The process of determining New Testament canon is the study of how the twenty-seven books that are currently part of the New Testament came to be. From the many early Christian writings, only twenty-seven were placed into ecclesiastical canon. The process of researching New Testament canon is the study of how the select list of twenty-seven was formulated. The canonized books of the New Testament are considered sacred scripture, and have been determined to be canon throughout a very controversial history.

The word canon comes from the Greek word "kanon," which means "reed," a tool for measurement or alignment. In the craftsmanship field, a reed was known to be a standard, or a ruler in which to judge other things by. Finally, the word came to be recognized as a formal list, or table. Throughout the first three centuries of the Christian era, the term "kanon" was designated to set aside ethical and doctrinal content of the Christian faith. The first use of canon as applied to Christian writings occurred in 350 A.D. when Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, in his decrees of the Council of Nicea, used the term canon to refer to authentic New Testament works. In the decree the bishop describ

In the late third and early fourth century the Alexandrian school introduced another version of New Testament canon. The canon of Clement was similar to those of the Chalcedon churches, but differed in both order and content. Clement traveled extensively, and eventually settled down in Egypt. His travels included Greece, Italy and Palestine. This can be deduced because he knew of the scriptures that were used by churches in those areas. He included the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Egyptians, and the Gospel of Mattathias, instead of just the four gospels that appear in the Chalcedonian churches. Clement also included fourteen letters from Paul. The fourteenth letter being to Clement. In total, the canon of Clement included thirty-six books. Origen, who lived from 185-254 A.D., also traveled widely, visiting Greece, Arabia and Rome, and compiled another list out of the Alexandrian style. Origen included the twenty-two undisputed works, the same number of undisputed books as Clement. Origen apparently changed his list multiple times before he was set on a certain one. When Origen was in Alexandria, he accepted the Didache, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Epistle of Barnabas as canon. After traveling to Caesarea, he changed his list when he found out the books were not accepted there. Origen also began to question whether the Preaching of Peter belonged in canon, a work that Clement had been fond of. Origen was very strong in excluding certain books, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mattathias, the Gospel of the Twelve, the Gospel of the Egyptians, and the Acts of Paul. Hippolytus, who died in 235 A.D., also formulated a list of canonical works based on his travel findings. The Hippolytus canon differs because the Pauline works are different. He did not include Hebrews as an accepted "undisputed" work. Besides the difference over Hebrews, Origen's list is very similar to Hippolytus's list. Hippolytus also includes twenty-two books in his canon version.

es the document known as The "Shepherd of Hermas," as not part of New Testament canon. In 367, in the bishop's famous Easter Letter, he gives a list of authoritative early Christian writings, and refers to them being "canonical." At about the same time in history, the Council of Laodicea refers to two different lists of New Testament writings, both ones that are "canonical" and those that are "uncanonical." Canon is referred to today as being the closed set of Christian writings that formulate the New Testament. The word "kanon" first appeared in early Christian writings when Paul wrote to Galatia. "Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this kanon..." (Gal. 6.16). Paul is suggesting that people, who live by the canon, or law, will have peace and mercy come upon them. Paul established canon as a measuring stick, which to live by.

The New Testament canon has four criteria that were used in determining canon. The first of the criteria is apostolicity. According to popular Christian thinking, the apostolicity of the New Testament writings means that the writings are actually written by the apostles. This idea is a misconception in terms of how the concept relates to its canonization. The idea of apostolicity does not refer only to the works that apostles wrote themselves. Apostolicity actually refers to the works that an apostle may have come into contact with at some point. Simply because an apostle came into contact with a certain work, does not ensure it of being guaranteed as a canonical work. Such works as The Tea

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