THE CONTRIBUTION OF SAINT ATHANASIUS THE GREAT TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 39TH FESTIVE EPISTLE. TEXT, TRANSLATION AND ANALYSIS
THE CONTRIBUTION OF SAINT ATHANASIUS THE GREAT TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 39TH FESTIVE EPISTLE. TEXT, TRANSLATION AND ANALYSIS

Summary/Abstract: The biblical research proposes, as an imperative premise, the in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures. As the source of supernatural divine revelation, the Holy Scriptures contain a double collection of books: the books of the Old Testament and the books of the New Testament. The Old Testament is called “pedagogue to Christ” (Gal. 3:24), because it contains the preceding revelation and the fundamental truths, but not in all their depth, it being indispensable, but not perfect. The New Testament includes the supernatural revelation made by God the Son and recorded in writing by the Holy Apostles, either directly or through mediation. This double collection of books has been named by the Church as holy and canonical. As for calling them holy books, they are called so because they are not the product of human reason, their fixation in writing being done by the care of the Holy Spirit, that is, by inspiration. And in terms of their content, the designation of saints is appropriate, because they describe historical events that are part of the economy of the salvation of the human race, religious truths revealed by God and practical exhortations to ensure the fulfillment of one of the desires for which man was created: salvation. As for the appointment as canonical, that is, the recognition of the canonicity of the books of Holy Scripture, this aspect has concerned the Church since the beginning, and its achievement proved to be the result of a process carried out over several centuries.

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