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CONGRUITIES AND INCONGRUITIES BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN |
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Jesus Christ wrote nothing in his lifetime. Oral tradition transmitted his words which also included the sayings of the Apostles. This transmission lasted for about three decades.
The first gospels were written on papyri, which, in time, lost its elasticity and were transformed into dust. The initial copies as well as the copies written afterwards were handwritten. Later on, the parchment replaced the papyri as it was made of skin.
Coexistence of a plurality of gospels
Transition from oral tradition to written legacy started in 70 A.D. with the fall of Jerusalem following the defeat of the Romans and continued up until the end of the second century. The consequence was the proliferation of literary works related to Jesus Christ. The Gospel according to St. Luke described as follows the coexistence of many books: « Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.» (Luke 1/1-4) The Roman Church destroyed the majority of these books on the ground that they were heretical, dangerous and fake. In addition to the four Gospels, he left undestroyed the works of the Gospel of Ebionites, the Shepherd records of Hermas, Thomas' and Peter's Gospels.
In the meantime the true representatives of Christ, the Nazarene Christians had lost their power and their teaching was acknowledged to be heretical and deleterious; while the Paulinist Christians and their books on Christ were acclaimed.
Bishop Iranaeus, in his Adversus haereses (180 A.D.) had stated that the four gospels together with Paul's letters and Acts should be included in the official list. The Roman Church agreed to do so, while the indecision about the remaining books continued for a long time in the Church Councils. Those, which had received approval, constituted the 27 books of the present New Testament. The ultimate official list became the Authorized Version in 387 A.D. during the Carthagenian Council.
« The Church declared Marcion a heretic and put into its canon all the letters of Paul, but included the other Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They also added several other works such as the Acts of the Apostles. The official list nevertheless varies with time during the first centuries of Christianity (i.e. Apocrypha) figured in it, while other works contained in today's New Testament Canon were excluded from it at this time. These hesitations lasted until the Councils of Hippo Regius in 393 and Carthage in 397. The four Gospels always figured in it however.» (Bucaille, Ibid. p.78)
The books of the New Testament
Christianity had become the official religion at the beginning of the fourth century. The 27 books and letters that made up the New Testament consisted of five main sections, 260 chapters, 7959 verses. The original gospel had been written in old KOINE Greek.
Gospels (Glad Tidings): 4 books; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
A historical account: Acts
Paul's letters: 14 books: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews.
General letters: 7 books: James (Jacob) (Jesus' brother), 1 Peter, 2 Pete 1 John, 2 John 3 John, Jude, Revelation.
PARADOXES BETWEEN THE GOSPELS