The Biblical Canon of
Amphilochius of Iconium

The Canon of Amphilochius of Iconium is found in his poem the Iambi ad Seleucum, which was preserved among the works of Gregory of Nazianzus.  Amphilochius probably wrote this poem for his young nephew Seleucus.  In lines 181-320, Amphilochius presents Seleucus with ‘the study of the sacred books and the order of the rule of faith.  In the introduction to the list, Amphilochius says that not every book which has received the venerable name of Scriptures is safe. For there are extant pseudonymous books, some of which are intermediate and neighbors… to the words of truth, but others are spurious and surely unsafe.’

Many of the Catholic Epistles are disputed in his New Testament list.  He does not include the Deuterocanonical books in his Old Testament list, but he does allude to Tobit, Sirach/ Ecclesiasticus, and the Wisdom of Solomon in is extant writings.  He found the teachings in these books useful for exhorting the church, but did not include them in his canon list.  Amphilochius created his canon list for two purposes: to teach one the useful way of life and how to worship God and the converse, how to escape from the traps of the world and to teach which books only appear to bear the kings inscription, but actually are forgeries and very unsafe.

Sources: 

  • Edmon L. Gallagher and John D. Meade. The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity:  Texts and Analysis.  Oxford University Press. 2017

The Canon List of
Amphilochius of Iconium

Source Used:  Edmon L. Gallagher and John D. Meade. The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity:  Texts and Analysis.  Oxford University Press. 2017

The New Testament Canon:

 Amphilochius’ N.T. Canon

Modern Catholic N.T. Canon

Modern Protestant N.T. Canon

Matthew

Matthew

Matthew

Mark

Mark

Mark

Luke 

Luke 

Luke 

John

John

John

Acts

Acts

Acts

Romans

Romans

Romans

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Galatians

Galatians

Ehesians

Ephesians

Ephesians

Philippians

Philippians

Philippians

Colossians

Colossians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 

1 Timothy

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

2 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Titus

Titus

Philemon

Philemon

Philemon

Hebrews

Hebrews

Hebrews

James

James

James

1 Peter

1 Peter

1 Peter

(disputed)

2 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

1 John

1 John

(disputed)

2 John

2 John

(disputed)

3 John

3 John

(disputed)

Jude

Jude

(disputed)

Revelation

Revelation

The Old Testament Canon:

Amphilochius’ O.T. Canon

Modern Catholic O.T. Canon

Modern Protestant O.T. Canon

Genesis

Genesis

Genesis

Exodus

Exodus

Exodus

Leviticus

Leviticus

Leviticus

Numbers

Numbers

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Joshua

Joshua

Judges

Judges

Judges

Ruth

Ruth

Ruth

1 Kingdoms (Samuel)

1 Samuel

1 Samuel

2 Kingdoms (Samuel)

2 Samuel

2 Samuel

3 Kingdoms

1 Kings

1 Kings

4 Kingdoms

2 Kings

2 Kings

1 Paralipomenon

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles

2 Paralipomenon

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

1 Esdras

1 Esdras (1 Ezra)

Ezra (1 Ezra)

2 Esdras

2 Esdras (2 Ezra)

Nehemiah (2 Ezra)

(disputed)

Esther

Esther

 

Tobit

 

 

Judith

 

 

1 Maccabees

 
 

2 Maccabees

 
   

Job

Job

Job

Psalms

Psalms

Psalms

Proverbs

Proverbs

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes

Canticle of Canticles

Canticle of Canticles

Song of Songs

 

Book of Wisdom

 

 

Ecclesiasticus / Sirach

 

Isaiah

Isaiah

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Lamentations

Lamentations

Baruch

Baruch

 

Ezechiel

Ezechiel

Ezekiel

Daniel + Susanna + Bel & the Dragon

Daniel

Daniel

Hosea

Hosea / Osee

Hosea

Joel

Joel

Joel

Amos

Amos

Amos

Obadiah

Obadiah

Obadiah

Jonah

Jonah

Jonah

Micah

Micah

Micah

Nahum

Nahum

Nahum

Habakkuk

Habakkuk

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Zephaniah

Zephaniah

Hagai

Hagai

Hagai

Zecharias

Zecharias

Zechariah

Malachias

Malachias

Malachi