📜 The Earliest Complete Christian Scriptures Who Compiled Them? Who Preserved Them? And Do They Still Exist Today?

Who Compiled Them? Who Preserved Them? And Do They Still Exist Today?

(An Apologetic and Historical Defense of the Christian Bible)

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✦ Introduction: Did the Bible Just “Fall From Heaven”?

A common modern claim—especially in Bible-alone circles—is that the Bible is self-authenticating, independent of any Church authority.
But history tells a different story.

Before printing presses, before Protestant denominations, and even before the Latin Bible, complete Christian Scriptures containing both the Old and New Testaments already existed.

This article answers four critical questions:

1. What were the earliest complete Christian Scriptures?

2. Who compiled them?

3. Who preserved them?

4. Do physical copies still exist today—and where are they kept?

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✦ What Were the Earliest Complete Christian Scriptures?

📖 1. The Septuagint Old Testament + Apostolic New Testament

The Septuagint (LXX) is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, produced between the 3rd–2nd century BC, centuries before Christ.

The New Testament, meanwhile, was written in Greek by the Apostles and their associates during the 1st century AD.

📌 Key fact:
The earliest Christians did not use a Latin Bible.
They used Greek Scriptures—the Septuagint for the Old Testament and apostolic writings for the New.

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✦ The Earliest Complete Bible Manuscripts (4th–5th Century)

While early Christians possessed Scripture as separate scrolls and codices, the first surviving manuscripts that contain both Old and New Testaments together are from the 4th century.

📜 2. Codex Vaticanus (c. AD 300–325)

• Codex Vaticanus

• Written in Greek

• Contains:

  • Septuagint Old Testament

  • New Testament (nearly complete)

• One of the most reliable biblical manuscripts in existence

📍 Preserved today in the Vatican Library

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📜 3. Codex Sinaiticus (c. AD 330–360)

• Codex Sinaiticus

• Greek Old and New Testaments

• Includes some early Christian writings, showing how the canon was still being discerned

📍 Preserved today in the British Library

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📜 4. Codex Alexandrinus (early 5th century)

• Codex Alexandrinus

• Greek OT and NT

• Confirms continuity of the same canon

📍 Preserved today in the British Library

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✦ Who Compiled the Bible?

❌ Not Jesus writing a table of contents

❌ Not individual believers deciding on their own

✅ The Early Catholic Church

📜 The Historical Process

1. The Apostles wrote Scripture

   • Gospels and letters circulated among churches

2. Local Churches preserved and read them in worship

3. Bishops (successors of the Apostles) discerned authenticity

   • Apostolic origin

   • Orthodox doctrine

   • Universal usage in the Church

📌 Important:

The Bible does not contain a list of its own books.
The canon had to be identified by the Church.

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✦ The Canon Was Formally Recognized by the Church

🏛️ Church Councils (4th Century)

• Council of Rome

• Council of Hippo

• Council of Carthage

These councils listed the same 27 New Testament books used today.

📌 This occurred more than 1,000 years before the Protestant Reformation.

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✦ Who Preserved the Scriptures?

🛡️ The Early Catholic Church

The Scriptures were preserved through:

• Apostolic churches (Rome, Alexandria, Antioch)

• Bishops and clergy

• Monasteries and scriptoria

• Continuous liturgical use

Despite:

• Roman persecutions

• Heresies

• Political upheavals

…the Scriptures were never lost.

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✦ Do These Manuscripts Still Exist Today?

✅ Yes—physically, verifiably, and publicly accessible

Manuscript	Current Location
Codex Vaticanus	Vatican Library
Codex Sinaiticus	British Library
Codex Alexandrinus	British Library

The British Library is:

• A state-run, secular institution

• Overseen by the UK government

• Independent of Catholic or Protestant control

📌 This eliminates claims of religious manipulation.

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✦ What About the Latin Vulgate?

The Latin Vulgate was translated by St. Jerome (AD 382–405).

🔑 Critical clarification:

• Jerome did not create the canon

• He translated an already recognized canon into Latin

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✦ Apologetic Conclusion: One Unavoidable Truth

✔ The Apostles wrote the Scriptures
✔ The Church compiled the canon
✔ The Church preserved the manuscripts
✔ The world received the Bible from the Church

Without the Church, there would be no Bible.
The Bible is not the source of the Church—
the Church is the historical source of the Bible.

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✦ Final Thought

Any claim that Scripture exists independently of the Church collapses under historical evidence.

The earliest complete Christian Scriptures:

• Were compiled by the Catholic Church

• Preserved by the Catholic Church

• And are verified today by neutral academic institutions

📜 History is not anti-Bible.
📜 History explains the Bible.

Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone: Myths vs Biblical Truth

Discover the historical and biblical truth behind the famous Reformation slogans “Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone.” Learn how the apostles and early Church taught salvation, authority, and Christ’s role.

Introduction

Many modern Christians proudly say “Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone”—commonly known as the Solas of the Reformation. But are these really biblical teachings? Did the apostles preach them? Or are they products of a later era? Let’s examine the historical and biblical evidence.

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1️⃣ Bible Alone (Sola Scriptura)

Claim: Scripture is the only authority for faith and practice.

Reality: ❌ The Bible itself never teaches this.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15 – “Hold fast to the traditions you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
  👉 Both oral and written traditions matter.

• 1 Timothy 3:15 – The Church is called “the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
  👉 Authority resides in the Church, not Scripture alone.

• John 21:25 – Many teachings of Jesus were not written down.

Historical fact: The apostles did not have a complete New Testament. They relied on preaching, oral tradition, and the Church’s authority to pass on Christ’s teaching.

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2️⃣ Faith Alone (Sola Fide)

Claim: Salvation comes by faith only, without works.

Reality: ❌ This is directly contradicted in the Bible.

• James 2:24 – “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
  👉 Faith without works is dead.

• Galatians 5:6 – “Faith working through love.”

• Matthew 25:31-46 – Final judgment is based on actions, not mere belief.

Conclusion: True biblical salvation involves faith + obedience + love + good works, not faith alone.

Historical fact: Apostles consistently taught that faith must be active and lived out, not just intellectual belief.

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3️⃣ Christ Alone (Solus Christus)

Claim: Only Christ matters; the Church, apostles, or sacraments are unnecessary.

Reality: ⚠️ Partially true, but incomplete.

• ✅ Jesus is the Savior (1 Timothy 2:5).

• ❌ But Jesus appointed the Church and apostles as instruments of His mission:

  • Matthew 28:19-20 – Apostles commanded to teach and baptize.

  • Luke 10:16 – “He who listens to you listens to me.”

  • John 20:21-23 – Apostolic authority granted to forgive sins and guide the Church.

Conclusion: Christ works through the Church and His appointed apostles, not in isolation.

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📜 Historical Timeline of the “Solas”

Doctrine	Origin	Biblical Basis?	Apostolic Teaching?
Bible Alone	16th-century Reformation (Martin Luther, 1517)	❌ No direct verse	❌ Apostles relied on Church authority + tradition
Faith Alone	16th-century Reformation	❌ Contradicted by James 2:24	❌ Apostles taught faith + works
Christ Alone	16th-century Reformation	⚠️ Partial truth	⚠️ Apostles taught Christ works through the Church

Fact: For 1500 years, the Church emphasized Christ + Church + Apostolic authority + living faith.

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💡 Key Lessons from the Early Church

• Authority = Scripture + Tradition + Church

• Salvation = Faith expressed in love and works

• Christ = Head of the Church, not solo

• The Bible = compiled and safeguarded by the Church

• Worship = Sacraments, Liturgy, and Community

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Conclusion

The famous slogans “Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone”:

• ❌ Are not biblical

• ❌ Were not taught by the apostles

• ❌ Only arose during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation

The truth of early Christianity:

Salvation is found in Christ working through His Church, guided by apostles, lived out in faith and love in action.

🔥 Was Catholic Christianity a “Fake” Church?

A Biblical and Historical Refutation of the Sabbath-Only & Anti-Eucharist Claims

Description:
Was the Christianity brought to the Philippines a “fake” Sunday-keeping religion? Did the early Church reject the Eucharist and observe only the Sabbath? This in-depth apologetic response examines Scripture, early Church history, and apostolic succession to uncover the truth.

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Introduction

A recurring accusation claims that:

• The Christianity brought to the Philippines is “fake”

• True followers of Jesus were Sabbath-keepers and Passover-only celebrants

• The Catholic Church fulfills Paul’s prophecy of “savage wolves” (Acts 20:29)

• Catholics are historically violent and therefore not the true Church

These are serious claims.

But do they stand up to Scripture, early Christian writings, and documented history?

Let us examine them carefully — point by point.

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I. Did Early Christians Reject Sunday Worship?

📖 Biblical Evidence for Sunday Gathering

The New Testament repeatedly connects Christian worship with the first day of the week:

Scripture	Event
Mark 16:9	Jesus rose on the first day
John 20:19	Jesus appeared to disciples (Sunday)
John 20:26	Appeared again one week later (Sunday)
Acts 20:7	Christians gathered to break bread on first day
1 Cor 16:2	Offerings collected on first day
Rev 1:10	“The Lord’s Day”

The “Lord’s Day” (Greek: Kyriake hemera) became the earliest Christian term for Sunday.

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📜 Earliest Christian Testimony (Before Constantine)

These writings predate any Roman imperial influence.

🔹 Didache (c. 90 AD)

“On the Lord’s Day gather together and break bread…”

🔹 Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107 AD)

Disciple of Apostle John:

“Christians no longer observe the Sabbath, but live according to the Lord’s Day.”

🔹 Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD)

“We gather on Sunday because it is the day on which Jesus rose from the dead.”

These are 1st–2nd century sources.

If Sunday worship is “fake Christianity,” then the generation directly after the Apostles was already “corrupted” — an extremely unlikely scenario.

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II. Was the Eucharist an Invention?

📖 Biblical Foundation

1 Corinthians 10:16

“The cup of blessing… participation in the blood of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:23–29

Paul warns that unworthy reception brings judgment.

Acts 2:42

“They devoted themselves… to the breaking of bread.”

The Eucharist was central to apostolic worship.

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📜 Early Christian Witness

Ignatius of Antioch (107 AD)

“The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

Justin Martyr (150 AD)

“This food is called Eucharist… not ordinary bread and drink.”

Belief in the Real Presence was universal in early Christianity.

No historical record shows an early “symbol-only” movement.

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III. Were Christians Required to Keep the Sabbath?

Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant.

📖 Apostolic Teaching

Colossians 2:16–17

“Let no one judge you… regarding Sabbath days… these are shadows.”

Romans 14:5

“One person esteems one day above another…”

Galatians 4:10–11

Paul rebukes returning to special observance days.

If Sabbath-keeping were mandatory for salvation, Paul would never speak this way.

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Christ is Our Fulfillment

1 Corinthians 5:7

“Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed.”

The Passover was not abolished — it was fulfilled in Christ and perpetuated sacramentally in the Eucharist.

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IV. Is the Catholic Church the “Savage Wolves” of Acts 20:29?

Acts 20 warns of teachers who:

• Speak perverse things

• Draw disciples after themselves

• Distort apostolic doctrine

Now ask:

Did the Catholic bishops preserve apostolic teaching — or replace it?

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📜 Apostolic Succession Evidence

Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180 AD)

Disciple of Polycarp (disciple of John):

“We can enumerate the bishops appointed by the Apostles…”

He lists the succession of bishops of Rome from Peter onward.

This is 2nd century documentation — not medieval invention.

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If Catholicism were a later corruption, we would expect to see:

• Sudden doctrinal shifts

• Historical protest movements in early centuries

• Competing preserved “Sabbath-only” churches

There is no such evidence.

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V. What About Historical Violence?

It is often claimed:

“Catholics killed, therefore they are children of the devil (John 8:44).”

But context matters.

Jesus in John 8 was addressing specific unbelievers plotting His death.

By that logic:

• Moses (killed Egyptian)

• David (warrior king)

• Paul (approved Stephen’s death)

Would permanently be “children of the devil.”

Christian doctrine does not teach violence as divine mandate.

Historical conflicts in medieval Europe were:

• Political

• Civil

• Mixed with state power

Not doctrinal commands of Christ.

If violence invalidates a church, then:

• Protestant religious wars?

• Execution of Michael Servetus under Calvin?

• State church persecutions in various countries?

Consistency is necessary.

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VI. Historical Continuity Test

If the “true church” must be:

• Sabbath-keeping

• Reject Sunday worship

• Reject Eucharistic theology

• Reject apostolic succession

Then historical documentation should show continuous existence from 1st century onward.

But:

• No 1st–15th century documented global church matches modern Sabbatarian theology.

• Seventh-day Adventism formally organized in 1863.

Historical gap: 1800+ years.

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VII. The Unity Mark of the True Church

Ephesians 4:4–5:

“One body, one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Which Church:

• Preserved Trinitarian doctrine?

• Maintained Eucharistic worship?

• Maintained episcopal succession?

• Preserved global doctrinal unity?

Historically: Catholic and Orthodox communion.

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VIII. Timeline Overview

Century	Historical Reality
1st	Sunday gatherings documented
2nd	Eucharist universally affirmed
3rd	Episcopal structure universal
4th	Councils clarify Trinity
5th–15th	Continuous sacramental life
16th	Protestant Reformation
19th	SDA founded (1863)

There is no historical record of a hidden Sabbath-only global church preserving original Christianity.

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Conclusion

The accusation that Catholic Christianity is “fake”:

❌ Ignores New Testament evidence
❌ Ignores early Christian writings
❌ Misapplies Acts 20
❌ Oversimplifies complex history
❌ Projects modern theology backward

The Christianity brought to the Philippines was not a 16th-century invention — it was the same sacramental, apostolic Christianity documented in the first centuries after Christ.

The burden of proof remains:

Where is the continuous historical evidence of a Sabbath-only global church from the Apostles to the 1800s?