Who Decided the Books of the Bible? The Council of Carthage Explained

Описание: How did the Bible become the collection of books we know today?

In the late fourth century, the Christian world faced deep division. Dozens of gospels, letters, and apocalyptic writings circulated among churches, each claiming authority. With competing doctrines spreading and no universally accepted list of Scripture, Christianity stood on the brink of fragmentation.

This crisis led to the Council of Carthage in 397 AD. Church leaders gathered to confront a critical question: which books truly belonged in the Christian Scriptures? Presided over by Bishop Aurelius and strongly influenced by Augustine of Hippo, the council debated fiercely over disputed texts such as Hebrews and the Shepherd of Hermas.

After intense discussion, the council ratified a definitive list—27 books of the New Testament and 46 books of the Old Testament—bringing unity to the Western Church. This decision did not invent the Bible, but formally recognized the writings already widely used and trusted by Christian communities.

In this video, we explore:

Why early Christianity faced a canon crisis

What role church councils actually played

How the Bible was recognized, not randomly chosen

The historical reality behind modern myths about the Bible’s formation

Thank you for watching. This is the kind of big-picture, Scripture-focused content we create here on Open Scriptures Treasury, where we explore the Bible as one unified story shaped by real historical events.


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