Many people assume that the Roman Catholic Church created the Bible, but that's not true. The New Testament existed long before Rome controlled Christianity.
Between 33 AD and 120 AD, the followers of Jesus (Yeshua) took His teachings far beyond the Roman Empire into non-Greek-speaking lands. Many of these early believers already had a canon of 22 books of the New Testament long before the Roman Church played any role.
Where Did the Disciples Go?
Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) disciples and their followers traveled to places where Greek was not the main language:
Peter & Thomas → Babylon, Parthia (Persia/Iran), India (Aramaic, Persian, Tamil)
Thaddeus & Bartholomew → Armenia, Edessa, Mesopotamia (Aramaic, Old Armenian)
James (Jesus' Brother) → Jerusalem & Judea (Hebrew, Aramaic)
Matthew → Ethiopia, Arabia (Ge'ez, Aramaic, Arabic)
Simon the Zealot → North Africa, Persia (Berber, Persian)
Philip → Phrygia (Central Turkey) (Phrygian, Aramaic)
Andrew → Scythia (Ukraine, Georgia, Russia) (Scythian, Thracian)
Jude (Thaddeus) → Syria, Mesopotamia (Syriac-Aramaic)
The 22-Book New Testament Canon
Before the Roman Church standardized the 27-book canon, early Aramaic-speaking Christians had a 22-book version.
The Aramaic Peshitta Bible was used by the Eastern Church and did not include 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, or Revelation—books.
Reasons for Exclusion Doubt About Apostolic Authorship
Many early Christians only recognized books that they believed had direct apostolic authority. The five excluded books had uncertain authorship or were attributed to lesser-known figures.
The Aramaic-speaking churches did not widely circulate these books in the early centuries, especially Revelation, which was more prominent in Greek and Latin-speaking regions.
Concerns Over Theology.
Revelation contained highly symbolic and apocalyptic material, which some church leaders found difficult to interpret.
Jude referenced the Book of Enoch, which was not widely accepted in all Christian traditions.
The shorter epistles (2 John, 3 John) seemed to have limited theological significance compared to the longer letters like 1 John.3
Gradual Acceptance Over time, these books were added to the Syriac canon:
5th–6th centuries – Some Aramaic-speaking churches began using 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.
Late Middle Ages – Revelation was finally included in some Syriac Bibles, but even today, it is not universally accepted in all Eastern traditions.
The Importance of Constantine & the Year 313 AD
Before 313 AD, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire, and believers faced severe persecution.
In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity and ending Roman persecution.
This was the turning point when Rome began influencing the faith, leading to later changes in doctrine, scripture, and church structure.
Before this, Rome had no control over Christian writings, and believers in the East (Syria, Persia, India, Armenia, etc.) already had their own canon of scripture.
After Rome took control, non-Greek scriptures (like Aramaic and Hebrew versions) may have been suppressed.
Did the Roman Church Destroy the Aramaic Bible?
Before 313 AD, Christian communities were independent of Rome.
After 313 AD, as Rome took control of the faith, they pushed Greek and Latin texts over the older Aramaic and Hebrew versions.
The Roman Catholic Church later restricted Bible access, banning laypeople from reading it and discouraging non-Latin versions.
Some evidence suggests that Aramaic New Testament manuscripts were lost or destroyed, possibly to eliminate Jewish-Christian traditions.
5. Why This Matters
The New Testament was first compiled in the East, not in Rome.
Rome only gained control later, and its influence likely led to alterations and book removals.
The Aramaic Peshitta Bible still exists today, preserving the oldest form of the New Testament.
"Click here to explore Emperor Constantine's impact on the church."