Who Gave Us The New Testament?

It is to the Catholic Church that we ALL (Including Protestants) owe credit to for the New Testament of the Bible. The old Testament used by the Early Church was the Septuagint which was manifestly the Chief store house from which Christ in his Apostles Took their proofs and precepts. The "Gnostics or Carpocratians" (Followers of Carpoerates, an Alexandrian philosopher), who held the believe that the old Testament was written by the Devil Between 2nd and 4th centuries attempted to discredit the true Scriptures by pointing out the fact that the world was, indeed, littered with The Apocrypha New Testament books (Many of which came from them).

St. Athanasius (For 367.) The Festal Letter (Or Chronicon Athanasianum).

Of the particular books and their number, which are accepted by the Church. From the thirty-ninth Letter of Holy Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, on the Paschal festival; wherein he defines canonically what are the divine books which are accepted by the Church. .... 1. They have(1) fabricated books which they call books of tables(2), in which they shew stars, to which they give the names of Saints. And therein of a truth they have inflicted on themselves a double reproach: those who have written such books, because they have perfected themselves in a lying and contemptible science; and as to the ignorant and simple, they have led them astray by evil thoughts concerning the right faith established in all truth and upright in the presence of God. .... 2. But(2a) since we have made mention of heretics as dead, but of ourselves as possessing the Divine Scriptures for salvation; and since I fear lest, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians(3), some few of the simple should be beguiled from their simplicity and purity, by the subtility of certain men, and should henceforth read other books--those called apocryphal--led astray by the similarity of their names with the true books; I beseech you to bear patiently, if I also write, by way of remembrance, of matters with which you are acquainted, influenced by the need and advantage of the Church. 3. In proceeding to make mention of these things, I shall adopt, to commend my undertaking, the pattern of Luke the Evangelist, saying on my own account: 'Forasmuch as some have taken in hand(4),' to reduce into order for themselves the books termed apocryphal, and to mix them up with the divinely inspired Scripture, concerning which we have been fully persuaded, as they who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, delivered to the fathers; it seemed good to me also, having been urged thereto by true brethren, and having learned from the beginning, to set before you the books included in the Canon, and handed down, and accredited as Divine; to the end that any one who has fallen into error may condemn those who have led him astray; and that he who has continued stedfast in purity may again rejoice, having these things brought to his remembrance....5. Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books] of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles (called Catholic), seven, viz. of James, one; of Peter, two; of John, three; after these, one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; after these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians; then to the Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians, and that to the Hebrews; and again, two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, that to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of John. 6. These are fountains of salvation, that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take ought from these. For concerning these the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, 'Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me(6).' 7. But for greater exactness I add this also, writing of necessity; that there are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness. The Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit, and that which is called the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. But the former, my brethren, are included in the Canon, the latter being [merely] read; nor is there in any place a mention of apocryphal writings. But they are an invention of heretics, who write them when they choose, bestowing upon them their approbation, and assigning to them a date, that so, using them as ancient writings, they may find occasion to lead astray the simple. (FROM LETTER XXXIX)

In doing so he was in fact the first person to apply the term canon to the contents of the Bible, and he introduced the verb canonize, meaning "to give official sanction to" a written document. The church agreed. Athanasius’ canon had long been accepted by the church in Rome by the time it was confirmed by Pope Damasus (A.D. 382). In North Africa his canon was ratified by church leaders in Hippo Regius in 393 and in Carthage in 397. Carthage formally reaffirmed its acceptance of the canon in 419."

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References

"The canon was even more firmly settled in 367. At that time Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, wrote his Easter letter to the churches and monasteries of his diocese and identified the books they were to include in their New Testament Scripture...Athanasius’ canon had long been accepted by the church in Rome... his canon was ratified by church leaders in Hippo Regius in 393 and in Carthage in 397. Carthage formally reaffirmed its acceptance of the canon in 419."(The Bible Through the Ages © 1996)

"In 367 Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, made a canonical list of all the presently accepted New Testament books. Church councils in subsequent decades established his list as final. "(Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia © 1996)

"Athanasius, a 4th-century bishop of Alexandria and a significant theologian, delimited the canon and settled the strife between East and West. On a principle of inclusiveness, both Revelation and Hebrews (as part of the Pauline corpus) were accepted. The 27 books of the New Testament--and they only--were declared canonical."(Britannica.com Inc © 1999-2000)

"There are many more than these 27 early Christian works. Selection of New Testament books as canonical was slow, the present canon appearing for the first time in the Festal Epistle of St. Athanasius (A.D. 367). All major Christian churches use the same canon."(The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Third Edition Copyright © 1994)

"The 39th festal letter of St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, sent to the churches under his jurisdiction in 367, ended all uncertainty about the limits of the New Testament canon. In the so-called festal letter, preserved in a collection of annual Lenten messages given by Athanasius, he listed as canonical the 27 books that remain the contents of the New Testament, although he arranged them in a different order. Those books of the New Testament, in their present-day order, are the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation. See separate articles on the books of the New Testament." (Encarta Encyclopedia © 1997-2000)

"The first evidence for a canonical list which completely matches that widely accepted for the New Testament today was the 39th Easter letter of Athanasius (367), which designates 27 books of the New Testament" (Webster's World Encyclopedia, copyright 2001.)

"We find the 27 documents which make up our new Testament today, first listed by Athanasius of Alexandria in A.D. 367 and not long afterwards by Jerome and Augustine in the West" (The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, copyright 1977, p. 584)