復活節函    原文英譯本

畫像亞他拿修 (畫像)；公有領域
亞他拿修(或譯亞大納削Athanasius, 293–373) 在367年發表的《復活節函》(Festal Letter)中，列出他認為應該集合成典的著作，而列出來的，不多不少，正是今天《新約》的27卷，這是歷史上首次出現與今天《新約》相同的名單。

亞他拿修是當年埃及亞歷山大的主教，每年都在復活節發表《復活節函》。

該函的英文翻譯，見Christian Classics Ethereal Library，節錄如下：
... 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....
換句話說，亞他拿修當年提出的書目，次序如下：
  • 四福音書：馬太；馬可；路加；約翰
  • 使徒行傳
  • 大公書信：雅各書；彼得前、後書；約翰一、二、三書；猶大書
  • 十四卷保羅書信：羅馬書；歌林多前、後書；加拉太書；以弗所書；腓立比書；歌羅西書；帖撒羅尼迦前、後書； 希伯來書；提摩太前、後書；提多書；腓利門書
  • 約翰的啟示錄
以上的書目與今天的書目一樣，都是同樣的27卷書，次序也很相似，主要的分別只是「大公書信」的位置排在「保羅書信」前，及〈希伯來書〉排在〈提摩太前、後書〉之前。此外，稱為「保羅書信」的十四卷書之中，現代學者認為，起碼〈希伯來書〉的作者不是保羅。
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