A friend sent me this meme a week or more ago:

A friend sent a meme some time back and I thought I would expand upon it. I cannot be sure but I think my friend was trying to make a broader statement about the Bible and the link to Rome since he is Roman Catholic. Being the granular research type I Googled it, not because I did not think it was true but simply to verify. The first result was Google’s AI which said:


The term “Catholic Church” was first used by Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans around 110 AD. The term literally means “universal church”.


About The Compiling of the New Testament

The compilation of the New Testament, as we recognize it today, was a gradual process that took place over several centuries, with key milestones along the way. The individual books of the New Testament were written between approximately 45 AD and 110 AD, and the process of determining which books would be included in the New Testament canon was largely completed by the 4th century AD.

Early Christian Writings (1st to early 2nd century AD: The writings that would later become the New Testament were composed during the first century AD. These included the Gospels, letters of Paul, and other writings. Early Christian communities circulated these texts, but there was not yet an official or standardized list of accepted writings.

First Known Lists (2nd to 3rd centuries AD): Christian writers and theologians began to refer to certain books as authoritative. For example:

  • Marcion of Sinope (c. 140 AD) created one of the earliest Christian canons, which excluded the Old Testament and included an edited version of Luke’s Gospel and Paul’s letters.
  • Irenaeus (c. 180 AD and other Church Fathers mentioned many of the books that would later become part of the New Testament, but there was still no universally accepted list.

The Muratorian Fragment (c. 170-200 AD): This is an early list of New Testament books, though it is incomplete. It includes most of the New Testament books but omits Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and others.

The Councils of Hippo and Carthage (late 4th century AD): The Councils of Hippo Algeria (393 AD) and Carthage Tunisia (397 and 419 AD) in North Africa confirmed a list of 27 books that is identical to the New Testament canon used today. This list included the four Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, the General Epistles, and Revelation.

The Role of Athanasius (367 AD): The Bishop of Alexandria Egypt, Athanasius, played a significant role in the development of the New Testament canon. In his 39th Festal Letter in 367 AD, he listed the 27 books that are now part of the New Testament, making him one of the first to formally recognize the full canon.

The End of the Debate (5th century AD): Although the process was effectively settled by the Councils of Hippo and Carthage, the canon wasn’t universally fixed in all Christian communities until the 5th century. However, by then, the 27 books that make up the New Testament were widely accepted in the Christian world.