This post builds on the previous ones outlining a system for evaluating early Christian writings and an initial evaluation of the canon lists I will be reviewing. This post continues with a review of the Muratorian Canon fragment. The most likely date for the Muratorian Canon fragment is in the late 100's A.D., placing it in the 100-199 A.D. range for the purposes of this evaluation system and giving a weight of 3.0 to the list as seen in the calculations of the right column of the table.
* Matthew / Mark: Probable; the list is fragmentary. While the beginning of the list is missing, the book of Luke is listed as "the third book of the gospel". Other lists from the same century naming the four gospels typically list them in the order Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, so it is a reasonable supposition that if the third was Luke, the first two were Matthew and Mark. If anyone considered that to be in doubt, it would be possible to adjust the score accordingly.
Note on the list of books: the list here contains all of the books named on any of the five canon lists I am reviewing in this series, regardless of whether the mention is positive or negative. The order of the books is for the convenience of the reader: since the books are listed in different orders on the various lists, the books are listed here in common canonical order for the canonical books, followed by an alphabetical listing of the non-canonical books mentioned.
| Early Christian writing | Classification in current list | Raw score | List weighted score |
| Matthew | Accepted without reservation* | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Mark | Accepted without reservation* | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Luke | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| John | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Acts | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Romans | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 1 Corinthians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 2 Corinthians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Galatians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Ephesians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Philippians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Colossians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 1 Thessalonians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 2 Thessalonians | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 1 Timothy | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 2 Timothy | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Titus | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Philemon | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Hebrews | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| James | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| 1 Peter | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| 2 Peter | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Jude | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 1 John | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 2 John | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| 3 John | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Revelation | Accepted without reservation | 5 | 5 x 3.00 = 15.00 |
| Acts of Paul | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Acts of Peter | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Apocalpyse of Peter | Accepted with reservations | 1 | 1 x 3.00 = 3.00 |
| Epistle of Barnabas | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Letter to the Alexandrines | Rejected without reservations | -5 | -5 x 3.00 = -15.00 |
| Letter to the Laodiceans* | Rejected without reservations | -5 | -5 x 3.00 = -15.00 |
| Shepherd of Hermas | Suitable reading but not authoritative | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
| Teachings of the Apostles | Not mentioned | 0 | 0 x 3.00 = 0.00 |
* Matthew / Mark: Probable; the list is fragmentary. While the beginning of the list is missing, the book of Luke is listed as "the third book of the gospel". Other lists from the same century naming the four gospels typically list them in the order Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, so it is a reasonable supposition that if the third was Luke, the first two were Matthew and Mark. If anyone considered that to be in doubt, it would be possible to adjust the score accordingly.
Note on the list of books: the list here contains all of the books named on any of the five canon lists I am reviewing in this series, regardless of whether the mention is positive or negative. The order of the books is for the convenience of the reader: since the books are listed in different orders on the various lists, the books are listed here in common canonical order for the canonical books, followed by an alphabetical listing of the non-canonical books mentioned.
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