Tribes in Ancient India c1: Front matter
Tribes in Ancient India c1
- Language
- English
Front matter
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TIGHT BINDING BOOK
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Author
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Title
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This book should be returned on or before the date last marked below.
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The first of these, the *Gospel of the Hebrews*, was used by the Jewish Christians of Palestine, and was probably a version of the Gospel of Matthew, though it contained some traditions not found in our canonical books. The *Gospel of the Egyptians* was used by the ascetic sects of Egypt, and was marked by a strong tendency towards mysticism and asceticism. The *Gospel of Peter* was used by the Docetists, and taught that Christ did not really suffer, but only appeared to do so.
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These gospels, and others like them, were not accepted by the Church as a whole, and were gradually lost or suppressed. The Church, however, felt the need for a standard collection of writings that would serve as a guide for faith and practice. This led to the formation of the New Testament canon, a process that took several centuries to complete.
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The first step in this process was the collection of the letters of Paul, which were widely circulated among the churches. Then came the four Gospels, which were accepted as the authoritative accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles and the other epistles were gradually added, and finally the Book of Revelation.
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By the end of the second century, the core of the New Testament was generally accepted by the Church. The process of canonization was not a formal act of a council, but rather a gradual recognition by the churches of the writings that were most valuable for their life and worship. It was only in the fourth century that the canon was formally closed by the councils of the Church.
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The formation of the New Testament canon was a crucial event in the history of the Church. It provided a standard of faith and practice that helped to unify the Church and to protect it from the influence of heretical sects. It also ensured that the teachings of Jesus and the apostles would be preserved for future generations.
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Bhandarkar Oriental Series No. 4
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BY
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BIMALA CHURN LAW, M.A., B.L., PH.D., D.LITT.
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Griffith Prizeman and Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Gold Medalist, Calcutta University; Fellow, Royal Geographical Society of London; Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal; Hony. Correspondent, Archaeological Survey of India; Hony. Member, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute; President, Calcutta Geographical Society; Author, *The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa, Geography of Early Buddhism, Geographical Essays, Vol. I, Some Ksatriya Tribes of Ancient India, Ancient Mid-Indian Ksatriya Tribes, Mahāvīra: His Life and Teachings, The Buddhist Conception of Spirits, Concepts of Buddhism, Historical Gleanings, A Study of the Mahāvastu, A Manual of Buddhist Historical Traditions, Designation of Human Types, Debates Commentary, Women in Buddhist Literature, India as described in Early Texts of Buddhism and Jainism, Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon (P.T.S.), Saundarananda-Kāvya, Dāthāvamsa, etc.*; Editor, *Buddhistic Studies, Thūpavamsa (P.T.S.), etc.*; Joint Editor, *Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology*, published by the Kern Institute, Holland
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FIRST EDITION
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POONA
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Printed by G. E. Bingham, Baptist Mission Press, 41A Lower Circular Road, Calcutta, and Published by Dr. R. N. Dandekar, the Secretary, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona 4 (India).
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TO THE SACRED MEMORY OF MY BELOVED SON GOPAL CHUNDER LAW (JANUARY, 1920—SEPTEMBER, 1941)
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The first of these, the *Gospel of the Hebrews*, was used by the Jewish Christians of Palestine, and was probably a version of the Gospel of Matthew, though it contained some traditions not found in our canonical books. The *Gospel of the Egyptians* was used by the ascetic sects of Egypt, and was marked by a strong tendency towards mysticism and asceticism. The *Gospel of Peter* was used by the Docetists, and taught that Christ did not really suffer, but only appeared to do so.
c1.19
These gospels, and others like them, were not accepted by the Church as a whole, and were gradually lost or suppressed. The Church, however, felt the need for a standard collection of writings that would serve as a guide for faith and practice. This led to the formation of the New Testament canon, a process that took several centuries to complete.
c1.20
The first step in this process was the collection of the letters of Paul, which were widely circulated among the churches. Then came the four Gospels, which were accepted as the authoritative accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles and the other epistles were gradually added, and finally the Book of Revelation.
c1.21
By the end of the second century, the core of the New Testament was generally accepted by the Church. The process of canonization was not a formal act of a council, but rather a gradual recognition by the churches of the writings that were most valuable for their life and worship. It was only in the fourth century that the canon was formally closed by the councils of the Church.
c1.22
The formation of the New Testament canon was a crucial event in the history of the Church. It provided a standard of faith and practice that helped to unify the Church and to protect it from the influence of heretical sects. It also ensured that the teachings of Jesus and the apostles would be preserved for future generations.