The Development of the Canon of the New Testament

The Decretum Gelasianum

The so-called Decretum Gelasianum de libris recipiendis et non recipiendis, is traditionally attributed to Gelasius, bishop of Rome 492-496 CE. However, upon the whole it is probably of South Gallic origin (6th century), but several parts can be traced back to Pope Damasus and reflect Roman tradition. The 2nd part is a canon catalogue, and the 5th part is a catalogue of the 'apocrypha' and other writings which are to be rejected. The canon catalogue gives all 27 books of the New Testament. Parts 1, 3, and 4 are not relevant to the canon, but a complete Latin edition and a complete English translation are available.

Part 2 -- A catalogue of the canon.

Likewise it was said:

Now indeed the issue of the divine scriptures must be discussed, which the universal Catholic church receives or which it is required to avoid.

1. THIS IS THE ORDER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Genesis	one book
Exodus	one book
Leviticus	one book
Numbers	one book
Deuteronomy	one book
Joshua	one book
Judges	one book
Ruth	one book
Kings	four books
Chronicles	two books
150 Psalms	one book
Three books of Solomon
proverbs	one book
ecclesiastes	one book
song of songs	one book
The same of Wisdom	one book
ecclesiasticus	one book

2. LIKEWISE THE ORDER OF THE PROPHETS:

Isaiah	one book
Jeremiah	one book
with Cinoth i.e. his lamentations
Ezechiel	one book
Daniel	one book
Hosea	one book
Amos	one book
Micah	one book
Joel	one book
Obadiah	one book
Jonah	one book
Nahum	one book
Habbakuk	one book
Zephaniah	one book
Haggai	one book
Zechariah	one book
Malachi	one book

3. LIKEWISE THE ORDER OF THE HISTORIES:

Job	one book
Tobit	one book
Esdras	two books
Ester	one book
Judith	one book
Maccabees	two books

4. LIKEWISE THE ORDER OF THE SCRIPTURES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT which the holy and catholic Roman church upholds and is venerated:

Four books of the Gospels
according to Mathew	one book
according to Mark	one book
according to Luke	one book
according to John	one book
Likewise the acts of the apostles	one book
The letters of the apostle Paul in number fourteen
to the Romans	one letter
to the Corinthians	one letter
to the Ephesians	one letter
to the Thesalonians	two letters
to the Galatians	one letter
to the Philippians	one letter
to the Colossians	one letter
to Timothy	two letters
to Titus	one letter
to the Philemon	one letter
to the Hebrews	one letter
Likewise the apocalypse of John	one book
Likewise the canonical letters in number seven
of the apostle Peter	two letters
of the apostle James	one letter
of the apostle John	one letter
of the other John the elder	two letters
of the apostle Judas the Zealot	one letter

HERE ENDS THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Part 5 -- A catalogue of the 'apocrypha' and other writings which are to be rejected.

The remaining writings which have been compiled or been recognized by heretics or schismatics the Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church does not in any way receive; of these we have thought it right to cite below some which have been handed down and which are to be avoided by catholics.

Further Enumeration of Apocryphal Books:

In the first place we confess that the Synod at Ariminum which was convened by the emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine, through the prefect Taurus is damned from then and now and forever.

Itinerary (book of travels) under the name of the apostle Peter, which is called The Nine Books of the holy Clement	apocryphal
Acts under the name of the apostle Andrew	apocryphal
Acts under the name of the apostle Thomas	apocryphal
Acts under the name of the apostle Peter	apocryphal
Acts under the name of the apostle Philip	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of Matthias	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of Barnabas	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of James the younger	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of the apostle Peter	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of Thomas, which the Manicheans use	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of Bartholomaeus	apocryphal
Gospel under the name of Andrew	apocryphal
Gospel which Lucian has forged	apocryphal
Gospel which Hesychius has forged	apocryphal
Book about the childhood of the Redeemer	apocryphal
Book about the birth of the Redeemer and about Mary or the midwife	apocryphal
Book which is called by the name of the Shepherd	apocryphal
All books which Leucius, the disciple of the devil, has made	apocryphal
Book which is called The Foundation	apocryphal
Book which is called The Treasure	apocryphal
Book about the daughters of Adam: Leptogenesis(?)	apocryphal
Cento about Christ, put together in Virgilian lines	apocryphal
Book which is called the Acts of Thecla and of Paul	apocryphal
Book which is ascribed to Nepos	apocryphal
Book of the Sayings, compiled by heretics and denoted by the name of Sixtus	apocryphal
Revelation which is ascribed to Paul	apocryphal
Revelation which is ascribed to Thomas	apocryphal
Revelation which is ascribed to Stephen	apocryphal
Book which is called the Home-going of the Holy Mary	apocryphal
Book which is called the Penitence of Adam	apocryphal
Book about the giant Ogias, of whom the heretics assert that after the flood he fought with the dragon	apocryphal
Book which is called The Testament of Job	apocryphal
Book which is called The Penitence of Origen	apocryphal
Book which is called The Penitence of the Holy Cyprian	apocryphal
Book which is called The Penitence of Jamnes and Mambres	apocryphal
Book which is called The Portion of the Apostles	apocryphal
Book which is called The Grave-plate(?) of the Apostles	apocryphal
Book which is called the Canones of the Apostles	apocryphal
The book Physiologus, compiled by heretics and called by the name of the blessed Ambrose	apocryphal
The History of Eusebius Pamphili	apocryphal
Works of Tertullian	apocryphal
Works of Lactantius (later addition: or of Firmianus or of the African)	apocryphal
Works of Postumianus and of Gallus	apocryphal
Works of Montanus, of Priscilla and of Maximilla	apocryphal
Works of Faustus the Manichean	apocryphal
Works of Commodianus	apocryphal
Works of the other Clement of Alexandria	apocryphal
Works of Thascius Cyprian	apocryphal
Works of Arnobius	apocryphal
Works of Tichonius	apocryphal
Works of Cassian, a presbyter in Gaul	apocryphal
Works of Victorinus of Pettau	apocryphal
Works of Faustus of Riez in Gaul	apocryphal
Works of Frumentius Caecus	apocryphal
Epistle of Jesus to Abgar	apocryphal
Epistle of Abgar to Jesus	apocryphal
Passion (Martyr Acts) of Cyricus and of Iulitta	apocryphal
Passion of Georgius	apocryphal
Writing which is called Interdiction (Exorcism?) of Solomon	apocryphal
All amulets which have been compiled not, as those persons feign, in the name of the angels, but rather in that of the demons	apocryphal

These and the like, what Simon Magus, Nicolaus, Cerinthus, Marcion, Basilides, Ebion, Paul of Samosata, Photinus and Bonosus, who suffered from similar error, also Montanus with his detestable followers, Apollinaris, Valentinus the Manichean, Faustus the African, Sabellius, Arius, Macedonius, Eunomius, Novatus, Sabbatius, Calistu, Donatus, Eustatius, Iovianus, Pelagius, Iulianus of Eclanum, Caelestius, Maximian, Priscillian from Spain, Nestorius of Constantinople, Maximus the Cynic, Lampetius, Dioscorus, Eutyches, Peter and the other Peter, of whom the one besmirched Alexandria and the other Antioch, Acacius of Constantinople with his associates, and what also all disciples of heresy and of the heretics or schismatics, whose names we have scarcely preserved, have taught or compiled, we acknowledge is to be not merely rejected but excluded from the whole Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church and with its authors and the adherents of its authors to damned in the inextricable shackles of anathema for ever.