I learned from Alan Knox today that some new Greek manuscripts were recently discovered which shed light on how the early church practiced their Christianity.
New Testament scholars have been wishing for something like this for hundreds of years. According to Alan’s translation, here is some of what these manuscripts reveal:
There was also this alternative opening to Peter’s first letter: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ and Bishop of Rome…”
Apparently, Paul wrote a third letter to Timothy which we have just now recovered. It begins like this: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to Timothy, my beloved son in the faith and senior pastor of the church in Ephesus.”
A previously unknown work of obvious apostolic origin detailed the necessary beliefs of all Christians in the categories of Scripture, God, Man, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Church, and Eschatology.
Another codex collects several of Timothy’s sermons to the church in Ephesus and Titus’ sermons to the church in Crete. As an added bonus, a sheet was folded and stuffed into the back of this codex which gave detailed minutes of a church business meeting which included the ordination service of Titus’ successor as senior pastor of Crete after God called Titus to a larger church nearby.
Head on over to Alan’s blog to read the rest.
