Eusebius Book 6, Section 25

6.25.1

XXV. τὸν μέν γε πρῶτον ἐξηγούμενος Ψαλμόν, ἔκθεαιν πεποίηται τοῦ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης καταλόγου, ὧδέ πως γράφων κατὰ λέξιν· “ οὐκ ἀγνοητέον δ’ εἶναι τὰς ἐνδιαθήκους βίβλους, ὡς Ἑβραῖοι παραδιδόασιν, δύο καὶ εἴκοσι, ὅαος ἀριθμὸς τῶν παρ’ αὐτοῖς στοιχείων ἐατίν.’’

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XXV. Now while expounding the first Psalm he set forth the catalogue of the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament, writing somewhat as follows in these words: “But it should be known that there are twenty-two canonical books, according to the Hebrew tradition; the same as the number of the letters of their alphabet.”

6.25.2

Εἶτα μετά τινα ἐπιφέρει λέγων· “ εἰαὶν δὲ αἱ εἴκοσι δύο βίβλοι καθ’ Ἑβραίους αἵδε· ἢ παρ’ ἡμῖν Γένεσις ἐπιυεγραμμένη, παρὰ παρὰ δ’ Ἑβραίοις ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς βίβλου Βρησιθ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ῾ἐν ἀρχῇ’· Ἔξοδος, Ουελλεσμωθ, ὅπερ ἐατὶν ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα’· Λευιτικόν, Ουϊκρα, καὶ ἐκάλεαεν’· Ἀριθμοί, Αμμεαφεκωδειμ· Δευτερονόμιον, Ελλεαδδεβαρειμ, οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ’· Ἰησοῦς υἱὸς Ναυῆ, Ιωαουεβεννουν· κριταί, Κριταί, παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἐν ἑνί, Σωφτειμ· Βασιλειῶν α΄ β΄, παρ αὐτοῖς ἕν, Σαμουηλ, ῾ ὁ θεόκλητος᾿· γ’ δ’ ἐν ἑνί, Ουαμμελχδαυιδ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν βασιλεία Δαυίδ ’· Παραλειπομένων ἁ β΄ ἐν ἑνί, Δαβρηϊαμειν ὅπερ ἐστὶν λόγοι ἡμερῶν '. Ἔζρας ἁ β΄ ἐν ἑνί, Εζρα, ὅ ἐστιν ῾ βοηθός ’· βίβλος Ψαλμῶν, Σφαρθελλειμ· Σολομῶνος παροιμίαι, Μελωθ· ’Eκκληαιαατής, Κωνλθ. Ἆιαμα ᾀαμάτων (οὐ γάρ, ὡς ὑπολαμβάνουαίν τινες, Ἄισματα ᾀσμάτων), Σιρασσιρειμ· Ἡσαΐας, Ιεσσια· αὺν Θρήνοις καὶ τῆ Ἐπιστολῇ ἐν ἑνί, Ιερεμια· Δανάη, Δανιηλ· Ἰεξεκιήλ, Ιεξεκιηλ· Ἰώβ, Ιωβ· Εσθήρ, Εσθηρ. ἔξω δὲ τούτων ἐστὶ τὰ Μακκαβαϊκά, ἅπερ ἐπιγέγραπται Σαρβηθααβαναιελ.”

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Then further on he adds as follows: “These are the twenty-two books according to the Hebrews: That which is entitled with us Genesis, but with the Hebrews, from the beginning of the books, Bresith, that is, ‘In the beginning.’ Exodus, that is, ‘These are’—‘And he called.’ Numbers, Ammes phekodeim. Deuteronomy, Elle addebareim, ‘These are the words.’ Jesus the son of Nave, Iosoue ben. Judges, Ruth, with them in one book, Sophteim. Kingdoms i, ii, with them one, Samuel, ‘The called of God.’ Kingdoms iii, iv, in one, David, that is, ‘The Kingdom of David.’ Chronicles i, ii, in one, Dabre iamein, that is, ‘Words of days.’ Esdras i, ii, in one, Ezra, that is, ‘Helper.’ Book of Psalms, Sphar thelleim. Proverbs of Solomon, Meloth. Ecclesiastes, Koelth. Song of Songs (not, as some suppose, Songs of Songs), Sir assireim. Esaias, Iessia. Jeremiah with Lamentations and the Letter, in one, Jeremia. Daniel, Daniel. Ezekiel, Ezekiel. Job, Job. Esther, Esther. Outside of these there are the Maccabees, which are entitled Sar beth sabanai el.”

6.25.3

Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ προειρημένῳ τίθησι συγγράμματι· ἐν δὲ τῷ πρώτῳ τῶν εἰς τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον, τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν φυλάττων κανόνα, μόνα τέσσαρα εἰδέναι εὐαγγέλια μαρτύρεται, ὧδέ πως γράφων· “ὡς ἐν παραδόσει μαθὼν περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων εὐαγγελίων, ἃ καὶ μόνα ἀναντίρρητά ἐστιν ἐν τῆ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐκκλησέᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν γέγραπται τὸ κατὰ τόν ποτε τελώνην, ὕστερον δὲ ἀπόστολον Ἰνσοῦ Χριστοῦ Ματθαῖον, ἐκδεδωκότα αὐτὸ τοῖς ἀπὸ Ἰουδαϊσμοῦ ποστεύσασιν, γράμμασιν Ἑβραϊκοϊς συντεταγμένον· δεύτερον δὲ τὸ κατὰ Μάρκον, ὡς Πέτρος ὑφηγήσατο αὐτῷ, ποιήσαντα, ὃν καὶ υἱὸν ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ ἐπιστολῇ διὰ τούτων ὡμολόγησεν φάσκων ‘ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς ἡ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι συνεκλεκτὴ καὶ Μάρκος ὁ υἱός μου’· καὶ τρίτον τὸ κατὰ Λουκᾶν, τὸ ὑπὸ Παύλου ἐπαινούμενον εὐαγγέλιον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πεποιηκότα· ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τὸ κατὰ ’Ιωάννην.”

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These things he inserts in the above-mentioned treatise. But in the first of his [Commentaries] on the Gospel according to Matthew, defending the canon of the Church, he gives his testimony that he knows only four Gospels, writing somewhat as follows: “... as having learnt by tradition concerning four Gospels, which alone are unquestionable in the Church of God under heaven, that first was written that according to Matthew, who was once a tax collector but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, who published it for those who from Judaism came to believe, composed as it was in the Hebrew language. Secondly, that according to Mark, who wrote it in accordance with Peter's instructions, whom also Peter acknowledged as his son in the catholic epistle, speaking in these terms: ‘She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.’ And thirdly, that according to Luke, who wrote, for those who from the Gentiles came to believe, the Gospel that was praised by Paul. After them all, that according to John.”

6.25.4

καὶ ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ δὲ τῶν εἰς τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εξηγητικῶν ὁ αὐτὸς ταῦτα περὶ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων φησίν· “ὁ δὲ ἱκανωθεὶς διάκονος γενέσθαι τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, Παῦλος, ὁ πεπληρωκὼς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ, οὐδὲ πάσαις ἔγραφεν αἶς ἐδίδαξεν ἐκκλησίαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἷς ἔγραφεν, ὀλίγους στίχους χοῦς ἐπέστειλεν. Πέτρος δέ, ἐφ’ ᾧ οἰκοδομεῖται ἡ χριστοῦ ἐκκλησία, ἧς πύλαι Ἅιδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν, μίαν ἐπιστολὴν ὁμολογουμένην καταλέλοιπεν, ἔστω δὲ καὶ δευτέραν· ἀμφιβάλλεται γάρ. τί δεῖ περὶ τοῦ ἀναπεσόντος ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος λέγειν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, Ἰωάννου, ὃς εὐαγγέλιον ἓν καταλέλοιπεν, ὁμολογῶν δύνασθαι τοσαῦτα ποιήειν οὐδ’ ἃ οὐδ’ ὁ κόσμος χωρῆσαι ἐδύνατο, ἔγραφεν δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν, κελευσθεὶς σιωπῆσαι καὶ μὴ γραφαὶ τὰς τῶν ἑπτὰ βροντῶν φωνάς; καταλέλοιπεν καὶ ἐπιστολὴν πάνυ ὀλίγων στίχων, ἔστω δὲ καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην· ἐπεὶ οὐ πάντες φασὶν γνησίους εἶναι ταύτας· πλὴν οὔκ εἰσιν στίχων ἀμφότεραι ἑκατόν.”

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And in the fifth of his Expositions on the Gospel according to John the same person says this with reference to the epistles of the apostles: “But he who was made sufficient to become a minister of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit, even Paul, who fully preached the Gospel from Jerusalem and round about even unto Illyricum, did not so much as write to all the Churches that he taught; and even to those to which he wrote he sent but a few lines. And Peter, on whom the Church of Christ is built, against which the gates of Hades shall not prevail, has left one acknowledged epistle, and, it may be, a second also; for it is doubted. Why need I speak of him who leaned back on Jesus’ bosom, John, who has left behind one Gospel, confessing that he could write so many that even the world itself could not contain them; and he wrote also the Apocalypse, being ordered to keep silence and not to write the voices of the seven thunders? He has left also an epistle of a very few lines, and, it may be, a second and a third; for not all say that these are genuine. Only, the two of them together are not a hundred lines long.”

6.25.5

Ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις περὶ τῆς Πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολῆς ἐν ταῖς εἰς αὐτὴν Ὁμιλίας ταῦτα διαλαμβάνει· “ὅτι ὁ χαρακτὴρ ῥ’ τῆς λέξεως τῆς Πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιγεγραμμένης ἐπιστολῆς οὐκ ἔχει τὸ ἐν λόγῳ ἰδιωτικὸν τοῦ ἀποστόλου, ὁμολογήσαντος ἑαυτὸν ἰδιώτην εἶναι τῷ λόγῳ, τοῦτ’ ἐστὶν τῇ φράσει, ἀλλ’ ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ συνθέσει τῆς λέξεως Ἑλληνικωτέρα, πᾶς ὁ ἐπιστάμενος κρίνειν φράσεων διαφορὰς ὁμολογήσαι ἄν. πάλιν τε αὖ ὅτι τὰ νοήματα τῆς ἐπιστοΛῆς θαυμάσιά ἐστιν καὶ οὐ δεύτερα τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὁμολογουμένων γραμμάτων, καὶ τοῦτο ἂν συμφήσαι εἶναι ἀληθὲς πᾶς ὁ προσέχων τῆ ἀναγνώσει τῆ ἀποστολικῇ.”

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Furthermore, he thus discusses the Epistle to the Hebrews, in his Homilies upon it: “That the character of the diction of the epistle entitled To the Hebrews has not the apostle’s rudeness in speech, who confessed himself rude in speech, that is, in style, but that the epistle is better Greek in the framing of its diction, will be admitted by everyone who is able to discern differences of style. But again, on the other hand, that the thoughts of the epistle are admirable, and not inferior to the acknowledged writings of the apostle, to this also everyone will consent as true who has given attention to reading the apostle.”

6.25.6

τούτοις μεθ’ ἕτερα ἐπιθέρει λέγων· “ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποφαινόμενος εἴποιμ’ ἂν ὅτι τὰ μὲν νοήματα τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ φράσις καὶ ἡ σύνθεσις ἀπομνημονεύσαντός τινος τὰ ἀποστολικὰ καὶ ὥσπερ σχολιογραφήσαντός τινος τὰ εἰρημένα ὑπὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου. εἴ τις οὖν ἐκκλησία ἔχει ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὡς Παύλου, αὕτη εὐδοκιμείτω καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ· οὐ γὰρ εἰκῆ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι ἄνδρες ὡς Παύλου αὐτὴν παραδεδώκασιν. τίς δὲ ὁ γραφὰς τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τὸ μὲν ἀληθὲς θεὸς οἶδεν, ἡ δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς φθάσασα ἰατορίᾳ ὑπὸ τινῶν μὲν λεγόντων ὅτι Κλήμης, ὁ γενόμενος ἐπίσκοπος Ῥωμαίων, ἔγραφεν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ὑπὸ τινῶν δὲ ὅτι Λουκᾶς, ὁ γραφὰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον καὶ τὰς Πράξεις.”

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Further on, he adds the following remarks: “But as for myself, if I were to state my own opinion, I should say that the thoughts are the apostle's, but that the style and composition belong to one who called to mind the apostolic teachings and, as it were, made notes of what his master said. If any church, therefore, holds this epistle as Paul's, let it be commended for this also. For not without reason have the men of old time handed it down as Paul's. But who wrote the epistle, in truth God knows. Yet the account which has reached us is twofold, some saying that Clement, who was bishop of the Romans, wrote the epistle, others, that it was Luke, he who wrote the Gospel and the Acts.”