The Biblical Canon of
Cyril of Jerusalem

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386 A.D.), was a Bishop of Jerusalem who left important writings documenting the instruction of catechumens and the order of the Liturgy in his day.  He wrote 24 catecheses, or instructions, the first of which is introductory while the next eighteen (2-19) address ‘those being enlightened’ (i.e. those who await baptism at Easter). Catecheses 20-24 are referred to as the Mystagogical Catacheses and address the newly baptized by explaining the meaning of the sacraments and outlining the liturgy. This series of catecheses provides ample information on the catechumenate and liturgy in use in Jerusalem at this time.

Catachesis 4 contains Cyril’s canon list.  Cyril does not use the word ‘canon’, but rather, makes use the term ‘acknowledged or accepted’ (homologoumena), a term which Origen and Eusebius had used to designate the undisputed books among the churches.  Cyril, however, includes the books of James, 2 Peter, 2-3 John, and Jude, which Eusebius had listed as “disputed books” (antilegomena).  Like Eusebius, though, Cyril does maintain three tiers of religious writings: the canonical books, the ‘books of second rank’ (which may also be read or cited in churches) and the heretical apocryphal books (Catechesis 4:36).  He uses three terms to describe these works: apocryphal writings (Cat. 4.33), doubtful writings (Cat. 4.33), and the phrase in ‘second rank’ with its instruction not to read in private anything that is not read publicly in the church (Cat. 4.36).  Cyril’s New Testament Canon is identical to the modern New Testament except that he did not include Revelation.  He also placed the seven Catholic Epistles immediately following Acts, moving the 14 Pauline Epistles to the back.  The only Deuterocanonical (Apocryphal) additions that Cyril included in his Old Testament canon was the Book of Baruch and the Deuterocanonical sections of Daniel.

Source:  

• Edmon L. Gallagher and John D. Meade. The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity:  Texts and Analysis.  Oxford University Press. 2017
• Butler, Alban (1866) Vol. III, D. & J. Sadlier, & Company (1866). The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints’. J. Duffy.