Many Christians see the Bible as the foundation of their faith. So it’s natural to wonder – which came first, the church or the Holy Book?
Looking at when each began helps us understand how they developed over time. Let’s check out key events in the history of the early church versus when the Bible came together:
The Early Church – Gatherings Before the Bible
The Christian church started back in the 1st century AD. It was built on Jesus’ oral teachings and the preaching of his Apostles after his crucifixion.
The Book of Acts tells us Jesus’ followers spread his message first to Jews, and then to non-Jews throughout the Mediterranean. These early believers met in homes and public spaces to pray, share meals, and talk about their faith. This marked the beginning of the church before the Bible existed.
The Bible – Later Writings Compiled into Scripture
Jesus’ life was only shared orally at first. But writings about him circulated later. The earliest were Paul’s letters from around 50-60 AD, and the Gospel of Mark from about 70 AD.
Over the next 300 years, more works emerged describing Jesus’ life and teachings. It took centuries for these separate writings to be compiled into the collection of books we know as the Bible.
The full approved Bible first appeared in Latin as the Vulgate in 405 AD. But different versions existed earlier. So the church came first, before the recognized Biblical canon.
What Guided the Early Church Without the Full Bible?
For those first few hundred years, the church ran on:
- Oral stories passed down by Jesus’ original followers
- Basic creeds summarizing the main Christian beliefs
- Teachings from early church leaders and thinkers
- Some early gospel and letter writings
- Accounts of Jesus’ ministry shared by preachers
So they spread Jesus’ message using partial writings, before the approved Bible.
Core Beliefs Emerged Before the Final Bible
Major Christian beliefs like Jesus being divine, his death saving sins, and God as three-in-one emerged early on – before the full Bible. These core teachings developed through:
- Stories from disciples who knew Jesus directly
- Letters from Apostles like Paul
- Early creeds like the Apostles’ Creed
- Sermons from early church fathers
- Early gospels and letters in circulation
So basic beliefs came from the early church first, and the later Bible confirmed them.
The Bible Solidified What the Church Already Knew
When church councils decided on the books to include, this just formalized what the early church had been teaching all along.
While the full Bible offered more details, its writings largely just confirmed the oral teachings, early creeds, and basic texts Christians had used for centuries. So the church started with fragments before the Bible finished the holy scriptures.
Conclusion – Which Came First?
To sum up, history shows the Christian church clearly emerged first, long before the Bible was compiled. The faith originally spread rapidly using just oral history and a few written accounts.
Major church teachings developed before the Bible reached its final approved form 300 years later. Early Christians relied on partial scriptures before the full Bible canon eventually reinforced their established beliefs.
So even though the Bible is central today, the early church preceded it and led to its later creation as we know it.