--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The New Testament was not produced as a…" description: "\"The New Testament was not produced as a single work issued by an authoritative Church for the instruction of its members. The four Gospels were compose..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/frederic-g-kenyon-32439_century_the-new-testament-was-not-produced-as-a_643636.jpg" --- # The New Testament was not produced as a single work issued… ![“The New Testament was not produced as a single work issued by an authoritative Church for the instruction of its members. The four Gospels were composed in different times and places over perhaps a third of a century, and for a time circulated separately among a number of other narratives of our…” quote by Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/frederic-g-kenyon-32439_century_the-new-testament-was-not-produced-as-a_643636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/frederic-g-kenyon-32439_century_the-new-testament-was-not-produced-as-a_643636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/frederic-g-kenyon-32439_century_the-new-testament-was-not-produced-as-a_643636.jpg) > “The New Testament was not produced as a single work issued by an authoritative Church for the instruction of its members. The four Gospels were composed in different times and places over perhaps a third of a century, and for a time circulated separately among a number of other narratives of our Lord's life (of which the newly discovered fragment of an unknown gospel may have been one).” [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The New Testament developed over centuries from separate gospel accounts, not as a single unified work by a central authority. **In simple terms:** The gospels were written at different times and later compiled. Key Takeaway Recognize the diverse origins of biblical texts. Themes history canon formation religious texts Mood analytical thoughtful Type academic historical When to use this quote - scholarly study - religious education - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Authorship historical context textual criticism Questions to Reflect On - How does this affect modern biblical interpretation? - What implications does this have for authority in scripture? A Different Perspective Assumes uniformity in early Christian communities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-times/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Fragments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragments/) [Gospels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospels/) [Gospels Composed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospels-composed-1810562/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Instruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruction/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Members Gospels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members-gospels-5161722/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Our lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lord/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testament/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unknown Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknown-gospel-5161723/) ## Related quotes > [The Passion narratives are the first pieces of the Gospels that were composed as a unity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-urs-von-balthasar/the-passion-narratives-are-the-first-pieces-of-the-gospels-that-were/) [Hans Urs von Balthasar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-urs-von-balthasar/) > [The Gospels were not thought of as works of literature. People were not concerned with the literary reputation of Matthew or Mark, but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-gospels-were-not-thought-of-as-works-of-literature-people-were/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our Lord may wish to work in you. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ignatius/try-to-keep-your-soul-always-in-peace-and-quiet-always-ready-for-2/) [Saint Ignatius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ignatius/) > [“To be human is nothing less than to be caught in the great congested pilgrimage of existence and to join ourselves freely to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-kennedy/to-be-human-is-nothing-less-than-to-be-caught-in-the-great-congested/) [Eugene Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-kennedy/) > [“But the Gospels actually taught this: Before you kill somebody, make absolutely sure he isn’t well connected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/but-the-gospels-actually-taught-this-before-you-kill-somebody-make/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“In my view, the gospels are true, not historically, but theologically, or, as I would argue, prophetically! What we have is, the Messiah’s history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-of-kittim/in-my-view-the-gospels-are-true-not-historically-but-theologically-or/) [Eli Of Kittim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-of-kittim/) > [Today nearly all historians, whether Christians or not, accept that Jesus existed and that the Gospels contain plenty of valuable evidence which has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-stanton/today-nearly-all-historians-whether-christians-or-not-accept-that/) [Graham Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-stanton/) > [“If Jesus really were equal with God from “the beginning,” before he came to earth, and he knew it, then surely the Synoptic Gospels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/if-jesus-really-were-equal-with-god-from-the-beginning-before-he-came/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [ “It was The Gospel From Outer Space, by Kilgore Trout. It was about a visitor from outer space...\[who\] made a serious study of Christianity,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-was-the-gospel-from-outer-space-by-kilgore-trout-it-was-about-a/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Burridge goes on to say, “\[T\]rying to decode the Gospels through the genre of modern biography, when the author encoded his message in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-horn/burridge-goes-on-to-say-t-rying-to-decode-the-gospels-through-the/) [Trent Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-horn/) > [In the New Testament alone there are Gospels, acts, epistles, and an apocalypse. Gospels contain literary forms like miracles, parables, pronouncements, proverbs, farewell discourses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-blomberg/in-the-new-testament-alone-there-are-gospels-acts-epistles-and-an/) [Craig Blomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-blomberg/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Nonviolence is the very essence of the gospels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-iswolsky/nonviolence-is-the-very-essence-of-the-gospels/) [Helene Iswolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-iswolsky/) > [“I argue that the Jesus of the Gospels is essentially a myth. The Gospels are largely fiction. They were created around the turn of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-elleg-rd/i-argue-that-the-jesus-of-the-gospels-is-essentially-a-myth-the/) [Alvar Ellegård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-elleg-rd/) > [I look upon all four Gospels as thoroughly genuine, for there shines forth from them the reflected splendor of a sublimity proceeding from Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-look-upon-all-four-gospels-as-thoroughly-genuine-for-there-shines/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by Frederic G. Kenyon > [Seldom can two such epoch-making events have occurred in successive years as happened then. In 1453 the Turks stormed Constantinople and finally destroyed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/seldom-can-two-such-epoch-making-events-have-occurred-in-successive/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [It is indeed a striking proof of the essential soundness of the tradition that with which all these thousands of copies, tracing their ancestry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/it-is-indeed-a-striking-proof-of-the-essential-soundness-of-the/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The history of the Bible text is a romance of literature, though it is a romance of which the consequences are of vital import;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-history-of-the-bible-text-is-a-romance-of-literature-though-it-is/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The Gospels were not thought of as works of literature. People were not concerned with the literary reputation of Matthew or Mark, but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-gospels-were-not-thought-of-as-works-of-literature-people-were/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-last-foundation-for-any-doubt-that-the-scriptures-have-come-down/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The apostles were scattered, and even the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem had neither the power nor the means to impose uniformity.In these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-apostles-were-scattered-and-even-the-leaders-of-the-church-in/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [It is from the graves and ruins and rubbish-heaps of Egypt that writings have been restored to us in great numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/it-is-from-the-graves-and-ruins-and-rubbish-heaps-of-egypt-that/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [All we can say is that, as the result of a process which went on from the fourth century to about the eighth, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/all-we-can-say-is-that-as-the-result-of-a-process-which-went-on-from/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The aim of the scholarly editor is not to produce the the easiest text for the reader, but to get as near as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-aim-of-the-scholarly-editor-is-not-to-produce-the-the-easiest/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [Throughout, the work of Tyndale formed the foundation, and more than anyone else he established the rhythms and furnished much of the language which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/throughout-the-work-of-tyndale-formed-the-foundation-and-more-than/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The interval, then, between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact, negligible, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-interval-then-between-the-dates-of-original-composition-and-the/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The Bible has a human history as well as a divine inspiration. It is a history full of interest, and it is one which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-bible-has-a-human-history-as-well-as-a-divine-inspiration-it-is-a/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [The publication of the Revised New Testament by the two University Presses on May 17, 1881, was the most sensational in the annals of publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/the-publication-of-the-revised-new-testament-by-the-two-university/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [No serious student of the Bible in English can neglect the Revised Version without loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/no-serious-student-of-the-bible-in-english-can-neglect-the-revised/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) [Explore all 15 Frederic G. Kenyon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) ## More Century quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The poetry from the eighteenth century was prose; the prose from the seventeenth century was poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/the-poetry-from-the-eighteenth-century-was-prose-the-prose-from-the/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [At no time in the past century has public distrust of the government been so broadly distributed across the political spectrum, as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-zimmermann/at-no-time-in-the-past-century-has-public-distrust-of-the-government/) [Phil Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-zimmermann/) > [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [For me, the melancholy of the late XXth Century is walking late at night by the Mont Blanc pen store and seeing these things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/for-me-the-melancholy-of-the-late-xxth-century-is-walking-late-at/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,406 Century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The New Testament was not produced as a single work issued by an authoritative Church for the instruction of its members. 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