The Biblical Canon of
Marcion of Sinope

Marcion was an early Christian theologian who taught what became known as the heresy of Marcionism.  Marcion completely rejected Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) and believed the god of the Old Testament to be a separate and lesser demiurge from the God of the New Testament.  Because Marcion considered himself a disciple of Paul, he regarded Paul’s letters to be of higher importance than the four Gospels; only one of which -the Gospel of Luke- did he actually consider scripture.

Marcion’s canon included only ten of the Pauline epistles, in the following order: Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Romans, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Laodiceans, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians.  Marcion’s canon did not include the Pastoral epistles (1st & 2nd Timothy and Titus) or the Epistle to the Hebrews.  The Gospel of Luke was the only gospel he retained, although it was a redacted version of it, leaving out any Old Testament quotes or references.  He altered it enough that his version of Luke became known as the Gospel of Marcion,  which was criticized by Christian apologists such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Epiphanius.  Tertullian stated that Marcion edited Luke to fit his own theology and further bolster the errors of Marcionism. He wrote that Marcion;

“expunged [from the Gospel of Luke] all the things that oppose his view… but retained those things that accord with his opinion”.  (Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.6.2)

Marcion’s list is perhaps the first New Testament canon on record, which he called the Gospel and the Apostolikon.  Although his canon was rejected, Marcion forced other Christians to begin considering which texts were canonical and why. 

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