching of Paul. This is clear verification of authorship.

Galatians:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

We know Paul wrote Galatians because, well, he tells us so. "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia," (Galatians 1:1-2 KJV). 

Peter writes this in 2 Peter, "...even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles(or letters), speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," (2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV). So Paul also wrote letters to them, and now Peter is. Peter is writing to Asia Minor in 2 Peter, Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Galatians, and Ephesians to Asia Minor. Since the verse says "epistles," or many letters, claiming Paul wrote Galatians would make sense.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Ephesians:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Peter writes this in 2 Peter, "...even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles(or letters), speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," (2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV). So Paul also wrote letters to them, and now Peter is. Peter is writing to Asia Minor in 2 Peter, Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Galatians, and Ephesians to Asia Minor. Since the verse says "epistles," or many letters, claiming Paul wrote Ephesians would make sense.

"You are initiated into the mysteries of the Gospel with Paul, the holy, the martyred, the deservedly most happy, at whose feet may I be found, when I shall attain to God; who in all his Epistles makes mention of you in Christ Jesus," (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Chapter 12: Praise of the Ephesians). This quote shows us two things, that Paul was valued by an early church father and Paul "makes mention of you" or the Ephesians. It seems this quote may back up the letter to the Ephesian's authorship. 

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Colossians:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

We know Paul wrote Colossians because, well, he tells us so. "The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen," (Colossians 4:18 KJV). It doesn't get much clearer than that.

Peter writes this in 2 Peter, "...even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles(or letters), speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," (2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV). So Paul also wrote letters to them, and now Peter is. Peter is writing to Asia Minor in 2 Peter, Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Galatians, and Ephesians to Asia Minor. Since the verse says "epistles," or many letters, claiming Paul wrote Colossians would make sense.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

1 Timothy:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Paul/Saul

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Debunking Arguments Against Its Reliability:

Vocabulary Issues:

According to the scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman in his book "Forged", he claims that Paul uses very different vocabulary in this epistle compared to the epistles that are not pastoral epistles. This criticism seems to be a non-sequitur at best. As we know, 1st and 2nd Timothy, as well as Titus, were written as personal letters while the rest of the Pauline letters were written to churches such as his epistle to the Galatians. When writing a letter to a church and an individual, one is bound to write in a different formality. You do not use text speech when speaking to a boss for example, but you would with an acquaintance. Some also tend to go through phases in their writings, at times choosing to write with a richer vocabulary while at other times they write far more concisely; they simply write how one desire to do as such. Paul was also fond of using scribes as we see in the Epistle to the Romans(Romans 16:22), so even if Paul always wrote the same, which is quite unlikely, this too could be a plausible explanation. 

2 Timothy:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Paul/Saul

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Debunking Arguments Against Its Reliability:

Vocabulary Issues:

According to the scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman in his book "Forged", he claims that Paul uses very different vocabulary in this epistle compared to the epistles that are not pastoral epistles. This criticism seems to be a non-sequitur at best. As we know, 1st and 2nd Timothy, as well as Titus, were written as personal letters while the rest of the Pauline letters were written to churches such as his epistle to the Galatians. When writing a letter to a church and an individual, one is bound to write in a different formality. You do not use text speech when speaking to a boss for example, but you would with an acquaintance. Some also tend to go through phases in their writings, at times choosing to write with a richer vocabulary while at other times they write far more concisely; they simply write how one desire to do as such. Paul was also fond of using scribes as we see in the Epistle to the Romans(Romans 16:22), so even if Paul always wrote the same, which is quite unlikely, this too could be a plausible explanation. 

Titus:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Paul/Saul

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Debunking Arguments Against Its Reliability:

Vocabulary Issues:

According to the scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman in his book "Forged", he claims that Paul uses very different vocabulary in this epistle compared to the epistles that are not pastoral epistles. This criticism seems to be a non-sequitur at best. As we know, 1st and 2nd Timothy, as well as Titus, were written as personal letters while the rest of the Pauline letters were written to churches such as his epistle to the Galatians. When writing a letter to a church and an individual, one is bound to write in a different formality. You do not use text speech when speaking to a boss for example, but you would with an acquaintance. Some also tend to go through phases in their writings, at times choosing to write with a richer vocabulary while at other times they write far more concisely; they simply write how one desire to do as such. Paul was also fond of using scribes as we see in the Epistle to the Romans(Romans 16:22), so even if Paul always wrote the same, which is quite unlikely, this too could be a plausible explanation. 

Philemon:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Peter writes this in 2 Peter, "...even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles(or letters), speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," (2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV). So Paul also wrote letters to them, and now Peter is. Peter is writing to Asia Minor in 2 Peter, Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Galatians, and Ephesians to Asia Minor. Since the verse says "epistles," or many letters, claiming Paul wrote Philemon would make sense.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Pauline Authorship:

Out of all the biblical writers, Paul seems to be the most controversial. Many in fact claim he made up his teachings and was not connected with the early church; however, we actually see that the early church adored Paul.

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians:

"You are initiated into the mysteries of the Gospel with Paul, the holy, the martyred, the deservedly most happy, at whose feet may I be found, when I shall attain to God; who in all his Epistles makes mention of you in Christ Jesus," (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Chapter 12: Praise of the Ephesians). This quote shows us two things, that Paul was valued by an early church father and Paul "makes mention of you" or the Ephesians. It seems this quote may back up the letter to the Ephesian's authorship. 

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans:

  "I do not, as Peter and Paul, issue commandments unto you. They were apostles; I am but a condemned man: they were free, while I am, even until now, a servant. But when I suffer, I shall be the freed-man of Jesus, and shall rise again emancipated in Him. And now, being a prisoner, I learn not to desire anything worldly or vain," (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans, Chapter 4: Allow me to fall a prey to the wild beasts). This quote gives us further credibility of Paul and Peter as followers of Jesus.

1st Peter:

About The Book:
 Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

Well, first of all, Peter claims to have. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Peter 1:1 KJV). So Peter, an apostle of Jesus, is writing to Ponthus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 

It also seems Silvanus helped briefly or was a scribe, " By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand" (1 Peter 5:12 KJV).

Outside of the Bible, we have other people who confirm Peter as the author: "Besides, Peter says, You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house; meaning the place of the angelic abode, guarded in heaven," (Clement of Alexandria, Comments On the First Epistle of Peter I). Here, Clement of Alexandria, an author from the mid-2nd century, speaks on a work he attributes to Peter. Here, Clement quotes 1 Peter 2:5. He goes on to, what may be a paraphrase of 1 Peter 1:5: "who are kept by the power of God, by faith and contemplation, to receive the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls," (Clement of Alexandria, Comments On the First Epistle of Peter I).

Later on the same commentary he writes: "Of which salvation, he says, the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, and what follows," (Clement of Alexandria, Comments On the First Epistle of Peter I). Here, he quotes 1 Peter 1:10 still noting this is of Peter.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

Revelations:

About The Book:

Coming Soon!

Who Wrote It:

As the book itself tells us, John did, but which John is actually a debated subject. "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband," (Revelations 21:2 KJV). There are two Johns it is assumed he could be, the Apostle John and John Mark(writer of the Gospel of Mark), but most Historians have concluded it to be the Apostle John who wrote the Gospel of John.

Why is it Apart of The Canon?

As we haven't gotten to all of them, here is the gist of the rest.

Moses wrote Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Job, and Deuteronomy.

Joshua wrote Joshua

Samuel, Nathan, and Gad all took part in writing Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel.

Jeremiah wrote 1 Kings, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and 2 Kings

Ezra wrote 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Mordecai wrote Esther

David wrote Psalms 

Solomon wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon

Isaiah wrote Isaiah

Ezekiel wrote Ezekiel

Daniel wrote Daniel

Hosea wrote Hosea

Joel wrote Joel

Amos wrote Amos

Obadiah wrote Obadiah

Jonah wrote Jonah

Micah wrote Micah

Nahum wrote Nahum

Habakkuk wrote Habakkuk

Zephaniah wrote Zephaniah

Haggai wrote Haggai

Zechariah wrote Zechariah

Malachi wrote Malachi

Luke wrote Acts 

John wrote Revelation, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.

Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, & 2 Thessalonians

Jude wrote Jude

James wrote James

Peter wrote 2 Peter

Paul, Luke, and/or Barnabas likely wrote Hebrews but we aren't certain. This is and Revelations are the only books that we don't know for a fact.

Works Cited:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Gospel According to Matthew". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Sep. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gospel-According-to-Matthew. Accessed 5 January 2023. 

Ehrman, Bart D.. Forged: Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are. United Kingdom, HarperCollins, 2012.

Fredericksen, Linwood. "St. Clement of Alexandria". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Oct. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clement-of-Alexandria. Accessed 16 November 2023.

 Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm>.

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm>.

Translated by Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103301.htm>.

Translated by Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103310.htm>.

Translated by Richard Stothert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 4. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/140617.htm>.

Xenophon. Xenophon in Seven Volumes, 3. Carleton L. Brownson. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; William Heinemann, Ltd., London. 1922.