All Posts Archived Lessons New Testament Old Testament Book of Mormon Doctrine & Covenants Search “The Lord Had Called Us for to Preach the Gospel” CFMCorner Jul 21, 2023 20 min read Updated: Jun 24, 2025 CFM: July 24–30 Acts 16–21 Videos and Podcasts Video/ Podcast ​Lesson Extension ​Additional Materials Scripture Central Acts 16-21 ​3 Lessons from the Book of the Acts Follow Him Acts 16-21 Part 1 , Part 2 Transcripts Line Upon Line Acts 16-21 ​FHE Lesson Teaching with Power Acts 16-21 ​ Don't Miss This Acts 16-21 ​ ​CFM New Testament Acts 16-21 ​Unshaken Acts 16-21 ( Part 1 , Part 2 ) ​ ​The Interpreter Foundation Acts 16-21 ​Study helps by Jonn Claybaugh ​Teaching Helps with John Hilton Acts 16-21 ( not yet posted ) ​ ​Talk of Him Acts 16-21 ​ ​Ponderfun Acts 16-21 ( not yet posted ) ​Talking Scripture Acts 16-21 Show Notes Resources and Insights about this Week's Lesson The following maps and videos below provide an excellent summary of this week's lesson material. The videos trace the footsteps of Paul, and take the viewer to the actual locations. This is enormously beneficial because it is helpful to see the ruins, geography, and culture of the area, helping to bring the story to life. Expand Map The Apostle Paul's First Missionary Journey, In Pursuit of Paul Expand the Map The Apostle Paul's Second Missionary Journey, In Pursuit of Paul Expand the Map The Apostle Paul's Third Mission, In Pursuit of Paul Historical & Cultural Context The following textbook was issued to my son during the height of COVID homeschooling, and it is actually pretty decent. It provides a broad and very approachable summary of Ancient Greek and Roman History & Culture and can provide some beneficial context for those wanting to brush up on the social and political environments leading up to and surrounding Paul's mission: Ancient Greece and Rome Reader Canonization of the New Testament The process of canonization, which occurred over several centuries, involved the compilation and acceptance of certain texts as inspired and authoritative within the Christian faith. By the end of the first century/ beginning of the second century AD, the thirty-nine documents that now comprise our Old Testament and the twenty-seven documents that now comprise our New Testament were written and circulated among early Christian communities in addition to many others. However, it was not until much later that these texts were collectively acknowledged as part of the authoritative body of Christian scripture. Additionally, different sects of Christian communities include different books in their official cannons. For example, the LDS Cannon includes 69 books if one adds the Book of Mormon, D&C, and The Pearl of Great Price. Whereas, other communities include more or less. For example, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon includes 88 books. The LDS Old Testament canon most closely aligns with the Protestant canon, and our New Testament most closely resembles the Athanasius New Testament Canon, which was consolidated in 367 AD. The term “canon,” comes from the Gr eek κανών , meaning “reed,” or “measuring rod,” and it r efers to a defined catalog of inspired and authoritative texts, whereas “scripture” denotes the inspired and authoritative status of a written document. The distinction between the two is crucial because Christians did not immediately create universally accepted lists of authoritative texts following Jesus Christ's death. Instead, for several centuries, various texts were considered scriptural without a commonly agreed-upon canon. Historically, the development of the New Testament Canon can be classified into three stages: 1. In the first and second centuries, certain writings, such as the four Gospels, several Pauline letters, 1 Peter, and 1 John, were widespread. However, they were not formally consolidated. Other writings, such as Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2–3 John, James, Jude, Revelation, and others, were also in circulation but held less prominence and authority. 2. During the second to the early fourth centuries, a variety of additional writings emerged and circulated, some of which were eventually included in the New Testament canon. However, there were also writings that circulated but were later excluded from various canons by different communities for various reasons, including the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha . Despite remaining in the canons of Orthodox and Catholic communities, the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha were not regarded as authoritative as others. In the 1500s, during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther moved these books to the end of the Protestant canon, and in the 1800s, printers omitted them entirely. Some records state that this was for theological reasons, others claim it was more for practical reasons, to make the Bible more accessible by reducing printing costs. In reality, it was probably a bit of both. Moreover, several significant texts that were widely known in the ancient church have been recently uncovered through archaeological findings and in ancient library collections of various communities. As the ancient church expanded, debates arose concerning the value of many texts that were in circulation, leading to questions about authorship, doctrine, accuracy, interpretation, authority, and politics. These debates created skepticism and concern among the different Christian communities. Certain writings challenged contending religious dogmas and caused significant political controversies and divisions. Topics related to the Trinity and Arianism, the roles of women, slaves, and different ethnic groups, doctrinal differences between numerous Christian sects, issues pertaining to the calendar, festival observance, liturgical practices/ traditions, and concepts considered idolatrous or heretical were some of the contentious issues. The presence of pseudepigraphical writings and texts with uncertain authorship introduced additional complexities into the discussions surrounding the formation of the New Testament canon. Pseudepigraphical writings and the use of pseudonyms were common practices in the ancient world. These records were written in the style of and attributed to specific authors who did not actually write the texts, and multiple factors contributed to the existence of such writings. While some were intentionally deceptive, others may have been well-intentioned, meant to be more biographical or traditional in nature, possibly condensed or translated from earlier records or oral traditions. Various theories and explanations surround these pseudepigraphical texts, and these were all issues that canonical compilers had to weigh and consider. It is generally assumed that they sought to discern and exclude writings that lacked verifiable authenticity. Nevertheless, modern scholars believe that a few texts included in the canon might not have been genuinely authored by the figures they were ascribed to. For instance, among the thirteen Pauline epistles, some scholars contend that only seven letters were actually written by Paul: Galatians, 1st Thessalonians, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, and Philemon. Later writers are thought to have composed 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, and Titus. Additionally, there is ongoing debate regarding the authorship of 2nd Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians. The Epistle to the Hebrews is traditionally included in the Pauline letters, but the writer of the document is anonymous, and the form of the letter does not match Paul's other letters. It is crucial to acknowledge that while Paul may not have written these contended writings, it does not discredit them. The developers of the canon deemed these books to have merit and may have possessed more information about the circumstances of their origins than we have today. Yet, understanding the historical context and complexities surrounding authorship can help us to better approach these texts with scholarly and critical discernment. This can be particularly helpful when encountering contradictory concepts, as such instances do frequently occur. As a result of the many challenges that existed, the process of determining the canon became intricate, with various factors influencing the inclusion or exclusion of certain texts. The debates and controversies surrounding these writings reflect the diverse perspectives and theological considerations of early Christian communities, making the formation of the New Testament canon a dynamic and nuanced process. 3. In the fourth and fifth centuries, early Christians made significant efforts to define and differentiate between authoritative and non-authoritative texts. Surprisingly, the Church scribes in Alexandria were actually inspired by the writings of Homer. Initially, their goal was to model the Biblical canon after the Homeric tradition, which divided the canon into sections that corresponded with the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. However, with the Biblical canon, there was debate regarding what alphabet they should use, the Hebrew alphabet, which had 22 letters, or the Greek, which had 24. Ultimately, that goal was abandoned because there were too many records to compile. Church leaders drafted numerous lists of canonical books during this period. Ultimately, as the official canons emerged, the more established texts that were traditionally accepted by the widest audiences ended up making the cut. The earliest known list endorsing the exclusive use of the twenty-seven books now comprising the New Testament was compiled by Athanasius in AD 367. Subsequently, several church councils ratified this list and effectively closed the New Testament canon for many Christians. While many writings were rejected for inclusion into the canon, they do provide valuable insights into the early Christian world. They offer significant details about the history, culture, and groups that existed among the various traditions. The